Navigating Violent Conflicts and Climate Change: Building Security through Trust, Dialogue, and Shared Goals
HEKS/EPERs approach to peacebuilding and conflict transformation emphasizes the importance of integrating human rights into humanitarian aid and development cooperation, in line with the triple nexus. Overcoming discrimination, including among the most vulnerable groups, is a mean to promote positive peace and prevent violent conflicts. Moreover, HEKS/EPER has focused on researching and implementing methods to transform resource conflicts, over the past fifteen years, with recent additional attention to the interaction between climate change and land conflicts.
Conflict transformation by HEKS/EPER
The concept of conflict transformation by HEKS/EPER involves promoting locally led peace initiatives, fostering strategic dialogues, and building trust among various groups. HEKS's conflict transformation concept is based on five pillars: Protection/Security, Connections/Dialogue, Accountability/Advocacy, Cohesion/Non-violence, and Inclusion/Participation.
The HEKS Diapraxis approach combines practical shared goals of development cooperation with ongoing trust-building and dialogue to promote peace. Lastly, trauma work and quiet diplomacy play crucial roles in HEKS/EPER's peacebuilding efforts.
HEKS/EPER is committed to inclusive co-existence worldwide and in Switzerland. HEKS/EPER’s social policy activities aim to achieve structural changes to provide more equal opportunities and participation.
In Colombia, HEKS/EPER is contributing to a more just and peaceful society and to improving the livelihoods of internally displaced families and rural communities.
In South Caucasus, HEKS/EPER is active in Georgia and Armenia and works with 13 local partner organizations (NGOs, farmers' associations, small businesses). Through income-generating activities and by strengthening civil society, the aim is to promote peaceful coexistence and improve living conditions in rural areas.
In Ethiopia, HEKS/EPER provides life-saving assistance to people affected by crises and it assists vulnerable communities to build their livelihoods and increase their preparedness and resilience to shocks caused by climatic hazards or conflicts.
HEKS/EPER supports the rural population in the Maradi and Zinder regions in building up profitable and sustainable agricultural production and in livestock farming.
HEKS improves the living conditions of the rural population in Georgia and Armenia through income-generating activities and by strengthening civil society.
