Author: Eugenia

The annual meeting of the Platform for Peacebuilding in Mexico took place in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico, from 6-10 November 2024. This association brings together some thirty Mexican and international organizations working for peacebuilding in Mexico. ICIP has been a member of the Platform since its inception, and its participation is included in the thematic work area “Violence in non-war settings,” and, more specifically, in the work on Mexico initiated in 2018.

The Platform is a space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in order to formulate a shared diagnosis of the serious and complex situation of violence in the country and to propose possible responses from a peacebuilding perspective. In fact, the analysis session was the most important point on the meeting’s agenda. Local perspectives (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Chihuahua) converged with national, Latin American, European and global perspectives. There was also a bilateral analysis (US-Mexico), coinciding precisely with the week in which Donald Trump won the US elections.

Based on the context analyses and a profound strategic reflection on the capacities and opportunities for peace in Mexico, the Platform has defined its internal work plan for 2025. The meeting also provided an opportunity to strengthen the links between the participating peace organizations, which often have to face – sometimes firsthand – the onslaught of criminal violence, delegitimization by local and federal authorities, and international neglect.  After all, Mexico is a democracy, is ranked twelfth among world economies, and is not formally at war.

An important feature of this year’s meeting is that it was programmed to coincide with a gathering of young activists from across the country, thus fostering an intergenerational dialogue that not only allowed the group of young people to become familiar with the solid historical track record of Mexican peace initiatives, but also enriched the Platform’s discussions with perspectives that have not been addressed in great depth until now. The concerns the young people brought to the table include issues related to domestic violence, sexual and reproductive rights, limited future prospects, and mental health.

While acknowledging the legacy of their ancestors and the valuable work of elder members in their respective communities, the group of young people also pointed to the fact that they often feel that, both in their immediate surroundings as well as in social movements, dynamics are still too adult-centered and their perspectives, concerns and methods are often not taken into account. Dialogues such as the one that took place these days in Sierra Norte have made it possible to advance towards a more comprehensive vision of peace and to build bridges between various generations of peace activists who do not always coincide in spaces of reflection and action.

During the gathering, participants demanded justice for Father Marcelo, a human rights activist and peacebuilder who was murdered on 20 October in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. They also demanded that the Ayuuk indigenous human rights defender Sandra Domínguez Martínez, from Oaxaca, and missing since 4 October after receiving numerous threats because of her activism, be found alive.

The ICIP Governing Board has renewed the institution’s Strategic Plan for the next four years. This document sets the objectives and challenges for the future of the institution’s lines of action, our vision for peace and the work method that distinguishes ICIP.

The document “ICIP, a pivotal institution: Strategic Plan 2024-2028 ” is based on the premise that ICIP is a unique entity, a pivot between the institutional and social realms, and between the local and global spheres. An institution that supports the ensemble of social, institutional, academic and cultural actors working to build more just and less violent societies in Catalonia and in the world at large; that works to ensure that Catalonia develops the capabilities needed to tackle the multiple crises of global peace and security that we face; and that strives to become a leader in public policies and initiatives to promote peace.

The Strategic Plan defines the ICIP Method, in other words, the purposes that characterize the various actions carried out by ICIP, whether in the field of Research, Outreach or Action:

1. We place victims and minoritized groups at the center

Those who suffer most from injustices must be able to play a leading role in preventing new injustices within a framework of respect for human rights.

2. We act on the basis of care in our relationships

There must be coherence between objectives and work methods. One of the dimensions of this coherence consists in placing care at the center of our internal and external relationships with the agents with whom we work.

3. We promote dialogue between people and organizations with different perspectives

A commitment to dialogue requires what we call “CARES attitudes”: Curiosity to understand the reasoning of those who think differently; and Respect for all people, regardless of their positions; plus Self-Criticism, because no one holds the absolute truth.

4. We act for change with a transformative vision at the local and global level

The challenges of peacebuilding are global, with singular expressions in each context. We must be just, caring and supportive at the global level, and also coherent, in order to transform our own society.

5. We promote critical thinking, innovation and creative tension

We must get out of our comfort zone, ask questions and establish relationships that may be uncomfortable in order to find new narratives.

6. We draw on the perspectives of feminism, environmentalism, decolonization and human rights advocacy

We share the need to transform unjust power relationships.

