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International Alert was one of the first international NGOs devoted to building peace. Our founders were proactive in identifying gross human rights violations and they understood that the best way to protect the rights of all citizens would be to identify and prevent the situations that led to human rights abuses in the first place. To this end, the new organisation focused on addressing internal conflicts, creating systems for early warning of violent conflict and establishing field programmes to support local efforts for peace.
Today Alert has grown to be one of the world’s leading peacebuilding NGOs. We work in over 20 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on 20 years of experience in a wide range of conflict environments and peace processes. Our advice on peacebuilding is taken seriously by governments and international organisations. These achievements have been made possible by countless staff and partners who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of those who are most affected by violent conflict. Alert is proud of our history and of what we have learned and achieved over two decades of peacebuilding, and we look forward to the next 20 years. We believe that with patience, dedication and understanding, sustainable peace is possible.
To find out more about our peacebuilding efforts throughout the different eras of Alert's history and development, please click on the links below:
Click here to download a PDF of Alert's anniversary publication: For further information, please contact our Communications Team.
Last updated: July 2006 |
Celebrating 20 Years of Peacebuilding 
| Alert's Highlights |
| 1985: Establishment of SIFEC marks origins of Alert; first programme created on Sri Lanka. |
| 1986: Norwegian seminar on internal conflict opens the door to work in Africa. |
| 1987: Conference in Kampala helps promote open dialogue about internal conflict in Uganda. |
1988: Alert conducts an international conference on armed conflict in the Philippines, producing Waging Peace in the Philippines |
1989: Two important reports are issued: You Can’t Eat Peace on famine and conflict in Uganda and Political Killings in Southern Sri Lanka. |
1990: A conference on political violence in southern Africa takes place in Harare, Zimbabwe. |
1991: Alert is awarded Consultative Status, Category II with the UN, an accomplishment at the time for such a young organisation. |
1992: Alert begins work in the former Soviet Union to monitor possible and on-going conflict, and to offer a training programme on conflict resolution. |
1993: Alert works on early warning and prevention of armed conflict and conducts high level international advocacy. |
1994: The organisation reaches a turnover of £1.78 million. |
1995: Alert starts its work in the Great Lakes region of Africa. |
| 1996: Training pack on conflict transformation is developed. |
| 1997: The West Africa programme is formalised. |
| 1998: Alert publishes the first Code of Conduct for conflict transformation work. |
1999: Alert begins working with multinational corporations in conflict zones. |
2000: Major lobbying effort by the Women Building Peace Campaign contributes to success of UN SC Resolution 1325. |
| 2001: The Biting the Bullet programme influences the UN Conference on Small Arms. |
2002: Alert publishes the groundbreaking study, Security Sector Reform. |
| 2003: Alert helps to establish the Consortium Initiative to address conflict over Nagorny Karabakh. |
2004: In partnership with others, two toolkits created to build the capacity of women peacebuilders and help development agencies adopt conflict sensitive practices. |
2005: Launch of new identity and logo; annual turnover reaches £5.5 million; release of Conflict Sensitive Business Practices and research on economy and conflict in the South Caucasus. |
2006: Release of Local Business, Local Peace, and a conflict assessment of Central Asia. New programme activities in Guinea and Uganda. |
