Roundtable conference on “Inclusivity in Peace and Development” in the MENA region

Roundtable conference on “Inclusivity in Peace and Development” in the MENA region

In connection to the formal inauguration of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa, the Institute hosted its first large in-person conference on the theme of “Inclusivity in Peace and Development in the MENA region”, on 17 November 2022. It was a one-day regional round table conference, which brought together some 50 participants and thought leaders from across MENA and Europe representing diverse parts of society – public sector, civil society, private sector, academia, think tanks, media, international organizations, and other experts. Members of the Institute’s Advisory Committee played key roles, as speakers or moderators.

Through solution-oriented and interactive set of conversations, the conference aimed at exploring how to create more inclusive and participatory processes and enhance interdisciplinary collaboration between diverse sectors of society in work on peace and development, in the MENA region and between the region and Europe. This included discussions on addressing the underrepresentation of women and youth in policy and decision-making processes and by promoting intergenerational and gender sensitive dialogues. The discussions highlighted the need for safe and conducive spaces for sharing information, experiences and ideas regarding the challenges and opportunities in these fields, as well as the need to strengthen connectivity and networks amongst professionals and organizations, from different parts of society and from across the region.

Participants shared insights and reflections and the conference resulted in a set of policy recommendations including:

• There is a need to bridge existing multiple trust gaps (between generations, between state and citizens, etc.) and create spaces for genuine dialogue and inclusion.
• It is important to place people at the center when designing and implementing programs.
• “Silos” between different sectors of society need to be broken and participants pointed to the necessity of diverse perspectives in addressing political, economic, and societal challenges.
• The EU-MENA relationship requires transformative dialogues to foster better mutual understanding and spaces for jointly developing new ideas on how to address mutual challenges, with a people-centered approach.

For more information, read the full report on the various meetings.

You can also watch the OPENING SESSION of the conference, as well as see this short CLIP.