7. We forge alliances and promote participation with and among social, institutional, academic and cultural actors

The transformation we want is inclusive, plural and radical. Therefore, the broader and more diverse the collaborations are, the more transformative power they will be able to have.

8. We are a public service

We are committed to society as a whole, with full independence of action, and committed to collective and community service.

The document also sets out ICIP’s strategic core areas and the objectives of each of them (Organizational culture; Institutional structure; Innovative action; Peacebuilding ecosystem; Communication and outreach), and establishes our Horizon for 2028, in other words, our key goals for the next four years. Among them, it sets the objective of contributing to making Catalonia a world hub for the promotion of peace, integrating ICIP into a House of Peace, and promoting an Observatory for the Promotion of Peace. In order to achieve these goals, ICIP intends to consolidate its team by increasing its staff and diversifying revenue streams.

On 19 September, coinciding with the World Peace Day week of celebrations, ICIP presented the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2024 to researcher, activist and analyst Vicenç Fisas i Armengol at a ceremony in the auditorium of the Parliament of Catalonia.  Fisas has been honoured “for his extensive and continuous career in research and activism for peace and human rights, as well as the mediation and analysis of conflicts.”

Fisas holds a PhD in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford (United Kingdom) and is the author of more than 70 books on the culture of peace, conflict analysis and disarmament.  Throughout his career he has excelled in activism in favor of peace and the defense of human rights, he has been a facilitator and analyst of violent conflicts and peace processes – for example, in Colombia, the Basque Country and the Philippines – and he has carried out numerous academic research projects.

ICIP president Xavier Masllorens opened the event, led by journalist Cèlia Cernadas.  He emphasized that the ICIP Peace in Progress Award contributes “to valuing people and groups that strengthen the culture of peace, understood as the positive peace that is based on justice” and responds to ICIP’s will to work for “the strengthening of a critical and active public opinion, which will form an unstoppable and innovative emancipatory movement in a time of uncertainty.”

Journalist Cristina Gallach described the honoree as a “pioneer”. She highlighted his “tenacity and persistence in the work for peace” and his “generosity in transmitting values and blazing a trail for others to follow.”

Vicenç Fisas received the award amid a heartfelt ovation. He defended the need to “reactivate the peace movement, with the complicity of institutions,” to tackle the “enormous challenge” we face as a society in the context of the rise of conflicts, militarism, rearmament, the climate crisis or the migration crisis. “The strategies and blueprints of twenty years ago are no longer useful.” It is necessary to “rethink everything” and “mobilize people again” to create a “more dignified and decent society,” he said.

The event featured the institutional speeches of the Minister of the European Union and External Action, Jaume Duch, and the President of the Parliament, Josep Rull.  Minister Duch thanked Vicenç Fisas for his work for peace and defended the work of “peacebuilders” at a “particularly tumultuous” moment, as well as the need to promote dialogue and the defence of human rights. The minister also referred to the Catalan Forum for Peace, a process that he defined as an “excellent opportunity to design a new Catalan plan for peace.”

Finally, at the closing of the event, the president of the Parliament, Josep Rull, advocated putting human dignity and respect for human rights at the forefront to “build a better world.” “Without human dignity, without humanity, and without fundamental rights, there is no future,” he said.

The ceremony’s opening and closing ceremonies featured musical performances by cellists Mariona Camats and Oriol Prat, who are associated with the Pau Casals Foundation.

Once again, the ICIP Award ceremony at the Parliament of Catalonia brought together many people, organizations, and institutions working in different fields to promote and disseminate the culture of peace.

The ICIP Award, a thirty-year trajectory

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award, established in 2011, aims to publicly recognize individuals, organizations, or institutions that have worked and contributed outstandingly and extensively to the promotion and construction of peace.

The award consists of public recognition, a sculpture created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, artist and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Porta de Sol, and an economic endowment of 6,000 euros.  Throughout its twelve-year history, the ICIP Award has honoured individuals and groups from Catalonia, Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Mexico and Algeria for their struggle for reconciliation, truth, justice and equality while focusing on women’s empowerment and the gender perspective.

Full video of the awarding ceremony of the 2024 ICIP Peace in Progress Award

More than 150 people attended the “Human rights and peace in Central America: Challenges and opportunities” conference in Barcelona on 18-19 June.  The event was organized by ICIP and the new Taula Catalana Coordinating Group for Human Rights and Peace in Central America.

