New Perspectives: Peacebuilding and Conflict Management in a Changing World Order

What might the future of peacebuilding look like in a changing world order—and what needs to be improved? Our new report“From the Inside Out: Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in a Changing World Order”presents findings and policy recommendations for possible approaches:

• The current crisis in international peacebuilding is attributable not only to current geopolitical challenges but also to past mistakes. To overcome these mistakes, a fundamental shift in thinking must take place before guidelines and project objectives are revised: Policy makers must reflect on what can realistically be achieved by whom, when, and where.
   
• There is no magic formula for ending wars that works regardless of the specific context. This applies to all wars, but especially to the Russian attack on Ukraine, the first major interstate war in an era dominated by intra-state conflicts. One lesson from the past, however, is that peacebuilding is not a project for a few years, but one for generations, requiring long-term commitment and reliable funding. Cutting budgets for peacebuilding, humanitarian aid, and development cooperation runs counter to the growing global need in these areas.

Russia’s war against Ukraine, Hamas’s attack on Israel and the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip, as well as the escalating violence in Sudan, Yemen, and Myanmar: wars are currently not only increasing worldwide but are also changing in nature. They are becoming more brutal, more complex, increasingly waged using hybrid methods, and they are interconnected: Since 2022, for example, Russia’s war against Ukraine has also served as a catalyst for other conflicts by drawing international attention and further exacerbating existing donor fatigue and funding gaps.

At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build peace: The last major UN peacekeeping mission, for example, was launched in 2014—and many internationally mediated peace processes have failed over the past decade.

To gain a better understanding of what the future of peacebuilding might look like in a changing world order and what needs to be improved, the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation (BKHS) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) have established the “Global Expert Group on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding”—a network of representatives from academia, civil society, and politics who themselves come from conflict and post-conflict countries and work on these issues in their regions.

After a year of intensive research, interviews, and workshops, the report “From the Inside Out: Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in a Changing World Order” has now been published: The full report is available in English. You can download the summary in German.

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