Democratic Conflict Transformation

The SPI Foundation and its Social Integration Strategies division are part of the Consortium for Democratic Conflict Transformation. Seven civil society organisations have joined forces to strengthen and further develop knowledge, approaches and models of democratic conflict transformation.

The consortium aims to raise awareness among and make support accessible to stakeholders in politics, administrations and civil society. An institutionalised nationwide ‘Democratic Conflict Transformation’ umbrella organisation will be established by 2028. The consortium is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under the federal programme ‘Live Democracy!’.

Conflicts are part of our lives and central to democratic processes. They show which issues are important and where interests diverge. If dealt with constructively, they can initiate change and foster a more inclusive democratic society. It is crucial for the future of our democracy that social conflicts are addressed productively and without violence. This is of utmost importance notably in times when unresolved conflicts are being exploited by radicalised and right-wing extremist forces which propagate simple solutions for complex problems. By strengthening democratic conflict transformation, we are contributing to mitigating polarisation and hate.

The consortium serves as a central contact point and platform for the enhancement of democratic conflict culture. It brings expertise from various perspectives together, develops standards and fosters the exchange of knowledge and approaches on democratic conflict transformation. The aim is to promote and provide practices and support such as dialogue formats, training programmes, conflict counselling as well as methods to address conflicts in the digital space. Addressing both actors and stakeholders in acute conflicts, as well as specialised organisations in the field, the consortium will continuously identify needs and refine methods and approaches.

SPI conducts the following activities:

• Counselling for stakeholders in conflicts
• Training programme “Conflicts at the local level”
• Change-of-perspective-formats to enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration
• European exchange on approaches and practices