WG Birds as Peacemakers (WGBP)

Working Group: Owls for Peace

Mission statement: 

The Owls for Peace project is a unique initiative designed to protect birds and their habitats while fostering peace in conflict-affected regions. It started in the Middle East (Israel-Palestine-Jordan) and is now expanding worldwide. We encourage farmers to protect barn owls instead of using rodenticides to control rodent populations. Since ecological challenges, such as the use of poisons, are transboundary issues, it is essential to engage neighboring countries or communities in adopting environmentally sustainable solutions.

This initiative is a source of inspiration that could be expanded to any bird or nature. The goal is to provide an opportunity to bring together people divided by conflict, tradition, or religion around a neutral issue they all share — the use of poison. Through this working group, our goal is to promote the project globally, using owls or other birds as a means to foster cooperation and dialogue. Bird conservation not only supports sustainable practices but also aims to create a healthier environment and promote more peaceful relationships among communities.

Please note that birds can serve as peacemakers not only between communities in conflict, such as those affected by armed disputes, but also between social groups within a country or community. For example, they can help bridge divides between the elderly and the youth, or between able-bodied and disabled individuals—essentially any groups that need to engage in meaningful dialogue. This is why the Owls for Peace initiative can be viewed as a powerful educational tool.

This is what we refer to as scientific diplomacy.

The Goals of the WGBP: 

  • We encourage ornithologists to consider about the social implications of bird conservation and explore how their work could foster dialogue between communities.
  • To inspire the society to protect biodiversity, we must highlight the social benefit of preserving nature.
  • The Owls for Peace project combines both a bottom-up approach — such as collaborating with farmers to install barn owl boxes) — and a top-down approach — by engaging political leaders and diplomats to invest financial and human resources in bridging nature conservation with social needs.
  • This Working Group serves as an incubator for creating a better world.

See: https://vimeo.com/991423987/b8ea19a854?share=copy

Roulin A, Abu Rashid M, Spiegel B, Dreiss AN, Leshem Y. 2017. « Nature knows no boundaries »: the role of nature conservation in peacebuilding. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 32, 305-310.

Bontzorlos V, Cain S, Leshem Y, Spiegel O, Motro Y, Bloch I, Cherkaoui SI, Aviel S, Apostolidou M, Christou A, Nicolaou H, Kassinis N, Abu Rashid M, Bahdouhesh M, Roulin A. 2024. Barn owls as a nature-based solution for pest control: a multinational initiative around the Mediterranean and other regions. Conservation 4, 637-656.

 

Current Committee Members:

Chair: Prof. Alexandre Roulin, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Email: Alexandre.Roulin@unil.ch

Co-chair: Prof. Yossi Leshem, Tel Aviv University, Israel, Email: yossile@tauex.tau.ac.il, https://www.chouette-effraie.ch/en

Co-chair: Prof. Sidi Imad Cherkaoui, University of Ibn Tofail, Email: imad.cherkaoui@gmail.com

Secretary: Dr. Vasileios Bontzorlos, TYTO - Association for the Management and Biodiversity of Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems, Email: vasilibon@gmail.com, https://www.tyto.org.gr

Treasurer: Dr. Antaia Christou, Birdlife Cyprus, Email: antaia.christou@birdlifecyprus.org.cy

 

Interested individuals may contact Alexandre.Roulin@unil.ch