Bodies
The Platform Peaceful Conflict Transformation thrives on the commitment of its members and the work in its bodies and working groups. Together, they play a crucial role in ensuring that the Platform can make an active contribution to the promotion of civil conflict transformation and peacebuilding.
Staff
Two staff members currently work in the Platform's office in Berlin. The executive director represents the Platform in an official capacity to the outside world, provides impetus for content and coordinates the work of the bodies. The web editor and executive assistant is responsible for the platform's website and newsletters and takes on administrative tasks.
Ginger Schmitz has been the Executive Director of Platform ZKB since April 2018. In this capacity, she is a member of the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding. Before joining the Platform, she worked as a research assistant in the Bundestag and for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), among other positions. She completed her Master's degree in political science, anthropology and sociology at the Westfälische-Wilhelms University Münster.
Jana-Nita Raker has been working for the ZKB platform since October 2023. As assistant to the executive director and web editor, she is responsible for the editorial and content management of the website as well as the creation and distribution of the newsletter. In addition to her work on the platform, she is a freelance photographer. She completed her Master's degree in Geography at the University of Heidelberg.
Jennifer Menninger has been a referent at the ZKB platform since June 2024 and is responsible for member communication, organizing events and representing the platform in networks and working groups. She previously worked as the managing director of the International Women's League for Peace and Freedom. She completed her Master's degree in "Gender, Culture, and Social Change" at the University of Innsbruck.
Nina Strumpf represents the Platform ZKB and Berghof Foundation in the FriEnt team. It is her aim to bring current topics of the Platform into the network and to make a controversial exchange and the illumination of topics such as digitalisation from different perspectives possible.
The plenary of the Platform ZKB elects the speaker’s council for two years at a time. In cooperation with the staff, the speakers are responsible for the thematic work of the platform. To this end, they steer activities in the field of lobbying and develop the platform's positions. In doing so, they involve members in their work or take up initiatives and ideas from the membership. To fulfil its tasks, the speaker’s councilmeets regularly, on average every two months.
Ute Finckh-Krämer has been active in peace policy for over 40 years. She co-founded the Platform's Berlin Discussion Group in 2010 and has been Co-Chair of the speaker’s council since 2018. From 2013 to 2017, she was a member of the Bundestag in the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on “Zivile Krisenprävention, Konfliktbearbeitung und Vernetztes Handeln”, among others.
Christoph Bongard is Co-Chair of the speaker’s council of the Platform. He works as Head of Communication & Policy at the Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst (forumZFD).
Katarina Marej's research focuses on social cohesion, peace culture and peacebuilding (also in the context of the 2030 Agenda). She is concerned with producing "useful" results, but also with strengthening knowledge and communication processes between academia, politics and civil society. On the other hand, she is active in the Frauennetzwerk für Frieden, in particular to make feminist perspectives visible in peace work.
Dr Martina Fischer has been working for Brot für die Welt (Berlin) as a peace and conflict transformation officer since 2016. Previously, she worked as a political scientist in peace and conflict research, including almost 20 years for the Berghof Foundation (Berlin).
Tshiamo Petersen is currently working full-time at EIRENE International, where she is responsible for the International Peace Service in Germany. Her focus is on designing the accompanying seminars for the volunteer service on peace issues, criticism of racism and empowerment. As a freelancer, Tshiamo offers workshops on anti-racism topics, safe spaces and spaces for reflection.
The "Verein Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung e.V." (Association for Peaceful Conflict Transformation) was founded in 2003 as the Platform's legal entity. Its members are elected every two years by the Platform's plenary and meet about four times a year. The tasks of the association include membership engagement external representation and securing the Platform's finances. In addition, it devotes itself to the organisational development of the Platform together with the speakers.
Sven Reuter has been involved in the Platform's association as an individual member since 2012. He works as Head of the Southeast Asia Programme at forumZFD in Cologne.
Kees Wiebering has been an individual member of the Platform since 2005 and has been actively involved as a member of the association for many years. He works in development cooperation and peacebuilding as an independent consultant, facilitator, trainer and coach.
Oliver Wiechmann works as a project coordinator and trainer at Crises Simulation for Peace e.V. (CRISP) in Berlin. In addition to coordinating and implementing long-term projects in the field of civil conflict transformation, he works as a consultant for government institutions and international organisations.
Elisabeth Bähr designs training courses in conflict transformation and works as a coach and mediator. She previously worked for many years in development cooperation.
Irene Mukasa-Erben has been a member of the Platform since 2016 and has been involved in Civil Peace Service project work since 2013. She currently works for AGIAMONDO as a Civil Peace Service officer on the Cameroon, Great Lakes, Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina programmes.
Simon Sichert joined the Platform as a member in 2021. He has been involved in civil conflict resolution in the Colombian peace process since 2016 and currently works for a member of the German Bundestag.
Petra Titze has worked as executive director at the non-profit foundation “die schwelle - Beiträge zum Frieden” since 2008. Previously, she worked for various peace and development organisations, including the Evangelische Entwicklungsdienst (EED) in Bonn and KURVE Wustrow.
Once a year, the members of the Platform meet in a plenary session. Here the members agree on the thematic work and initiate working and project groups. Every two years, the plenary elects the speaker’s council as well as the members of the association (Verein Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung e.V.).
A pillar of the Platform's content-related work are the working groups and initiatives adopted by the plenary. The working groups are the spaces in which members and interested non-members can actively participate. Currently, the Platform has four working groups: Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung im Inland; Friedenslogik; Peacebuilding in Europe and the Berliner Gesprächskreis.
