“The Blue Mine” as a new status for qualifying mine sites in DRC. The result of successful advocacy by the Madini Project

November 23, 2021

On November 12th 2021, the National Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madam Antoinette N’Samba Kalambayi, signed the ministerial decree instituting a new status for the qualification /validation for artisanal mining sites: the Blue Status. Mine site qualification and validation (in line with the ICGLR’s Regional Certification Mechanism ) is a mandatory process in the DRC


IPIS welcomes University of Antwerp Summer School for workshop on artisanal diamond mining

September 2, 2019

On August 28th, 2019, 21 students from the University of Antwerp’s ‘Mine to Finger’ Summer School on diamonds were engaged on “The use of digital maps and open data in the analysis of artisanal mining” with a case-study of the Central African Republic (CAR). The students, with diverse backgrounds, engaged in critical and nuanced discussions on artisanal diamond mining. The workshop kicked-off with


Working on conflict mapping through GIS – A goodbye from our latest GIS intern

May 29, 2019

I arrived at IPIS in January of this year with the purpose to further improve my GIS skills and work on the topic of conflict mapping. Entering the IPIS premises and meeting the staff, my first impression of IPIS was that of a friendly and professional organization. They are lucky enough to be housed in an old monastery which seems like a small oasis in the middle of the loud and crowded city. Tha


Pastoralism in the Central African Republic conflict: new IPIS research launched

May 10, 2019

With thorough conflict mapping and analysis of the drivers and actors of conflict in the Central African Republic, IPIS has contributed to a better understanding of the Central African Republic conflict. In 2019, IPIS will be focussing on one particular activity that generates conflict on the one hand, but is fundamental for strengthening peace on the other: Pastoralism.  This research will t


Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition calls on all Members to deliver on improving global diamond governance

November 14, 2018

Reform is high on the agenda of this year’s Kimberley Process Plenary under EU Chairmanship. The Kimberley Process – once a pioneering tripartite effort to stop diamonds from financing rebel groups – is struggling to provide an adequate answer to numerous human rights challenges associated with the diamond sector today. Aware of these enormous challenges, it was decided at the 2017 Plenary meeting


22 November – IPIS panel discussion on the Central African Republic

October 19, 2018

Central African Republic: A Conflict Mapping IPIS kindly invites you to a panel discussion on the conflict in the Central African Republic on Thursday November 22, 4:30pm at the Jacqmotte Conference Center, Hoogstraat/Rue Haute 139 in Brussels. Please register at events@ipisresearch.be     Programme 4:30 –  Welcome Honorary Ambassador Johan Swinnen, Chair IPIS 4:40 – Keynote speech


IPIS welcomes UA Summer School students for workshop on responsible sourcing using IPIS maps

September 10, 2018

On September 6th, 30 students from the  University of Antwerp ‘Mine to Finger’ Summer School on diamonds participated in a responsible sourcing workshop organised by IPIS. They explored the upstream context of the diamond supply chain in Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) using IPIS webmaps. They  engaged in a critical and nuanced discussion on various due dilig


Training and workshop on mapping artisanal mining in Eastern DRC

February 9, 2018

(French version below) 2373 Mining sites visited, including 470 visits in the last thirteen months. 300 Roadblocks visited on a total of 798 mapped roadblocks. More than 18 000 km travelled by plane, bus, motorbikes and by foot… These are a few of the impressive results achieved by the twelve IPIS researchers in Eastern DRC.   Late January, a workshop held in Goma gave IPIS researchers an opportun


Roadblocks CAR

Roadblock rebels: IPIS maps important mechanism of conflict funding in Central Africa

December 6, 2017

 IPIS puts roadblocks on the map as key mechanism of conflict funding besides natural resources, revealing its devastating scope in funding armed actors in Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic Mapping over a thousand roadblocks, two IPIS reports released today have uncovered the shocking extent of armed predation on trade routes in conflict-ridden Central Africa. Roadbloc


