Author: Eugenia

The Catalan Forum for Peace has collected 913 proposals from citizens to help shape the Government of Catalonia’s new Country of Peace Master Plan. Between April and June, around 500 people took part in the 36 in-person sessions held throughout Catalonia, along with additional online contributions via the Participa website.

Specifically, ten deliberative sessions and 26 self-managed sessions were held by various groups, organizations and institutions, with discussions focusing on five themes: Culture of peace; Security and justice; Conflicts, violence and peace; Global threats and challenges to peace; and Women, peace and security.

Based on these thematic areas, the goal of the participatory process was to identify concrete measures to be included in the future Country of Peace Master Plan.

Debates across Catalonia

A total of 183 participants generated 301 proposals in deliberative sessions held in Barcelona, Bellaterra, Girona, Granollers, Lleida, Olot, Tarragona and Tortosa.

The self-managed sessions resulted in 467 proposals, with a total of 322 participants.  These sessions were organized by various actors:

• Public institutions, such as the Department of Justice, Interior, and European Union and Foreign Affairs; the Catalan Youth Agency; the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation; and ICIP.

• Organizations advocating for peace, such as FundiPau, the Delàs Centre for Peace Studies, NOVACT, the Coordinating Committee of Solidarity NGOs of Girona, Aturem les Guerres, Terra i Pau, and Friends of UNESCO-Girona.

• Trade unions, such as Comissions Obreres and UGT.

• Community and social groups, such as neighborhood associations in Figueres, members of the African and Latin American diaspora, universities, the Network of Educators for Global Citizenship in Tarragona, CIEMEN, the Journalism for Peace Group of the Association of Journalists of Catalonia, and third-sector organizations like the Red Cross.

Finally, the participatory process also included online contributions through the Participa website.  A total of 145 proposals were submitted, both individually and collectively. These include proposals submitted by Lafede,  the School for a Culture of Peace, the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation, and the Network of Mayors for Peace.

In total, 505 people took part in the participatory process. The Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace – one of the driving forces behind the Forum – will now review the proposals before presenting them to the Government. The results of the process will help define the content of the Country of Peace Master Plan, which will later be submitted to Parliament for approval. All of the proposals collected during this process will be publicly available on the Participa website.

Less violence, more global justice

The Catalan Forum for Peace is both a space for public participation and a platform for reflection. Its aim is to develop a public peace policy for Catalonia while also strengthening the peace movement. The Forum is the result of joint efforts by institutions and civil society, promoted by the Government of Catalonia, the Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace, ICIP and the network of peace associations, under the motto “Less violence, more global justice.”

In the face of global challenges such as the climate crisis, rising military expenditure, an increase in the number of armed conflicts, and the erosion of democratic foundations, Catalonia is committed to peace and seeks to encourage reflection on how we contribute to peace both here at home and abroad.

On Wednesday 10 September, Barcelona hosted “Artistic practices and a culture of peace,” an event that brought together artists, educators and activists to explore the role of artistic expression in peacebuilding.

Organized by ICIP, ConArte Internacional, Fundación Baketik, Fundació L’Arc, the Theatre Institute’s Social and Community Action Unit, and Dansalut, the event took place at the Fundació Carulla. The gathering underscored that fostering a culture of peace is a collective responsibility involving not only the pacifist movement but also numerous organizations using art and culture to transform society.

The program opened with the roundtable “Art for Peace,” where participants shared experiences of social transformation through art therapy, theatre and hip-hop. Participants included Silvina Merino (La Quinta Pata), David Martínez (La Nave Va) and Lucas Vico (Erol Urbà).

Merino presented Bud na bud, a project that uses embroidery and collective artistic practices to empower Afghan refugee women, turning trauma and exclusion into creative expression that strengthens a culture of peace through memory, dignity and community solidarity. Martínez highlighted the work of La Nave Va, which uses social theatre as a tool for inclusion, awareness and dialogue, taking art beyond the stage to strengthen community bonds. Finally, Vico presented Erol Urbà, a collective that promotes social intervention projects through urban art – rap, graffiti, dance and audiovisual projects – as a way to channel creativity into processes of critique, expression and community transformation.

