Silencing the Guns: Preventing conflicts, promoting peace

Context

The African continent is the scene of numerous violent conflicts. These endanger human, national and international security and make the desired economic and political integration of the continent difficult. Peace and stability are essential to achieve Africa's development and the goals of Agenda 2063. 

Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU) aims to end all wars and violent conflicts on the continent. To this end, it promotes dialogue-based mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution. In addition to eliminating and preventing the causes of conflict, it is also necessary to reduce military resources and secure the state's monopoly on the use of force. There should be functioning mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts in all areas of society in order to promote a culture of peace and tolerance among the peoples of Africa.

Against this background, the African Union adopted the theme for 2020 in July 2019: ‘Silencing the Guns - Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development’. The year 2020 thus coincides with the lead project of Agenda 2063 ‘Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020’.

Objective

The African Union is conducting an Africa-wide media campaign and raising public awareness of conflict prevention and peaceful conflict resolution.

Approach

On behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is promoting the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of an Africa-wide media campaign on ‘Silencing the Guns‘ - with the involvement of civil society.

The project provides key advice on sensitisation measures in the field of conflict prevention and conflict resolution. It takes particular account of gender-specific aspects.

Furthermore, the AU Commission is receiving support in the development of target group-specific communication products such as brochures, video films, radio reports and websites. These specifically address disadvantaged population groups.

In addition, workshops, events and road shows are developed and carried out, and communication with actors in the social media takes place.

Civil society organisations and networks organise dialogue platforms that deal with the topics of the ‘Silencing the Guns’ initiative.