Moritz Ehrmann (Director) and Eva Huber (Deputy Director) of the Austrian Center for Peace (ACP) on the “2. a possible peace-brokering role for Austria and conflict dynamics worldwide.
Mr. Ehrmann, how has the “Austrian Centre for Peace” developed since 2022 under its new name (note: the name replaced the former name “Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution”)?
Moritz Ehrmann : After our 40th birthday, which we celebrated in the fall of 2022, we have grown significantly – in terms of content, space and personnel. As a result, our expertise is also more visible in the media. On the one hand – and regrettably – this is due to the number of conflicts worldwide where we can get involved; our focus is on environmental peacebuilding and peace tech. For some of these topics, we are in constant contact with the Federal Ministry of Defense as a very important cooperation partner. On the other hand, this is due to the opportunities we receive through the organization of an annual international conference at Schlaining Castle with around 400 guests. This would not be possible without strong partnerships – from the province of Burgenland to supporters from the private sector. https://militaeraktuell.at/bundesheer-black-hawk-sikorsky-kauf-offiziell/
The 2nd “Austrian Forum for Peace” took place in the first week of July. What are the initial findings from this conference?
Eva Huber: The aim of this conference was to shed light on current issues in climate policy, conflict research and practical peace work from an interdisciplinary perspective. In the panels, which were open to the public, and the lively discussions in the closed formats, we saw the unanimous finding that, even against the backdrop of advancing climate change, armed conflicts and the resulting numbers of victims are increasing worldwide, conflict dynamics are becoming more complex and spirals of escalation are becoming increasingly uncontrollable. Platforms for civil, non-violent conflict resolution are rare and underfunded. Traditional national and multilateral actors are finding it increasingly difficult to counter these dynamics and maintain their credibility, while new actors and alliances are coming to the fore, raising a number of fundamental questions for international mediation. The experts from civil society and governmental organizations present at the conference agreed that analyses and solutions to climate change and conflict need to be brought together even more and that cooperation and solidarity are needed at all levels. There is a great need for the development of conflict-sensitive climate initiatives and vice versa, for climate-sensitive conflict management processes. Concrete participatory approaches for this were discussed.
“Even against the backdrop of advancing climate change, armed conflicts and the resulting casualty figures are increasing worldwide, conflict dynamics are becoming more complex and escalation spirals are becoming increasingly uncontrollable.”
Eva Huber, stellvertretende Direktorin des ACP
Where do you see Austria’s possibilities and role as a mediator in Russia’s war against Ukraine(-> current news from the Ukraine war)?
Ehrmann: Our options here – apart from humanitarian aid and diplomatic support – are very limited. As a member of the European Union, we are not perceived as an independent and neutral mediator here. Switzerland’s role here is perceived as somewhat more balanced, which was also evident in the discussion about the war in Ukraine, which for me was one of the highlights of this year’s forum (listen here: https://www.aspr.ac.at/podcast#/). However, we should by no means infer from this that Austria should therefore also refrain from promoting peace elsewhere – on the contrary!
In which regions of the world and areas of conflict do you think Austria has greater long-term opportunities for active peace work instead?
Ehrmann: Austria continues to enjoy a reputation in many parts of the world as a neutral state and as a state without a colonial past, which makes it very well suited to acting as a mediator. This still applies to conflict areas in the Middle East and North, East and West Africa as well as the South Caucasus. In many places in these parts of the world, Austria is an intentional mediator; the question is whether Austria has the human and financial resources to do so. You can see in comparable European countries how much can be achieved here with relatively modest means.
“Austria continues to enjoy a reputation in many parts of the world as a neutral state and as a state without a colonial past, which makes it very well suited to acting as a mediator.”
Moritz Ehrmann, Direktor des ACP
What future trends are you following and how do they influence your work?
Huber: Peacemaking requires data, networking, spaces for dialog and it often takes place in areas that are difficult to access; technology can therefore have a peacebuilding effect. “PeaceTech” is an exciting way forward here – as the conference showed us again this year. However, it also became clear in the PeaceTech area that the development of technologies for their own sake is tempting, but must be constantly scrutinized and should only ever be developed in direct cooperation with the target group: “Do No Harm” as a basic principle in conflict resolution must also include the use of technological aids and great importance is also attached to this in our practical work at ACP.
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