Movement and words

Following the roundtable, artists Marta Galán and Montserrat Iranzo from Dansalut led a hands-on workshop focused on the body, identity and life stories as tools for theatrical creation and dramaturgy. Through creative dance, body expression, improvisation and free writing, participants explored the interplay between movement and words as a way of recognizing identity, sharing personal experiences and discovering new forms of artistic and collective expression.

The event was part of MONDIACULT 2025, UNESCO’s World Conference on Cultural Policies, which will take place in Barcelona from 29 September to 1 October, with thousands of participants from all over the world.

On Thursday, September 18, during the week marking the International Day of Peace, ICIP presented the 2025 Peace in Progress Award to Women Now for Development, a leading Syrian women’s organisation. The award honours the network for its work in supporting, protecting, and empowering Syrian women—both inside the country and in exile—as a powerful symbol of resistance and feminist solidarity in the face of violence.

Women Now for Development was founded in 2012 as a community initiative to support women and girls in the early days of the Syrian revolution. Its initial aim was to create safe spaces where women could meet, share knowledge, and exchange experiences. Since then, it has become a leading feminist organisation working both in war zones and in conflict-affected contexts, inside and outside Syria. The network has helped shape a generation of women who continue resisting violence and building hope amidst destruction.

The ceremony was opened by ICIP president Xavier Masllorens, who underlined the importance of “recognising people and organisations that work against the tide, upholding dignity,” which is the essence of the ICIP Award. In today’s turbulent context for peace, Masllorens lamented the lack of action on conflict prevention. He also stressed the need to work for peace: “Not preventing means giving up on deeply analysing the true causes of conflicts, and that constitutes a collective failure with devastating consequences (…). Today, we have the conditions to work with a new paradigm in conflict resolution between communities, peoples, nations, and states. A paradigm that is unprecedented but not impossible, which we call a culture of peace: a world without misery, more just and equal.”

Next, Palestinian poet and translator of Syrian origin, Mohamad Bitari, offered a tribute to the award-winning organisation and highlighted that the ICIP Award “is a homage to the memory of Syrian women, and to all that they have given for a more just, free, and safe country. It is also a tribute to every woman in the world who has refused to be only a victim, and has chosen to be active, courageous, and transformative.”

A recognition of women’s struggle

In his remarks, Bitari recalled many Syrian women who have marked the country’s resistance through their social and political activism. Many of them suffered repression at the hands of the Syrian regime and received support and protection from Women Now for Development.

On behalf of the award-winning organisation, the award was accepted by executive director Lubna Alkanawati and the organisation’s director in Lebanon, Roulah Al Rekbie. In their acceptance speeches, they emphasised the repression and displacement suffered by Syrian women for decades. They highlighted that the ICIP Award makes their struggle visible and places women at the centre of peacebuilding: “This recognition gives us strength to keep moving forward, to transform pain into action. It reminds us that the struggle continues, that we will keep working to ensure that Syrian women have a voice of their own,” said Al Rekbie. For her part, Alkanawati dedicated the award to the “women of Syria, Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan, and all places where women suffer from occupation, extremism, and patriarchy.” The organisation will allocate the prize to funding support programs for survivors of sexual violence.

A third representative of the organisation, Muzna Al Jundi, who was unable to travel to Barcelona due to visa difficulties, participated through a video message to thank the organisation for the award from northwest Syria.

The President of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Rull, closed the ceremony with words of gratitude to ICIP and to the award-winning organisation. “Today is an act of recognition, of hope, and of collective dignity,” he said. Rull praised the work of Women Now for Development and ICIP for the quality of the Peace in Progress Award. He also warned that this award comes in an “absolutely devastating international context” and called for “the participation and perspective of women in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes.”

Solidarity with Palestine

The genocide in Gaza was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony. The ICIP president began his remarks with a moment of silence in solidarity with Palestine, which the audience joined, standing. Poet Mohamad Bitari also remembered the people of Palestine, “subjected to systematic genocide and constant aggression that continues day after day before the eyes of the world.”

The ceremony opened and closed with a musical performance by the Syrian duo Athrodeel.

