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On 10th December we held our first Conflict Ideas Forum at the Royal Commonwealth Society in London.

International Alert is calling for greater engagement between the UK government and diasporas, in order to improve peace and development.

The report aims to deepen understanding of diaspora communities in the UK and to improve partnerships between the diaspora and policymakers on peacebuilding and development policy and practice. It explores how the experience of diasporas in the UK is affected by conflict in their countries of origin, the nature of their continuing connections with these countries, and their perceptions and mobilisation around international engagement on development and peacebuilding processes.

Full report

Executive summary

‘We should go and see David Cameron about this!’, was the conclusion of the Lancashire youth group taking part in our project, “Promoting Positive Voices in Diaspora Communities”.

In November, International Alert organised a visit of four doctors from the British Sri Lankan diaspora community to Sri Lanka, to learn about the country’s healthcare challenges.

In October, our partner organisation Voices for Reconciliation brought together people from Sri Lanka’s diaspora communities to talk about how their personal identities influence their opinions and understanding of Sri Lanka’s history, and how such identities are shaping the country’s post-war future.

One of my first jobs after finishing university was a temporary post at the Royal British Legion in 1997.

In the context of transition from conflict to peace in Nepal, and the associated urgent need for the state to be seen to enforce rule of law and ensure access to justice for all, this report documents research which examines the relationship between state and non-state justice mechanisms. The purpose of this research is to begin to identify opportunities for strengthening coordination between state and non-state justice providers, with the aim of improving access to justice.

Full report

International Alert has called for a radically different approach to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in our written submission to the UK’s International Development Committee (IDC).

On 28th September, one of our partner organisations Voices for Reconciliation (VFR) took part in a workshop with young people from Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan diaspora community in the UK.

This article is written by Dominic Perera. Dominic is currently working with International Alert in the Sri Lanka team, based in London. Dominic also facilitates dialogue amongst second-generation Sri Lankan communities in the UK, working to strengthen inter-community relations and actively promote positive diaspora engagement with Sri Lanka.

Here Chris Underwood, Senior Policy Advisor at International Alert, recounts his recent trip to the UN General Assembly in New York.

The UN High Level Panel looking at development goals after 2015 is coming to London and will meet representatives of British development NGOs who, it seems, don’t want to discuss development with them.

International Alert co-hosted a roundtable discussion on free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)[1] with the Centre for Economic and Social Development-Myanmar Development Resource Institute in Yangon, Myanmar on 6th October 2012.

This is part of their ‘Ensuring responsible and conflict-sensitive investments and businesses through multistakeholder collaboration in Southeast Asia’ project, which is also supported by the ASEAN Programme Fund.

On Tuesday 9th, International Alert in Rwanda launched our report, Healing fractured lives, and the accompanying film (see my previous post) based on the photography of Carol Allen Storey.