Looking back at 2023
As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s with great pride and excitement that we reflect on the remarkable achievements and innovations that have defined our journey at Innovations in Peacebuilding International. This year has been nothing short of transformative, marked by our sustaining initiatives that are driving modalities for peacebuilding in other countries in 2024, impactful collaborations, and a steadfast commitment to building a more peaceful world.
True to our mission, we’ve continued to accompany local communities with the skills and resources needed to drive sustainable peace. Our commitment in the Congo has continued this year through sustaining community reintegration efforts for hundreds of demobilized fighters and child combatants, a micro-lending program for women in South Kivu, as well as Thierry’s Project, our long-time effort to grant goats to these child combatants.
As our work progressed, the IPI team grew in 2023. We hired four team members in the Congo to keep a direct line to the peace process there as we look to other East African countries impacted by war as our new focus for 2024. Additionally, we hired three team members to help us develop our Young Women’s Peacebuilding Fellowship (see below), quantitative conflict and program efficacy analysis, and publication capacities as we anticipate rapid growth of our impact in the coming months. Finally, our Board of Directors brought on two new incredibly experienced members, Linda Mathes, who helped lead the American Red Cross for 40 years and Brandon Clark, who is the Global Head of Talent Development at Adobe; you can learn more about them here.
In 2023, collaboration has been a cornerstone of our success. We’ve strengthened partnerships with like-minded organizations, governmental bodies, and academic institutions, amplifying our collective impact. By pooling our expertise and resources, we’ve been able to tackle complex challenges with a holistic and inclusive approach, driving positive change on a global scale. As mentioned in our previous email, Charles and Rémy were invited to London to collaborate with a multinational group of thinkers to strategize about how to sustainability reintegrate Ukrainian fighters leaving the frontlines and returning home.
Lastly, we held our first Gratitude Gala in February 2023, where we were pleased to honor those who have provided IPI with the support that enabled all the great work we accomplished this year.
Looking Ahead to 2024
As we embark on a new year, the momentum we’ve built in 2023 serves as a foundation for even greater achievements. Our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and grassroots peacebuilding empowerment remains unwavering, and we are eager to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of peacebuilding. Here’s what we’re projecting in 2024:
- An expansion into 2 East African countries utilizing the model we have built in the Congo through peace talks, demobilization, and reintegration of armed groups
- The launch of the YWPF this summer
- The resurrection of the Praxis Conference in partnership with GMU
- A series of publications highlighting key learnings identified through the work we’ve done and will continue to do
- The release of 2 documentaries on our work in the Congo, filmed by Congolese filmmakers.
The Young Women’s Peacebuilding Fellowship:
The YWPF works to transform our fellows’ passion for peacebuilding into tangible skills, understanding, and mobilization in innovative and cross-cultural peace collaboration. We do this by engaging and learning from current scholarship and practice across diverse settings to inspire a future peacebuilding praxis where women are central and catalytic forces in shaping inclusive, sustainable peace. We’ll have updates about the program and our fellows in the new year, but with the addition of our highly motivated executive director for this program, we are confident who we’ll introduce to you in the new year.
We express our deepest gratitude to each member of the Innovations in Peacebuilding International community for your unwavering support. Together, we are making strides toward a more peaceful world.
Wishing you a new year filled with hope and progress.