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award, a fourteen-year trajectory

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award, established in 2011, aims to publicly recognise individuals, organisations, or institutions that have worked and contributed in a significant and sustained way to the promotion and construction of peace. The award consists of public recognition, a sculpture created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, artist, and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel entitled Porta de Sol, and a monetary prize of 6,000 euros.

Over its fourteen-year history, the ICIP Award has recognised individuals and groups from Catalonia, Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Mexico, and Algeria for their struggle in favour of reconciliation, truth, justice, or equality, with a focus also on the empowerment of women and a gender perspective.

Photos: Sergio Ramos Ledesma (Parlament de Catalunya)

Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) will host the international Build Peace 2025 conference from November 21 to 23. The event is co-organised by the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP) and Build Up, a collective that designs and implements technology- and arts-based tools and processes to address conflict and promote peace. The conference is also supported by the Santa Coloma City Council, Catalonia International, and the Government of Catalonia.

Held annually, the Build Peace conference brings together activists, technologists, researchers, artists, and civil society leaders from around the world to explore new approaches to peacebuilding.

The twelfth edition will take place at La CIBA, Santa Coloma’s hub for women, innovation, and feminist economics. Under the theme “Towards a Pluriverse of Peace”, the conference will focus on how creative and technological innovation can help transform conflict and foster more inclusive coexistence.

To attend, please register through the following link:

Towards a Pluriverse of Peace

In today’s world—marked by oppression, division, inequality, and loss of trust—it is essential to rethink what it means to speak of peace. How can we reclaim and give new meaning to the concept of peace in this context? How can we harness new possibilities to connect, learn from the experiences of diverse communities, and cultivate interdependence?

Through art, technology, and other forms of innovation, Build Peace 2025 provides a platform to question, redefine, and collectively envision what a culture of peace truly means. To this end, the conference will centre on three sub-themes that address key dilemmas in the field of peace and conflict:

Between Polarisation and Deliberation

This subtheme will focus on the power of dialogue and narratives. What participatory and deliberative tools, methods and spaces can tackle rising affective and toxic polarisation? How can polarised digital spaces become deliberative?  We aim to explore where and how that shift happens, the role of alternative narratives and what approaches (technological or otherwise) can be used to include all voices in social and peace processes and movements.

Between Deterrence and Nonviolence

This subtheme dives into peace and security policies. How can we reshape and reclaim the use of technology in surveillance states, regions and borders in the name of “safety”? What are existing and future alternatives to militarised security? We aim to reflect on how we understand peace and security, from pacifism and nonviolence to deterrence and the perceived need for militarized security. 

Between Erasure and Memory

This subtheme invites us to consider how we collectively learn from the past, live in the present, and imagine the future. How do we heal from trauma that poses a challenge to coexistence? In what ways can/ do we collectively learn and heal from societal crises? What role do reconciliation processes, truth commissions and amnesties play in bringing lasting and sustainable peace? We aim to highlight the importance of creatively exploring innovative tools and ways to archive and preserve memories and foster intergenerational dialogue, thereby cultivating peaceful present and future societies.

The conference will feature plenary sessions, short talks presenting projects and initiatives, interactive workshops, and artistic installations, including exhibitions and musical performances.

On Monday, June 30, the participatory process of the Catalan Forum for Peace officially came to a close. Over the past three months, this initiative has taken place across Catalonia intending to gather public input for the development of the new Pla Director País de Pau (Peace Country Master Plan).

Between April and June, ten deliberative sessions were held, bringing together over 180 participants and generating approximately 300 proposals. In parallel, nearly twenty self-managed sessions were organised by a wide range of organisations and institutions, including the ICIP, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, FundiPau, the Delàs Centre, Girona Friends of UNESCO, the Peace Journalism Group of the Catalan Association of Journalists, the Network of Educators for Global Citizenship in Tarragona, the Departments of Interior and Justice, the Catalan Youth Agency, UGT, CCOO, the Technical Cooperation, Volunteering and Refugee Network of Catalan Universities, and Mujer Diáspora.

Among them, the ICIP hosted two self-managed sessions in June: one with members of the African diaspora in Catalonia (June 19), and another with migrant women from diverse backgrounds (June 27).

