Dear friends, partners and colleagues,
2023 was a year marked by the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War. We saw a pronounced intensification of conflict in Gaza and Sudan, as well as the continuation of the grinding war in Ukraine. Civilian casualties were also remarkably high, especially in Gaza.
These trends and figures underscore the importance of the work that the Berghof Foundation, along with its many local, national, and international partners, is committed to. However, they also highlight the challenges – including dwindling funding sources or the need to critically reflect traditional approaches to peacemaking – that organisations like ours currently face.
In conflicts where the levels of fighting had diminished since their peak, such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan, we were able to intensify our efforts.
In Ethiopia, for example, we expanded our activities, conducting numerous workshops with the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, members of parliament and party representatives, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders. In Somalia, we solidified our position as a leader in climate and peace initiatives. In the Middle East, we scaled up political and negotiation support in Yemen, working closely with the UN special envoy. We co-hosted a symposium on accountability and justice for war crimes in Ukraine, featuring several prominent international figures.
