Publications

This research report analyses the dynamics of small cross-border trade at three border points in eastern DRC, and between Burundi and Rwanda, and proposes actions to improve this trade in order to advance the economic power of women and, in so doing, contribute to peace and security in the region. The report is part of an International Alert project aiming to strengthen the business environment of (mostly) female small traders and create opportunities for dialogue and rapprochement between traders and the authorities of the countries concerned. The research is used as an instrument for female traders in campaigns to raise awareness at the four border locations concerned.

From the series "Dialogue through Research", International Alert presents the latest analysis from its Georgian-Abkhaz dialogue process on the North Caucasus factor in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict context. Since the 2008 war, the Georgian Government has stepped up efforts to establish links with the peoples of the North Caucasus, to draw them into mutually beneficial partner relations. The case for promoting regional stability in the context of unresolved conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia and ongoing instability in the North Caucasus is strong. However, to understand the complexity of the issues, it is necessary to examine the North Caucasus factor from a number of perspectives. This collection of articles examines political and social trends in the North Caucasus, as well as historical and contemporary relations, including the North Caucasus factor in the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhaz and August 2008 Russian-Georgian wars.

South Sudan emerged as an independent nation in 2011 after decades of war. One year later, Alert presents the findings of a wide-ranging Peace and Conflict Assessment. Commissioned by Pact and funded by the Department for International Development, the assessment looks beyond the immediate problems faced by South Sudanese, and proposes a long-term approach to building peace. This means for example working on conflict prevention instead of just conflict resolution, designing economic development strategies which promote peace, giving greater priority to reconciliation, tackling impunity, and promoting a positive and peaceful national identity for the new country born out of war. Engaging women and young people is critical.

С середины 1990-х годов представители международного и местного гражданского обществ занимались большим количеством различных инициатив, направленных на трансформацию конфликтов на Южном Кавказе. В данной книге отображены точки зрения и оценки как западных фасилитаторов этих инициатив, так и местных участников с противоположных сторон конфликта. Не претендуя на всеобъемлющий охват, инициативы, описанные в данной книге, выбраны для демонстрации разнообразия миротворческих работ, выполняемых гражданским обществом, в числе которых работа с политиками, в экономических кругах, с женщинами, детьми, учеными, деятелями культуры и др. Она предлагает взгляд изнутри на восприятие и движущие силы различных процессов, на их развитие с течением времени, на мотивацию участников, а также содержит субъективную оценку успехов и поражений самими авторами статей. 

One of the positive outcomes of recent peace processes in Africa’s Great Lakes region has been the increased involvement of women in the public sphere, primarily thanks to the adoption of quota systems for female representation. Women have had some success in influencing official peace processes in the region, ensuring provisions for women’s rights were made. They have been actively engaged as both voters and candidates in elections, but few are elected. Masculine political systems, lack of gender expertise and gender norms and stereotypes remain obstacles to equal representation of women in political and public life. Post-conflict reconstruction has provided economic opportunities for women, but these advances have not necessarily led to more prominent roles in political decision making. This report makes recommendations for civil society, governments and the international community to strengthen women’s political participation and economic empowerment in these post-conflict countries. (Français)

Ce rapport analyse l’intégration d’une perspective genre dans le  processus de décentralisation au Rwanda et son impact sur la participation des femmes au niveau de la gouvernance locale et sur le plan national. Le rapport montre que  le principe de l’égalité des sexes n’est pas encore effectivement intégré dans le processus de décentralisation malgré le fait que l’adoption d’un système de quotas ait permis une plus large représentation  des femmes dans les instances décentralisées.  Les femmes continuent d’être sous représentées dans les positions clé en charge de la conception et de l’élaboration des politiques et des programmes. En outre, les entités décentralisées manquent de moyens techniques et financiers, ainsi que d’expertise en analyse de genre et en budgétisation sexospécifique pour mettre en œuvre une politique d’égalité des sexes authentique. Les femmes sont également marginalisées dans les espaces de participation citoyenne, conçus pour permettre aux populations de participer aux discussions sur les priorités de développement et la mise en œuvre des programmes. La recherche conclut que  le processus de décentralisation au Rwanda offre néanmoins des possibilités pour réduire l’écart entre les sexes afin d’arriver à une plus grande égalité. Cependant, ceci est subordonné à un renforcement du pouvoir de prise de décision des entités locales et des communautés de base, afin qu’elles puissent s’approprier le processus de décentralisation.

This report sets out to examine and understand the position of women in the peace economy and politics, and the interaction between their increased economic power and their participation in political and public life in northern Uganda. Women have played a key role in the region’s economic recovery after the war, enabling them to increase their income significantly; however, not at a level which would allow them to achieve economic security, and break free from the cycle of economic survival and merely meeting practical needs. Development and reconstruction policies in northern Uganda have not taken into account the important contribution made by women in the building of a peace economy. Furthermore, very little attention has been paid by development planners to the high levels of sexual violence against women and the way in which unequal gender relations continue to affect the economic recovery. All this explains, to a large extent, women’s poor participation in politics in northern Uganda, even though their increased income has allowed many of them to play a more central role in decision making within the household and to acquire greater mobility and influence in decision-making bodies in communities.

The report analyses views among business communities, particularly small- and medium size enterprises (SMEs), on the issue of the regulating trans-Ingur/i economic relations, Georgian-Abkhaz conflict transformation and the invigoration of the political process. The report is a continuation of an Abkhaz-Georgian action research process which began in 2009 and evolved more generally from International Alert’s Economy and Conflict work in the South Caucasus. This work seeks to deepen understanding on the economic dimensions of peacebuilding, as well as to engage economic actors in peacebuilding in the South Caucasus. The aim of the report is two-fold: firstly, to provide empirical evidence and analysis of views within the private sector on regulating trans-Ingur/i economic relations and hence stimulating discussion on the issue; secondly, to put forward recommendations on how regulation could be conducted in order to benefit the broader conflict transformation agenda.

This second edition of the South Caucasus ‘Literary Almanac’ presents a new selection of prose, poetry and essays from the five literatures of the South Caucasus published in one volume in Russian language. This second volume also presents new, previously unpublished writers, and new pieces of work commissioned especially for this edition. Also featured are contemporary photographs from across the region. Along the theme of urban life, this edition offers a new insight into the authors’ cities , sharing emotions across the region and further showing how literature can be used as a tool in building understanding between different peoples.

Второе издание Литературного Альманаха Южного Кавказа представляет собой новое собрание абхазской, армянской, азербайджанской, грузинской и осетинской прозы, поэзии и сочинений, опубликованных в одном сборнике на русском языке. Во втором сборнике также представлены произведения новых, ранее не публиковавшихся авторов, также как и произведения, заказанные специально для этого издания. Также представлены работы современных фотографов со всего региона. Наряду с темой городской жизни, это издание предлагает новый взгляд на города авторов, делясь эмоциями со всего региона и демонстрируя, как литература может быть использована для построения взаимопонимания между различными людьми.