The year 2011 will certainly go down in history as a watershed year, dominated by political and economic upheavals and natural disasters. The popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, together with the global protests under the 'Occupy Movement', have once again highlighted the power that ordinary citizens have to bring about change. The recent slogan of the 'Occupy Movement' – that we should all "live simply so that people can simply live" – should be our guiding principle for forging a new social compact between the state, the private sector and civil society, to ensure some measure of equity and prosperity for all the peoples of the world.

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ACCORD is one of the main actors at the forefront of shaping and supporting both the peacekeeping and peacebuilding fields. It has assisted countries in developing peacebuilding strategies, and has supported the strengthening of peacekeeping missions throughout Africa. ACCORD remains committed to the goal of strengthening the understanding of the nexus between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. This special Issue of Conflict Trends unpacks and provides clarity on some of the key questions and issues related to the peacekeeping-peacebuilding nexus, and how it impacts peacekeeping operations and the larger contexts in which they operate.

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As an African conflict resolution organisation that aims to have a global impact and deal with the greatest conflict issues of our time, ACCORD’s objective is to play a proactive role in mitigating and preventing climate change-related conflicts. Climate change will, at the very least, increase existing stressors and magnify current socio-economic and political factors that could trigger and exacerbate conflict. But how will this happen? What are the dynamics at play? Are there lessons from existing environmental conflicts that could be applied now and in the future to deal with such challenges?

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This issue of Conflict Trends examines some of the lessons that can be drawn from thes seismic shift in political relations in the north of our continent. Current developments in Egypt and Tunisia are cause for concern. The situation urgently calls for visionary, selfless leadership – in both countries, and globally – that is able to manage a fragile stability and transform it into lasting peace!

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Today, in 2010, we are examining the balance sheet of independence to see what legacy the successive generations of our leaders have left us with. There have also been some positive developments in Africa. Several countries have managed – despite great odds – to overcome conflict and make steady progress. However, in the final analysis, the balance sheet is disappointing. It is time for all of us Africans to stand up and be counted. We have to create the change we want to see. Let our future generations, when celebrating 100 years of independence, also celebrate the 50 years that marked a change from poverty to prosperity.

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"In order to strengthen the civilian capacity in peacekeeping operations, it is essential to understand better the evolution and role of civilians within peacekeeping operations... By providing a reflection on the very nature of the civilian dimension of peacekeeping and acknowledging that it is still a largely unexplored field, TfP/ACCORD aims to present new perspectives that contribute meaningfully to enhancing peacekeeping research and field practice."

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"...We have to strive to build a set of normative rules and values and generate the collective political will of the people of Africa to hold our public officials accountable for the negative consequences of these unconstitutional changes. We must address both the manifestation of the problem and the cause if we are to move Africa forward."

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"This special issue of Conflict Trends on ‘Conflict in the Developing World’ provides a platform for perspectives from the developing South. The introduction of new contributors from Asia and Latin America fosters a wider conversation on the way conflict is evolving globally and encourages dialogue among practitioners and academics beyond Africa. The contributions in this issue record unique, as well as common experiences, in conflict and conflict resolution."

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