Author: whads

The ICIP Board of Governors has decided to grant the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2020 to the activist for human rights, peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo Julienne Lusenge, for her work on the “prevention and reduction of sexual and gender-based violence, and the strengthening women’s participation in peacebuilding” in the African country.

Lusenge is founder and currently president of the organization SOFEPADI (Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development), which provides integral attention to victims of sexual and gender-based violence, and she is executive director of Fund for Congolese Women, which offers financial and technical support for the empowerment of Congolese women and girls to become agents of change within their families and their communities. She is also founder of hospital Karibuni Wa Mama, in Bunia, which provides holistic services to sexual violence survivors and their children, having served over 7,000 survivors to date.

Originally from eastern Congo – a region devastated by war started in 1998 and by atrocities committed by armed groups against local communities and, in particular, against women and girls- Lusenge has experienced this violence herself and has emerged as a voice to denounce injustices and support the victims. From the organizations where she works, Lusenge has pushed the Congolese government and the international community to act against sexual violence and to put women at the centre of peace and security processes and foster the political rights of women and girls. She has advocated for the adoption of Resolutions 1820 and 1325 on women rights at the UN Security Council and for the creation of the Special Relator to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Due to her activism and leadership she has been repeatedly threatened by former members of armed groups and she has been forced to relocate several times.

ICIP Peace in Progress Award
The ICIP Peace in Progress Award consists of public recognition, a sculpture created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, artist and activist, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, called Porta del sol, and 6,000 euros.

In previous editions, the award was granted to the Mexican organization Cauce Ciudadano (2018), the activist Arcadi Oliveres (2017), Peace Brigades International (2016), the Capuchin friar Joan Botam (2015), WILPF (2014), the ex-general Jovan Divjak (2013), Madres de Soacha (2012), and the struggle of conscientious objectors and “insubmisos” (people who refuse to do military service or any substitute social work) represented by Pepe Beúnza (2011). The same year, 2011, in an extraordinary edition of the award, the Parliament of Catalonia was honored for representing the continuity and legacy of the institutions “Pau i Treva” and “Consolat de Mar.”

The ICIP has presented the “Coexistence and polarization in Catalonia” ICIP 2020 Survey at a press conference given by ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer. The poll, coordinated by political scientist Berta Barbet, was conducted in July based on 2,010 online interviews, with the aim of assessing the perception of coexistence in Catalonia and the dynamics of polarization, accentuated by the current territorial conflict.

This is the first survey conducted in Catalonia that analyzes the emotional polarization of its citizens. The sample was segmented by sex (1,019 men and 991 women), age and geographical location.

The results of the survey show that the majority of the population values the level of coexistence in Catalonia positively. Specifically, 67 % consider coexistence in Catalonia to be good or very good, with an average score of 7.1 points on a scale of 10. This percentage increases to 76% when coexistence applies to the immediate surroundings (municipality or neighborhood), with an average score of 7.5 points. The levels of social trust are also positive, since the degree of trust of the Catalan population in the rest of the population (5.9) is higher than the levels in Spain as a whole (5.6) and the European average (5.5).

Ideological and emotional polarization
The survey analyzes the situation of ideological polarization in Catalonia based on various issues. The results indicate that the territorial conflict is currently the issue that generates the most polarization. Of the people surveyed, 44% fall into the two most extreme positions, while 17% are in an intermediate position; thus, there are three main blocks. This is not the situation perceived with respect to other topics dealt with: the economy, response to Covid-19, feminism, language use, social class and immigration.

The survey also indicates the perception that political parties and the media are much more polarized than society itself. Specifically, 43% of respondents believe that political parties are highly polarized, while only 11% believe that society in general is highly polarized.

In the case of the territorial conflict, it is the only issue in which ideological polarization has a certain impact on emotional polarization, linked to those people who feel that their way of life or their culture is threatened. Nevertheless, radicalism in political positioning does not translate into more negative emotions towards those who think differently.