The conference provided a backdrop for the launch of the new Taula, a platform consisting of 20 Catalan organizations that aim to “reinforce the bonds of solidarity between Catalonia and Central America; raise awareness of human rights violations in the region; generate proposals; and exert political influence locally, regionally and internationally in favour of peace and human rights,” according to Alícia Rodríguez, one of the platform’s spokespersons.

On Tuesday, 18 June, at the conference’s opening session, ICIP president Xavier Masllorens stressed “the need to focus public attention on Central America in the current context of extreme inequality, threats to human rights and the expansion of a false security.”  He also highlighted the work carried out by ICIP to provide knowledge and analysis of Central America’s challenges through the “Violence in non-war settings” work area.

During two days, the conference provided an opportunity to reflect and debate on the challenges to peace and human rights in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, countries affected by the rise of authoritarianism, securitization and militarization, political repression and persecution, exploitation and extractivism of natural resources, violence against women, LGBTQ+ groups and Indigenous communities.

The conference featured the participation of fifteen speakers, most of them women, from the four countries.  They are experts and activists who fight to transform everyday violence, some from exile.   This is the case, for example, of Nicaraguan lawyer and politician Ana Margarita Vijil, who was imprisoned for twenty months for her opposition to the Ortega-Murillo regime, banished from the country in 2023 and stripped of her citizenship; Amaru Ruiz, president of Fundación del Río, stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship for her defence of Indigenous peoples’ human rights; Elvira Cuadra, Nicaraguan sociologist and current director of the Center for Transdisciplinary Studies of Central America; and Ramón Cadena, lawyer and human rights defender from Guatemala, currently exiled in Catalonia.

The ICIP Governing Board has honoured the researcher and activist Vicenç Fisas i Armengol with the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2024 “for his extensive and sustained career in the field of research and activism for peace and human rights, and conflict mediation and analysis.”  The nomination stood out from the twenty-odd applications received from around the world, from individuals or institutions dedicated to promoting peace.

Born in Barcelona in 1952, Fisas holds a doctorate in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford (United Kingdom).  Throughout his career, he has excelled in activism in favour of peace and the defence of human rights; he has been a facilitator and analyst of violent conflicts and peace processes, and he has carried out numerous academic research projects on conflicts, peace culture and disarmament.  He has also been an outstanding disseminator: he has published more than 70 books on topics related to his fields of expertise and has collaborated with numerous media outlets.

As is customary every year, ICIP will hold an award ceremony at the Parliament of Catalonia in September, coinciding with the International Day of Peace celebration.

Activism and research

Fisas began his activism for peace in the 1970s, first as a member of Equip OC. This group supported the first conscientious objectors to military service in Spain and, later, as an active member of the Casal de Pau of the International Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and of the Anti-Nuclear Movement of Catalonia.  Intending to combine activism and research, in 1974, he created the Center for Conflict Analysis, a small centre for documentation and analysis of the peace movement from which he initiated contacts with international peace organizations.  A decade later, he founded and coordinated the Peace and Conflict Program at the CIDOB (Barcelona Center for International Affairs).  The main Spanish peace research centres were created at this time, as was the Spanish Association for Peace Research (AIPAZ), of which Fisas was also the founder and president.

Additionally, in the 1990s, he became active in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and as coordinator of the disarmament campaigns promoted by Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Intermón-Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Founder of the Escola de Cultura de Pau

In 1989, Fisas joined the UNESCO Center of Catalonia as a researcher on peace and disarmament. He coordinated the UNESCO Chair on Peace and Human Rights at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).  At the same time, he was appointed UNESCO’s head of conflict prevention.  In 1999, following the success of the UNESCO Chair, Fisas created the UAB School for a Culture of Peace (ECP), of which he was the director until 2016 and coordinator of the Peace Processes program.  The ECP has become a leading peace research centre in Catalonia, conducting research, training, awareness-raising and intervention.

