The Symposium on Alternative Pathways to Engagement with Armed Groups was co-hosted by the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding and the Centre on Armed Groups. This symposium brought together approximately 90 participants, including scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and members of de facto authorities. The event featured discussions on innovative approaches to engaging armed groups, highlighting practical examples such as the Karen National Union’s collaboration with WWF on land protection and environmental conservation. Government representatives shared the bureaucratic and legal challenges of engagement, while panelists examined how shifting geopolitics complicate but underscore the necessity of such efforts. The symposium provided a platform to explore unconventional pathways for dialogue, broadening perspectives on what effective and meaningful engagement can look like in today’s conflict-affected settings. 

The Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding is the Graduate Institute’s focal point for research in the areas of conflict analysis, peacebuilding and the complex relationships between security and development.