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Coronavirus and Conflict: The Security Sector Response

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 / Time: 10:00am - 11:15am EST

Center: Applied Conflict Transformation Center

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As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe, troubling developments about how security forces are responding have been reported from places already mired in violence and conflict. In the Middle East and Latin America, police are using mandates to keep people at home to crack down on human rights. And in Africa, peace processes are at risk of breaking down as peacekeepers become restricted in their movements. Meanwhile, local activists and peacebuilders everywhere cannot easily come together to organize and push back on abuses. Urgently addressing the interaction between virus and conflict is crucial if we want to help communities emerge from COVID-19 with resilience and hope. 

On April 15, USIP hosted an event that looked at creative solutions on how to respond to the confluence of coronavirus and conflict. USIP President and CEO Nancy Lindborg shared lessons from her experience responding to Ebola in West Africa and discussed why COVID-19 is a unique challenge to conflict-affected regions. This was followed by a panel discussion with experts from around the world on how security sectors are responding to coronavirus, how local communities are making their voices heard, and what practical interventions we can take now to stem unnecessary suffering later. 

Speakers

Nancy Lindborg, introductory remarks
President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace 

Frances Z. Brown
Fellow for Democracy, Conflict, and Governance, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Isioma Kemakolam
Justice and Security Dialogue Program Coordinator, Nigeria, U.S. Institute of Peace

Jeremy Konyndyk
Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development 

Amany Qaddour
Regional Director, Syria Relief & Development

Dr. Albrecht Schnabel
Head of the Asia-Pacific Unit, DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

Sarah Holewinski, moderator
Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow, U.S. Institute of Peace

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