Throughout the process, additional contributions—both individual and collective—were submitted via the Catalan Government’s Participa platform. While the final tally is still being compiled, early estimates indicate that over 500 proposals have been received.

With the participatory phase now complete, the Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace, which led the Forum, will analyse the proposals and submit them to the Government. All contributions will be made publicly available on the Participa portal.

In a press conference, ICIP has presented the study “L’arrelament de les idees involucionistes i bel·licistes a Catalunya” (The entrenchment of reactionary and militaristic ideas in Catalonia) (ICIP Report 24/2025). The report, conducted by journalist and data analyst Roger Tugas i Vilardell, analyzes which sectors of Catalan society are more susceptible to ideas contrary to democratic values, human rights and peace – such as racism, sexism, LGBTIphobia and militarism.

The data was drawn from seven public institution surveys. An in-depth analysis was carried out on ICIP Survey 2022 “Coexistence and cohesion in Catalonia” and ICIP Survey 2023 “Coexistence and security in Catalonia.” Additional surveys on values and habits conducted in 2023 by the CEO (Centre d’Estudis d’Opinió) and the CIS (Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas), as well as the European Social Survey were also examined. Data from a total of 130 questions were cross-referenced using variables such as age, gender, education level, size of town of residence, level of social trust, income, and concern about security.

The study falls under the “Social and political dialogue” line of work promoting coexistence, dialogue and social cohesion in Catalonia.  As ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer explained, “It is essential to manage disagreement and conflict in a constructive manner. That is why we want to understand in which segments of society antidemocratic values are most prevalent and what explains these attitudes, with a broad perspective and avoiding simplistic answers.”

Key findings

The study confirms that sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist, authoritarian and militaristic views are more prevalent among men – especially young men – and among people with low social trust, heightened concerns about security or antisocial behavior, and those facing economic hardship.

However, there is no discernable generational trend towards more conservative views:young people arenot less feminist or more racist than the general population. On the contrary, they more strongly support abortion rights, LGBTI rights and new forms of emotional and sexual relationships.  At the same time, though, young people are more supportive of punitivism and military defense.

According to the study’s author, Roger Tugas i Vilardell, “Those who most embrace reactionary ideas are often people facing uncertainty, insecurity and fear in the face of a pessimistic outlook shaped by precariousness and a changing society.” This profile often includes young men, a group highly exposed to social media – where hate speech is prevalent.  They often face difficulties to become economically self-sufficient, and have less established political backgrounds, making them more susceptible to new ideologies. Still, the author stresses that it is not exclusively a generational or gender issue – it is multifactorial.

In this regard, the ICIP director emphasized that young men are often criminalized as followers of far-right ideas, but “there are reactionary attitudes across all segments of society.”

Cross-referencing variables

By cross-referencing various variables, the study finds that the perception of community cohesion is linked to expressions of racism, intolerance or militarism. For example, among those who believe that coexistence in their neighborhood or town is poor, only 43 percent would be comfortable if a son or daughter married a refugee. In contrast, among those who believe coexistence is very good, acceptance rises to 67 percent. Additionally, people who perceive coexistence as very poor are more likely to support military spending.

The analysis also establishes a link between personal perceptions of success or failure and views on immigration. Fifty-eight percent of people who see themselves as “losers” claim immigrants commit more crimes than native citizens.  Among those who see themselves as “winners,” only 25 percent believe this.

The study also yields conclusions from cross-referencing age-gender and age-use of violence. In the first case, the report finds that men are more sexist than women – particularly young men. According to the data, 23 percent of young men (up to 30 years old) strongly or somewhat agree with the statement “men are better political leaders than women,” and 20 percent believe gender-based violence is an invention of feminism. Additionally, one in three young people would be willing to use violence to defend their ideas and values – twelve percentage points higher than any other age group.

Interactive web space

The study is complemented by the creation of a web space that allows users to interact directly with the data by cross-referencing multiple variables such as gender, age, education level and degree of trust. Specifically, the site lets users explore the data across four sections: Age and gender, Social trust, Economic precariousness, and Sense of insecurity.