Regarding emotions that are felt for people who think differently, respect is the most widely shared emotion among respondents, followed by impotence. At the same time, 26% say they don’t feel empathy or trust for those who think differently.

Regarding perceptions of aggression, 16% of respondents have felt attacked from within their circle of friends, 13% at work and 10% in their family environment. This perception of aggression increases in non-direct relationship spaces: it goes up to 22% on social media, while 46% say they have felt attacked by institutions.

There is also a widespread perception that the Catalan and Spanish governments have made mistakes which have hindered, rather than facilitated, a possible solution to the territorial dispute.

Perspectives of social and political dialogue
The survey also assesses the population’s preferences for possible solutions to the territorial conflict. Seventy-nine percent of the citizenry are in favor of political dialogue and 50% believe that this dialogue should not be limited to the framework of the Spanish Constitution. Despite this predisposition, the survey finds that a third of the respondents are skeptical about the outcome of this dialogue.

In terms of social dialogue options, friends (67%) and family (65%) are the most conducive environments for dialogue, ahead of the work environment (42%), neighbors (37%) and social media (24%).

ICIP proposals
Given the results of the “Coexistence and polarization in Catalonia” survey, ICIP concludes that we cannot talk about a social divide in Catalonia in the sense of two communities that do not interact, since the position on the territorial conflict does not correspond to the position on the other issues dealt with. However, there are a significant number of people who have felt attacked, especially by institutions, or who feel that their way of life or their culture is threatened with regards to the territorial conflict. In this context, ICIP proposes the following:

-The people leading the political confrontation have the responsibility to articulate discourses and make conciliatory gestures that help us overcome our differences and live together in harmony.
-The inability of institutions to resolve the territorial conflict suggests there should be greater involvement of civil society actors to seek inclusive and creative ways out of the impasse of territorial conflict.
-We must pay attention to emotional wounds because they affect many individuals and, as a result, society as a whole. We must learn to overcome our differences and live together, and to pay attention to our emotions in order to deal with them with CARES: Curiosity about different opinions; And Respect for people, regardless of their opinions; plus Self-criticism, because no one has the absolute truth.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the humanitarian organization World Food Programme (WFP), of the United Nations, for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war.

It is a valuable recognition that places the fight against hunger on the international agenda, a key issue, as the lack of access to food remains today one of the scourges of humanity, affecting millions of people. It is important to remember that there is hunger in the world, not because of a lack of food, but because its production and distribution is not guaranteed for the entire population.

This award also reminds us of the dangerous link that exists between wars and famine: armed conflict causes hunger, while hunger causes armed conflict. The current internationalization of conflicts, for example in Afghanistan, Yemen or Libya, has resulted in an increase in the responsibility of countries that support the parties in conflict for generating hunger, and the consequences that this has for millions of people.

Finally, the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 is also a tribute to multilateralism at a time when international solidarity and mutual support are in crisis, and when the COVID-19 pandemic has become a global challenge.

ICIP, within the framework of its “Memory, coexistence and reconciliation” line of action, aims to address the experiences, tools and opportunities for building peace in societies undergoing transition. The program focuses on the study of the processes of reconciliation and reconstruction of the social fabric; the processes of political, economic, and social transition from a peace perspective; transitional justice tools; public policies and social initiatives that promote coexistence and memory; and the analysis of the rights and needs of victims.

Specifically, the voice and role of the diasporas as active agents in peacebuilding projects can be a key element in conflict transformation and reconciliation processes in their countries of origin. Thus, the participation of the diaspora in post-conflict settings, through their experiences and narratives, can prove to be a fundamental element for transitional justice processes, for guaranteeing the effective implementation of peace agreements, and for social transformation through a culture of peace.

In this regard, ICIP has a long history of supporting the Colombian diaspora in Catalonia and Europe, and currently acts as Technical Secretariat in Europe of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Recurrence of Colombia. In this capacity, the Institute provides methodological support to the process of taking testimony, coordinates working groups in various European countries, and promotes actions in recognition of the victims.

