International Alert: How We Work

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How we work

International Alert's strategic approach to peacebuilding recognises that lasting peace for countries that have been experiencing years, maybe decades, of war does not come ready-made at the signing of a peace agreement. Instead, peace is built by long-term processes that encourage the attitudes, the behaviour and the structural conditions in society that lay the foundations for peaceful, stable and ultimately prosperous social and economic development.

Peacebuilding diagram

Alert believes that successful peacebuilding requires a tailored approach rather than an off-the-shelf technique or standard template. We work in a number of ways, using one or more of these methods, depending on what is most appropriate for the situation.

Enabling dialogue between individuals and communities who are divided by conflict
Accompaniment to those involved in a peace process by providing support and assistance
Capacity building for organisations to develop the skills and confidence to participate in peace processes
Research and analysis based on the experiences of those directly affected by conflict
Public education to build peacebuilding awareness in the regions where we work and in the UK

Our work is guided by our Code of Conduct, which provides an ethical framework that stresses impartiality, partnership and transparency in working for peaceful outcomes to conflict. It is based on the lessons learned during the course of our work since 1986.

The ten key principles of our code:

Primacy of People in Transforming Conflicts Genuine conflict transformation is only possible with the participation and involvement of those most affected by the conflict.		Humanitarian Concern Our primary motivation is the alleviation of human suffering and our engagement in situations of violent conflict is driven principally by concern for the societies and peoples at risk from such conflicts.

Human Rights and Humanitarian Law & Principles We are committed to the principle and practice of promoting human rights in our work in situations of violent internal conflict.		Respect for Gender and Cultural Diversity We respect the dignity and cultural diversity of all peoples and we make no discrimination on grounds of nationality, race, class or gender, or religious, cultural or political beliefs.

Impartiality We endeavour to be inclusive in our work, seeking access to the relevant parties to the conflict. We do not take sides in conflicts.		Independence We are an independent organisation, free to formulate policies and operational strategies in accordance with our legally registered aims and the principles expressed in this Code.

Accountability We are morally responsible to those whom we seek to assist and accountable to those with whom we work. At all times we endeavour to be open and transparent in our work.		Confidentiality Whilst endeavouring to be open and transparent, we are committed to maintaining confidentiality in situations where the effectiveness of our programmes or the security of our staff and partners may be at risk.

Partnerships We believe sustainable conflict transformation is dependent upon effective co-operation with individuals and organisations within conflict-affected societies.		Institutional Learning We are committed to building up and sharing our collective pool of knowledge and experience through undertaking regular reviews and evaluations of our work and developing the skills of all our staff.