The web space features some seventy graphs, which can also be consulted by topics: Sexism, LGBTIphobia, Racism, Militarism and Tolerance of difference.

This spring, the Catalan Forum for Peace will be reactivated with two key objectives: to design a public policy for peace in Catalonia and to strengthen the peace movement.

The first major step in this direction will be the elaboration of the Country of Peace Master Plan, a strategic framework that should provide a greater coherence, visibility and impact to the actions of the Government and to municipal and supramunicipal entities in terms of peace promotion, both locally and globally.

To meet this challenge, a citizen participation process will be launched, with three channels of participation aimed at all citizens: deliberative sessions and self-managed sessions on the central themes of the Forum (which will take place throughout Catalonia), and online participation through the Government of Catalonia’s Participa website. The participatory process will begin in April and conclude in June.

Modification of the Law for the Promotion of Peace

As a prelude to the beginning of the participatory process of the Catalan Forum for Peace, on Wednesday 12 March, the Catalan Parliament approved the modification of the Law for the Promotion of Peace so that it includes the obligation for each government to elaborate a Master Plan for Peace. The reform, promoted by the working group of the Catalan Forum for Peace, was approved with 106 votes in favor, from the parliamentary groups of PSC, Junts, ERC, Comuns and CUP, and 27 against, from the Popular Party, Vox and Aliança Catalana.

The new law establishes that, every four years, the Government will have to present a master plan called Country of Peace, a strategic framework to ensure greater coherence, visibility and impact in the actions of the Government, the municipal and supramunicipal entities and other public entities in the promotion of peace. This master plan, which must be approved by Parliament, must be drawn up following a previous process of analysis, information, consultation and participation, and must anticipate the resources and establish the priorities to be respected and specified in the annual peace plans.

Intervening in the debate were the MPs Sílvia Orriols (AC) and Alberto Tarradas (Vox), who defended their respective groups’ procedural motions to halt consideration of the bill, as well as Francesc de Dalmases (Junts), Ruben Wagensberg (ERC), Hugo Manchón (PPC), Susanna Segovia (Comuns), Laura Fernández Vega (CUP-DT) and Neus Comes (PSC-Units).

Representatives of ICIP, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, Lafede.cat and peace movement organizations, such as FundiPau and Novact, followed the debate from the chamber.

The Director of the Unit for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia, Gloria Cuartas, has visited Catalonia at the invitation of the Catalan Development Cooperation Fund to participate in the first edition of La Nit del Fons, the annual meeting of public and private cooperation stakeholders in Catalonia.

During her stay, Cuartas held meetings with various institutional representatives and participated in an analysis session at the ICIP office entitled “Implementing peace in Colombia: Challenges and perspectives.” The meeting, which was attended by Catalan civil society organizations, addressed the current challenges facing the peace process in Colombia.

Former mayor of Apartadó and promoter of total peace

Gloria Cuartas is a key figure in peacebuilding and the defense of human rights in Colombia.  She was mayor of the town of Apartadó (1995-1997) during a period of great violence when the region was the scene of confrontations between armed groups. During her mandate, she promoted initiatives for dialogue and protection of the civilian population and promoted coexistence and reconciliation in a context marked by conflict. Her commitment to human rights earned her recognition as well as threats and personal challenges.

Currently, as director of the Unit for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement, she is leading efforts to oversee the effective application of the agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP. Her work focuses on strengthening transitional justice mechanisms, the reincorporation of former combatants and the implementation of rural development policies in the regions most affected by the conflict.  Furthermore, it promotes community participation in the construction of a stable and lasting peace while ensuring that the commitments of the agreement translate into real and sustainable changes for Colombian society.

Institutional meetings and analysis session at ICIP

During her visit to Catalonia, Cuartas held an analysis session at the ICIP office in which she went over her personal and political career and analyzed the current situation in Colombia, which she described as “complicated.” “Total peace is going through a deep crisis,” she said. She also expressed her gratitude to the numerous Catalan institutions, including ICIP, which have been “weaving peace in my country” for years.

