Africa
The UN Peacebuilding Commission: A Chance to Build Peace More Effectively
Set up during 2006 with peacebuilding as its sole objective, the UN Peacebuilding Commission has the potential to use its intergovernmental voice to focus attention on the factors that could drive a renewal of conflict. In this light, Alert submitted recommendations in late 2006 on how the PBC could most effectively orientate its short and long-term support to the process of improving security and sustaining peace, for men and women, in Burundi. More widely, this publication also looks at the main challenges for the PBC and how it should focus its activities.
Recommendations on how the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) could most effectively orientate its short and long-term support for men and women in Burundi.
Local Business Local Peace
This publication makes the case that the local business community in conflict-affected countries can and should play a role in building peace. Linking up with other peacebuilding actors, and taking advantage of their own resources and skills, business communities should address socio-economic, security, political and reconciliation dimensions of peacebuilding. Section 1 is divided into 5 thematic chapters, and Section 2 contains 19 country case studies. Executive Summaries are also available in Spanish and French.
The local business community in conflict-affected countries can and should play a role in building peace by linking up with other peacebuilding actors, and taking advantage of their own resources and skills.
Mobilising the Ugandan Business Community for Peace
The ‘Mobilising the Ugandan Business Community for Peace’ scoping study project undertaken by International Alert and funded by Swedish SIDA, ran from October 2005-July 2006. The purpose of the research was to assess the potential of the private sector in Uganda to address Uganda’s conflicts and contribute to peacebuilding. It was also intended to lay the groundwork for any future SIDA/ International Alert work in this area.
The ‘Mobilising the Ugandan Business Community for Peace’ scoping study project undertaken by International Alert and funded by Swedish SIDA, ran from October 2005-July 2006. The purpose of the research was to assess the potential of the private sector in Uganda to address Uganda’s conflicts and contribute to peacebuilding.
Reform of the Coffee Sector in Burundi
Coffee farming plays a vital role in the Burundian economy. It is the main industry and export product of the country and provides important income for the roughly 600,000 families (about 40% of the population) who grow it. Reforms of the coffee sector have continued with greater deregulation and privatization, but this process takes places in a specific political and economic context: on the one hand there is a new democratically elected government and generalized poverty which has been aggravated by 10 years of civil war.
This report looks at coffee sector reform in Burundi and the prevention of conflicts that could arise in connection with the reforms.
Peacebuilding in Eastern DRC
This report focuses on economic recovery as a central pillar of peacebuilding in eastern DRC and, in particular, the role of the European Commission in supporting such processes. It argues that the drivers of fragility and instability must be addressed if meaningful long term economic recovery is to be realised. The report is based on field work carried out in South Kivu and Ituri, and draws on research by Alert’s partner in Bukavu, CEGEC.
This report focuses on economic recovery as a central pillar of peacebuilding in eastern DRC and, in particular, the role of the European Commission in supporting such processes.
A Climate of Conflict
Climate change is upon us and its physical effects have started to unfold. That is the broad scientific consensus expressed in the Fourth Assessment Review of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. This report takes this finding as its starting point and looks at the social and human consequences that are likely to ensue – particularly the risks of conflict and instability.
This report looks at the social and human consequences that are likely to ensue from climate change, particularly the risks of conflict and instability.
Women’s political participation in countries emerging from conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa
This is the report of a consultation workshop jointly organised by International Alert and the Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) in partnership with the Women and Gender Studies Department at Makerere University. The workshop is part of a regional research project aimed at assessing the impact of women’s political participation in countries emerging from conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
The report of a consultation workshop that is part of a regional research project aimed at assessing the impact of women’s political participation in countries emerging from conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
Building a Peace Economy in Northern Uganda
The attention and interest of the various stakeholders in rebuilding Northern Uganda’s economy as part of peace and recovery present critically important opportunities for positive change and a move to sustainable peace in the region, following years of economic decline and underdevelopment during the decades of conflict. But how strategic are these plans, given the challenges that persist, and when seen from a peacebuilding perspective? Are the opportunities to address root causes, immediate consequences, and ongoing threats of war being seized?
This briefing paper provides recommendations for conflict-sensitive policy and practice in northern Uganda, targeted at policy-makers and implementers in central and local government, as well as development partners (including NGOs) and private sector actors operating in the region.
Integrating women’s priorities into peacebuilding processes
Women peacebuilders in various conflict-affected countries face very similar challenges as they attempt to integrate women’s interests in peacebuilding policy processes and civil society actors from different countries can potentially learn a lot from exchanging experiences with each other. This report outlines the findings and recommendations of a workshop with representatives from Burundian and Sierra Leonean civil society organisations working in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment organised by International Alert on 25th to 29th February 2008.
This report outlines the findings and recommendations of a workshop with representatives from Burundian and Sierra Leonean civil society organisations working in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment in February 2008.
Global Monitoring Checklist on Women Peace and Security
The Global Monitoring Checklist is a pilot research project designed to contribute towards international understanding on women, peace and security efforts. It highlights relevant activities at the local and national level by women, civil society, national governments and the international community. It is not a comprehensive survey of all initiatives relating to women, peace and security; rather, it is a first step in gathering and collating information that links directly to UNSCR 1325 implementation.
This is a pilot research project designed to contribute towards international understanding on women, peace and security efforts. It highlights relevant activities at the local and national level by women, civil society, national governments and the international community.
Enabling Peace Economies through Early Recovery - Perspectives from Uganda
This series of four country case studies explores the ways in which the economic causes, drivers and impacts of conflict have been tackled in different ways in a number of conflict-affected countries where Alert works. The aim is to encourage cross-country learning, and inform what has become a vibrant international debate in the last few years on how to adapt economic development interventions to conflict contexts, to make them conflict-sensitive, and able to support longer-term peacebuilding.
This report - part of a series of four country case studies - explores the ways in which the economic causes, drivers and impacts of conflict have been tackled in Uganda.
Harnessing Oil for Peace and Development in Uganda
This report examines the potential of Uganda’s newly discovered oil reserves and recommends increased transparency and principled leadership to promote broad economic opportunities of oil discovery for peace and development in Uganda. This discovery of oil, taking place within a context of a variety of tensions that exist on both sides of the DRC-Uganda border, represents a potential risk of conflict and presents a peacebuilding challenge for local communities, the government, private sector investors, donors and civil society.
This report examines the potential of Uganda’s newly discovered oil reserves and recommendations for increased transparency and principled leadership to promote broad economic opportunities of oil discovery for peace and development.
The Role Of The Exploitation Of Natural Resources In Fuelling And Prolonging Crises In The Eastern DRC
For more than a decade, research has stressed the importance of the economic dimension of conflict, and of the economic interests of belligerents. Competition among political, military and business actors for the control of mineral resources in the east of the country is being increasingly recognised as a pivotal factor in assessing the causes of instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report is based on a thorough review of all the main literature on the subject since the year 2000.
An exploration of how competition for mineral resources contributes to instability in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and how this this information can be used to refine peacebuilding strategies.
Refugees in Eastern DRC
Inter-community violence and successive wars and rebellions have caused large-scale displacement of populations in the Great Lakes region of Africa. And when refugees and internally displaced people return, that can be the pretext for further outbreaks of violence. The displacement of people and also their return can often be exploited by political interests, and even if the people themselves are not being manipulated, rumours and false information can be orchestrated to heighten fears and tensions between communities.
This short report looks at the risks associated with the return of refugees and displaced people in eastern DRC, and action that should be taken to mitigate these.
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