Caucasus Peace Building

Caucasus Peacebuilding Portal

We were tasked by International Alert to build a website for them, entitled the Caucasus Peacebuilding Portal, which we successfully delivered over a year ago. However, the constantly evolving situation on the ground in Nagorno Karabakh meant this portal never went live. Recently they approached us to repurpose what we had originally built for them, and turn it into a dynamic platform that would help support peacebuilding efforts in the Nagorno Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The goal was to provide EU officials, regional civil society, and peacebuilders with a source of up-to-date, reliable information.

Our strategic and technical expertise helped International Alert develop the right site initially, designed to achieve its goal of fostering cross-conflict dialogue and promoting peace narratives. We then helped them repurpose their website when the reality of the world changed.

Understanding the Client’s Needs

Originally, The Caucasus Peacebuilding Portal was created and launched as part of EU4Peace, which ran until February 2023. We built this portal to showcase the results of previous work supported by the EU in the Armenian-Azerbaijani context, which served as a starting point for constructive and well-informed debate, as well as an effective reference tool for further peacebuilding.

The aims of this current project were to re-purpose and re-launch the Caucasus Peacebuilding Portal to be used to increase public outreach and visibility of ongoing civic peacebuilding efforts in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It was designed to serve as a ‘one-stop’ experience for all the content produced by the EU4Peace Consortium.

International Alert needed a solution that would:

• Increase the visibility of peacebuilding content.
• Enhance user accessibility and navigation.
• Respect the sensitivity of materials in the context of the ongoing conflict.

Our mission was clear: to re-purpose the portal we had initially built for them, ensuring it remained relevant and a user-centered resource that would serve as a hub for constructive dialogue and informed engagement. Being versatile, and able to act quickly when facts change was key – something we’re adept at doing. This meant that we were able to rework what we had initially created rather than starting from scratch, which saved both time and money.

The objectives of EU4Peace and its Consortium included enabling and strengthening cross-conflict and inter-generational dialogue, promoting pro-peace, conflict sensitive and human-centred narratives while fostering public perceptions and attitudes towards peace.

The portal contributes to both these objectives by re-publishing the materials produced by the Consortium (articles, films, YouTube videos, multi-media materials) which all aim to strengthen constructive dialogue across conflict divides, promote pro-peace, conflict sensitive and human-centred narratives.

Before we got involved, those materials were published across different platforms, so there was a lack of conformity and joined-up thinking.

Our solution: A Tailored Approach

We began with a detailed analysis of the portal’s strengths and areas for improvement. Guided by International Alert’s vision, our project team devised a strategy focused on accessibility, functionality, and impact. 

Key deliverables included:

1. Revamped User Experience:
   • A redesigned homepage prominently featured a new What We Do section to immediately communicate the portal’s purpose and goals.
   • Simplified navigation with clear categories such as Current Initiatives, Resources, and Human Stories, ensuring ease of use for peacebuilders and civil society members.
2. Content Organisation:
   • Filters on the Resources and Initiatives pages were updated for precision, enabling users to find relevant content (e.g., videos, analysis, human-interest stories) efficiently.
   • Introductory text blocks were added to guide users through the content on each page.
3. Sensitive Content Management:
   • Password-protection features were implemented for select materials to ensure privacy and security.
   • Language adjustments avoided conflict-insensitive phrasing, reflecting the nuanced nature of the region’s peacebuilding efforts.
4. Future-Ready Infrastructure:
   • The portal was optimised to highlight ongoing and evolving initiatives, with provisions for International Alert to update content seamlessly.
   • Subscription features allowed users to receive updates directly, fostering deeper engagement.

Results and Impact

The newly launched portal exceeded the client’s expectations, creating a single, cohesive platform for peacebuilding resources. Its user-focused design ensured that stakeholders could easily access and utilise vital materials, fostering cross-conflict and intergenerational dialogue.

Key Outcomes:

• Enhanced Visibility: Content from the EU4Peace Consortium becomes more accessible, boosting engagement among the target audiences.
• Improved Accessibility: The intuitive design and strategic navigation eliminated barriers to entry – for both expert and general audiences.

Crisis-Sensitive Presentation: Careful consideration of language and security measures ensured the portal remains a trusted resource during sensitive times.

Conclusion

This project showcases our ability to align technical solutions with critical social missions. By blending thoughtful design with robust functionality, we created a platform that not only meets, but exceeds the needs of peacebuilders in the Caucasus region. This success reaffirms our commitment to empowering organisations working toward meaningful change, so they can achieve their goals and change lives.

www.caucasuspeacebuilding.org