Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Peacebuilding

Welcome to the e-discussion on Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Peacebuilding

Dear colleagues,

We would like to thank all of those who participated in UNDP’s consultations on the Integration of MHPSS in Peacebuilding during October and November 2021. We acknowledge and appreciate your commitment towards this important topic and your willingness to actively engage in a rich and fruitful discussion on why integration is crucial, how it can be operationalized and, most importantly, what context-specific nuances should be considered when drafting the final Guidance note.

Close to 100 resourceful practitioners took part in the consultations, most of which represented civil society organizations from across Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, contributing actively to both the live Zoom calls and the SparkBlue e-discussion.

Whilst the qualitative data from these significant sessions is still being analysed and written up for inclusion in the Guidance note, we can share a few key themes that have already emerged:

1. Throughout the discussions, participants referred extensively to the need for enhanced advocacy and awareness raising about the necessity for integration aimed at donors, policy makers and government referring to the notion that ‘there can be no peace, without peace of mind’.
2. In all regions, reference was made to the need to prioritise the welfare of the actors involved in developing and implementing peacebuilding work. As one participant said, ‘self care is other care’. 
3. Practitioners also emphasised the need to be aware of the contextually available and relevant cultural, religious and traditional beliefs and structures that should be harnessed to strengthen the integration of the fields under the guise of ‘building on what is’.
4. A further recurring theme related to the development of a joint monitoring and evaluation framework and the identification of joint indicators of success.

Looking ahead, we will continue to engage you as the guidance note takes shape.

Your continued support will be crucial in the validation, launch and roll out of the guidance note, which is all planned for early 2022.

If you have any questions on the development of the guidance note, please contact nika.saeedi@undp.org and gitte.nordentoft@undp.org.

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