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The Governing Board of the ICIP has awarded the 2025 ICIP Peace in Progress Award to the Syrian organisation Women Now for Development for its work in “supporting, protecting, and empowering Syrian women, both inside and outside the country, as a symbol of feminist resistance and solidarity in the face of violence.”

The award recognises Women Now for Development’s outstanding contribution to peace, justice, and dignity in Syria—a country deeply affected by repression, armed conflict, and forced exile. The organisation was selected from among twenty international nominations for its transformative and resilient work over the past decade.

Founded in 2012 by Syrian writer and journalist Samar Yazbek, Women Now for Development was established as a grassroots initiative to support women and girls during the early stages of the Syrian uprising. Its initial goal was to create safe spaces where women could gather, share knowledge and experiences, and collectively explore ways to support their communities. Since then, it has evolved into a leading feminist organisation working in both war zones and conflict-affected contexts, inside and outside Syria.

Over the past thirteen years, the organisation has developed a model rooted in feminist values and community solidarity. Women Now for Development has strengthened the role of women in both public and private spheres by providing tools, resources, and knowledge. In doing so, the organisation has helped shape a generation of women who continue to resist violence and build hope in the face of destruction.

A Survivor-Centred Approach

Through its presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey, Women Now for Development has accompanied communities facing severe human rights violations such as sieges, forced displacement, and chemical attacks. The organisation’s work is defined by its survivor-centred approach, emphasis on protection, participation, empowerment, and strong belief in community organising. It also leads international advocacy efforts to amplify the voices of Syrian women, often marginalized in mainstream political discourse, and to push for justice and accountability.

Guided by feminist principles and staffed by activists deeply rooted in their communities, Women Now for Development continues to imagine and work toward a more just and inclusive future for Syria.

Upon receiving the award, the organisation’s Executive Director, Lubna Alkanawati, shared a powerful memory: “In 2014, during one of the harshest periods of siege imposed by the Assad regime on Eastern Ghouta, we were deprived of almost everything. My 65-year-old neighbour Mariam, the head of a twenty-member household living in unimaginable conditions, always made sure to share a small portion of her food with me. That single bite—offered with care and solidarity—helped me hold on to my humanity when war showed me its ugliest face. It reminded me what it means to remain human in inhumane times.”

Alkanawati dedicated the award “to Mariam, to the team at Women Now for Development, who continue to show the world how women can lead change with determination, will, and passion; and to all Syrian women who, through care, resilience, compassion, and courage, continue to resist destruction and create hope.” She also stated that receiving the ICIP Award “is a powerful acknowledgment of the unwavering commitment of Syrian women, who have resisted violence, built alternatives, and imagined justice even in the darkest of times. It is also a tribute to feminist solidarity, which crosses borders and strengthens us.”

Women Now for Development has consistently worked to ensure that women’s voices are central to all peacebuilding, justice, and accountability processes. The organisation believes that there can be no sustainable peace without justice—and no justice or peace without women.

Rooted in community-based efforts, its work has led to key milestones: the formation of the Adala Network in 2016; participation in local civilian negotiations through the Civil Block in Eastern Ghouta in 2018; and most recently, support for survivor-led movements advocating for the creation of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP).

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award

Since 2011, the ICIP Peace in Progress Award has been granted annually to publicly recognise individuals, organisations, or institutions that have made an outstanding and long-standing contribution to promoting peace.

The award includes public recognition, a sculpture entitled “Porta del Sol” (Gateway to the Sun), created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, artist, and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, and a monetary prize of € 6,000. The award ceremony will take place in September 2025 at the Parliament of Catalonia, coinciding with the International Day of Peace.

On May 25 and 26, the ICIP hosted two events featuring geographer and activist Ruth Wilson Gilmore, one of the most prominent voices in contemporary abolitionist thought. Throughout her talks in Barcelona, Gilmore addressed the structural limitations of the penal system and advocated for abolition as a collective practice focused on repairing harm and building more just, supportive, and violence-free societies.

Sunday, May 25 – Literal Fair
Under the title “Abolishing the Punishment Industry: Challenges and Political Practices for Emancipation,” the first session took place at the Literal Fair and was facilitated by researcher Ainhoa Nadia Douhaibi. Gilmore presented some of the core ideas of her work, such as the notion of abolition as “emancipation in rehearsal”—a constant process of creating spaces of freedom and transformative relationships.

She also analysed what she calls the “prison industrial complex,” highlighting how the penal system efficiently organises state resources (land, labour, capital, and authority) to contain populations and reproduce inequality. This model prioritises repression and punishment over essential services, especially in contexts marked by austerity and budget cuts.

For Gilmore, freedom is a place built collectively, and abolitionist work is not only about eliminating prisons but about creating real, sustainable alternatives rooted in care, community accountability, and restorative justice.

Monday, May 26 – La Model
The second gathering took place in the auditorium of La Model, a venue with deep symbolic significance. Under the title “Security and Justice: Alternative Models to Punitive Systems,” the session was facilitated by Afrofeminist activist Basha Changue and featured contributions from Áurea Martín (Tanquem els CIE), Iñaki Rivera (University of Barcelona), and criminal lawyer Laia Serra. ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer and the Ombudswoman of Catalonia, Esther Giménez-Salinas, officially opened the event.