ICIP intends to boost the line of action described above and continue exploring the role of diasporas in processes of peace and memory, and in the design of strategies that contribute to coexistence and reconciliation. The fundamental objective is to continue fostering theoretical and practical reflection with the aim of supporting the exchange of various experiences and methodologies among different diasporas, focusing particularly on the role of women.

With this aim the ICIP opens a call for the production of a report on the potential of diasporas in the field of memory building, dialogue and reconciliation. the general objective is to summarize existing information through a bibliographic review, from various sources, in order to gauge the state of the art and identify the conceptual contributions regarding the role of diasporas in memory building and in processes of dialogue and reconciliation, and to identify actors with experience in this field.

The deadline for submiting proposals is 9th October 2020. Proposals should be sent to the attention of Maria Fanlo (mfanlo.icip@gencat.cat), with “Report on Diasporas, Memory and Reconciliation in Europe” in the subject
The proposal that obtains the best assessment will be awarded the contract, without prejudice to the fact that ICIP may cancel the recruitment if none of the bids presented meets the minimum quality requirements.

Barcelona, 21 September 2020.- The ICIP Peace in Progress Award ceremony took place in the Parliament of Catalonia this afternoon, coinciding with the International Day for Peace. The International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP) presented the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2019 to the Coalition of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria (CFDA) “for their determination and courage in denouncing enforced disappearances in Algeria, the fight against impunity and their contribution towards the establishment of a peaceful transition in the country.” The organization was founded in 1998 by a group of mothers of disappeared persons in order to raise national and international awareness regarding the cases of enforced disappearance that took place during the civil war that ravaged this North African country in the 1990s.

ICIP president Xavier Masllorens opened the ceremony, which was presided over by the president of Parliament, Roger Torrent. The ICIP president recalled that this was the first time that the ICIP Peace in Progress Award traveled to the southern shore of the Mediterranean, which he described as an “act of justice in which a European peace institution supports the struggle for truth and justice of a social organization from one of the Arab countries of the Maghreb.”

During the ceremony, a video about the award-winning organization was screened and the president of the Institute for Human Rights of Catalonia, David Bondia, read an account of the organization, recalling its principles of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. Bondia defended memory as an essential step in clarifying the truth. “We need a memory that is not conducive to oblivion, that guarantees a genuine place in history for the thousands of victims of state terrorism and their families.”

He also underlined that the ICIP Award “should serve the purpose of paying tribute to the invisible victims of the Algerian state; it should serve the purpose of making them visible to national societies and to international civil society.”

In her speech, the founder of the award-winning organization, Nassera Dutour, defended the fight against impunity and in favor of freedom of expression of thousands of Algerian families who were victims of enforced disappearances; ultimately, she defended the rule of law because “without democracy there can be no truth.” Dutour described the case of her son Amine, who disappeared in 1997 when he was 21 under circumstances which have never been clarified: “We live between hope and despair,” she acknowledged.

At the closing of the event, the president of Parliament, Roger Torrent, praised “the brave and necessary work” of the Coalition of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria and highlighted the “historic and constant” commitment of Parliament and Catalan citizenry with peace, on the day marking 40 years since its restitution following the Franco dictatorship. In their speeches, the president of Parliament and the president of ICIP paid tribute to the political leaders in prison and in exile, especially to Carme Forcadell and Raül Romeva who, three years ago, presided over the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2016 ceremony.

ICIP Peace in Progress Award
The ICIP Peace in Progress Award consists of public recognition, a sculpture created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, artist and activist, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, called Porta del sol, and 6,000 euros.

In previous editions, the award was granted to the Mexican organization Cauce Ciudadano (2018), the activist Arcadi Oliveres (2017), Peace Brigades International (2016), the Capuchin friar Joan Botam (2015), WILPF (2014), the ex-general Jovan Divjak (2013), Madres de Soacha (2012), and the struggle of conscientious objectors and “insubmisos” (people who refuse to do military service or any substitute social work) represented by Pepe Beúnza (2011). The same year, 2011, in an extraordinary edition of the award, the Parliament of Catalonia was honored for representing the continuity and legacy of the institutions “Pau i Treva” and “Consolat de Mar.”

