Project profile — Supporting Civil Society in Rapid Response to Conflict

This project aims to de-escalate violent conflict, reduce the vulnerability of civilians, and support peacebuilding efforts, in emerging conflicts Crisis Action. Project activities include: (1) developing the capacity and facilitating access of civil society organizations and religious actors to pursue collective action for gender-responsive de-escalation and peacebuilding, and; (2) developing the capacity of women and women’s organizations and networks to play a lead role in national and regional peace-building processes, and on addressing sexual and gender-based violence.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved inclusivity of peacebuilding and de-escalation processes at local, regional and national levels; and (2) increased meaningful participation of women, women’s organisations and networks in de-escalation efforts. These efforts include addressing weaponized sexual and gender-based violence in emerging conflicts.

Results achieved at the end of the project (March 2025) include: (1) supported the launch of a comprehensive assessment of the cessation of hostilities agreement for Tigray in Ethiopia. This assessment is a platform to push for the African Union-led peace process to be expanded to other conflict regions in the country; (2) increased international and political attention on the conflict in Sudan, including plans for a meeting of an African Union Ad Hoc Presidential Committee on Sudan”; (3) increased visibility on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through global media briefings, op-eds, and social media posts; (4) convened main Syrian civil society organizations working on criminal justice and accountability to develop a roadmap on local pathways to criminal justice following the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Asaad in November 2024 in Syria, and engaged with the new Syrian authorities on this roadmap. Also organized a policymakers’ briefing in Syria ahead of the European Union foreign ministers meeting, offering recommendations on the lifting of sectoral sanctions; and (5) supported the people’s Coalition for the Sahel, a coalition of Civil society organizations in Sahel, which assisted in the development a sustainable, self-governing coalition, initiating and leading advocacy efforts.