Areas of Work

Peace and Development

Peace is not only an enabler of development; it is a development objective in itself.  QUNO's approach to peace and stability, in the context of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is rooted in the acknowledgment of violence as a fundamental dimension of human suffering. The need to address the drivers of violence is most clear in the case of societies impacted by chronic instability and violent conflict, where development objectives cannot be achieved without paying attention to issues such as governance, strengthening institutions, and inclusion, as well as a range of external factors. However, the universal nature of the new goal framework requires us to consider approaches to promoting peace across all societies.

Ongoing Activities

  • QUNO is working in coordination with civil society organizations from around the world to promote  recognition of the central role of peace and stability in the new framework for sustainable development. This includes hosting events, making presentations, bilateral discussions with member states and UN officials, and strategy coordination.

Recent Timeline Events

May 2019

A Transformative Middle Ground

QUNO New York’s Director, Andrew Tomlinson, was pleased to have an interview with fellow Quaker organization, the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Speaking with Chris Kearns-McCoy, a Program Assistant with FCNL’s Communications team, Andrew reflected on Quaker work at the United Nations.

When reflecting on why Friends care about the UN, Mr. Tomlinson shared that “The UN charter, particularly the introductory segments, is largely one that Quakers could have written. A huge amount of the charter is about trying to prevent war, and that resonates for Friends.” Andrew also spoke about the unique approaches that Quakers bring to peace work at the United Nations. “We explicitly set out to bring in different voices. So, in our work with member states, we are reaching out not just to hear and to understand but to engage delegates from many different countries to together try to discern paths forward.”

To read the full interview, please visit here.

Related Areas of Work

April 2019

QUNO convenes discussion on the Peacebuilding Fund

The Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is the UN Secretary-General’s peacebuilding financing tool and investor of first resort. The Fund supports countries through immediate and direct funding initiatives, addresses crucial gaps that may exist in building peace, and provides resources in a rapid manner when sufficient support may not yet be available. In 2016, the PBF included direct funding opportunities for civil society organizations for the first time through its Gender and Youth (GYPI) Initiative. 

QUNO, in partnership with the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), has worked for the past three years to convene civil society and UN colleagues to provide space for learning and exchange on the GYPI, and the annual calls for proposals on youth and gender programming. In April, QUNO held such a discussion at Quaker House, which allowed for participants to learn more about the focus and application for the 2019 GYPI calls for proposals and to reflect on the experiences of and lessons learned in the previous years. Conversation centered on the PBF’s focus on catalytic, timely and innovative civil society projects to support peacebuilding in the target countries for this year’s call, with participants engaging in discussion on eligibility and requirements for applying. The gathering also provided space for the sharing of experience and impact on the GYPI funding, and for recommendations to be shared for future calls. QUNO looks forward to continued partnership with the PBSO and working with colleagues to support such discussions in the future.

To learn more about the Peacebuilding Fund’s Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative click here.

Related Files

Related Areas of Work

February 2019

QUNO convenes annual discussion - What's Next in Peacebuilding?

In February, QUNO hosted our annual three-day gathering of peacebuilding leaders at Quaker House in New York. The previous year’s event had focused on efforts to articulate the ‘heart of peacebuilding’, resulting in a fresh affirmation of core principles and tools. Using that base, this year the group chose to survey the current and future global peacebuilding policy environments. Participants reflected on how the fields of peacebuilding, humanitarianism, and development relate and overlap, and the challenges that remain for working across sectors. Additionally, discussion centered on how bringing peacebuilding approaches and insights can support progress towards the shared peace goals across these areas of practice. 

We also facilitated a deep discussion with UN colleagues on the nature of accompaniment, and the role of external actors in walking alongside local communities and societies as they come together to use their strength and resilience to find a path to sustainable peace. 

The gathering was completed with an evening reception for the New York peacebuilding community, bringing together UN policy-makers, foundations, academics and NGO representatives with our core group of peacebuilding leaders.
 

Related Areas of Work

See More Events