Thoughts during and after the forum on peacebuilding in Europe

International Alert's Head of Communications encouraged participants at the Conflict Ideas Forum on Monday 10th to tweet through the day. I thought it's worth capturing at least some of those tweets, reflecting some of the information that was shared and some of the insights and reflections that were developed. So I scoured my way through #conflictideas and picked up what follows, mostly from me and some from Lisa (and I'm presuming Lisa tweeted in two guises). I've taken out most of the repetitive @intalert's and #conflictideas to make it a bit easier to erad.

Regard this as an aide memoire so our immediate thoughts at the time don't just float away into the ether.

Dan Smith‏@dansmith2020:

• Today @intalert holds forum on peacebuilding needs & prospects within EU (same day EU gets Nobel Prize)
• Homelessness in England reduces average life expectancy by 30 years to same level as Afghanistan & Central African Republic
• Voter turnout in top 2 social classes in UK is 19% higher than in bottom 2  - richer people feel more ownership of politics
• Department of Known but Shocking: Greek GDP down 25% in 4 years; unemployment is 26% & >50% among youth
• Spanish indignados' chant at recent demo: "We want to live like our parents did." Think about it.
• Dilemma & paradox of the EU discussed at forum  - integration = building peace BUT integration also = disempowerment
• Official EU & UK gov't ideologies of subsidiarity & localism undermined by bureaucratic & political preferences
• Ideas being floated for how to continue, deepen and broaden the conversation convened today by @intalert

 ICPS‏@ICPS_Peace (International Centre for Participation Studies, Bradford – presumably tweeted by Lisa Cummings?):

• #Participation & voice central issues at @intalert European #conflictideas forum today.
• Key question from today's  forum: Is model of Euro integration moving from keeping the peace to causing conflict?
• Rich discussion about need to rethink power in context of converging crises at forum on Europe.

 Lisa Cumming‏@LisaDialogue:

• Today's conversation inc: the EU peacemaker or conflict generator? Need to rethink power, increase participation & voice.
• Left  forum thinking about purpose, process & ethics of peacebuilding when structural violence is on the rise.