Call for Applications: Study on the Relations between National Dialogue and Climate Change/Environment as Part of a Paper Series on National Dialogues: Substantive Issues

Feb 12, 2023 | Berghof Foundation

Over the last two decades, National Dialogues have become considered a comprehensive tool for  preventing violent conflicts and managing complex change processes. While such participatory  mechanisms are not per-se a new phenomenon, the structured analysis of National Dialogues has  started only recently and the current knowledge base predominantly focuses on conceptual and  procedural aspects of National Dialogues.   During the provision of tailored support in National Dialogue settings, the Berghof Foundation has  observed a gap in knowledge on the nexus between National Dialogues and certain substantive issues,  and simultaneously a keen interest by conflict parties and stakeholders in such topics. Issues such as  gender-sensitive perspectives on National Dialogue or the interplay between National Dialogue, the  environment and climate change are largely underexplored. This gap is of equal interest to scholarly practice and policy communities. Such knowledge will help to tailor strategies of external support and  local engagement, and provide new stimulus for peer-learning.   Building on the Berghof Foundation’s leadership role on the subject of National Dialogue as well as concrete requests from conflict parties and National Dialogue practitioners, the Berghof Foundation aims to produce a series of papers on the nexus between National Dialogue and specific substantive issues. The papers will systematize knowledge around National Dialogues in relation to these different  topics, and provide pointers for practitioners working on this nexus. At the same time, the papers shall  serve to outline dilemmas, options and further relevant questions to nurture an exchange in the  academic and policy communities.  For practical reasons, an initial phase will focus on issues of 1) Climate Change/ Environment; 2)  Gender; 3) Protest Movements; 4) Digitalization/ Digital Technologies; and 5) Dealing with the Past/Transitional Justice, as they have been identified as pertinent issues in our support to National  Dialogues. Other issues, such as formal state structures, non-state armed groups, embeddedness in  peace processes and relationships with other conflict transformation instruments could be added in  further projects. 

Aims

The nexus papers should achieve the following aims:   
  1. Provide a conceptualization of the nexus, and a consolidation of relevant existing knowledge  and experiences;  
  2. Identify recommendations, lessons learned and best practices from comparative experiences; 
  3. Outline open questions, dilemmas and options to foster a continued exchange in theory and  practice;  
  4. Explore the interface between the five nexus areas and other potential cross-cutting issues.  



Research approach and methodology 

The papers should be approximately 4,000-6,000 words each (roughly 8 – 12 pages). They will be  organised in a comparable manner, starting with a brief introduction clarifying the main terms and  structure of the paper, followed by a first section conceptualising the nexus (topic X and its relevance for NDs), three empirical sections structured along the main phases of National Dialogues (preparation  phase, process phase, implementation phase), and a brief conclusion outlining key lessons learnt and  open questions (outstanding challenges, areas requiring more in-depth research through fieldwork  etc). Examples can be drawn from the authors’ personal experience or previous research, or from the  existing literature. The collection of primary data (e.g. interviews) is not required for this assignment,  but is welcome especially for topics which are not yet covered in the existing literature, or for cases  which are not well documented. The series is aimed at a broad readership of practitioners, activists and policy-makers, both at the  national level (individuals who will be involved in a ND, as participants, or in support functions), and  at the international level (individuals who will provide funding, strategic and technical support to NDs).  Readers who are experts or interested in NDs will get inspiration on ways to integrate the nexus areas  covered by the series, while thematic experts on the topics of gender, movements, climate, Dealing  with the Past/ Transitional Justice and digitalisation will gain new insights into the relevance and  added value of ND processes as an inclusive format for multi-stakeholder consultation, consensus building and decision-making. For each of the papers, two focus group discussions will be held to initiate and validate the draft papers  (tentatively in early March and May 2023) with dedicated Advisory Boards, which consist of 3 – 5  persons, ideally representing different angles on the nexus discussed in the concerning paper (civil  society, academia, international organizations, and coming from both contexts having/which had a  National Dialogue and institutions working on these themes). Through the two focus group  discussions, the Advisory Boards will inform and validate the work of the lead author (key questions  and dilemmas, relevant cases, etc.). In addition, the researcher will work with Berghof Foundation’s  Senior Research Advisor as well as a dedicated Berghof Foundation Focal Person in regards to selecting  case studies, updates on the status of the research, and the structure of the final paper.    

