You and your wife Dorothy founded the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance. Why did you decide to create this alliance, and what are its objectives?
We launched the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance because we believe that each of us as a global citizen is called to serve and support others by contributing our ideas, expertise, and resources to make this a better world through collaboration.
We can no longer rely just on governments or public institutions to resolve rapidly rising inequalities and the many global challenges. There is simply no time, and the challenges are far too huge and complex to act alone. Private philanthropy has a strategic role and responsibility, in collaboration with governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, and the private sector, to tackle these challenges and make a positive impact.
The Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance is investing in peacemakers and supporting capacity-building initiatives for those dedicated to a career in peacebuilding and humanitarian work. We do this by building strong alliances with institutions such as the Geneva Graduate Institute to design and implement innovative projects which can inspire and strengthen capability and build resilience. We also seek to become partners of the organisations we support, investing in their people, governance and internal systems so that they can thrive and deliver on their core missions.
Why is it important to support peace mediation in general and in an academic institution like the Geneva Graduate Institute?
In this digital age of rapid technological advances, we have forgotten how to talk to one another as the primary means of navigating and resolving our conflicts at all levels, whether on the global stage or within our communities or at home. We have also forgotten how to hold safe spaces for dialogue and develop the skills and knowledge to demonstrate mutual respect and understanding. This has led to deep polarisation and unprecedented violence, armed conflicts, and breakdown of relationships across
our societies.
In this context, there has never been a more important time in our history to double down on our efforts to support and inspire research, innovation, and teaching of peace mediation at our universities. We need to rise to the challenge of learning new skills and finding innovative solutions to bring back dialogue and mediation as the primary means of resolving conflicts rather than through war and violence.
The Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation therefore seeks to shine a spotlight on the critical role of the Geneva Graduate Institute as a world-class institution in providing leadership in the field of mediation and dialogue, playing its part in promoting a more peaceful world. I can think of no other person more qualified and respected than Achim Wennmann to hold the inaugural chair at the Geneva Graduate Institute to inspire our next generation of peacemakers.
Why does this chair come at a very important moment for the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance and the Geneva Graduate Institute?
When we speak with the peace mediation community, we are often told the blame for increased violence and wars and the failure of mediation to resolve conflict is due to global politics and the lack of courageous political leadership. While this may be one contributing factor, we believe that one of the major root causes lies in the peace mediation community not keeping up and reinventing itself in a rapidly changing world with new technologies. Furthermore, too many actors and organisations in the peace mediation community work in silos instead of drawing from one another’s strengths to work collaboratively in an inclusive manner.
As we are not constrained by political interests or domestic politics, the Nagulendran Philanthropy Alliance is able to harness the strategic value of private philanthropy to influence and drive collaboration. We support the learning of new skills and innovative methods in a neutral, safe, and pre-eminent institution such as the Geneva Graduate Institute where mediation and dialogue can redeem their central role of resolving conflicts successfully.
What’s more, alongside the Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation, our work also allows us to collaborate with the student community at the Geneva Graduate Institute to broaden our support. We have collaborated with the student-led Peacebuilding Initiative through the “Inspiring Next Generation of Peacemakers Series”. The first event in the series featured a conversation with Filipino peace mediator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, and the second a conversation with Swiss peace mediator Julian Thomas Hottinger. The series seeks to provide creative and safe spaces where our next generation of peacemakers can come together to talk and listen, learn from each other and experts in the field, challenge old norms, and share new ideas to promote a peaceful world.
