As we approach the end of a tumultuous year, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all that have worked with and supported IPSS in 2020. It has been a difficult and challenging year with the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact thereof. Adapting to new realities is not easy; but we have been able to not only adapt but to thrive on change.
The Institute, despite the challenges, has been able to achieve most of its annual planned activities such as publications of the State of Peace and Security in Africa Report (SPSA), 2020 Tana Policy Briefs, Policy Periodicals, 2019 APSA Impact Report, AfSol Journal Vol.3, and Conflict Insight reports on Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia and Mozambique. The institute also utilised virtual platforms to continue providing learning and teaching academic, professional and short courses to students on the continent and beyond.
This September, under the umbrella of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), IPSS and six partner universities officially launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Post-Conflict Societies. The Institute was also able to organise several virtual briefing sessions on diverse peace and security topics: the outcomes of which served to inform policy-makers and decision-makers across many sectors. Furthermore, as the Secretariat of the Tana Forum, the Institute was able to successfully organise, for the first time, the 9th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in a hybrid setting in October 2020 under the theme “The AfCFTA: Revitalising Pan-Africanism for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa”.
We are grateful for the support we have received from our partners and friends for making all of this (and much more) possible. Our sincere appreciation goes to the African Union/RECs/RMs for their continued commitment and effort in collaborating with the Institute on various occasions in accentuating the importance of Silencing the Guns and other targeted interventions.
Our gratitude must also go to our partners and donors whose generous support has been instrumental to the success of IPSS’ activities this year. We hope and look forward to your continued support in our future endeavours.
As we enter 2021, we are optimistic that we will continue the series of activities and events planned under our outreach and policy dialogues, as well as holding the much anticipated 10th Tana Forum with the hope of gathering policymakers and leaders safe from COVID-19.
On behalf of IPSS, thank you again to all of our supporters, partners, and friends. We hope you enjoy the holidays and wish you a Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Management and Staff of IPSS