Wieteke Overbeek

Connecting is central to GPPAC’s work and central to Wieteke’s motivation to work as Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) Officer at GPPAC. In her work, Wieteke enjoys exploring the connections and disjunctions between theory and practice. Together with the peacebuilders that make up GPPAC’s global network, she contributes to building the evidence base for proactive conflict prevention. 

Prevention is better than cure, an idiom few people would disagree with. Having an academic background in conflict prevention, Wieteke did, however, experience the prevention paradox: how do we prove the impact of an event that did not happen or of which the effects were mitigated? 

She believes that the key to measuring the impact of conflict prevention is embedded in stories of change. In collecting and analysing these stories, Wieteke likes to use her creativity. Most importantly, she is convinced that she cannot unravel these stories alone: only together with the actual peacebuilding practitioners, we can reflect on what works and doesn’t work. Wieteke hopes to have a humble, yet relevant role in facilitating this reflection process and in telling GPPAC’s story of impact.

Why Wieteke works at GPPAC...

Because the ownership of GPPAC’s agenda lies with the members. The geographical distribution of GPPAC’s members, covering nearly every region of the world, shows that conflict prevention concerns us all and we all bear equal responsibility for a peaceful and equal world.

Wieteke’s favorite place in the world...

Anywhere where the sun is shining, I have a fresh cup of coffee in my hand, sitting in front of our tent, be it at a festival, a campsite or in nature, with friends and/or family!