Experience in mediation and conflict prevention

Throughout his career, in addition to academic activism and research, Fisas has participated in peace negotiations in Colombia (2000-2016), the Basque Country (1998-2003 and 2016), the Sahara (2000-2010), Turkish Kurdistan (2006-2015) and the Philippines (2005-2017).  His most extensive experience has been in Colombia, where he has been present in peace negotiations with the FARC and ELN in different periods.  This field experience has led him to become an advisor on peace issues to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain (2004-2010) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway (2010-2020), as well as a collaborator with the Norwegian Center for Conflict Resolution (NOREF) since 2008.  Based on the monitoring of various peace processes around the world, Fisas published the Peace Processes Yearbook for ten years (2006-2016), in which he analyzed the evolution of peace negotiations.

Publications and awards

Throughout his career, he has published more than 70 books related to conflict analysis and the culture of peace, including El poder militar en España (1979), Introducció a l’estudi de la pau i dels conflictes (1987), Las armas de la democracia (1988), Ecología y seguridad en el Mediterráneo (1993), Las Naciones Unidas ante un mundo en crisis (1994), Cultura de paz y gestión de conflictos (1998), Adiós a las armas ligeras: las armas y la cultura de la violencia (2000), Procesos de paz y negociación en conflictos armados (2004), Diplomacias de paz: negociar con grupos armados (2015), La gestión de las crisis sociopolíticas: ¿prevención y/o cambio estructural? (2017) and Manual de negociación de conflictos políticos (2021).

His career has been recognized with several awards, such as the National Human Rights Award (1988), the Josep Vidal Lecha Memorial for Peace Award (1988) and the Solidarity Initiative Award of El Periódico de Catalunya (2007).  Now, he has also been granted the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2024, which he will receive during a public ceremony at the Parliament of Catalonia in September.

ICIP Peace in Progress Award

Since 2011, ICIP has called the Peace in Progress Award annually to award and publicly recognise people, entities or institutions that have worked and contributed in a unique and extended way to promote and construct peace.

The award includes public recognition, a sculpture created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, artist and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Porta del Sol, and a financial endowment of 6,000 euros.

The awarding occurs annually in an institutional ceremony at the Parliament of Catalonia, coinciding with September 21, International Day of Peace.

The Catalan Forum for Peace was publicly presented on Wednesday 14 February as part of the Second Conference on Peace held at the Parliament of Catalonia. This new forum is a participatory process of reflection and debate that was launched with a double objective: to create a public peace process in Catalonia and to reinforce the agendas and social and political advocacy capabilities of Catalan peace organizations.

The Catalan Forum for Peace is an initiative promoted by the Government of Catalonia, the Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace, ICIP and the associative network dedicated to the promotion of peace. Thus, it is the result of social and institutional collaboration and will be carried out throughout 2024 and 2025. The Forum will consist of a process of citizen participation based on five debate themes: Culture of Peace; Security and Justice; Armed Conflicts; Global Challenges; and Women, Peace and Security.

The website www.forumcatalapau.cat was launched in conjunction with the public presentation to encourage the participation of citizens, organizations and institutions committed to the values of the culture of peace and social justice.

“For a public peace policy”

The public presentation of the Catalan Forum for Peace took place during the celebration of the Parliament of Catalonia’s Second Conference on Peace, co-organized by the Catalan chamber, ICIP and Lafede.cat. Under the title “For a public peace policy,” the conference brought together representatives of numerous peace organizations and experts in the field of research and work for peace, as well as representatives of the Government and several city councils and institutions.

At the opening of the conference, the vice president of the Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace and director of ICIP, Kristian Herbolzheimer, called on all Catalan institutions and organizations committed to the values of the culture of peace and social justice to join the Catalan Forum for Peace: “This is the time to start reflecting on how we can contribute to peace in the world from Catalonia. It is time for all the people, groups and institutions that share the values of the culture of peace and share the commitment to a more just and caring world to meet and explain ourselves.”

For her part, the president of Lafede.cat, Arés Perceval, stressed that the Catalan Forum for Peace should enable “the design of a public peace policy endorsed by all parliamentary groups, which is a pending issue.” She added that the process should also “serve to strengthen the movement for peace and nonviolence that we lead from civil society.”

Both the director of ICIP and the president of Lafede.cat expressed their solidarity with the three Catalan activists who are on a hunger strike for Palestine, including Gabriela Serra, president of the Catalan Council for the Promotion of Peace, who was unable to participate in the event.

