Africa

A photographic essay on the incredible stories of Rwandan people who are still working hard  to rebuild their lives and their divided society 18 years after the 1994 genocide. These photos by award-winning photojournalist Carol Allen Storey put the spotlight on the long-term effects of war and the complexity of reconciling a nation. 

photography © Carol Allen Storey for International Alert

library: 

Fractured Lives: a photographic essay on the aftermath of genocide

International Alert started working with local organisations in Uganda’s oil regions in 2008, to promote greater awareness and understanding about the oil sector.

Improved information flow between local communities, the government and oil companies is crucial in promoting transparency in the sector, minimising the harmful potential for escalating rumours and fears.

In support of its wider objective to harness the potential of oil to contribute to peace and development in Uganda, Alert has therefore jointly signed the following statement:

International Alert is proud to present its new annual report, “Peace Talks”, which looks back at Alert’s work and impact in 2011 – when Alert celebrated its 25th year – using dialogue as a theme.

Annual report 2011

From Alert's 2011 Annual Report

FRANÇAIS

International Alert is proud to present a new documentary film from our programme in Burundi, in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Our Voices presents the views of Burundian women about what is needed to foster peace and development in the country.

Burundi emerged from more than a decade of civil war in 2005. During the conflict, over 300,000 people lost their lives and more than 1 million Burundians were forced to flee their homes.

International Alert, ISS and OXFAM organised a conference on "Aid effectiveness in Fragile and Conflict-affected Contexts: the New Deal Framework and Citizens’ Security" on 29th and 30th May 2012 in Addis Ababa.

In the context of an ongoing programme on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Alert co-organised a regional workshop with the Economic Community of the Great Lakes (CEPGL) and UN WOMEN on April 25th – 27th in Gisenyi, Rwanda.

This report focuses on how theories of change can improve the effectiveness of peacebuilding interventions. A review of 19 peacebuilding projects in three conflict-affected countries found that the process of articulating and reviewing theories of change adds rigour and transparency, clarifies project logic, highlights assumptions that need to be tested, and helps identify appropriate participants and partners. However, the approach has limitations, including the difficulty of gathering theory-validating evidence.

Full report

This series of three country “Insights” identifies peacebuilding priorities in Burundi, Liberia and Nepal, and discusses the response of the international institutions operating there.  The focus institutions are primarily the World Bank and the UN. The insights provide a brief snapshot and analysis of each country’s particular peacebuilding needs, as well as the dynamics that either facilitate or hinder institutional ability to address these needs.

Full report

Last week, the Democratic Republic of Congo went to the polls for the country’s second democratic elections, which have been marred by violence and tensions in many provinces since the start of the electoral campaign in October.

Bien que de nombreuses études publiées au cours de la décennie qui vient de s’écouler aient souligné le rôle central joué par l’exploitation minière artisanale et à petite échelle du coltan, de l’or et de la cassitérite dans les conflits qui continuent de secouer la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), le mode opératoire des différents acteurs participant à l’exploitation et au commerce de ces minerais reste mal connu.

Full report

Lands of our Ancestors from International Alert on Vimeo.

The current phase of oil exploration in Uganda offers a unique opportunity to alleviate poverty and create broad-based development and improved standards of living across the country.

Full report

Ce rapport cherche à déterminer si les violences sexuelles peuvent toujours être considérées comme une arme de guerre dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo et se penche sur les raisons pouvant expliquer de tels niveaux de violence. Malgré la signature d’un accord de paix global en 2003 (accords de Lusaka), l’organisation d’élections en RDC en 2006 et la signature de divers accords de paix locaux avec les groupes armés congolais du Nord et du Sud-Kivu en 2008 et 2009, la guerre n’est pas encore finie dans l’est de la RDC.

Full report

A host of publications over the last decade have highlighted the important role played by artisanal and small-scale mining of coltan, gold and cassiterite in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), yet there is still little awareness of the modus operandi of the various actors involved in the exploitation and trade of these minerals. It is vitally important that initiatives aimed at reforming the artisanal mining industry are based on a thorough knowledge of the political, economic and social dynamics at the grassroots level.

Full report