The workshop engaged ten experts from U.S, Canada, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Spain and Sudan who worked extensively on the role of civil society in peacebuilding. The workshop was divided into two panels. The first panel discussed theoretical approaches to civil society stressing the importance to identify criteria for civil society actors that could be engaged in a process of peacebuilding. Drawing on case studies from Nepal, Colombia, Philippines, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Sudan, the experts offered in the second panel different accounts in where engaging civil society actors in conflict resolutions and sustained peace processes succeeded and failed. The workshop started by opening remarks from Mr. Fabian Blumberg, the regional representative to the Gulf States and Hadil Al-Muwafak, a research fellow and consultant at Yemen Policy Center who welcomed the experts and emphasised the importance of the workshop’s topic for Yemen’s civil society.

Concept Note & Event Programme are attached.