Before the session, Cuartas held several institutional meetings accompanied by, among others, ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer. On Monday 10 March, she met with the president of the Parliament of Catalonia, Josep Rull, and with representatives of the European Union and External Action Committee, with whom she discussed the efforts of Gustavo Petro’s government to achieve total peace. The following day, Tuesday 11 March, she held a meeting with the Minister of the European Union and External Action of the Government of Catalonia, Jaume Duch, to evaluate the projects financed by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation in Colombia. Cuartas’ visit to Catalonia ended on Wednesday 12 March with her participation in La Nit del Fons, where she was the keynote speaker.

On Friday, January 31, the Parliament of Catalonia’s auditorium hosted the III Peace Conference, an initiative led by the chamber’s board and co-organized by the Consell Català de Foment de la Pau (Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace), Lafede.cat, and ICIP.

Under the theme African Perspectives on Peace: Policies and Practices, the conference gathered over 200 participants, including representatives from peace organizations, institutions, and the African diaspora.

The event sought to highlight African-led peacebuilding efforts against the backdrop of Africa’s complex history—marked by armed conflicts and enduring colonial legacies—and contribute to the development of the Pla País de Pau (Peace Country Plan), a policy initiative set to shape Catalonia’s public peace strategy.

Centering African Voices in Public Policy

With the Pla País de Pau in focus, the conference underscored the urgency of engaging African voices—both on the continent and within the diaspora—in shaping Catalonia’s approach to peace and conflict resolution.

During the opening session, activist and ICIP Governing Board member Remei Sipi stressed the importance of inclusive peace processes, stating that “peace cannot be sustainable unless it includes all voices, especially the silenced ones.” Similarly, Arés Perceval, co-president of Lafede.cat, advocated for the active participation of the diaspora in public policy and emphasized the need for explicitly anti-racist peace policies.

Decolonization and the Fight Against Racism

A key theme of the III Peace Conference was the legacy of colonialism in Africa and the international community’s responsibility for the continent’s ongoing conflicts.

In the opening session, Florence N. Mpaayei, a member of the United Nations Ad Hoc Team of Senior Advisers on Mediation, Gender, and Inclusion, emphasized that achieving lasting peace in Africa requires collaboration between both internal and external actors. She highlighted how “the dynamics of conflict and peace in Africa are intertwined with historical colonialism and the many complex facets of imperialism in post-colonial Africa.” However, Mpaayei also underscored the resilience and agency of African societies, citing innovative peacebuilding, mediation, and reconciliation initiatives in South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and Nigeria. She particularly emphasized the crucial role of civil society—especially women and young people—in driving transformation.

The first roundtable of the day centred on the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources and the continent’s structural dependence on international actors, highlighting the urgent need for equitable and self-sustaining development. The panel featured Sani Ladan, a geopolitical analyst specializing in international relations and migration; Bombo Ndir, a human rights activist; and Jean-Bosco Botsho, president of the African and Catalan Cooperation Association (AFRICAT).

Sani Ladan stressed the urgent need to “decolonize international relations” and sharply criticized current cooperation policies, arguing that “Africa is an actor with its own voice, but it is not being heard. International development cooperation has become an instrument of blackmail that fosters dependency.” He emphasized the necessity of “establishing equal partnerships with Africa” and truly listening to African voices.

Echoing this call for inclusivity, activist Bombo Ndir underscored that “building peace requires the representation of all voices,” emphasising the importance of ensuring that women have a seat at decision-making tables.

Both Ladan and Ndir warned about the pervasive nature of systemic racism, both social and institutional, as well as the rise of hate speech. “Racism fractures coexistence and undermines peace,” Ndir stated.

Throughout the conference, several speakers paid tribute to Bakari Diba, a young homeless Senegalese man who died in Barcelona’s Ciutadella Park, just steps from the Parliament. His case, denounced by the Black African and Afro-descendant Community in Catalonia, was cited as a stark example of the institutional violence faced by migrants.

Jean-Bosco Botsho, president of the AFRICAT association, stressed the urgent need to prioritize conflict prevention, emphasizing that sustainable peace requires addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality.

Parliamentary Group Interventions

The second panel focused on Catalonia-Africa relations and featured representatives from five political groups: Neus Comes (PSC), Ennatu Domingo (Junts), Adrià Guevara (ERC Secretary of International Relations), Viviane Ogou (Comuns), and Pat Sillah (CUP).