New Mapathon with special focus on DRC National Parks at IPIS

November 23, 2017

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise another Missing Maps Mapathon on Wednesday December 6, in the IPIS library. Why do we organise this? NGOs working in the South need decent maps in order to reach people who need help. However, in many places the map is not yet complete. That’s why we need your help! How do we help? We teach volunteers how to trace satellite imagery in


Capacity enhancement workshop on cartography with DRC mining authorities

May 16, 2017

Capacity enhancement workshop on cartography with DRC mining authorities In the framework of its long standing partnership with DRC mining authorities, IPIS held a workshop in Kinshasa from May 8th to 12th, engaging with technical staff of ‘Cadastre Minier’, ‘SAESSCAM’ and ‘Division des mines’. The workshop focussed on Open Source solutions for mapping and web-mapping, such as ‘QGIS’ and ‘qgis2web


IPIS opens up its data!

May 2, 2017

Data collection on peace, development and human rights is an essential part of the research work we do at IPIS. Because we believe in the power of Open Data to stimulate research that contributes to our vision of durable peace, sustainable development and the fulfilment of human rights, we are happy to announce that we are now providing structured access to some of our key datasets. Our data colle


IPIS hosts new Missing Maps Mapathon with special focus on DRC National Parks

March 30, 2017

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise another Missing Maps Mapathon on Wednesday April 26, in the IPIS library. Why do we organise this? NGOs working in the South need decent maps in order to reach people who need help. However, in many places the map is not yet complete. That’s why we need your help! How do we help? We teach volunteers how to trace satellite imagery


Presentation of Gephi, an open source network visualisation tool

November 14, 2016

During the GeONG 2016 conference organised by CartONG in Chambery from 17th to 19th October, IPIS researcher AlexandreJaillon animated a workshop on Gephi, an open-source network visualisation tool, used by IPIS to display power relationships between key stakeholders in Eastern DRC. IPIS uses Gephi, an interactive network visualisation tool, to map and visualize power dynamics in and post-conflict


Missing Maps Mapathon / Wednesday, 26 October 2016

October 4, 2016

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise another Missing Maps MAPATHON on Wednesday October 26, at the IPIS library! IPIS Research and Openstreetmap Belgium invite you to come map for the Missing Maps project with us. By doing so, you will learn how to create the open maps that make the work of NGOs like Doctors Without Borders or IPIS Research easier. After the ev


Design of the ICGLR regional database on mineral flows

September 6, 2016

The Executive Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), with the financial support of Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), has commissioned a consultancy to design the architecture of the ICGLR Regional Database on mineral flows, one of the six tools of the Regional Initiative on Natural Resources (Lusaka declaration). Estelle Levin Ltd. (ELL) and the International


Missing Maps mapathon / Wednesday, 29 June 2016

June 8, 2016

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise another Missing Maps MAPATHON on Wednesday, June 29, at the IPIS library! IPIS Research and Openstreetmap Belgium invite you to come map for the Missing Maps project with us. By doing so, you will learn how to create the open maps that make the work of NGOs like Doctors Without Borders or IPIS Research easier. After the event, you wil


Missing Maps mapathon / Wednesday, 23 March 2016

February 17, 2016

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise the mapping event ‘Missing Maps mapathon’ on Wednesday March 23 at the IPIS library! IPIS Research and Openstreetmap Belgium invite you to come map for the Missing Maps project with us. Doing so, you will learn how to create the open maps that make the work of NGOs like Doctors Without Borders or IPIS Research easier. After the event, you


COMING SOON! Missing Maps mapathon / Wednesday, 9 December 2015

November 12, 2015

IPIS, Missing Maps and OpenStreetMap Belgium organise the mapping event ‘Missing Maps mapathon’ on Wednesday December 9th at the IPIS library! The Missing Maps project is an open collaboration between the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), Doctors without Borders UK, and the British and American Red Cross. The goal of the project is to map the areas of the world that are the most sensitive to