For our fourth Global North-South Conversation, we were honored to speak with Khulood Al-Saidi, a peacebuilding and conflict resolution practitioner. Khulood shared her experience in the peacebuilding field, having led initiatives in Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
This series aims to enhance discourse between countries in the Global South and those in the Global North on critical issues such as conflict prevention, violent extremism, gender, and human rights. At Transformative Peace, we believe this initiative is essential for developing more effective conflict resolution strategies and building sustainable peace. Our approach prioritizes inclusivity, human rights, and the integration of diverse perspectives. Consequently, this initiative elevates the voices of the Global South within a predominantly Western-centric media environment. Please enjoy our fourth of such conversations with Khulood Al-Saidi. For more transformative conversations featuring scholars and experts from the Global South, please click here.
* The views and opinions expressed in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Transformative Peace. The Author is solely responsible for the content shared.
Drawing on your extensive experience in Libya, Iraq, and other MENA countries,
what common challenges and insights have emerged across the various
peacebuilding programs you've led?
In general, I believe that across the MENA, there are common challenges, including
deeply entrenched socio-political divisions, weak institutional frameworks, limited or
absent trust in governance, and deep-rooted unhealed grievances. In many of my
programs I have led, I've seen internal dynamics and international influences and
agendas impact programming for long-term projects with sustainable impacts.
These were challenges that needed flexible programming, which sometimes some
donors refused to provide us with. What was very insightful for me throughout my career
was to observe what communities can achieve when they take the lead in building
peace.
Conflict resurgence poses a significant challenge to lasting peace. In your view, what
factors contribute to the sustainability of reconciliation processes, and how can they
be effectively implemented?
Sustainability hinges on several factors: strong governance, economic stability, inclusive
political processes, and active civil society participation. Genuine reconciliation occurs
when communities own peace efforts rather than following them as imposed by a
government and/or the international community, which sometimes comes as prepared
in advance with a unified catalogue that does not take into account the specificities of
local communities that differ even within the framework of one country.
Mechanisms like reparative justice systems and grassroots mediation, as well as
women's and youth's active participation in negotiation and mediation processes,
empowering minorities, as well as economic integration and livelihood programs, are
critical to mitigate the grievances that drive conflict recurrence. These steps are vital
and can enhance the legitimacy of the processes and ensure community ownership,
which leads to sustainable peace.
Based on your experience, what critical roles do justice and rehabilitation processes
play in fostering successful and enduring reconciliation?
Justice processes provide accountability, fostering trust in the rule of law, while
rehabilitation programs address trauma and social reintegration, enabling victims and perpetrators to coexist peacefully. Unfortunately, in our region, enforcing the rule of law,
achieving justice, and supporting mechanisms that ensure accountability are still weak
and not as effective as they should be. Therefore, there is a need to adopt justice
mechanisms such as hybrid tribunals or community-based restorative justice initiatives,
which are particularly effective in divided societies, ensuring both accountability and
cultural relevance. Rehabilitation programs focused on psychological recovery and
social inclusion create pathways for communities to rebuild trust.
Many practitioners and scholars emphasize a community-oriented approach to
peacebuilding. How have your initiatives empowered local communities, and what
specific outcomes have you witnessed as a result?
I am a believer in the bottom-up approach. Building community members' capacities to lead in fostering peace, enhancing economic opportunities, and active citizenship is
critical.
In Libya, I witnessed how local communities, which we called the “Pockets Of Peace”,
distanced themselves from ongoing conflicts through traditional mechanisms for
resolving disputes or adopting modern methods. We supported them by providing
training on conflict analysis tools and leading community dialogue sessions. That was
reflected in reducing the level of tensions and transforming the conflicts. They used their
skills and knowledge during the COVID-19 era to solve issues related to the distribution
of resources and supporting local governance; some of our targeted members even ran
for the local council elections.
In Iraq, I was amazed at what tribe leaders in Anbar Governorate did upon the liberation
from ISIS; they developed and signed the Anbar Covenant, which ensures the safe
return of displaced women and children, combating violent extremism and the
establishment of local peace committees which our role was to enhance the
committee' capacities to solve communities disputes and conflicts through mediation
and dialogue and support the establishment of Conflict Early Warning Response
System.
Reflecting on your career, what progress have you observed regarding the
integration of women in peace programs and processes, and what barriers still
remain? In particular, what strategies have you found effective in generating support
for women’s inclusion in peacebuilding efforts, particularly among male
stakeholders?
During my career path, especially when I was the program manager of the Women
in Conflict Fellowship Program with Beyond Borders Scotland, a program supporting
women from all over the world working to build peace and promoting community peace, I found that even if we did not reach what we aspired to of the awareness
among local communities of the importance of women’s role in in peacebuilding
operations, women themselves have become aware of the importance of their role
and are keen to obtain the skills and knowledge to enhance this role and advocate
for peace and social cohesion.
Globally, we have seen significant progress, including global frameworks like
UNSCR 1325 and increased international funding for women’s initiatives. However,
barriers such as cultural resistance, security threats, and lack of political will persist.
Effective strategies include engaging male stakeholders such as tribe and religious
leaders as allies, emphasizing shared benefits of inclusion, and utilizing culturally
resonant narratives. In Libya, we engaged male community leaders as well as
female family male members in our programs as champions of gender equality,
which proved instrumental in shifting attitudes and fostering broad-based support for
women’s inclusion.
As we aim to illuminate the relationships between the global north and south, are
there specific dynamics that concern you in this context, and why?
The unequal power dynamics, particularly in aid and development, the injustice in
dealing with conflicts and their effects according to their geographical position and
who is affected by them are my significant concerns.
The Global North often imposes top-down approaches to deal with conflicts that fail to
account for the complexities of local contexts. A participatory approach, where local
actors lead decision-making, with the north providing support, is essential.
Additionally, the perception of conditional aid exacerbates mistrust. Genuine
partnerships that respect sovereignty and prioritize capacity building can help bridge
this divide.
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