All speakers emphasized the importance of integrating African voices into the future Pla País de Pau, advocating for a relationship between Catalonia and Africa based on equality and mutual respect. They also stressed the need for local actors to play a central role in shaping policies and fostering meaningful cooperation.

The President of the Parliament, Josep Rull, concluded the III Peace Conference by reaffirming Catalonia’s longstanding commitment to peace and its role as a welcoming society. In a global context increasingly shaped by hate speech and misinformation, Rull emphasized that “defending peace is an act of collective strength that gives meaning to humanity.”

Photographs: Parliament of Catalonia

For over fifty years, Angela Davis has been at the forefront of feminist movements and collective movements for prison abolition, as well as the struggle against state violence and oppression.

Abolició. Polítiques, pràctiques, promeses (Abolition: Politics, Practices, Promises) is the result of decades of thinking in action with the aim of contributing to the debate on security and prisons. This publication addresses the history of prison abolitionist thought and practice in the United States and around the world, the unique contributions of women to these struggles, and stories and lessons of organizing within and beyond prison walls.

The book encapsulates the career of one of the most important figures of the abolitionist movement.  It is essential reading for anyone who imagines a world without prisons.

Translated by Lola Fígols Fornell and illustrated by MilVietnams, this volume brings together the most significant texts of the activist and thinker, and offers a deep and incisive reflection on the history and future of abolitionism.

A key book to understand contemporary abolitionism

In Abolition, Angela Davis explores the history of abolitionist thought and practice, highlights the pivotal role of women in these struggles, and offers lessons on collective organizing.  Her writings address diverse issues with an intersectional vision that combines gender, class and race to analyze the repressive structures that prevent us from imagining socialist and just futures.

The call for abolitionism: Davis proposes imagining new ways of guaranteeing public health and safety.  She argues that police brutality, migrant detention and prison control require abolitionist strategies to build a more livable future.

Slavery and prison: The author analyzes the continuity between slavery and the modern prison system, focusing on the prison system in the United States and how it perpetuates racist and capitalist structures.

Racialization of crime: Davis examines how the criminalization of Black communities has historically been used to justify mass imprisonment, regardless of the guilt or innocence of the individuals involved.

The intersectional perspective: Imprisonment is not only a racial or economic issue, but also a gender issue.  Davis addresses institutionalized violence against women prisoners, from medical neglect to sexual abuse, and analyzes how Black women suffer disproportionately in this system.

The prison-industrial complex: The book explores how the US penal system acts as a profit-making industry, perpetuating structural inequalities and consolidating social control.

About the author

Angela Yvonne Davis (Birmingham, Alabama, 1944) is Professor Emerita of History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz (USA).  An activist, writer and scholar, her work focuses on prisons, policing and the intersections between race, gender and class.  With over fifty years of activism, Angela Davis has been a key figure in the movements against state violence, racism and gender oppression.  She is the author of many books, including Are Prisons Obsolete? (2020), and Women, Race and Class (2022).

Co-published by ICIP and Tigre de Paper

Abolition is the result of the collaboration between ICIP and Tigre de Paper, with the aim of disseminating the culture of peace among Catalan society.  This book expands the catalogue of ICIP’s publications, which deal with issues related to the culture of peace and nonviolence.  Specifically, the book is part of ICIP’s “Security alternatives” program from which the Institute addresses the analysis of punitivism and the culture of punishment, with the aim of exploring security models that allow for the management and transformation of violence in a more humane, just and effective way.

Barcelona will host the 2025 edition of the Build Peace Conference, a global conference series and community of practice that brings together practitioners, activists, academics, policymakers, artists and technologists worldwide. The conference is an initiative of Build Up, a global non-profit that implements programs, conducts research, develops technical solutions to engage with conflict and build societies where everyone can thrive.

ICIP will co-organize the 2025 edition, marking its role as the leading partner. The conference will be held from November 21 to 23, 2025, at La CIBA, a vibrant resource space in Santa Coloma de Gramenet dedicated to women, innovation, and the feminist economy.

