Fragile Truths

This is the final episode of the Fragile Truths podcast, as the KPSRL Secretariat is closing. Our guest for this special final episode, Sweta Velpillay, Co-Director at the Conductive Space for Peace, is a systems thinking practitioner specialising in peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity. Through her work with local partners she offers a refreshing perspective on localisation and local agency in today’s shifting and evolving context.  As this is the final episode, we have taken a different approach. KPSRLs' Messina Laurette Manirakiza joins the conversation, contributing reflections grounded in the knowledge and learning developed through the work of KPSRL.  Click here for more information about the Fragile Truths podcast.

A sociopsychologist, a lawyer, an engineer and an urban planner walk into a room. This is not the setup to a riddle, but an innovative multidisciplinary approach to peacebuilding. Peace has long been approached through high level peace agreements and rational plans for growth. But, it is high time for a new approach: locally led multidisciplinary teams that jointly define needs and action, with a strong role for the private sector and with mental health included in reconstruction.But how can we set up inclusive multidisciplinary teams? How can we produce joint analyses and action in a divided country like Bosnia-Herzegovina? In this episode, we discuss a new report published by MIRCURY on the "Multidisciplinary Method - Innovative Approach for Sustainable Peace: Connecting People, Power, and Prosperity." We will discuss the report with Patrick de Vries (MIRCURY), who further developed this multidisciplinary approach, and Vjekoslav Domljan (Sarajevo School of Science and Technology), who has a leading role in translating this to the Bosnian context.  Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠for more information about the Fragile Truths podcast.

No speech in our sector is complete without emphasizing the importance of equitable partnerships and local leadership. At the same time, we see “America/Europe first” policies on the rise in donor countries. Their politicians want ODA to benefit foreign policy interests and control the inevitable risks. In recipient countries we see dissatisfaction with the results of development cooperation or even outright anti-Western sentiments. What do truly equitable international partnerships look like and how can we realize them within such a political climate? What is the future role of INGOs if such locally led, equal partnerships are a reality? We discuss this with ⁠Abdilaziz Musa⁠, Director of Programs at the Somali NGO ‘⁠Media Ink⁠’ who wrote a ⁠report⁠ about linking the concept of ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ (DE&I) to international partnerships. We will apply these together with ⁠Daan Stelder⁠. He works for the International branch of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (⁠VNG-i⁠), being one of those international actors working in Somalia on issues of governance and democracy. Abdilaziz Musa is one of the founders of ⁠MediaINK⁠, where he focuses on leadership, managing complex projects, and building strategic alliances with donors, and international and in-country institutions. His work is centered around bringing together different stakeholders starting with communities, with a focus on fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Daan Stelder works as Senior Project Manager at ⁠VNG International⁠, the international cooperation agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities. He manages programmes to enhance democratic local government in East- and Southern Africa. This includes leading consortia of diverse organisations to implement projects on disaster risk management, local governance and accountability in various regions of Somalia. Click ⁠⁠⁠here for more information about the Fragile Truths podcast. Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the ⁠⁠⁠KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

Worldwide, the indices for democracy, human rights and security are under pressure. Upholding democratic values seems more urgent than ever. But ‘promoting democracy’ in developing countries has been stained by associations with wars or neocolonial globalization. Moreover, what legitimacy do Western countries have, promoting values that are eroding within its own borders? Can we learn from democracy promotion methodologies in FCAS to strengthen democracy at home? In this episode, our usual host, Christian Kuitert, moderates the discussion between Thijs Berman and ⁠⁠Sever Džigurski.⁠⁠ ⁠Thijs Berman⁠ has been Executive Director of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) ⁠since January 2019. He has more than 30 years of experience in media, politics, and international development. Berman began his career as a journalist, and then became a Member of the European Parliament for the Dutch Labour Party. As an MEP he was a member of several committees, including the Committee on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, and the Budget Committee. In addition, he has headed several European election observation missions. In the two years before joining NIMD, Berman worked as the Principal Advisor to the OSCE Representative of Freedom of the Media. ⁠Sever Džigurski⁠ is an activist and professional in the international development programs, institutional reform projects and civil society initiatives since the mid-1990s. Especially strong in qualitative and participatory research; knowledge management and learning, monitoring and evaluation; design and facilitation of learning and change processes. Passionate about meaningful participation, creative learning, critical analysis, peacebuilding and social change processes. He currently serves as the Head of Secretariat for the ⁠Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law⁠. Links as mentioned in the episode: Democracy Education (DE) page: https://nimd.org/what-we-do/democracy-education/ Mali publication: https://nimd.org/theme-brochures/lelue-a-graphic-novel-from-mali/ Click ⁠⁠here ⁠⁠for more information about the Fragile Truths podcast. Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the ⁠⁠KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

