Stellenbosch, South Africa | 4-6 August 2026

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) co-convened the Ukrainian Winter School on Ukrainian and Southern Africa Strategic Futures with the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA), the University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in South Africa. The school was held from 4 to 6 August 2026 in Stellenbosch, bringing together scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, and practitioners to explore shared challenges and opportunities in peacebuilding, transitional justice, and long-term strategic resilience. The initiative sought to deepen comparative learning between Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to address the consequences of conflict and Southern Africa’s experiences in conflict transformation, reconciliation, and institutional reform.

The Winter School provided a unique platform to foster dialogue and collaboration between Ukrainian and African institutions. Participants examined ways to strengthen intellectual and policy linkages, share lessons from South Africa’s transitional justice journey and broader continental experiences, and identify opportunities for future collaboration in research, policy engagement, and youth development. The gathering also underscored IJR’s commitment to advancing justice, reconciliation, and inclusive governance, while positioning the organisation as a strategic contributor to global conversations on post-conflict reconstruction and democratic consolidation.

A key contribution by IJR was a plenary presentation and a series of breakout sessions led by Prof Tim Murithi, Senior Advisor at the IJR, drawing on insights from the IPI-IJR project,“African Perspectives on the Emerging Global Order.” The discussions explored African perspectives on global disorder and the transformation of the multilateral system, highlighting the relevance of African experiences to contemporary global challenges.

The exchanges generated rich conversations on opportunities for African institutions to support Ukrainian civil society and governmental resilience efforts. Participants reflected on shared experiences of advocating for geopolitical transformation, protecting democratic transitions, and promoting inclusive governance in periods of uncertainty and change. Discussions also highlighted the potential for collaborative research on reparations, displacement, and transitional justice, areas of growing importance in both African and Ukrainian contexts

Beyond knowledge-sharing, the Winter School served as a valuable networking platform. Participants engaged with representatives from Ukrainian universities, think tanks, and government agencies to explore avenues for future cooperation. These engagements focused on developing collaborative research initiatives, establishing exchange programmes for African and Ukrainian scholars, and convening future dialogues on innovative approaches to peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Looking ahead, several strategic opportunities emerged from the engagement. Among these is the development of a Ukraine-Southern Africa Knowledge Partnership, aimed at producing joint policy briefs, seminars, and practitioner toolkits on transitional justice. The School also highlighted the potential for a Youth Peace Innovation Fellowship, which would connect young leaders from Ukraine and Southern Africa to co-create digital peacebuilding tools, exchange community resilience strategies, and build long-term networks of solidarity.

Reflecting on the significance of the Winter School, Prof Murithi noted that the engagement demonstrated a strong appetite for cross-cultural learning and collaboration on peacebuilding and governance challenges. By fostering meaningful dialogue between Ukrainian and African practitioners and scholars, the initiative contributed to building bridges across regions and strengthening international cooperation on justice, reconciliation, and resilience.