By Niall Clements, Amal Mansoor, Smaragda Vasileiadi, Francesca Bottan, Beline Nyangi, Dereje Daniel and Togo Yasuda Edited and reviewed by Beline Nyangi and Francesca Bottan. Introduction Venezuela and Iran occupy central positions in global energy politics due to their vast oil reserves, making them strategic points of interest for the United States. Historically, U.S. oil …
On 20 February 2026, participants gathered at the AmityPoint Institute in Amsterdam for a workshop titled Why Peace Efforts Struggle. It was not a space for debate, policy simulation or quick fixes. It was a space for reflection. From the beginning, the tone was clear. We were not there to produce a peace plan for …
Read more “Why Peace Efforts Struggle: Reflections from the AmityPoint Workshop, 20 February 2026”
By Niall Clements, Amal Mansoor, Smaragda Vasileiadi, Francesca Bottan, and Togo YasudaEdited and reviewed by Beline Nyangi. Introduction The conflict and injustices in Palestine span nearly a century, tracing back to the 1930s and the Zionist movement’s aim to establish a Jewish state in Palestine (United Nations, 2025). During the 1948 war, Zionist paramilitary forces, …
Read more “The Illusion of Peace: War Crimes,Occupation, and Global Inaction in Palestine”
Amina has lived through multiple ceasefire announcements since fleeing her home. Each announcement is accompanied by expectations that violence may subside, humanitarian access may improve, or displacement may become temporary rather than permanent. These expectations are common among civilian populations affected by protracted conflict. In practice, ceasefires frequently break down or remain limited in scope. …
Read more “When Peace Does Not Reach the People-Lessons from Current Conflicts”
Thabo and Mamadou lived on the same narrow street in Diepsloot for three years. Thabo, a South African father of three, spent his mornings walking to the main road looking for casual construction work that rarely materialized. Mamadou, who fled conflict in the DRC, spent his mornings opening a small spaza shop made of neatly …
Read more “The Shop on the Corner: Why We Must Choose Ubuntu Over Fear”
There is a story I often return to when thinking about global development. It begins in a small border town where two rivers meet. During the rainy season, the river swells often flooding farms and homes. For years, the community begged for better infrastructure and stronger institutions to manage the risk. But budgets were tight, …
Executive Summary Sudan’s war has displaced millions of people, destroyed communities, and created a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. Despite multiple international peace initiatives, fighting still persists. This brief argues that conventional approaches focused on elite negotiation have failed to produce durable peace. Using the story of Layla, a mother caught in the conflict. This …
Over the past decade, polarization has evolved from a domestic political issue into a global challenge that threatens the fabric of social cohesion and the stability of international systems. The world’s leading democracies are increasingly divided. This is by ideology, identity, and perceptions of belonging. These divisions now reverberate beyond national borders. When societies split …
Read more “Polarization and Global Stability: The Troubling Nexus”
Author’s Note At a time when the world continues to grapple with divisions, polarization, and fragile peace, the life of the late Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga offers lessons that go beyond Kenya’s borders. His story is one of courage, sacrifice, and unrelenting faith in dialogue, a reminder that leadership must always serve the greater …
Read more “The Statesman of Peace: Raila Amollo Odinga’s Enduring Lessons for Kenya and Beyond”
Ukraine’s war with Russia, now in its fourth year, continues to inflict immense suffering. Despite diplomatic efforts, the conflict has intensified, particularly in early 2025—marked by rising civilian casualties, infrastructure destruction, and humanitarian collapse. A Rising Toll on Civilians Civilian harms surged in early 2025. In March, at least 164 civilians were killed and 910 …
Read more “Ukraine in Crisis: Civilian Harm and the Struggle for Principled Peace”