The conference was inaugurated by the president of the Parliament of Catalonia, Anna Erra, who highlighted the tradition of promoting peace in Catalonia, a “country of peace,” which “has not hesitated to embrace the values of democracy and fundamental freedoms.” In her speech, Erra predicted that the Catalan Forum for Peace will help strengthen the culture of peace, “make us a useful tool for the international community,” and “define some answers based on the country’s collective intelligence.”

The conference included two roundtables: the first one focused on the challenges and opportunities for peace in the context of global threats, and the second one was dedicated to the five debate themes that will guide the Catalan Forum for Peace when the participatory process begins in April. Participants included Carme Colomina, researcher at CIDOB; Luca Gervasoni, director of NOVACT; Maria Josep Parés, consultant; Jesús Vinyes, president of the School Council of Catalonia; Nora Miralles, president of the Delàs Center; Albert Caramés, director of FundiPau; Jordi Armadans, journalist and political scientist; and Blanca Camps, researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona..

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian activist, journalist and writer Narges Mohammadi for her struggle against the oppression of women in Iran and in favor of human rights and freedom.

The award is also a recognition of the work of the peaceful “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement sparked by the death in 2022 of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody. This movement has spread throughout Iran and internationally to demand women’s rights and freedom of expression.

ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer considers the award “very timely and well-deserved” because it “places activism at the center, a necessary condition for overthrowing authoritarian regimes.” And he praises the double facet of this year’s Nobel Prize: personal recognition of a grassroots activist who has been fighting since the 1990s, and recognition of the protest movement of all the women and men who are fighting for equality in Iran and around the world. “The awarding of this prize offers moral, political and institutional support for all the people who fight for change.  A fundamental recognition for persevering in the face of very complicated situations, which allows them to continue their struggle.” At the same time, the director of ICIP believes that the award can breathe new oxygen into the “Women, Life, Freedom” protest movement.

For the third consecutive year, the Nobel Peace Prize has gone to activists who are in prison. Narges Mohammadi has been arrested thirteen times and is currently incarcerated after having been sentenced to 31 years in prison for her activism.

With this award, the Nobel Committee has sent a clear message that human rights and democracy are necessary conditions for peace.

On Thursday, 21 September, coinciding with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, ICIP presented the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2023 to the associations “Women Victims of the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina” and “Forgotten Children of War” in a ceremony held at the Palace of the Parliament of Catalonia.

The award-winning associations work on the documentation of rapes during the Balkan War and the legal and social recognition of children born in situations of sexual violence. The award recognises their work “denouncing rape as a weapon of war, fighting against impunity, and empowering and drawing attention to victims of sexual violence.”

The ceremony was presided over by the president of Parliament, Anna Erra, and ICIP president Xavier Masllorens. In his speech, the president of ICIP stated that the award “honours all those people and entities that work against the tide, highlighting the dignity of the victims and building bridges where mental walls abound.” He also pointed out that sexual aggressions are “crimes against humanity” and a “reminder of the brutality of war,” and he emphasised the need to work within the paradigm of the culture of peace for a “world without misery, more just and egalitarian.”

The event began with the performance of an excerpt of the play Encara hi ha algú al bosc (There is still someone in the forest), inspired by the experiences of survivors of the Bosnian War and created by the Cultura i Conflicte collective, the organisation that nominated the winning ICIP Award candidacy.

The journalist and member of Cultura i Conflicte, Teresa Turiera-Puigbò, read an overview of the award-winning organisations and defined the people receiving the award as “survivors of war and victims of peace” because, for thirty years, they have had to suffer “not only the physical and psychological consequences of the aggressions they endured but also the lack of recognition as victims by institutions and the silence and stigma of the society in which they live.” In her speech, Turiera highlighted the “discreet and silent” work of the award-winning associations and noted that sexual violence is a crime that “is still prevalent in most present-day conflicts.”

Meliha Merdzic and Amela Medjuseljac received the award for the “Women Victims of the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina” association. In their acceptance speech, they pointed out that “rape survivors still suffer society’s stigma”. They added that many war criminals have been tried and sentenced due to the testimonies the organisation has gathered since its establishment in 2003. Ajna Jusic and Alen Muhic, both born of rape, were also present at the ceremony on behalf of the “Forgotten Children of War” association. Upon receiving the award, Jusic noted that the children born of war live in a context of “social injustice” since “their fundamental rights for a dignified life have been revoked” and denounced the inactivity of the international community and the failure of Bosnia and Herzegovina to comply with the requirements for peace.

