The webinar “Building Infrastructures for Peace – Insights from West Africa” examines the development of networked peacebuilding through Infrastructures for Peace (I4P) on the African continent. Central to the discussion is how different stakeholders – including civil society, traditional and religious leaders, and public officials – can create synergies between their approaches to peacebuilding. Together with our panelists, the session will explore African peace architectures, with a particular focus on West Africa, to assess both the potential and the challenges of I4P.
When I4P first entered the peacebuilding discourse, it was emphasized that such structures should remain creative and adaptable to survive shifts in conflict dynamics. This is especially relevant for West Africa, where the nature of conflict is evolving. The panel will invite the participants to reflect on the structural aspects and frame conditions of regional early warning, conflict prevention and conflict transformation. Particular attention will be given to the role of actors such as ECOWAS and the United Nations in developing and sustaining I4P. By doing so, the webinar contributes to the growing discourse on I4P in West Africa and beyond, while offering expert insights into the regional peacebuilding landscape and prospects for the future.
Speakers:
- Clever Nyathi, Senior Conflict Prevention Advisor, UNDP and RCO Malawi
- Edwige Dede Mensah, WANEP program officer at the Peace Monitoring Centre supporting ECOWARN
- Mir Mubashir, Senior Advisor, Dialogue and Mediation Support, Berghof Foundation
- Jasmin Schmitz, Research fellow with ANCIP research network and INEF | University of Duisburg-Essen
Moderator: Christof Hartmann, Director of the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) | University Duisburg-Essen
When: November 19, 2025, at 10am (GMT)
Where: Online via Zoom
Registration is online only. You can find more information on the ANCIP website.