Berghof Foundation

16/10/2026

What happens when threatens peace and security?

In the 6th and final episode of Climate, Crisis and Courage – a United Nations podcast, we turn to , where recurring drought, water scarcity and extreme weather are putting growing pressure on communities already facing significant challenges.

Join our Senior Climate Advisor Nazanine Moshiri with Raphael Bodewig of the United Nations System Staff College - UNSSC as they speak with:

🔹 Charity Watson, Climate, Peace and Security Advisor, UNAMA News
🔹 Marwa Alam Safa, Founder and CEO, Climate & Environment Youth Initiative

Together, they explore how climate pressures affect access to water and land, drive displacement and shape prospects for peace and stability, as well as the practical solutions helping communities build resilience.

🎧 Listen across all platforms: https://pod.link/1894833535/episode/YzQ5MDU1YzMtZDI1NS00MTI4LWExZGQtNGI3MzBiOTcxY2Q4

15/10/2026

"Social cohesion is not about agreement. It is about whether societies can manage disagreement, pressure and rapid change without their relationships and institutions breaking apart."

At the Geneva Peace Forum, our Head of Unit, Christina Horváth-Stenner, PhD spoke about advancing regional cooperation for social cohesion across , the and the .

While the political contexts differ, many of the challenges are shared: declining trust in institutions, polarisation, displacement, shrinking civic space and widening inequalities.

The answer cannot be more isolated country projects. We need stronger regional approaches that connect existing initiatives, foster cross-border learning and build lasting infrastructure for social cohesion.

This also calls for a shift in how we fund peacebuilding: towards longer-term, more flexible and locally rooted support, with stronger links between social cohesion, security, resilient institutions and economic opportunity.

The goal is not simply to create more projects, but to connect what works, learn across contexts and strengthen the relationships and institutions that help peace, reform and reconstruction endure.

15/10/2026

How can organisations move from commitments to integration to meaningful, everyday practice?

For the past five years, Peace Nexus Foundation has been exploring this question through peer learning, organisational reflection and practical experience.

We’re pleased to have contributed to this collective process, alongside Saferworld, CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and Peaceful Change Initiative.

The paper reflects on our shared experiences, challenges and lessons learned, and offers practical insights for organisations working to strengthen gender integration in their own contexts.

📕: https://brnw.ch/21x6q7g

14/10/2026

Across Hirshabelle State, , local peacebuilders are working every day to prevent violence, build trust and strengthen their communities. Yet much of this work has long gone unseen beyond the communities where it takes place.

To make it visible, and to strengthen connections between network members, we launched a digital mapping platform.

Members of the Insider Peacebuilders Network shared stories, images, audio and video, each linked to a location. Together, these contributions create a growing map of peace, documenting the people, places and local initiatives working to build more peaceful communities.

👉Explore the map: https://brnw.ch/21x6ose

14/10/2026

GEYC Romania explored how emotions, identity, and personal experiences shape young Romanians’ vulnerability to online disinformation.
Through 7 focus groups with 50+ young people and 12 in-depth interviews, we uncovered key insights:
💡 Young people can spot obvious manipulation, but emotionally charged stories connected to real-life struggles can still influence them.
⚖️ Feelings of unfairness, institutional neglect, and economic insecurity can make misleading narratives more convincing.
🛡️ Many recognize scapegoating tactics, yet messages framed as external impositions can trigger defensive reactions around identity and sovereignty.
🌍 What’s next? These findings will contribute to the DEEP Cross-National Model of Deep Stories, helping shape educational tools and media literacy initiatives that strengthen young people’s resilience against online manipulation.
Read the full article: https://deep-stories.eu/

14/10/2026

14/10/2026

How can regional cooperation help build more inclusive, resilient and peaceful societies?

Join us on 15 October at 09:00 CEST at the Geneva Peace Forum, together with the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP, for an interactive online workshop exploring ways to advance social cohesion across , the and the .

Featuring Christina Horváth-Stenner, our Head of Europe Unit, the session will bring together practitioners, policymakers, civil society leaders and regional partners to exchange insights, explore practical solutions and identify opportunities to strengthen trust, foster inclusion and deepen regional cooperation.

Join us online: https://www.genevapeaceforum.ch/en/gpf-2026/schedule/advancing-regional-cooperation-for-social-cohesion-in-eastern-europe-the-western-balkans-and-the-south-caucasus

13/10/2026

This week, Heads of State meet to negotiate Europe’s next long-term budget. The latest proposal would cut 17.4% from its external action work with partners worldwide, including conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.

need time and funding. Local peacebuilders, insider mediators, dialogue initiatives and prevention work only hold if the support behind them holds too. At a time when others are retreating, the EU has a choice: step up as a reliable partner for peace, or leave a gap no one will fill.

We call on and other states to secure dedicated funding for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Read the statement:https://berghof-foundation.org/files/documents/7-26_CSO-Forderungen-an-die-Bundesregierung-zum-Global-Europe-Instrument-im-Mehrj%C3%A4hrigen-Finanzrahmen-der-EU-2028%E2%80%932034.pdf (in GER)

12/10/2026

“A deal that stops the killing is worth having. Our job is to make sure it becomes a first step, not the last word.”

At Geneva Peace Forum, our Executive Director Chris Coulter spoke on two high-level panels exploring the future of peace mediation.

Against a backdrop of shifting alliances, strategic competition and increasingly transactional diplomacy, she made the case that cannot be reduced to quick deals. While immediate agreements can help stop violence and create openings for progress, lasting peace depends on what happens beyond the negotiating table.

That means asking when, whom and how to include, and building the connections between high-level negotiations and the communities who ultimately have to live with their outcomes. Insider mediators play a crucial role here: they work far from the limelight, are essential bridge builders, and carry agreements home to the people affected.

As the international environment changes, the challenge for mediators is not to abandon the principles of peacebuilding, but to adapt how we put them into practice.

10/10/2026

How can mental health and psychosocial wellbeing contribute to peace, and how can support psychosocial recovery?

To mark , we’re sharing the recording of our online event, which featured speakers from , , and .

The discussion explored how mental health and peacebuilding can reinforce one another throughout the conflict cycle, and how lived experience can inform programmes, policies and institutions.

🎥 Watch the recording:
https://brnw.ch/21x6iZa