The day after returning from itineration in the US and Canada I hopped an early bus to Siem Reap to attend the 2025 Asian Peace Practitioners Research Conference (PPRC). The PPRC is designed for peace practitioners, advocates, researchers, and anyone committed to peace in Asia to come together and discuss important topics in peacebuilding in the region.
The theme of the 13th PPRC was Strategies for Peace in a Shifting Landscape with a focus on engaging in meaningful discussions about the adaptive strategies for peace and to connect with fellow practitioners dedicated to this vital work amidst global challenges.
The Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPSC) hosted the PPRC in Siem Reap with more than 120 peace practitioners from across Asia and some from the Middle East joining. The participants represented various non-government organizations, civil society groups, universities, and so on.
In addition to the keynote speakers, the Applied Conflict Transformation PhD candidates also presented their peacebuilding research based on their ground level work across the region.
The following sessions were conducted (sessions that I attended are bolded):
- Keynote Plenary (Leading Change – Peacebuilding in Evolving Global Challenges). Lead by the Co-Directors, Nida Shoughry (Israeli) and Netta Loevy (Palestinian), of the Centre for Women, peace, and Security, Itach-Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice from Israel/Palestine.
- Parallel Panels (Each panel had 2-3 presenters).
- Narratives of Change – Learning from the Past for Lasting Change
- Justice, Civil Society, and the Pursuit of Peace – Case Studies from Nepal and Sri Lanka
- Korea Peninsula – Where are we now and where are we going next?
- Parallel Solidary Sessions (Each panel had 2-3 presenters)
- Myanmar Conflict
- Thai-Cambodia Conflict (Thai participants joined remotely)
- Plenary Panel: Peacebuilder’s Journeys
- Tulsi Pariyar, General Secretary of the National Network of Disabled Conflict Victims
- Sadia Chaudhary, Feminist Peacebuilding and Rotary Peace Fellow
- Sushanty Gobalakrishnan, Peacebuilder from Sri Lanka
- Parallel Panels – Research-informed Peace Practice: Theories from the Ground (PhD Research Presentations)
- Beyond Humanitarianism – Decolonial Strategies for Disarming a Shifting World (Fred Lubang)
- Peace Infrastructures for Indigenous Forest Conflicts in Indonesia (Atikah Nuraini)
- Truth Listening – Transitional Justice, Healing, and Empowerment for Survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence
Dr. Emma Lesile, the founder of CPCS, shared a story with Max Ediger and myself about how MCC was instrumental to CPCS’ formation. She said that MCC Cambodia, under Larry and Sherry Groff, gave CPCS a small seed grant – just one to two thousand dollars – to buy books for study. She said that later grants were much, much larger but that this made a massive impact because of the timing. She still appreciates that the work that they do really wouldn’t have been possible with this very early support from MCC. This echoed similar stories that I’ve heard from former partners like Youth Resource Development Program and current partners like Women Peace Makers who received small seed grants from MCC decades ago and who are still doing fantastic work today.
I can’t go into many details due to the sensitive nature of much of the work that was being discussed at the PPRC but it was an equipping, encouraging, and inspiring time. Wonderful to connect with people actively practicing peacebuilding in the region and learn with them. Many familiar and new faces from wonderful organizations like the Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, Women Peace Makers, Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, American Friends Service Committee, Youth Resource Development Program, Cambodia Peace Gallery, and many others.