In the Middle East, CMI focuses on conflict prevention and conflict resolution in some of the major Arab states experiencing or threatened by conflicts. CMI works in partnership with governments, national think tanks and major political actors, aiming to facilitate dialogue, build workable solutions and practical policy recommendations to prevent conflict and to support peace processes. In more concrete terms, CMI currently works to:
- Facilitate second-track dialogue between Palestinians on practical mechanisms and instruments that can support implementation of any partial or full agreement between the conflicting parties.
- Facilitate a supportive nation-wide dialogue process in Yemen in order to build confidence and trust among different political groups, discuss the issues relevant to the reform of the political system and to formulate as well as advocate further concrete policy recommendations in key policy areas relevant for a wider National Dialogue. Participants to the dialogue process are from different political parties, civil society organizations, the youth movement, the Houthis and the Southern movement as well as academics.
- Support capacity-building in long-term conflict prevention in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon by a foresight exercise that aims to anticipate economic, socio-political and environmental trends and developments that may have conflict potential, and to build policy recommendations that may help to prevent conflict.
People related to the projects can be found here.
Supporting Yemeni National Dialogue and Confidence Building
Within a context of state fragility and political transition in Yemen, CMI aims at facilitating an inclusive dialogue among various influential Yemeni stakeholders in order to formulate concrete policy recommendations in key policy areas, that would constitute a consensus for joint action influencing the process of reforming the political system in Yemen.
The project is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For additional information please contact Dr Heidi Huuhtanen.
Supporting Long-Term Planning Capacity for Conflict Prevention
The project engages prominent officials, advisers and scholars from Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon through participatory foresight methods. The aim is to stimulate thinking on future economic, socio-political and environmental trends that cause conflict potential, and to discuss recommendations to support state capacities in developing systematic and comprehensive conflict prevention policies. The main donor of the project is the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and additional funding has been provided by three Finnish foundations: the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Foundation for Economic Education, and the Paulo Foundation.
For more information on the project, please visit the project website at www.foresightmiddleeast.net or contact Senior Project Manager Yasar Qatarneh.Fostering Palestinian Dialogue
The project is a second-track multi-stakeholder dialogue and consultation process among Palestinians concerned with developing political instruments and mechanisms that can support the implementation of any partial or full agreement between the conflicting parties. These instruments in the fields of governance, justice, security and national agenda may – if implemented before any agreement – at best help to prevent further conflict, or to support the reaching or implementation of any agreement between the conflicting political parties. They may also support reconciliation at different levels of society. The project is funded by the European Commission, the MFA of Belgium, the Nippon Foundation, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. For more information, please contact Project Director Mouin Rabbani.
For an article written by President Ahtisaari and Javier Solana for the International Herald Tribune regarding the recognition of the Palestinian state at the UN: "Ten Reasons for a European 'yes'", please follow this link http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/opinion/17iht-edahtisaari17.html?scp=2&sq=ahtisaari&st=cse