Video: Perspectives from South Africa

Watch a video of our kick-off session of the Global Conflict Transformation Series for which we invited experts from South Africa to share their perspectives.

The international actors’ landscape in conflict transformation and peacebuilding is changing and becoming increasingly multipolar. The Berghof Foundation aims to explore the implications of these developments for the work in our sector, by engaging with multiple pathways of doing conflict transformation and peacebuilding from across the world.

In this event series, we will focus on countries with historically and contextually distinct approaches to conflict transformation who have yet received comparatively limited attention among peacebuilding communities in Western Europe and North America, while playing increasingly important roles in regional and international peacebuilding endeavours.

To kick off our event series, we would like to invite you in cooperation with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation to the first session, starting with a virtual roundtable discussion with renowned experts from South Africa on 10 May 2021, 15–16:30 CET/ SAST. South Africa’s history of national reconciliation and its experience with Truth and Reconciliation Commissions have invested the country with a strong voice in international debates on conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Various scholars and practitioners from South Africa have engaged in debates on rethinking and remaking the global order, often with a focus on the future of the African peace and security architecture. Calls have been raised for the peacebuilding community to depart from Eurocentric development discourses on Africa and for strengthening locally evolving conflict transformation approaches.

In this session, distinguished experts from South Africa will share insights into the country’s evolving approach to conflict transformation and peacebuilding, in relation to current challenges and trends in our sector. Drawing on their extensive practical experience and conceptual expertise, the panelists will discuss opportunities for mutual learning and fostering synergies across peacebuilding communities in the changing global order.

We are looking very much forward to involving you into the discussion. You can also send us your questions via email hidden; JavaScript is required prior to the event or join our discussion on Twitter.

Perspectives from South Africa

Conflict transformation in a multipolar world

10 May 2021
15–16:30 CET/ SAST (ical, ics)
Virtual event (Zoom)

Agenda

Opening Remarks

• Beatrix Austin, Head of Department, Berghof Foundation
• Karin Göldner-Ebenthal, Project Manager, Berghof Foundation

Roundtable discussion

• Prof. Cheryl Hendricks, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Johannesburg
• Mohammed Bhabha, Director, In Transformation Initiative
• Priyal Singh, Researcher, Institute for Security Studies

Moderation: Prof. Tim Murithi, Head of the Peacebuilding Interventions Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation

Reflections

• Dr. Véronique Dudouet, Senior Advisor, Berghof Foundation

This event will take place in English.

Please note that the event will be recorded using the cloud-based recording tool within the Zoom.us platform (using cloud servers based in the U.S.), to be published on the Berghof Foundation’s website and social media channels for external communications purposes. You can find the Berghof Foundation’s data protection notice here. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Berghof Foundation's Data Protection Officer (email hidden; JavaScript is required).

Media contact

Florian Lüdtke
Media and Communications Manager
+49 (0) 177 7052758
email hidden; JavaScript is required