Due to the pandemic crisis of Covid, the ICIP Library is closed to the public but it allows users to return and borrow books on set appointments. To schedule an appointment please contact us by email at biblioteca.icip@gencat.cat.

The Library has 9.000 volumes on peace culture, nonviolence, security and conflict analysis. It supports ICIP and researchers and experts in the field of peace, and is in permanent contact with similar centers and institutions from around the world. It is part of the network of specialized libraries of the Generalitat and is included in the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia (CCUC).

In the meantime, we invite you to browse the Library catalogue online and the latest acquisitions.

The Library will be closed from July 31st until September 14th, so book loan service will not be available – even on set appointments. All loans will be automatically extended until this same date, sept 14th.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis forced the Library to close last March. Reopening is scheduled to take place next September as long as the public health measures allow for it to happen.

In the meantime, we invite you to browse the Library catalogue online and the latest acquisitions. The Library has over 9000 volumes on peace culture, nonviolence, security and conflict analysis. The Library supports ICIP and researchers and experts in the field of peace, and is in permanent contact with similar centers and institutions from around the world. It is part of the network of specialized libraries of the Generalitat and is included in the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia.

ICIP would like to underscore the commitment to peace of the commissioners of the Truth Commission of Colombia, and of its president, Francisco de Roux, in the face of discrediting remarks made by the former Defense Minister, Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno.

The Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition of Colombia was established under the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC as a mechanism to shed light on the events that took place in the context of the armed conflict, contribute to the clarification of the violations committed during this dark period, and offer a comprehensive explanation of the complexity of the conflict to the whole of society.

ICIP, in its role as Technical Secretariat of the Commission in Europe, collaborates with the principles of truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition, and underlines the commitment of the Commission and its members to peace and coexistence in Colombia. In addition, it recognizes the importance of transitional justice proceedings in order to achieve a stable and sustainable peace in the country.

The ICIP Library will continue closed to the public due to the pandemic crisis of COVID-19 and will not open on its regular hours until next September 14th. However, during the month of July, the Library will allow users to return and borrow books on set appointments. To schedule an appointment please contact us by email at biblioteca.icip@gencat.cat .

All book loans have been extended automatically until September 14th.
The Library supports ICIP and researchers and experts in the field of peace, and is in permanent contact with similar centers and institutions from around the world. It is part of the network of specialized libraries of the Generalitat and is included in the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia (CCUC)

After evaluating all the entries submitted, the jury of the fourth edition of the ICIP Hip Hop for Peace Contest has announced the winners for 2019. This contest aims to promote creativity and to draw attention to the commitment of young people in the field of peace. In this fourth edition, the award-winning pieces cover topics such as the denunciation of bullying and racism, the vindication of the feminist struggle and solidarity with refugees.

The contest is aimed at youth between the ages of 12 and 25 and has two categories.

In Category 1, aimed at students in secondary school, senior high school and vocational training school in Catalonia, the winning video clips were:

-First prize: Tenim més d’una resposta (We have more than one answer), a video clip created by fourth-year secondary school students at Daniel Mangrané School in Jesús (Baix Ebre), winners of the recording and music production of a rap piece in a professional recording studio with artistic support. The piece is a cry for respect and tolerance and a rejection of violence regarding, for example, the refugee crisis.

-Second prize: Que bonic seria viure tots en pau (How nice it would be to live in peace), a video clip created by first-year secondary school students at Montagut School in Santa Susanna (Maresme), winners of a rap workshop conducted by a hip hop professional. In this case, the piece is a denunciation of bullying.

-Special mention: Hip-hop per la Pau (Hip Hop for Peace), a video clip created by students at Caparrella Secondary School in Lleida (Segrià). Special mention for technical quality and use of double-time in a piece that rejects war and violence, and the complicity of Western democracies.

