Berghof Foundation: 50 years of conflict transformation
This book provides an overview of the Berghof Foundation’s work and impact over the past 50 years and sheds light on the challenges ahead of peacebuilding.
This book provides an overview of the Berghof Foundation’s work and impact over the past 50 years and sheds light on the challenges ahead of peacebuilding.
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Interview<br />
Ali Anan<br />
Influencers<br />
for<br />
peace<br />
Often when people think about social media, negative<br />
images <strong>of</strong> the spread <strong>of</strong> disinformation come to mind.<br />
Yet social media can also be a force for good. How<br />
can social media support peacebuilding and <strong>conflict</strong><br />
<strong>transformation</strong> efforts?<br />
As with every aspect <strong>of</strong> life, the human factor<br />
is the primary determinant <strong>of</strong> outcomes: everything<br />
can be used in either a good or a bad way, according<br />
to the will <strong>of</strong> the initiating person. It is imperative<br />
that we realise (and utilise) the positive influence<br />
<strong>of</strong> social media and how it can be used to transform<br />
individuals, societies, and even governments. Social<br />
media can indeed help spread peace, encourage<br />
dialogue among people from different backgrounds<br />
and clarify perceptions or misunderstandings.<br />
Communication is vital in promoting tolerance and<br />
mutual understanding, and social media is an ideal<br />
tool for that.<br />
<strong>Bergh<strong>of</strong></strong> provides training and enables meetings<br />
between influencers from across the political and<br />
religious spectrum in Lebanon. What is your personal<br />
highlight <strong>of</strong> this work?<br />
At times <strong>of</strong> increased friction and discord,<br />
the social media influencers we are working with<br />
have left their mark on the national scene. At several<br />
critical instances during the protests in 2019 and<br />
2020, the social media influencers group intervened<br />
to proactively de-escalate tensions. When clashes<br />
occurred between different groups and/or with<br />
security forces, they developed joint campaigns to<br />
call for renouncing violence, ending scapegoating<br />
and maintaining the inclusive and cross-sectarian<br />
character <strong>of</strong> the protests. They reach huge audiences<br />
by connecting their networks and followers across<br />
the divides.<br />
were the influencers we are working with. A resulting<br />
major change in the project environment was the<br />
heightening <strong>of</strong> polarisation and the hardening <strong>of</strong><br />
animosities in the general population, and the social<br />
media influencers reflected and tried to counter that.<br />
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities<br />
when bringing social media influencers from different<br />
religious groups together? What are your hopes for<br />
this kind <strong>of</strong> work for the future?<br />
In bringing social media influencers together<br />
to pacify a situation, a lot <strong>of</strong> one-on-one work has to<br />
be done, involving very tactful and empathetic human<br />
interaction. Trying to overcome deeply engrained<br />
obstacles and to reverse time-hardened hostilities<br />
requires genuine care and creative outreach, dipping<br />
into the realm <strong>of</strong> <strong>conflict</strong> psychology. Short-term<br />
interventions that expect to achieve real and lasting<br />
impact are amateurish and <strong>of</strong>ten backfire, causing<br />
harm and wasting material resources as well as<br />
the goodwill <strong>of</strong> stakeholders. I hope that everyone<br />
involved in planning and executing such efforts has<br />
the appropriate personal commitment and the longterm<br />
resources needed to achieve success.<br />
Senior Project<br />
Manager at<br />
the <strong>Bergh<strong>of</strong></strong><br />
<strong>Foundation</strong><br />
in Beirut<br />
How did the 2020 explosion in Beirut affect your work?<br />
The explosion had a great impact on<br />
everyone in Lebanon: the pain and the fear it caused<br />
hit deep, and people have still not got over it to this<br />
day. It happened at the beginning <strong>of</strong> August 2020,<br />
just as the second phase <strong>of</strong> our project was about<br />
to launch, which was a huge distraction. For the<br />
following few weeks, the explosion, rumours and<br />
consequences were the only thing people could talk<br />
about. Social media was consumed by that, and so<br />
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