International Alert statement on Philippines transition

International Alert has announced the closure of its registration in the Philippines, as its leadership team in the country pursues peacebuilding work as a new, fully local organisation: the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCLiCAA).

The decision to transition to the new local organisation was taken by Alert’s Board in January 2023, on a joint recommendation from Alert’s Philippines and global staff leadership. Work since then has led to the constitution and launch of the new organisation, and the closure of Alert’s Philippines registration on 31 July.

International Alert’s outgoing Philippines Country Director, Nikki de la Rosa, said:

The formalisation of our transition from an international to a local organisation is a significant milestone, with the legacy of our work embedded within a fully locally led peacebuilding organisation. The task is not finished, the vision has not been reached, and the mission continues to hold profound significance. We look forward to continuing this work and to our continued collaboration and partnership as CCLiCAA.

Alert’s Executive Director, Nic Hailey, said:

Our brilliant Filipino team has driven the success of Alert’s peacebuilding work in the Philippines and made a huge positive impact. Their desire to establish a fully autonomous organisation to carry on this work is a logical next step and one it has been an honour to support, in line with Alert’s commitment to locally led peacebuilding. On behalf of Alert colleagues globally, I wish the new organisation every success in the vital work ahead.

Background

Over 13 years of working in the Philippines, International Alert has focused on addressing rebellion-related and community level conflict in Mindanao through research and analyses, advocacy, capacity building and facilitation of multi-stakeholder processes. This has included:

• innovative conflict monitoring systems (Conflict Alert and the Critical Events Monitoring System) to understand the causes and cost of conflict, and how these can be mitigated;
• cutting-edge research studies on shadow economies and violent extremism in Mindanao;
• conflict-sensitive economic governance strategies among communities, local governments and companies to mitigate conflict risks around company operations in communities;
• support to formal peace processes through political mapping, dialogue and mediation across conflict divides, peace constituency building, conflict monitoring and strategic advice; and
• work to leverage women’s voices in conflict-sensitive economic governance, by exposing the direct and indirect effects of violence on women, shedding light on the critical involvement of women in the survival of the community and economy amid war, and reinforcing the powerful role they play in preventing conflict and the spread of violent extremism.

Key recent milestones include the publication of Conflict’s long game: A decade of violence in the Bangsamoro and the passage into law of the Marawi Compensation Bill in February 2022, implementing a reparations payment scheme for residents affected by the five-month fighting between government troops and militants in 2017.