Economy and Peacebuilding

In February this year, International Alert organised an awareness campaign around the West African island of Príncipe aimed at informing those living in rural areas about forthcoming oil extraction. The island state of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea is the second smallest country in Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world.

Equitable economic recovery is a key requirement for consolidating peace in Nepal, where the economic exclusion of various groups, ownership of productive resources by a small elite, and decades of failed development have fed both poverty and multiple conflicts. Public expectations of “peace dividends” remain high and are defined largely in terms of economic opportunity. The perceived failure of the peace process to meet these expectations thus far is fuelling increased frustration, particularly amongst young people.

Members of the Chamber of Commerce from São Tomé and Príncipe recently met in Príncipe to discuss the role of the private sector as the country prepares to join the ranks of the oil-producing countries of Africa.

The meeting, which took place at the Príncipe Cultural Center on 20th April, was attended by seven representatives of the national Chamber of Commerce and over 45 members of the Chamber of Commerce of the island of Príncipe.  

Alert is pleased to present its most recent publication on the Caucasus: Dialogue on security guarantees in the context of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict. This paper presents the separate analyses of both Georgian and Abkhaz civil society experts on the need for security guarantees in the region, the reasons why the two sides have been unable to agree on these and the barriers and opportunities for future agreements.

International Alert and partners recently organised a regional exchange programme in Kathmandu and in Dharan and Biratnagar, in the eastern Terai region of Nepal, between key Nepali and Sri Lankan business leaders.

December 2008 saw International Alert, in partnership with the Government of Liberia, host the largest peace and cultural festival held yet in the West African republic of Liberia. Taking place on a large football field in the centre of the capital Monrovia, and attended by between 30–40,000 people on both days, this was the fourth consecutive festival that Alert has organised in Liberia since the end of the civil war only six years ago.

International Alert recently took part in a meeting with ten Dutch INGOs and representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss local governance in the DRC.

In 2006, elections were held in the DRC amid high hopes that they would bring about positive change for Congolese people and mark a turning point after decades of weak and unaccountable governance, which remains a primary driver of this country’s instability.

International Alert recently launched a new publication series, part of the project ‘Strengthening the Economic Dimensions of Peacebuilding’.

The Caucasus Business and Development Network (CBDN), a project co-founded and supported by International Alert, recently visited London and Brussels to promote its work on economic approaches to peacebuilding and to publicise the initial results of its recent research. Between 17th and 25th March Alert’s partners gathered in London for a strategic planning meeting that was followed by seminars conducted by CBDN at King’s College in London and at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels.

We are pleased to share with you International Alert’s briefing paper on Economic Recovery and Peacebuilding in Nepal. This paper is part of International Alert – Nepal’s working paper series on ‘Equitable economic recovery for peace’, which seeks to share research and stimulate debate on the key conditions, barriers and opportunities for peace through inclusive economic development in Nepal.

"This resource pack will give every business an opportunity to change its sphere of influence.”
Ravi Fernando, UN Global Compact Sri Lanka Network Focal Point
CEO SLINTEC (Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology).

In partnership with the UN Global Compact, International Alert recently launched a unique new resource, Sustaining Business and Peace to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make sense of Corporate Responsibility, sustainability, peacebuilding and human rights.

International Alert–Uganda recently launched Contributing to a Peace Economy in Northern Uganda: A Guide for Investors, a report that provides information and advice for investors seeking to operate in northern Uganda in order to assist them in maximising profits while ensuring that they contribute to the peace and development of the region. Taking in consideration the sensitivities around investments in northern Uganda, the guide identifies how these can be conflict-sensitive and therefore promote peaceful economic recovery.

Waging Peace Philippines (WPP), a civil society network convened by International Alert, warmly welcomed the recent political developments in the Philippines which could significantly advance the peace process in the country. The Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) recently announced the suspension of offensive military operations, therefore giving respite to more than 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in precarious conditions in makeshift camps.

A new report examining the potential of Uganda’s newly discovered oil reserves was released this month by International Alert in Uganda. The findings reveal that the country has a unique opportunity to harness the power of oil for peace and development.

The report was launched at an event in central Kampala attended by leaders of civil society, media and districts, oil representatives, parliamentarians and the Minister for Oil of the Government of Uganda, Hon. Peter Lokeris.

International Alert recently brought together in Moscow experts on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for a meeting on Developing Agenda for Peacebuilding and Public Dialogue. Armenian, Azerbaijani, Russian and other international analysts and civil society activists took part in the two-day discussions in Moscow.