The goal is to share experiences and advance knowledge on emergent challenges to peace in the digital age and peacebuilding innovations that address these challenges. Under this umbrella, Build Peace focuses on one central theme linked to the conference’s location each year.

ICIP’s involvement in the Build Peace series is well-established. It actively participated in the last three editions, held in Germany (2022), Kenya (2023), and the Philippines (2024). The successful bid to bring the conference to Catalonia in 2025 was announced at the closing session of Build Peace 2024, held on the outskirts of Manila. This underlines Catalonia’s growing role as a peace-oriented dialogue and innovation hub.

Announcement of the celebration of Build Peace 2025 in Barcelona:

ICIP participation in Build Peace 2024

Build Peace 2024 was held from 14-16 November with the theme “Pushing Frontiers, From the Ground Up.” On this occasion, Build Up was co-organized by the Council for Climate and Conflict Action, and the conference focused on experiences of dialogue and meditation, as well as on conflicts arising from climate change and local and international initiatives to address them.

ICIP actively participated in the conference with two proposals: a presentation on the experiences of mediation in the conflict in the autonomous region of Mindanao, Philippines, by ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer, and a working session on the experience of dialogue through the Agora Project, by Pablo Aguiar, head of ICIP’s “Social and Political Dialogue” area.

Over three days, the conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between technology and conflict, focusing, for example, on the development of artificial intelligence and the challenges it poses or on the impact of digital media, specifically social networks, on traditional peace processes and spaces for dialogue and mediation. The various working sessions highlighted that peace is built with and from local communities and that digital tools (online) complement networking and interpersonal work (offline).

ICIP actively supported the celebration of the World Congress on Enforced Disappearances, which took place in Geneva (Switzerland) from 15 to 16 January. The Convention against Enforced Disappearances Initiative (CEDI) and the United Nations organised this event. An ICIP delegation actively participated in the event, which brought together civil society organisations, including family associations, states, international agencies, and experts, to agree on a common strategy and action plan to promote the ratification and implementation of the Convention against Enforced Disappearances and facilitate intergovernmental dialogue.

The Congress received the support of ICIP and many international institutions, which promoted a vision of peace in the fight against disappearances. ICIP’s analysis is based on the institute’s “Enforced Disappearances” program, which aims to delve deeper into conceptualising the link between the struggle against enforced disappearances and peacebuilding.

Specifically, ICIP’s work in this area focuses on the accompaniment and support provided to groups of relatives of disappeared persons; this implies incorporating a gender perspective since, in most cases, these groups are headed by women who lead the research efforts.

At the Congress’s opening ceremony, ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer noted that “people who search for missing relatives, with their demand for truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition, are also promoters and guarantors of peace and democracy.” He added that ICIP is committed to “continuing to accompany searchers, especially women, and to disseminate their recognition as peacebuilders.“

ICIP also participated in the Congress’s closing session. In this case, the head of Strategic Alliances, Sílvia Plana, highlighted the need to “build networks and connection spaces between groups of searchers” and stressed the need to “mobilise states and civil society” to strengthen the fight against enforced disappearances and adopt a gender perspective. “We have much to learn from women searchers,” she said.

The voice of women searching for missing persons was also heard at the Congress, at the roundtable “The impact of enforced disappearances on women,” organised by ICIP and moderated by technician Sabina Puig. The session featured women from Syria, Gambia, the Philippines, Mexico and Peru who, from their own different experiences, highlighted the impunity that prevails regarding the crime of enforced disappearance and the painful process of demanding justice and obtaining the truth.

Related publications

ICIP’s work in accompanying women searchers began at the International Meeting of Relatives of Disappeared Persons, which took place in Barcelona in November 2023 and brought together some twenty women who are victims or direct relatives of disappeared persons.

The experiences of that first meeting have been compiled in the ICIP Report Conversations with Women Searchers: The Struggle against Enforced Disappearances and Peacebuilding by Baketik researcher Maider Maraña (in Spanish).

ICIP’s analysis of the link between the struggle against disappearances and peacebuilding was featured in the concept note Contributions of women searchers to peacebuilding by Sílvia Plana and Sabina Puig, presented at the Geneva Congress.