Dialogue
Safe spaces for discussion and learning about engagement with armed groups.
The challenge
Armed groups play an increasingly important - and complex - role in today’s wars and humanitarian crises. Between 1950 and 2010, the average number of armed groups involved in a given civil war nearly doubled. They’re also increasingly prone to fragmentation, which makes them more difficult to predict or engage with - as we’ve seen in Libya and Syria. With the war in Ukraine and the rise of a multipolar world order, the stage is set for a new generation of proxy wars.
Moreover, today’s armed groups are not confined to war zones. Levels of violence in Mexico surpass those at the height of the Iraq war. During the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal groups from South Africa to Mexico capitalized on the crisis to exert control over territory, resources and populations. Likewise, the US and Europe are seeing a rise in armed extremist factions manipulating information and undermining trust in the state.
How we work
Frank discussion of these challenges is often the first step in devising solutions. The Centre supports a diverse range of partners - from diplomats to humanitarians - to understand what this complexity means for their work.
Focused on confidentiality and building trust, we create safe spaces to talk about tough dilemmas. We bring in skilled facilitators and subject matter experts to foster action-oriented dialogue and new insights. In the past, we have supported humanitarians to discuss collective access blockages, donors to rethink policy and strategy, and diplomats to reflect on the impact of their negotiation strategies.