The Role of Dialogue in Peacebuilding: Where Research Meets Practice

Dialogue is a well-established, essential peacebuilding tool that is now experiencing a renaissance. Dialogue processes are addressing a variety of challenges, from societal problems like political polarization and racial injustice, to local grievances in conflict-impacted communities. Yet despite its extensive use, there is insufficient understanding about why, how, and when dialogue can be used most effectively. To address this lacuna in the field, this panel will bring academic researchers and dialogue practitioners together to highlight best practices and potential pitfalls for dialogue as a peacebuilding tool in deeply divided societies. This session will specifically address the use of transformative dialogue within peacebuilding processes, present academic and applied research, and discuss practical challenges and uses of dialogue processes in different contexts. Panelists will explore how evidence and research, combined with qualitative, practical experience, can be used to guide dialogue initiatives in a range of contexts, including the United States.
Panelists:
Dr. Fatima Akilu
Dr. Fatima Akilu is the Executive Director of Neem Foundation. She is a trained psychologist with over 25 years’ experience in the field of mental health, psychology, Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) and communications. She is responsible for the implementation of programmes and strategies as the Executive Director of Neem Foundation and determining the direction of focus of the projects implemented by the organisation.
Dr. Sabine Exner-Krikorian
Dr. Sabine Exner-Krikorian gained practical experience in the interreligious field as a working student in the Jewish community and dialogue facilitator at Occurso e.V. while studying religious and cultural studies at the LMU Munich.
Dr. Sarah Bernstein
Born in the UK, with a background in law and mediation, Sarah has worked in the field of peace-building and coexistence work since 2000, specializing in interreligious dialogue. She was awarded her PHD in Peace and Reconciliation Studies by Coventry University in England for her thesis on the theme of ‘Narratives of Belonging: Life Stories of Jewish-Israeli Women in Jerusalem.’ Sarah sits on the Alliance for Peacebuilding Global Advisory Council on Effective Interreligious Peacebuilding, and is a founding Board member of the International Association of Spiritual Care.
Elizabeth Hume
Elizabeth (Liz) Hume is the Executive Director at the Alliance for Peacebuilding. She is an international lawyer and a conflict expert with more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership positions in bilateral, multilateral institutions and NGOs. She has extensive experience in policy and advocacy and overseeing sizeable and complex peacebuilding programs in conflict-affected and fragile states in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa.
Linda Tropp
Linda R. Tropp is Professor of Social Psychology and Faculty Associate in Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (USA). Her work seeks to foster the dual goals of promoting positive relations between groups while achieving ever-greater levels of societal equality and justice.
Polly Byers
Polly Byers, Executive Director of Karuna Center for Peacebuilding, has more than 30 years of experience working both within and outside of government channels to support peacebuilding practices and to increase local collaboration and ownership of aid and peace processes.
In a career working for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State, the Congressional Select Committee on Hunger, and a range of international and non-governmental organization, she has focused on collaborative approaches to increase local engagement and ownership of aid and peacebuilding efforts.
Seth Karamage
Seth Karamage, M.A., was born and raised in Rwanda. He completed his graduate studies in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis University, where his focus was on conflict resolution, mediation, strategic organizational leadership, and diversity work. Seth founded and owns Rural Economic Development and Management (REDEM) Company which aims at improving rural farmers’ social and economic livelihoods through teaching them modern agriculture hence strengthening sustainable peace and reconciliation in Rwanda.
On May 3-5, 2023, the Alliance for Peacebuilding held its 11th annual conference, PeaceCon 2023: Beyond Fragile Ground: New Peacebuilding Architectures for Today and the Future.