The president of the Parliament, Anna Erra, closed the ICIP Peace in Progress Award ceremony. In her speech, she highlighted the work for peace carried out by award-winning organisations and praised the work of ICIP in the promotion of peace both at home and abroad.

The ICIP Award, a twelve-year history

The ICIP Peace in Progress Award, established in 2011, aims to publicly recognise individuals, organisations or institutions that have worked for and contributed to promoting and building peace prominently and extensively.

The award consists of public recognition, the sculpture Porta del Sol, created by Nobel Prize winner, artist and activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, and an economic endowment of 6,000 euros. Throughout its twelve-year history, the ICIP Award has honoured individuals and organisations from Catalonia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Mexico, Algeria and Bosnia for their struggle in favour of reconciliation, truth, justice and equality, with a focus on women’s empowerment and the gender perspective.

Photo gallery of the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2023 ceremony (Source: Parliament of Catalonia)

Video of the ICIP Peace in Progress Award 2023 ceremony (Canal Parlament)

After more than three years acting as Technical Secretariat of the Truth Commission of Colombia in Europe, ICIP has published a document that compiles the details of this unique experience. The document, which has the support of the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, aims to serve as a model for other countries in conflict that are facing similar processes and are committed to working with the exile community.

Exile and the Colombian Truth Commission. An unprecedented collaboration experience explains how the participation of the exile community in several European countries was coordinated through the interview participants, the nodes and the internodal groups. It also describes the key elements of the process such as active listening, a psychosocial approach, recognition and the role of art as a healing and transformative element, among others.

The publication aims to compile the legacy of the Commission and the lessons learned from the process; recognize the work of the people, organizations and institutions involved in this experience; contribute to the recognition of “the Colombia outside of Colombia”; and provide the international community with a tool to design future participation processes of exiled, refugee and migrant populations in processes of peace, memory and reconciliation. In consonance with the spirit of the Colombian peace agreement, the central focus of this work was the prominent role of the victims, a key element in this peacebuilding process.

The methodology used to elaborate the document combined a meeting for analysis and reflection held in Barcelona, virtual focus groups with participants in several European countries, personal interviews, and the compilation of documentation.

The Truth Commission, an unprecedented experience

The Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition of Colombia began its mandate in November 2018 with the aim of clarifying the patterns and causes of human rights violations during the Colombian armed conflict, promoting the recognition of victims and contributing to coexistence. The Commission’s work culminated in 2022, with the presentation of its Final Report and socialization among the actors involved in the process.

One of the many innovations of this Commission, in comparison with the dozens of commissions that have previously been created in other countries, was the commitment to work with the exile community – around one million people who had to leave the country as a result of the armed conflict. This unprecedented mandate in the context of transitional justice entailed the need to coordinate an infrastructure in support of the Commission abroad.

Between 2019 and 2022, ICIP acted as the Commission’s Technical Secretariat in Europe. During this period, ICIP provided technical and financial resources, and coordinated the three elements of participation abroad: the interviewers, the meeting and coordinating spaces – known as nodes – and the thematic working groups, called internodal groups.

The entire work process carried out by ICIP as Technical Secretariat of the Truth Commission in Europe is available on this webpage.

The culture of punishment and punitivism normalize violence and limit the options to build a peaceful society. Many punitive measures, such as prisons, video surveillance or police forces, are immovable and, in some cases, are increasing. What supports that paradigm? Are there more humane, just and effective alternatives to address violence? How are the trinomial security, justice and peace interrelated?

The new monograph of Peace in Progress magazine, “The culture of punishment: a critical approach” (number 41), reflects on these issues through eight central articles and an interview.

Sandra Martínez Domingo, the coordinator of the monograph and head of the “Alternatives of security” area of the ICIP, offers us an initial reflection on the interrelationship between the concepts of peace, security and justice and exposes the critical elements of the dichotomy punitivism-antipunitivism.

Next, the political scientist and criminologist Albert Sales Campos exposes the failure of punitive policies (massification of prisons, instrumentalization of victims, discourse of fear) and claims, as an alternative, to invest in social policies and violence prevention.

