Publications

KOFF issues publications on various topics in civilian peacebuilding. The peacebuilding magazine “à propos” is released four times a year and provides an opportunity for the member organizations to express their views on a subject. In addition, we publish Essentials, which offer expert advice for practitioners, Critical Reflections, which summarize the main outputs of meetings and reports on a wide variety of peacebuilding issues.

KOFF, Publications

KOFF-Tonträger: Climate and Security as Swiss Priority in the UN Security Council

For its time in the UN Security Council Switzerland has set out four priorities. One of them is addressing climates security. In the latest episode of the KOFF-Tonträger, Dorothea Schiewer discusses the interconnection between climate & security and its relevance for the international policy level with Stefan Salzmann, Fastenaktion, and Yvan Keckeis & Ariadna Pop, FDFA. What priorities are important? What challenges does Switzerland face? And what has Switzerland already achieved?

Listen to the KOFF-Tonträger on Soundcloud or Spotify


KOFF, Publications

KOFF-Tonträger: Switzerland in the UN Security Council & Civil Society

Since January 2023, Switzerland has a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council. KOFF engages in a podcast series with this new Swiss role on the international policy level. In this first episode of the KOFF-Tonträger, Dorothea Schiewer (KOFF/swisspeace) speaks with Esther Neuhaus (FDFA), Maria-Isabelle Wieser (GSUN) and Anna Leissing (KOFF/swisspeace) about priorities, opportunities, challenges, and civil society expectations for the Swiss seat in the UN Security Council.

Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud  or Spotify


KOFF, Publications, à propos

à propos magazine - New Peace and Security Landscape in the Sahel

The November edition of à propos is online! It delves into the complex peace and conflict dynamics of the West African Sahel region. Discover how persistent political instability and governance issues contribute to violent extremism, climate-induced conflicts, food insecurity and gender-based violence. Learn about international troop interventions, their controversies, and their impact on the region's security landscape. The KOFF organizations and partners provide you with insights on navigating these transformations.

en | de | fr | take a look at all à propos


KOFF, Publications, à propos

Peacebuilding in Times of Gender Backlash

The September edition of the à propos magazine relates to the alarming gender backlash that has emerged over the past years, targeting women, feminist peace movements, and LGBTQI+ people. It delves into the various forms this phenomenon takes, including the silencing and repression of organizations advocating for gender equality, heightened rates of sexual and gender-based violence, constraints on reproductive health, and the amplification of anti-gender hate speech. Learn more about the impact of this backlash on the KOFF members and their partner organizations and the strategies they develop to confront it.

en | de | fr | take a look at all à propos


KOFF, Publications, à propos

Financing Peace – What are the Priorities?

With global conflicts and violence on the rise and limited financial resources, the July edition of à propos underscores the importance of diversifying and effectively utilizing funds for peacebuilding. It showcases innovative approaches to combat the mismanagement of peacebuilding funds and empower local peacebuilding actors to attain a fairer control over these financial resources, while also advocating for increased involvement of the public and private sectors in supporting peacebuilding efforts.

en | de | fr | take a look at all à propos


KOFF, Publications, à propos

Natural Resources, Peace and Conflict

Natural resources are essential for human survival, serve as a primary source of livelihood for many, and are vital to the functioning of economies and societies worldwide. What conflicts can arise from competition for these resources, and how can peacebuilding organizations address them? KOFF members discuss this topic in the latest edition of the à propos magazine.

en | de | fr | take a look at all à propos


KOFF, Publications

KOFF Joint Learning Processes Essential

This Essential summarizes our key findings of an internal assessment of Joint Learning Processes (JLP), a peacebuilding methodology and practice developed by us. This Essential aims to identify and capitalize on the lessons learnt from previous JLPs to improve the accessibility, relevance, and impact of joint learning in the platform, as well as to share our experiences with this methodology with a wider audience.

Read the Essential (en)


KOFF, Publications

New Publication: "Civil Society as Prerequisit for Success"

KOFF gender experts Yasmine Janah & Dr Anna Antonakis wrote an article on the open debate meeting on Resolution 1325 under Mozambique's Presidency of the UNSC for the SGA-ASPE. The article highlights the importance of the UN Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda as a domestic and foreign policy agenda and concludes that civil society is a necessary condition to support gender-sensitive peace policies, not least in the context of Switzerland’s current seat on the UN Security Council and the forthcoming draft of the Swiss 5th NAP.

Read the article online (de)


KOFF, Publications, à propos

à propos magazine: Ukraine - One Year Post Invasion

A year has passed since Russia invaded Ukraine and the outcome of this war remains uncertain. It is the first conflict of its kind and magnitude in Europe since the Second World War and highlights the divergence of views on peace, even within the peacebuilding practice. When a country is attacked, is military retaliation the way to peace? KOFF members share their views and commitment to peacebuilding in Ukraine in this first 2023 issue of à propos.

en | de | fr | take a look at all à propos


KOFF, Publications, Annual Reports

2022 KOFF annual report

The commitment of the Swiss Platform for Peacebuilding KOFF in 2022 thus extended from “practical peacebuilding on the ground” to “exchange and learning in the platform” and linking with the “policy level”

Read the annual report (de, fr, en).