ISS/TfP is an active member of the Southern Voices Network, a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson Centre and 19 African think tanks. The network provides an important opportunity for reflection and discussion on how to strengthen ties and relationships between network members, and collaboration among African organisations on key issues impacting peacebuilding in Africa. In 2016, ISS/TfP co-hosted with Woodrow Wilson Centre, the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and the Political Sciences Department at the University of Pretoria, the 2016 Southern Voices annual conference in Pretoria, South Africa, from 21-24 March 2016. In this year’s annual conference, discussions were built on how to ensure that African perspectives on peacebuilding can be more integrated in Northern dialogue, but also on identifying were of influencing Africa’s own policy dialogues at home. It enabled a range of key African think tanks to discuss how to strengthen African responses to peacebuilding, and to better understand its linkages to African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and United States (US) peacebuilding support in Africa. Discussions and recommendations were made on how how successful have the efforts of African nations that contribute peacekeeping operations, and lessons to improving on their peacebuilding responses in Africa. Trends and best practices were identified, with a particular emphasis on how innovations in peacebuilding are made, including conflict prevention and mediation.