Transparency International ranks Moldova 76th in its ‘Corruption Perception Index’. With a (hybrid) conflict in the region, solid checks and balances for a resilient democracy are urgent. New steps in the EU accession process create extra momentum for anti-corruption reforms. At the same time, reforms can be messy on a technical level, while they can trigger resistance on a political level. The season 4 premiere of the #FragileTruthsPodcast investigates the “Momentum for Anti-corruption Reforms in Moldova.” Our guest Radu Nicolae, from the Association for Cooperation and Sustainable Development, facilitated exchanges between Moldovan and Romanian anti-corruption actors. We discuss the lessons from that process (to be found here) together with our other guest Veronica Dragalin, chief of the Moldovan Anti-corruption Prosecution Office. To get in touch with Radu Nicolae, you can follow his LinkedIn, Facebook, Academia.Edu account, and his Research Gate account. You can also follow the ACDD's work via their LinkedIn and Facebook pages.  To get in touch with Veronica Dragalin, you can follow her Facebook account. Click here for more information about the Fragile Truths podcast. Are you on Twitter? Follow us and tag #FragileTruthsPodcast to let us know what you think! You can also reach the KPSRL Secretariat at [email protected].

There is a growing resentment toward Western aid in recipient countries. There are many possible reasons why: a history of double agendas from donors, creating dependencies; a strong desire for self-determination; an increasingly multipolar world – the list goes on.   It’s about time to discuss the unexpected outcomes of aid that can lead to the backlash or undermining of the social contract in recipient countries. We discuss this with our guest Dirk-Jan Koch, Chief Science Officer at the Dutch MFA who wrote the upcoming book ‘Foreign Aid and its Unintended Consequences’. Our other guest, Haley J. Swedlund, Associate Professor, Radboud University, did research on how aid can distort in-country priorities, but can also be used in nationalist politicians’ anti-Western propaganda. Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information about the Fragile Truths Podcast. To get in touch with Dirk-Jan Koch, you can follow him on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Twitter, or check out his website here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To follow the work of Haley J. Swedlund, you can follow her on LinkedIn or Twitter, or check out her website here. Supplemental reading: ⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠ for Dirk-Jan Koch's new book "Foreign Aid and its Unintended Consequences" Click here for Haley J. Swedlund's report "Power Dynamics in Foreign Aid" Send a short voice note (~30 sec.) via WhatsApp to +31686837137 and mention a fragile truth or assumption in your sector that you'd like to debunk and what alternatives you might propose. Who knows, you might be featured in our next episode!* Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

