Economy and Peacebuilding

We have launched a free iPhone app to warn businesses about the risks of them being implicated in human rights abuses in high-risk areas. Download the app here.

Last month International Alert participated in the conference 'Sharing the benefits of the commodity boom', organised by Mining on Top: Africa in partnership with the Commonwealth Business Council and UK Trade and Investment.

After continued support from International Alert, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan has joined the UN Global Compact (UNGC).

For a developing country facing high poverty levels, a growing population with high expectations despite a poor revenue base and weak institutions, but with an abundance of natural resources, exploiting them looks like the path to glory. Experience from a range of countries shows that, to put it mildly, it's not so straightforward.

This report examines how forestry projects under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative affect pre-existing structures of power, economy, fairness, safety and wellbeing in Brazil, Indonesia and Uganda, and how they may exacerbate pre-existing conflicts over land and resources. The report also looks at how REDD+ funds could provide the opportunity to diversify livelihoods, encourage sustainable development and enhance the adaptive capacity of local populations in the face of a changing climate.

Full report

On 15-16 May, International Alert co-hosted a conference in Monrovia on natural resource management in Liberia.

As oil and gas exploration gathers pace on Uganda’s northwestern border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), efforts are being made to minimise conflicts among border communities and ensure that the border remains tension-free.

Political transitions from autocracy to democracy are a dangerous time. Risks of conflict are high as new regimes struggle to build or rebuild vital institutions and manage public expectation for rapid change – both political and economic.

In an earlier post I wrote about how mining companies have evolved to take into account the needs of their host communities.

International Alert recently participated in the fifth national conference of the UN Global Compact Pakistan Local Network (UNGCPLN), held in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Last week we launched a new report, Governance and livelihoods in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben.

This study was commissioned by International Alert and the Democratic Governance Facility in March 2012. It was carried out in the Albertine Graben, where oil exploration activities are ongoing. The study was conducted within the framework of the Harnessing the Potential of Oil to Contribute to Peace and Development in Uganda project, which is currently being implemented by International Alert and its partners.

Full report

International Alert recently launched a new book called Out of the shadows: Violent conflict and the real economy of Mindanao.

The book presents the results of research into the linkages between violent conflict and the informal or ‘shadow’ economy in Mindanao, the conflict-affected region in the southern Philippines.

Last year, staff from our economy and peacebuilding and international institutions teams attended the conference ‘Business after conflict: Investing in the new Africa’ in Nairobi, Kenya.

The case of northern Uganda illustrates the difficulties of socio-economic reintegration faced not only by ex-combatants, but also by IDPs and war-affected youth in the post-conflict environment. It discusses the marginalisation of former abductees in particular, with a focus on the specific challenges that the reintegration process posed for girls and women. The study underscores the importance of adopting a holistic approach, and of extending support to receiving communities so as to facilitate the return of former combatants and war-affected youth more generally.

Case study