Criminologist Paz Francés Lecumberri also focuses on the discourse of fear and the media and political parties’ role in creating myths that promote punitiveness.

The philosopher Clara Serra delves into the feminist perspective and the challenges that feminism has in the management of violence.

The conflictologist Noe Ayguasenosa Soro advocates placing the ethics of care at the centre of community relations and the public model of managing insecurities and injustices.

On the effectiveness of restorative and transformative justice, as opposed to the failures of retributive justice, we have the analysis of Teiahsha Bankhead and Rachel V. Brown, leaders of organizations that promote successful restorative practices in schools, communities and the juvenile justice system.

Finally, lawyers Claudia Cesaroni and Paola Zavala Saeb reflect on prisons as the ultimate expression of punitiveness and the central axis of criminal control mechanisms worldwide. They do it based on the cases of two homicides with very unequal consequences in Argentina and the failure of punitive measures in Mexico, a country with high levels of violence and impunity.

The monograph closes with an interview with Howard Zehr, a referent of the modern concept of restorative justice, about the opportunities offered by restorative practices, which place emphasis on who has received the damage, not on who is responsible.

Polarization, in so far as the existence of opposing positions regarding debate topics, is not harmful to society.

Beyond the confrontation of ideas typical of a democratic system, there is a phenomenon on the rise in many established democracies that is pernicious in many ways. It is toxic polarization, a dynamic in which different positions are belittled and delegitimized: “others” are seen as “enemies”, and there is no place for dialogue, debate and confrontation of constructive ideas.

Dealing with toxic polarization is a challenge as a society because it affects coexistence, cohesion and democratic culture. Toxic polarization impairs political and social debates, generates political disaffection and can lead to violence.

The animated audiovisual “Risks of toxic polarization: how to deal with it”, made by the ICIP and Intuitivo Films, warns about this harmful dynamic and exposes some tools we have at our disposal to avoid it.

Symptoms of toxic polarization

Categorical, simplistic and nuanced approaches – reducing debates to black or white – indicate toxic polarization. But so are the use of belligerent language – calling people who think differently “enemies” or “traitors”, for example – the appeal to feelings rather than arguments, the absence of self-criticism and exclusionary thinking – be with me or against me.

Tools to deal with it

Dialogue is the main tool to prevent or redirect conflicts: political dialogue at an institutional level and social dialogue in all spheres of society.

Based on this premise, increasing the ability to listen and dialogue with people who think differently is key to reducing toxic polarization. So is the ability to self-criticize and to identify and neutralize toxic polarizing actors – through, for example, isolation or silence.

The audiovisual production is part of the ICIP’s work area, “Social and political dialogue“, which aims to offer tools for analysing, managing and transforming conflicts.

The assessment of coexistence in Catalonia as a whole, and at a municipality/neighborhood level, continues to score over 6 out of 10. But the perception that there are quite a few or many problems in the immediate environment, especially related to antisocial behavior, has increased considerably. These are the findings of the ICIP 2022 “Coexistence and cohesion in Catalonia” Survey, which also reflects a society that is committed to human rights and dialogue, that rejects the use of violence to defend the country or ideas, and that regards multiculturalism favorably.

In the context of the war in Ukraine, the survey – conducted in October 2022 – also indicates that Catalan society is open to the resettlement of refugees and critical of increasing military spending.

This is the fourth survey published by ICIP on perceptions and attitudes regarding coexistence in Catalonia and the third to include a focus on ideological and emotional polarization. This means that the current survey includes comparative data from the last four years. In this sense, the ICIP 2022 Survey has found that political conflict in Catalonia continues to be the issue that most polarizes citizens, followed by language, which moves up from fifth to second place.

“The survey is directly related to two major issues currently on the political agenda: on the one hand, despite the reduction of tension regarding the pro-independence debate, polarization remains. On the other hand, citizens have a different perception of security than NATO and the Spanish government, since they consider increased military spending as a major security risk,” says ICIP director Kristian Herbolzheimer.

Coexistence and social trust

Citizens rated the perception of coexistence in Catalonia with a score of 6.3 out of 10 and 6.6 at the municipality/neighborhood level. This score remains stable compared to the ICIP 2021 Survey, with a variation of one tenth, and slightly lower than the 2020 and 2018 surveys, when it was around or even over 7 out of 10.

