The Fourth Conference on National Dialogues 2019

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, Finn Church Aid and Crisis Management Initiative, will organise the fourth international conference on national dialogues and peace mediation in Helsinki on 11-12 June 2019. The aim of the National Dialogues Conference is to improve and enhance the knowledge and practice of national dialogues by policy makers, practitioners and researchers in developing countries, and in particular to support the stabilisation and peaceful development of fragile and conflict-affected developing countries. In 2019, the aim is in particular to: (1) create an inclusive space for sharing and peer learning for actors working on national dialogues to improve the design, planning, implementation and follow up of national dialogues and, therefore, the sustainability of national dialogues processes; 2) deepen the understanding of the general ecosystem of national dialogues; 3) deepen practical understanding about inclusion as a process design principle; and 4) understand how new technologies can support national dialogues and actors in complex environments. The thematic focus is on: 1) the ecosystem of national dialogues and how to acknowledge it in the planning and implementation of peace processes; and (2) the role of new technologies in understanding the ecosystem and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing between different actors and tracks. Geographically, the focus is, among others, on Kenya, Myanmar, and countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Yemen. The beneficiaries of the project are developing countries and their civil society, in particular those benefiting from inclusion, such as women and girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and minorities.