The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding

Eliciting and Applying Local Knowledge for Peacebuilding and State-building in Africa

The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP)* is a consortium of research and policy organizations from across Africa. The network seeks to foster dialogue and increase the visibility of African perspectives within the U.S. policy arena. The goal of the network is to support the development of informed and mutually-beneficial U.S.-Africa policy. The SVNP achieves this by:

Organizing first-class conferences that link members to one another and to U.S. policymakers and practitioners
Hosting scholars from the network for a 3-month residency at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

Producing best-in-class policy analysis through briefs, reports, and posts on the Africa Program blog, Africa Up Close

The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding was established in 2011 with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

*The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding was previously known as the Southern Voices Network.

Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Members

The Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding includes many top policy research organizations in Africa, with a focus on peacebuilding and state-building throughout the continent. Current members include:

African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) – Ghana
African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) – Kenya
African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) – Kenya
Center for Democratic Development (CDD) – Ghana
Center for Media, Democracy, Peace and Security (CMDPS) – Kenya
Center for Policy Studies (CERPS) – Liberia
Centre d’Etudes Pour l’Action Sociale (CEPAS) – DRC
Centre de Recherche et d’Action pour la Paix (CERAP) – Cote d’Ivoire
Centre for Conflict Management (CCM) – Rwanda
Centre Ivoirien de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CIRES) – Cote d’Ivoire
Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) – South Africa
Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA) – Nigeria
Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR) – Senegal
Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD) – South Africa
Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) – Ethiopia
Institute for Security Studies (ISS) – South Africa Headquarters
Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR-Rwanda) – Rwanda
Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) – Uganda
Sadeq Institute – Libya
The Sudd Institute – South Sudan
University of Pretoria Department of Political Science – South Africa
West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) – Ghana Headquarters

Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Annual Conferences

Participants at the 2017 SVNP Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

The Africa Program hosts annual conferences both in Washington, D.C. and on the continent to promote dialogue within the network and share important recommendations and ideas with a wider audience. It is our hope that such collaborations will be a positive contribution to Global North and Global South policy debate.

2018 SVNP Annual Conference: "National, Regional, and Global Infrastructures for Peace in Africa: Challenges, Prospects, and Opportunities"

From July 16 to 19, 2018 the Wilson Center Africa Program and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at the Addis Ababa University co-hosted the 2018 annual Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year's theme, “ National, Regional, and Global Infrastructures for Peace in Africa," engaged SVNP members, U.S. policymakers, African policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on key issues related to peacebuilding in Africa.

2017 SVNP Annual Conference: “Peacebuilding in Africa - What Works?”

From July 10 to 13, 2017 the Wilson Center Africa Program hosted the 2017 annual Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding conference. Building on the previous year’s conference in Pretoria, South Africa, the theme of this conference was “Peacebuilding in Africa - What Works?” More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.

2016 SVNP Annual Conference: “Building Peace through Inclusivity: Strengthening Economic, Social, and Political Inclusion in Africa”

On March 21-24, 2016, the Wilson Center Africa Program, in partnership with the Institute for Security Studies, the Human Science Research Council, the Institute for Global Dialogue, and the University of Pretoria Department of Political Science, hosted the annual Southern Voices Network conference in Pretoria, South Africa. More information, the conference report, and the papers presented at the conference are available here.

2015 SVNP Annual Conference: "Peacebuilding, Development, and the New Economic Paradigm in Africa"

Peacebuilding, Development, and the New Economic Paradigm in Africa - See more at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/2015-southern-voices-network-confer...

From May 26 to 29, 2015, the Wilson Center Africa Program hosted the annual Southern Voices Network conference in Washington, D.C. More information and the conference report can be found here.

Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholarship Program

Photo of Maame Esi Eshun, SVNP Scholar

Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholar Maame Esi Eshun presents her research on women artisanal miners and peacebuilding alongside Cristina Villegas of Pact.

As a critical component of the Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding, the Wilson Center Africa Program hosts scholars from member organizations for a 3-month resident scholar program in Washington, D.C. The scholarship program creates the opportunity for select individuals to complete a policy-oriented research project and engage with U.S. policymakers and practitioners, increasing the visibility and influence of their work.

The program specifically aims to bring local context and knowledge to bear on promoting sustainable peace in fragile states in Africa. Research conducted through the SVNP Scholarship Program must relate to the topics of peace-building and state-building in Africa, including governance; human security; economic development and trade; science, technology, and innovation; youth empowerment; gender; and Africa’s evolving role in the global arena.

For a list of publications by SVNP Scholars, please see here.

Past SVNP Scholars include:

Chandre Gould | Spring 2018

Olusola Isola | Spring 2018

Diana Warira | Spring 2018

Tasew Tafese Gashaw | Fall 2017

Emmaculate Asige Liaga | Fall 2017

Francis Abebrese | Summer 2017

Sharon Anyango Odhiambo | Spring 2017

Benjamin Adeniran Aluko | Fall 2016

Fredrick Ogenga | Fall 2016

François Pazisnewende Kaboré | Spring 2016