Antisocial behavior is perceived, by far, as the main problem of coexistence at the local level. Up to 74% of the people surveyed reported many or quite a few problems of antisocial behavior at the municipality/neighborhood level, a rate that has increased considerably compared to four years ago, when it was 46%.  Compared to antisocial behavior, the poor integration of migrants (47%), crime (45%) and a lack of public safety (44%) scored far lower. The perception that there are many or quite a few problems of coexistence is higher in large cities of over 100,000 people.

As for trust indicators, the survey shows that citizens tend to trust other people, with an average score of 5.2 out of 10. While this is above the European average, the percentage of people who are very distrustful of others has increased to 21.5%, double the rate of 2020.

Cohesion

On this occasion, the ICIP Survey has focused on the degree of cohesion of Catalan society based on different indicators: an assessment of immigration, acceptance of different groups at risk of vulnerability and respect for human rights.

In relation to immigration, a majority (64%) considers that living with people from different backgrounds enriches society. However, 24% somewhat or strongly believe that Catalonia has become a worse place to live because of immigration, 28% believe that it is better for the country if everyone shares culture and traditions, and a third of the people surveyed perceive that their culture or way of life is under threat.

In terms of acceptance of different groups, Catalonia is among the leading countries in Europe in terms of tolerance towards refugees, homosexuals and bisexuals and, to a lesser degree, transsexuals.  However, 20% say they do not feel comfortable with transsexual people.

Finally, almost 90% of the people surveyed consider that human rights are important to create a just society and that institutions must strive to guarantee them. When asked about the situation in Catalonia, 43% of the people surveyed believe that human rights are violated, while 21% consider that there are no human rights violations.

ideological and emotional polarization

The ICIP 2022 Survey also analyzes the perception of polarization in Catalan society, an indicator that remains at the same level as in previous surveys. The perception that political parties and the media are more polarized than society as a whole remains the same. Regarding the analyzed topics of debate, the pro-independence movement continues to be the issue that most polarizes Catalan citizens and polarization has increased in relation to language, which moves up from fifth place to second place compared to the 2020 data.

If we look at emotional polarization, namely, at the feelings that people perceive towards those who think differently, respect predominates over all other emotions, followed by helplessness, with rates that remain stable. Sadness and fear of people who think differently have increased somewhat and confidence has decreased.

The survey also reveals a favorable attitude towards dialogue with people who think differently: 68% of the people surveyed agree or strongly agree that an effort should be made to talk to everyone regardless of their ideas.

Percepció de riscos i amenaces

The survey also portrays a society that is aware of the values of social and global justice. A society that perceives as risks, in this order: economic crises, the deterioration of democracy, climate change, disinformation, the increase in inequality and the rise of the extreme right.  In the case of the extreme right, almost 40% of the population considers it to be a maximum risk.

In the context of the war in Ukraine, people identify Russia’s world influence and increases in military spending as risks to their own security. Half of the population believes that military budget increases pose a high or very high risk to their security, and 62% of the population believes that the Spanish government spends too much money on defense.

As a current situation analysis regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the sample includes public perception on the resettlement of refugees. There is a favorable attitude towards taking in and assisting people from Ukraine and Syria. This predisposition is greater in the case of Ukrainians – 18% of the population considers that the presence in Catalonia of people from Syria increases the risk of terrorism.

Finally, the sample devotes a chapter to evaluate the predisposition of citizens to use violence. This predisposition is slight in the cases of defending one’s country or ideas (15%) or the environment (16%).  However, it is greater in the case of defending the family (64%).

Methodology used

The ICIP 2022 Survey was carried out between 17-24 October 2022. It was based on 2,047 online interviews with people over 18 years of age living in Catalonia, with a margin of error of 2.17%. It is a sample with cross-quotas of gender, age (in age groups of ten years) and provinces (Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona).

This is the fourth survey published by ICIP on the perception of coexistence in Catalonia and the third that evaluates the degree of polarization. Previously, ICIP has published the surveys “Polarization and coexistence in Spain 2021: The role of the territories” (ICIP and EsadeEcPol), “Coexistence and polarization in Catalonia.  ICIP 2020 Survey” and “Public perception of coexistence and security in Catalonia.  ICIP 2018 Survey.”