Definitions and cases

In accordance to the Berghof Handbook on National Dialogues, NDs can be defined as “nationally owned political processes aiming at generating consensus among a broad range of national  stakeholders in times of deep political crisis, in post-war situations or during far-reaching political  transitions.” They are national in the sense of enabling inclusive participation (inter-elite and societal  inclusivity), and according to the national character of their convening and facilitation (i.e. external  actors only perform supporting functions). They enable a process-oriented (vs. outcome-oriented)  dialogue among ‘equals’, and strive to achieve consensus-based decision-making. With regards to  their main objectives, some NDs are conceived as a mechanism for conflict prevention or management  (with a limited agenda), while others aim to achieve fundamental change (for example through a new  constitutional framework). The timeline of NDs is quite heterogeneous, from national conferences  lasting a few days, to sustained and multi-level processes proceeding over several years. The National Dialogue Handbook provides a large range of country examples, including detailed  factsheets on 19 cases of NDs. Other manuals and studies cover multiple cases of NDs, such as the  USIP 2021 report “National Dialogues in Peacebuilding and Transitions: Creativity and Adaptive Thinking”, or the 17 cases covered by the Inclusive Peace portal. For the purpose of this series, given  the lack of existing data on certain areas of interface, the authors may need to open up the scope of  NDs to cases and examples that do not strictly follow the above definition. For example, some examples may be drawn from multi-party peace negotiations or constituent assemblies if they help to  elucidate the ways in which certain topics may be approached in NDs. Other examples may be used in ‘inspirational boxes’ referring to NDs in non-conflict settings, if they bring important lessons on the  areas of nexus (e.g. national consultations on environmental issues in European contexts).

Research Questions 

Detailed research questions will be provided by the Berghof Foundation in the form of methodological  guidelines. They are structured along a matrix which distinguishes the three main phases of NDs. For  each phase, the questions are clustered in two categories: process/actors/methodology issues (e.g.  participants selection, roles and power dynamics, formats and mechanisms, etc); and substantial  issues (thematic areas covered by the ND during its design, process and outcome). Not all questions  may be pertinent, and they cannot all be covered given the limited data available and limited scope of  the short papers, but they should guide and inspire the authors while searching for relevant cases.  

Deliverables  

  • The first focus group discussion is to be held in late February/ early March 2023, followed by  the submission of an outline of the nexus paper to by submitted by 3 April 2023; 
  • The first draft is to be submitted by 5 May 2023, followed by a second focus group discussion; 
  • The final paper with the integration of the feedback from the focus group discussion and review  is to be submitted by 31 May 2023. 
  • The final papers will be published together as a collection, including an overarching  introduction and summary to be written by the Berghof Foundation’s Senior Research Adviser. 

Remuneration 

The author will be paid an honorarium based on the submission of a written offer. For information  purposes only, the present call should in principle not exceed EUR 6.500. The honorarium will be paid  in two installments. 

Applications 

 The Berghof Foundation is looking for an expert with a research track record in either National Dialogue processes or each of the substantive areas. Experience in more than one topic and as a practitioner is desirable.   Interested applicants should submit their CV and cover letter, including a note on how they are  planning to undertake the assignment (process steps and timeline, proposed cases/examples and key  issues to consider) and a written financial offer to the administrator of the paper series, Linda Maurer at l.maurer@berghof-foundation.org by February 12, 2023. She is also available for questions on the  call and application.