Gilmore emphasized that abolition is a model—not a distant horizon—and advocated for a grassroots internationalism that connects diverse struggles and fosters solidarity among people and collectives resisting across the world. She outlined three imperatives for abolition: it must be green (sustainable), red (against racial capitalism), and internationalist (connected and plural).

Throughout the dialogue, participants also reflected on the challenges and contradictions of using legal tools strategically within abolitionist movements, highlighting that collective responses to violence must go beyond punishment and promote community-based approaches to conflict resolution and healing.

A vision rooted in community and transformation

With a trajectory that bridges academia and activism, Ruth Wilson Gilmore is a co-founder of collectives such as Critical Resistance and INCITE!, and the author of works like Golden Gulag and Abolition Geography.

Her visit to Barcelona, organised by the ICIP’s Alternatives for Security programme, offered a unique opportunity to open spaces for collective reflection on how to rethink security, justice, and freedom from a transformative, non-punitive, and community-rooted perspective. This approach aligns with the ICIP’s work in promoting security models rooted in peacebuilding, the protection of rights, and the eradication of all forms of structural violence.

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.

Fourteen years after the outbreak of the popular uprising, Syria remains engulfed in a deep political, social, and humanitarian crisis. Yet, amidst the ruins of the conflict, a resilient civil society continues to nurture the desire for change. This was the central theme at the session “Syria, 14 Years Later: Resistance, Hope and Perspectives for Peace“, organized by the ICIP. It featured Syrian activist and historian Nour Salameh and journalist Oriol Andrés Gallart, moderated by professor and Arab world expert Lurdes Vidal.

The event, held on April 8 at the Hub Social in Barcelona, offered a reflection on the country’s current situation following the fall of the Assad regime last December and the massacres committed last March.

A Civil Society That Endures, Despite Everything

Despite years of repression, war, and exile, Salameh argued that Syrian civil society has never stopped fighting and has not only survived but has also transformed and diversified, primarily through the diaspora. “What remains of this civil society—of those who have fought for fourteen years against dictatorship and justice—is a lot, and it has even multiplied,” she stated. According to Salameh, various initiatives have emerged to preserve the memory of the victims, support the families of the disappeared, and promote women’s empowerment.

While material reconstruction is one of the country’s significant challenges today, so is the rebuilding of its social fabric. “The main challenge for civil society today is to create spaces for dialogue among the different factions in the country,” she noted. This task is made difficult by territorial and social divisions, the result of decades of sectarian policies and the open wounds of the conflict.

Both Salameh and Andrés agreed on the diagnosis of a fragmented country. Cities like Homs are telling examples: entire neighborhoods destroyed by the regime’s repression, while others aligned with the regime remain untouched. There are also tensions between Syrians who fled the country and those who stayed behind.

Justice, Memory, and the Fight Against Impunity

According to the speakers, achieving justice for victims remains a pending issue in Syria. The existence of organizations that document disappearances and denounce war crimes reflects a strong commitment to memory, but also exposes the limits of this struggle. Andrés highlighted how widespread victimization and the lack of a shared narrative make reconciliation difficult. “There is a competition to see who is more of a victim,” he warned.

Despite official declarations, little progress has been made in investigating crimes committed by the Assad regime, and individuals implicated in serious human rights violations have even been appointed to public positions. Without a true transitional justice process, breaking the cycle of impunity is extremely difficult.

The event concluded with a shared message of confidence in Syrian civil society: “The people will not allow another authoritarian regime and will continue to fight as they have for the past 14 years,” Salameh and Andrés agreed. And a final note of hope: “Despite everything, there is a civil society, there are capable and motivated people working to build a new Syria. We must support them and trust in their efforts,” Vidal emphasized.

The event also featured a reading—both in Arabic and Catalan—of the poem “I Shall Not Cry” by Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan, performed by Noor Ogly and FundiPau president Carme Suñé. The poem served as a symbolic bridge between the experiences of the Syrian and Palestinian peoples, connecting two realities shaped by struggle and resilience.

Watch the recording of the event below (in Catalan).

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.

The Latin American Network of Women, Peace, and Security (LAMPS Network) held its third meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, from February 25 to 27, 2025. The gathering brought together 45 women from eight countries—Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Spain, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela—and representatives from Latin American diasporas. All participants actively engage in peacebuilding and human rights advocacy from a feminist and territorial perspective. A delegation from ICIP, a founding member of the LAMPS Network since 2020, also participated in the event.

The LAMPS Network seeks to foster critical knowledge, collective action, and innovation on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Latin America from a feminist perspective. Care and dialogue, essential tools for advancing peace and democracy in the region, are central to its mission.

Beyond strengthening the Network’s collective identity, political agenda, and advocacy efforts, the meeting served as a platform to exchange reflections, experiences, and proposals on feminist approaches to dialogue. It also laid the groundwork for a forthcoming report on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Latin America, marking its 25th anniversary.

Through initiatives like this, the LAMPS Network aims to connect regional and global efforts, shape public policy, and amplify women’s voices in decision-making spaces.

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.