Bridging trauma and peace: FPI contribution to the global dialogue on peace and reconciliation and transitional justice

This marks a step in FPI's involvement in global peace-building initiatives and underlines its commitment to explore innovative pathways in trauma healing.

The Basel Peace Forum, organised annually since 2017 by the Swisspeace Foundation, gathers over 300 participants from diverse fields - politics, civil society, business, diplomacy, science, and culture - to engage in cross-disciplinary discussions on peace. These unique exchanges give rise to fresh thinking, debates, panels and the formulation of new and unconventional ideas for building long-lasting peace, as well as the possibility of creating new partnerships among actors involved in peacebuilding.

For FPI, this forum provides an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and forge partnerships on peace-building processes, as well as to discuss its work on trauma healing and exchange with practitioners, researchers and other donors on innovative approaches and challenges on how to heal the past for a better future.

FPI will be represented at the Forum by its Director, Peter M. Wagner. He will take part in the panel on trauma healing "Healing the past, transforming the future”, which will look at the psychosocial dimensions of transitional justice. This panel will explore the psychological impact of conflicts and the diverse strategies – legal, political, and psychological – necessary for addressing the needs of affected communities and fostering reconciliation. During the panel, FPI’s Director will present concrete examples of work in this field. FPI's initiatives, including trauma healing programs, underscores the European Union's commitment to an all-encompassing approach to transitional justice, including in Gaza, Israel, Colombia, Syria, and Ukraine. These programs, integral to the EU’s broader Policy Framework on Transitional Justice, highlight the critical role of addressing psychological trauma in the pursuit of lasting peace.

The day after the Forum, civil society consultations on trauma healing organised by the European Peace-Building Liaison Office will enable a broader discussion on effective and innovative approaches to trauma in peacebuilding. These consultations, made possible by FPI, exemplify FPI’s collaborative spirit, seeking to integrate diverse perspectives and expertise in the pursuit of long-lasting peace.

FPI's involvement in the Basel Peace Forum represents not only a commitment to trauma healing as part of a comprehensive approach to transitional justice but also a significant contribution to the global dialogue on peace and reconciliation.

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Basel Peace Forum 2024