Month: January 2022


Research Café: Using Drawing as a Research Method

The aim of the Creating Safer Space Café is to enable people in different parts of the world to exchange knowledge and to help build a community of Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) researchers and practitioners.

This month, Prof. Berit Bliesemann de Guevara (Aberystwyth University, UK) and Prof. Rachel Julian (Leeds Beckett University, UK) will provide an introduction to ‘Drawing Out’ as a participatory and creative research method, and will explore the benefits of using this method for research on Unarmed Civilian Protection.

12.30 – 2.00 pm UTC on Thursday 17 February

The session will be held in English and Spanish with simultaneous translation.

All welcome. Please contact creating-safer-space@aber.ac.uk for the Zoom joining details.


Information Session on Funding Opportunities

The Creating Safer Space network invites applications for research grants. We aim to fund 15-20 research projects to understand and support unarmed civilian protection and self-protection amidst violent conflict. Grants range from £20,000 – £100,000 GBP.

Potential applicants are warmly invited to one of our information sessions in English or Spanish.

English:

10.00 – 11.00 am UTC on Tuesday 1 February

8.00 – 9.00 am UTC on Wednesday 2 March

Spanish:

3.00 – 4.00 pm UTC on Tuesday 1 February (this is 10.00 – 11.00 am in Colombia)

Please contact creating-safer-space@aber.ac.uk for the Zoom joining details. More information about our funding opportunities are available on our website.


Community Empowerment for Progress Organization

South Sudan

Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) is a non-governmental organization in South Sudan with focus on governance, democratic transformation, protection of human rights, rule of law, peace building and livelihood. CEPO operations are nationwide in South Sudan.

Key individuals involved in the Creating Safer Space network are Mr Edmund Yakani and Miss Elizabeth Daniel.

Website: http://cepo-southsudan.org

FaceBook: https://web.facebook.com/ceposouthsudan1/

Email: communications@cepo-southsudan.org; ed@cepo-southsudan.org; ceposouthsudan@gmail.com

{ Rural Women Peace Link }

New work package: Unarmed Civilian Protection in Kenya

The Creating Safer Space network is pleased to announce a new work package on the following topic:

Strengthening Local Capacities for Unarmed Civilian Protection in Uasin Gishu, Kenya

The work package is led by Clinton Gwako (Rural Women Peace Link, Kenya) in collaboration with Selline Korir (Rural Women Peace Link, Kenya).

More information about the work package is available on our website: https://creating-safer-space.com/strengthening-local-capacities-for-unarmed-civilian-protection-in-uasin-gishu-kenya/

{ Rural Women Peace Link }

Strengthening Local Capacities for Unarmed Civilian Protection in Uasin Gishu, Kenya

This project seeks to generate new, evidence-based knowledge and understanding regarding civilians’ agency in local conflict transformation processes in Kenya’s Uasin Gishu County. The research will be conducted in three urban hotspot areas of Uasin Gishu, which have been at the centre of heated political contests in recent electioneering periods (2013 and 2017 general elections) and were adversely affected by the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Using participatory methods such as the People-First Impact Method (PFIM) and Community Scorecards, the project explores existing and emergent local civilian protection systems and the related civilian knowledge and/or capacity gaps that need to be addressed to bolster them. Its findings will provide a local and contextual understanding of the face and dynamics of unarmed civilian protection (UCP) in Uasin Gishu, the role played by civilians/civilian groups in local peace processes and protection systems, and how UCP in Uasin Gishu feeds into county and national security organs.

The expected outcomes of this endeavour will be:

  • Enhanced knowledge on existing and emergent local civilian protection systems in Burnt Forest, Langas and Turbo;
  • Improved knowledge on civilian capacity gaps regarding unarmed civilian protection in Burnt Forest, Langas and Turbo;
  • Improved knowledge on the intersectionality between international, national and local (self-protection) civilian protection mechanisms.

Research team:

  • Clinton Gwako, Rural Women Peace Link (principal investigator)
  • Selline Korir, Rural Women Peace Link


Research Café: UCP, civil resistance, and human rights defence

The aim of the Creating Safer Space Café is to enable people in different parts of the world to exchange knowledge and to help build a community of Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) researchers and practitioners.

This month, Dr Christine Schweitzer (BSV – Federation for Social Defense, and Institute for Peace Work and Nonviolent Conflict Transformation, Germany) will give us input for a discussion on the topic:

What is Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP)? How does it relate to or differ from civil resistance and human rights defence?

12.30 – 1.30 pm UTC on Thursday 20 January.

The session will be held in English and Spanish with simultaneous translation.

All welcome. Please contact creating-safer-space@aber.ac.uk for the Zoom joining details.