The Most Important in Brief

The Cordoba Peace Institute – Geneva (CPI) is an independent non-profit organisation working on peace promotion. We focus on tensions and polarisations in all societies where Muslims live and aim to enhance theoretical and practical conflict transformation resources in Muslim majority countries.

1. Purpose (SOGC)

   favoriser l'échange entre les cultures et les civilisations dans l'esprit de Cordoue; contribuer à la recherche et à enrichir le débat sur la paix dans le monde (cf. acte de fondation pour but complet).

2. The Most Important in Brief

   The Cordoba Peace Institute – Geneva (CPI) is an independent non-profit organisation working on peace promotion. We focus on tensions and polarisations in all societies where Muslims live and aim to enhance theoretical and practical conflict transformation resources in Muslim majority countries.

3. Goals

   Our mission is to promote dialogue and empower people for the prevention of violence and for peaceful conflict transformation in societies where Muslims live.

4. Principles

   The name of the Institute recalls the spirit of enlightenment and mutual respect that ruled in 10th-century Cordoba, called the “Capital of the Spirit”, which remains an almost unique model for dialogue between civilisations and the cross-fertilisation of ideas and learning.

5. Measures

   We endeavour to transform the relationships between parties to conflict, to minimize the use of violence. We encourage them to deal with direct, structural and cultural causes of conflict. In our reports and papers, we ensure that the analyses, conclusions and recommendations issued are shared by a diverse panel of actors from different backgrounds. We empower parties to conflict and enhance their capacity to analyse conflicts and to master non-violent approaches to dealing with them. We provide safe mediation spaces to enable parties to conflict to interact directly with the “other” in a protected and respectful atmosphere. Our facilitation role in a mediation process includes identifying key issues to be addressed, organising face-to-face meetings and maintaining a channel of communication between parties. We use dialogue as a means of arriving at practical solutions to problems, which can be jointly-implemented by conflict parties (this is known as “diapraxis”). Our experience shows that developing shared actions in an inclusive way goes further in building trust between diverse actors. We undertake extensive, thorough desk and field research in the early stages of a project, and consistent follow-up throughout our activities. This research helps us develop knowledge and networks that ensure the credibility and acceptability of our processes and projects. Our experience has shown the importance of building confidence and trust with all parties; particularly with “credible” actors. The success of our work depends on an atmosphere of common trust and shared goals. We take time to ensure that our interlocutors are convinced of the genuineness of our intentions in each project.

6. Financing

   The sources of funding of the Cordoba Foundation of Geneva are the income from its training activities, private donations, contributions from public institutions and agencies, and legacies. The Foundation verifies that donors comply with legal and ethical requirements, in particular for donations from private and public institutions. No funding is accepted if it is not compatible with the core values and the guiding principles of the Foundation. We refuse any funding from parties to conflict for mediation or facilitation, but accept funding for training from such parties where appropriate.

Area of Impact

• Switzerland
• Abroad, general