Peacebuilding in the Mountains: Our Operations Coordinator reflects on her recent training with fellow millennial peacebuilders in Stans

Our Operations Coordinator Giulia Ferraro recently spent two weeks in Stans participating in the 24th Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course. Here she shared her reflections from the interaction with like-minded professionals in their thirties who are also committed to promoting and advancing the peace and security agenda. Read here what this experience inspired in her.

Those of you who have met me may have heard this story before. I started my career in the private sector working for a law firm in Australia. I have always been fascinated by the idea of ​​conflict resolution and win-win solutions. I felt proud and energetic when I witnessed great deals happening between private parties, where everyone left the table satisfied. I also understood that negotiating in the private sector is a privilege because the parties can always decide to stop negotiations and leave the room. Without judgement, I have always thought it was a legitimate decision for all individuals to say “this is not good for me, sorry”. And then I discovered the field of peacebuilding. A sector in which the stakes are so high that win-win (or the “almost win-almost win outcome” as it was described to me by one of the most inspiring professors I met at university) is a necessity. And so I left the firm and in 2018 I embarked on my path in the field of peace, security, and international cooperation.

 

I was reminded of this personal and professional transition this summer while attending the 24th Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course in Stans, Switzerland just around the corner from the breathtaking mountain Stanserhorn. An extremely well-designed two-week course co-organised by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the center of the Swiss Armed Forces for foreign missions. A course made for peacebuilders like me, of the Millennial generation, all coming from different walks of life and yet still linked by the common vision that sees positive global changes as an opportunity. It was refreshing to meet, talk to, and befriend some of the people I will likely meet again during the course of my career and to learn new skills through practical exercises; but most of all, it was inspiring to hear different perspectives and navigate difficult conversations together.

During these exchanges I also realised how sometimes we are so absorbed in our daily office activities that it is difficult to take time to read and really reflect on what is happening around us. This is particularly pressing in the field of peacebuilding where there is a growing number of transversal issues so broad and complex – such as climate change, food insecurity, migration, increased militarization just to name a few – that deserve more than a quick read. Despite this, I still believe that peacebuilding embodies two key elements that can help us (at least) initiate a meaningful conversation if not prompt a real process of change:prevention and addressing the root causes of conflict.

 

I left Stans feeling proud of and energetic about being a peacebuilder once again. This course has given me the opportunity to see this new generation of highly talented, specialised, and motivated peacebuilders accompanied by qualified senior professionals who engaged with us because they want us to succeed and take forward what they have built thus far. This experience has shown me that cooperation is possible and that, despite all the difficulties we face, we have an opportunity to promote real, fundamental, and positive global changes. Moreover, I have learnt new things about myself and the kind of professional I want to become and now, more than ever, I believe that we can and should embrace a new vision and modus operandi that allow us to plan long-term and seek sustainable solutions.

Giulia Ferraro, Operations Coordinator, Inclusive Peace