A string of coups and regime changes in 2021 and 2022 triggered the question: How should the international community respond to such situations? Do you disengage your support and thereby leave people to their threatening fate, or stay engaged with the risk of legitimizing abusive governments?     Our guest, Betty Wainaina (NYU-CIC), worked on a report that highlights responsible options for continued engagement, as most experts agree full disengagement is not the solution. With the help of Dr. Idris Nassery (Universität Paderborn) and his knowledge of community work and (religious) law in Afghanistan, we apply Betty’s recommendations to the Afghan context.    ⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information about the Fragile Truths Podcast. To get in touch with Betty Wainaina, you can follow her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠. To follow her work at NYU-CIC, you can check out their LinkedIn page or Twitter. To follow the work of Dr. Idris Nassery, you can follow the ⁠Paderborn Institute for Islamic Theology (PIIT)⁠ or the ⁠Institute for Law and Society in Afghanistan (ILSAF)⁠, a non-profit NGO that actively engages in research, collaboration, and evidence-based projects related to the role of law in Afghan society. Check out ⁠ILSAF's LinkedIn page here⁠. Supplemental reading: ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠ for the CIC report "Aid strategies in ‘politically estranged’ settings: How donors can stay and deliver in fragile and conflict-affected states" Send a short voice note (~30 sec.) via WhatsApp to +31686837137 and mention a fragile truth or assumption in your sector that you'd like to debunk and what alternatives you might propose. Who knows, you might be featured in our next episode!* Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the⁠⁠⁠⁠ KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In 2022, the Colombian Truth Commission published its 10.000-page thick report ‘Hay Futuro Si Hay Verdad’. It describes the immense impact the conflict had – and still has – on the victims of the civil war and society as a whole. Together with María Prada (former advisor to the Truth Commission’s President), we discuss the different roles a Truth Commission has, such as dignity for those affected, non-repetition and evidence for justice. We also looked at the difficulties of upholding recommendations while priorities and levels of continuing violence constantly change. Her conversation partner is the Dutch Ambassador to Colombia, Ernst Noorman, who sheds light on the role the international community can play in such peace processes. Click here⁠⁠⁠ for more information about the Fragile Truths Podcast. To get in touch with María Prada, you can follow her on Twitter⁠⁠⁠. To get in touch with Ambassador Ernst Noorman, you can follow him on ⁠LinkedIn, Twitter⁠ and keep up with the Dutch Embassy in Colombia via their Twitter. Supplemental reading: ⁠Click here⁠ for the Comisión de la Verdad website Click here for English content about the Comisión de la Verdad Send a short voice note (~30 sec.) via WhatsApp to +31686837137 and mention a fragile truth or assumption in your sector that you'd like to debunk and what alternatives you might propose. Who knows, you might be featured in our next episode!* Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the⁠⁠⁠ KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.

When we think of security, we usually think of weapons, patrols, war and crime. For many indigenous people in Colombia however, security is more linked to well-being of the collective community and its natural environment. Our guest, Cristina Hoyos (DCAF), represents a recent research on indigenous strategies to adapt to climate change and their broader interpretation of security. With Abigail Robinson (Continua), she will a.o. discuss the role ‘ecofeminism’ and the security sector can play in supporting these indigenous communities. ⁠Click here⁠⁠ for more information about the Fragile Truths Podcast. To get in touch with Cristina Hoyos, you can follow her on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠. To get in touch with Abigail, you can follow her on LinkedIn. Supplemental reading: Click here for the study discussed in the episode (available in English, Spanish and Portuguese) Click here for the IUCN study mentioned in the episode (links between natural resource extraction and SGBV) Send a short voice note (~30 sec.) via WhatsApp to +31686837137 and mention a fragile truth or assumption in your sector that you'd like to debunk and what alternatives you might propose. Who knows, you might be featured in our next episode!* Are you on Twitter? ⁠⁠Follow us⁠⁠ and tag ⁠⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the⁠⁠ KPSRL Secretariat⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

Violence and poverty have a large impact on one’s “mental landscape”, as our guest Mareike Schomerus, Vice President of Busara, refers to it. A ‘mental landscape’ encompasses the many experiences, memories and emotions that influence your decisions such as biases and expectations; your willingness to take risks, and what you think is fair or just. Western peacebuilders often lack understanding of such mental landscapes. Our other guest, Nika Saeedi from UNDP, is the global lead on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Peacebuilding, a field where such understanding is key. How do we understand each other’s realities better? ⁠Click here⁠ for more information about the Fragile Truths Podcast. To get in touch with Mareike Schomerus, you can follow Mareike on Twitter on ⁠LinkedIn⁠. To get in touch with Nika Saeedi, you can follow Nika on ⁠Twitter⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Supplemental reading: Mareike's book Lives Amid Violence: Transforming Development in the Wake of Conflict can be found here. The publisher’s direct open access link can be found here. UNDP's Guidance Note on Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Peacebuilding (2022) can be found here. UNDP's story series providing a people-centred perspective on MHPSS in peacebuilding can be found through these links: pilot, story 2 & story 3. Send a short voice note (~30 sec.) via WhatsApp to +31686837137 and mention a fragile truth or assumption in your sector that you'd like to debunk and what alternatives you might propose. Who knows, you might be featured in our next episode!* Are you on Twitter? ⁠Follow us⁠ and tag ⁠#FragileTruthsPodcast⁠ to let us know what you think! You can also reach the⁠ KPSRL Secretariat⁠ at ⁠[email protected]⁠.