-Special mention: Desahogo previo a la muerte (Venting before dying), a video clip created by students at Hug Roger III Secondary School in Sort (Pallars Sobirà). Special mention for technical and audiovisual quality; in this case, for a piece that describes a world of structural violence, including violence against women.

In Category 2, aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 25 from youth, cultural, civic or socio-educational action centers in Catalonia, the winners are:

-First prize: Tot ho podem canviar (We can change everything), a video clip created by youth at the Salesians Sant Jordi Social Education Center in Girona (Gironès), winners of the recording and music production of a rap piece in a professional recording studio with artistic support. It is a piece that reflects the fight against racism and demands respect for differences.

-Second prize: Rap per la igualtat (Rap for equality), a video clip created by youth at the La Kampana Youth Center in Manresa (Bages), winners of a workshop conducted by a hip hop professional. The piece is a vindication of the feminist struggle and equality.

The Hip Hop for Peace Contest aims to draw attention to the commitment and creativity of young people in the field of peace culture. The contest receives support from the Department of Education, the Directorate-General for Youth and the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation. A total of 24 pieces were submitted to this edition of the contest.

The collaboration agreement between ICIP and the Commission for the Verification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition of Colombia, signed in May 2019 for an initial period of one year, has been extended until the end of the Commission’s mandate. The agreement grants ICIP the role of Technical Secretariat of the Truth Commission in Europe with the aim of facilitating the Commission’s work with victims living on the European continent, within the framework of the implementation of the 2016 Peace Accords.

Based on this agreement, ICIP offers technical and logistical support to the activities organized by the Commission in Europe, coordinates the working groups established in various European countries (nodes), and offers methodological support to the process of taking testimony from the victims of the Colombian conflict in exile. This will allow for the documentation of cases and contribute to the clarification of the truth, justice and the non-repetition of similar events. Over the last year, ICIP has supported the creation of new European nodes and thematic working groups, and has organized various meetings with them in order to share experiences and to delve more deeply into the action line dealing with victim recognition.

To date, fifteen working nodes have been set up in ten European countries (Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as in Andalusia, Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque Country and Valencia, in Spain).
In this first work phase of clarification of truth, the various nodes have compiled a total of 300 testimonies in Europe, which should facilitate the writing of a plural story about the Colombian conflict and the recovery of individual and collective memory. The work carried out by ICIP also includes the publication of a series of videos on the work being carried out by the various European nodes.

Innovative and unprecedented mandate
The Truth Commission of Colombia has an innovative mandate that is unprecedented in other truth commissions. This mandate involves approaching the tens of thousands of people who had to leave the country during the five decades of armed conflict, searching for new life options, mainly in the Americas and in Europe. The objective for 2019 is to document the cases of a thousand victims in Europe.

The mandate of the Commission envisages a participatory process with the victims themselves, in order to promote their psychosocial healing and coexistence among victims of different armed actors. To accomplish this task, the support of social and institutional organizations in the European countries where these people reside is essential

This website with information on all the European nodes has been published for the specific work of the Truth Commission in Europe.

Given the impossibility of holding an awards ceremony for the 4th Hip Hop for Peace Contest due to the SARS-CoV-2 emergency, ICIP has released this video in institutional recognition of the work done by these young contest winners.

The piece features cultural activities coordinated by the Llobregat Block Party group and the participation of ICIP president, Xavier Masllorens; the director of the Catalan Youth Agency, Cesc Poch; and the director of the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, Carme Gual. Several of the young winners along with well-known hip hop artists from Catalonia and from countries such as Colombia and Brazil also took part.

The ICIP Hip Hop for Peace Contest aims to promote creativity and draw attention to the commitment of young people in the field of peace. In this fourth edition, the award-winning entries address issues such as the denunciation of bullying and racism, the vindication of the feminist struggle and solidarity with refugees. The winning groups will be able to record their piece in a professional recording studio or participate in a rap workshop conducted by a hip hop artist.

The contest takes place annually and is aimed at youth in Catalonia between the ages of 12 and 25. It receives support from the Department of Education, the Catalan Youth Agency and the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation.