Peace Talks Annual Report 2011 Understanding conflict. Building peace.
About International Alert International Alert is a 26-year old independent peacebuilding organisation. We work with people who are directly affected by violent conflict to improve their prospects of peace. And we seek to influence the policies and ways of working of governments, international organisations like the UN and multinational companies, to reduce conflict risk and increase the prospects of peace. We work in Africa, several parts of Asia, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and Latin America and have recently started work in the UK. Our policy work focuses on several key themes that influence prospects for peace and security – the economy, climate change, gender, the role of international institutions, the impact of development aid, and the effect of good and bad governance. We are one of the world’s leading peacebuilding NGOs with more than 159 staff based in London and 14 field offices. To learn more about how and where we work, visit www.international-alert.org.
Contents Foreword
2
Overview
4
Dialogue in action
6
Where we work
8
Country Case Studies
10
South Caucasus
10
Uganda
12
Lebanon
16
Sri Lanka
18
Conclusion
20
Financial Section
22
Acknowledgements
27
Foreword
Peace talks.
“Dialogue is a vital tool we use in our peacebuilding work, and we hope that by showing you in this annual report some of the ways in which we use dialogue to bring people together, you will get a good sense of how we work as well as our objectives.”
In 2011, International Alert celebrated its 25th year. In these two and a half decades, Alert has established itself as a leading, independent force in shaping peacebuilding. We have an acknowledged expertise that is regularly called on by governments, inter-governmental organisations, companies and others. What we can offer is based on our always growing and deepening experience on the ground, working in countries that have known violent conflict and/or face a high conflict risk. A central feature of our work in the 25 countries and territories where we are active is the time and effort we put into preparation. Our activities and projects are planned according to a thorough analysis of the current situation in each place. We develop the analysis in partnership with local organisations, bringing groups affected by conflict into dialogue with each other even as, together, we work out what can be done to improve the prospects for peace. Our activities are thus planned with our partners so that they fit the specific context with its particular problems and opportunities for peace. Running through these diverse activities is the thread of bringing all groups that have a stake in peace into the process of building peace. This is why we have chosen dialogue as the theme of this 2011 annual report – “peace talks” with a deliberate double meaning. We give you four short accounts here of our work – in Lebanon, Uganda, in the South Caucasus and among the UKbased Sri Lankan diaspora. Dialogue is a vital tool we use in our peacebuilding work, and we hope that by showing you in this annual report some of the ways in which we use dialogue to bring people together, you will get a good sense of how we work as well as our objectives. While people try to work their way towards peaceful futures, the global background is mixed. On the one hand, there are far fewer open wars today – both inter-state and civil wars have steadily declined in number and lethality – yet the World Bank estimates that 1.5 billion people live in countries that are marked by largescale violence. A lot of this violence is not civil war as we normally understand it. It is as well organised as any civil war but it’s not about politics; instead, it’s to do with criminality, urban gangs, the narcotics trade. In Mexico, for example, over 30,000 people have been killed in eight years of uncontrolled criminal violence. So the genuine progress that has been registered does not mean the job is done. We have to learn how to work in new environments on new problems. And at the same time, the global economic slowdown following the financial crash of 2008 may produce increased risk of renewed fighting in some countries where civil wars have been ended but peace has not yet become self-sustaining.
2
But we cannot finish this foreword without remarking that one widely anticipated consequence of the economic problems of today has not come to pass. In these times when public spending is being cut, we are very aware of how valuable is the support we receive from several governments, as part of their overseas aid budgets, to contribute to building peace. We have not yet seen negative effects on our finances; indeed, Alert continues on a path of steady growth in activities, reach, income and staff. At International Alert, we are all fully aware of our responsibilities to manage the money efficiently, spend it well and achieve results.
Dan Smith OBE Secretary General
Frida Nokken Chair
Overview
Peace talks. And because improved communication is such an important part of peacebuilding, dialogue is an essential peacebuilding tool. We use dialogue to improve face-to-face communication in situations where communication has broken down. To do this, we create a safe space for people to come together. By carefully encouraging discussion, we can help reduce tensions and misconceptions.
“We use dialogue to improve face-toface communication in situations where communication has broken down.”
Meetings can be an important starting point – the beginning of a process of developing new relationships and consensus around common issues. Alert often plans and facilitates the dialogue, especially at the start of a process when our impartiality and independence is an advantage. But we can also play a backstage role, providing analysis and research to stimulate the discussions, or supporting local partners to lead the process. And we gently try to move the process in that direction – into the hands of the participants, helping their confidence grow so that they take ownership of the process and build it into something that endures. In the countries where we work, dialogue can take many forms. In Rwanda, people from different communities come together in “Dialogue Clubs” to deal with issues they identify as being important. Civil society representatives from Georgia and Abkhazia meet to share their knowledge of the conflict and understand the other side’s perspectives. Businesspeople in the Philippines come together to develop principles for doing conflict-sensitive business in Mindanao. Each dialogue process is unique and based on its context. But whatever its variations, the aim is to generate a shared vision that is lasting and a foundation for change. This is the essence of peacebuilding. In this report, we go into some examples of our dialogue work. We describe how in Lebanon we bring together youth leaders of political parties to explore new ways of doing politics. We have started a dialogue process with Sri Lankan communities in both Sri Lanka and the UK to foster a much-needed spirit of reconciliation. In Uganda, we have created links between the government, parliamentarians, oil companies and local communities affected by oil drilling, to improve the mutual flow of information and communication. And in the South Caucasus region, we have found that dialogue among business people from different communities keeps the vision of regional cooperation alive, even though the politicians may take a while to catch up. In this annual report, we highlight examples of our dialogue work in four areas of the world. We hope you will find it interesting and informative.
4
Dialogue in action
Dialogue in action A visual example of how dialogue can take place. Perceptions of injustice Insecurity Unequal access to health services and water
Institutional barriers to political participation Unequal power relations
Conflict or change Unequal economic opportunities
Food insecurity
Anger
Perceptions
OF C ONFLIC T
Social tensions
N
ON
-R
ES
OL
UT
ION
New relationships forged
unities Comm
Coming to the table Discussion of issues 6
UE OG
uals Individ
Violent Conflict
DIA L
Reinforcing positive ideas
ls ua vid di In
Co m m un iti es ns tio itu st In
New partnerships
L or oca ga l ni sa tio ns
DIALOGUE
Keeping peace processes going
Softer positions
Coming to a middle ground
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
New approaches
Building confidence
DIALOGUE
Local organisations
Co mm un itie s
Influencing behaviours and attitudes
ls ua ivid d In
Seeing issues through the eyes of "the other"
Understanding each other’s positions
Where we work
South Sudan Alert conducted a peace and conflict analysis of South Sudan highlighting the opportunities for peace.
Where we work
Brussels We established a small office in Brussels and thereby improved our relationships and influence with EU institutions and civil society networks there.
UK Alert and partners worked with young people from diaspora communities in 3 locations across England exploring the impact of conflict at home and abroad on their lives here.
Lebanon We brought 60 youth leaders together for a seminar on conflict and power-sharing, and set up a training workshop on conflictresolution skills for 20 members of youth wings of political parties.
Guinea We lobbied and networked for a national reconciliation process, as part of the transition from autocracy to democracy.
Latin America
Liberia
We helped seven companies in Latin America to increase their ability to work in volatile environments without making tensions worse.
During the general election, we helped youth leaders of political parties work across party lines to turn young people participating in the elections away from violence.
Mali/Nigeria We completed and shared new research on the links between climate change and insecurity in Mali and Nigeria, to inform and guide climate adaptation policies.
Uganda Alert and partners successfully increased awareness and information among local communities where oil was discovered, and among MPs who were debating new oil legislation about how to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits of oil exploration.
8
Democratic Republic of Congo Alert focused attention on the issues of small-scale women traders doing business across international borders, and helped to promote dialogue and coordinate efforts between international, regional and local organisations in working on issues affecting the traders, as a way to promote better cooperation.
South Caucasus We were invited to share our confidence-building work during the 17th round of Geneva International Discussions on the conflicts over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The invitation was a recognition of our long-term engagement in the contexts and also a good opportunity to influence discourse at the highest levels. We engaged young people in fresh research projects, aiming to involve a new generation and reinvigorate the debate about peace, and our research on the issue of regulating cross-divide economic relations in the Georgian-Abkhaz context generated much interest across the region. We also conducted a series of policy and public events in Armenia, Azerbaijan as well as Nagorny Karabakh to share experiences among policy-makers, opinion shapers, leading journalists, and civil society leaders from other conflict contexts (Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Philippines, East Timor and Indonesia including Aceh) thus opening up debate on alternative peacebuilding possibilities.
Kyrgyzstan Alert helped persuade the EU to include mediation as a tool for improving community relations, as part of its assistance to Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan We trained young people in religious tolerance in two districts of Soghd province in Tajikistan.
Nepal Alert helped improve the prospects for justice and security in eight districts in Nepal, by increasing popular understanding of rights and processes, including an acknowledgement of the need to address violence against women; local authorities became more responsive to people’s security and justice concerns.
Rwanda Alert facilitated dialogue between survivors and perpetrators of crimes connected to the 1994 genocide in eight focal locations in Rwanda. The economic component of this project has brought both groups together around the common goal of improved living conditions.
Burundi Alert has brought concerns of civil society and communities on women’s needs and priorities to the World Bank’s Poverty Reduction Strategy for Burundi.
Sri Lanka
Philippines
We worked with Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher communities in the UK and within Sri Lanka to support dialogue, relationships and trust, highlighting alternative voices to promote understanding and reconciliation.
Alert helped promote greater engagement of civil society in formal peace processes, putting pressure on the government and the GPH-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), as well as creating new opportunities for agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Country case study | South Caucasus
Business for Peace: Dialogue between business communities The break-up of the Soviet Union led to a series of armed conflicts in the South Caucasus, as different nationalities used the opportunity to press for independence. The fighting was mostly brought to a close by the early 1990s, but the conflicts remain unresolved. There has been little progress towards settling the armed conflicts over Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorny Karabakh since then. But civil society has been creative in keeping dialogue alive. Alert has worked to foster links between businesspeople in the South Caucasus for over a decade. Our work started as a dialogue initiative – a dialogue that has evolved over the years. Dialogue remains one of the cornerstones of our work in the region. The South Caucasus is a complex region. About half the size of France, it has several protracted conflicts and closed boundaries. One of them is the Armenian-Turkish border which has remained closed due to the conflict over Nagorny Karabakh since 1993. Yet it is not unusual to hear people say, “We have more things in common than not!” It is a region of contrasts and commonalities. Among these commonalities is a growing interest among the business community in reviving regional economic cooperation. The conflicts over Abkhazia, Nagorny Karabakh and South Ossetia remain a major obstacle for economic development and certainly for cooperation across the region. But people who participated in our early dialogue meetings saw that 10
business and economic interests Businesspeople would soon have tired of dialogue alone. could be a way of bringing So our dialogue work started people together. shifting from theory to practice. This brought in businesspeople From those early discussions, such as tea producers, winewe embarked on a collective makers and beekeepers from journey. In 2005, together with colleagues from the region, we across the region. Practical initiatives included tea-marketing set up the Caucasus Business and Development Network with festivals, joint production initiatives, training workshops for the aim of engaging business beekeepers and informational communities from across meetings for tourism operators. the region in peacebuilding. In some cases, they developed To start with, Alert was very much in the driver’s seat. Over commonly produced Caucasus food brands, such as Caucasus time, as the dialogue process Honey, a brand created in 2011. continued, the participants’ These new models for regional mutual confidence grew. cooperation signaled a new Little by little they began to way of seeing things – shifting take on more of the initiatives from attitudes of confrontation themselves, playing an everincreasing leadership role with to seeing the value of working Alert playing a supporting role. together. Our colleagues saw their role very much in pioneering new models for economic cooperation, as politics did not seem likely to offer such avenues in the foreseeable future. The guiding vision, developed jointly during dialogue meetings, was to promote an environment where people could cooperate and trade free of fear.
In 2011, Alert’s support has helped the Caucasus Business and Development Network become an independent source of information in the region, constantly gaining credibility and involving bigger and more businesses. Dialogue remains a cornerstone of CBDN’s work to this day. In December 2011, CBDN partners across the region co-organised a Gyumri-
Kars Business Forum. This brought together 25 Armenian and Turkish companies from the border regions representing various sectors including cheesemaking, beekeeping, winemaking and meat production, along with people from the hospitality and tourism sectors. On the one hand, this was a successful business event, linking companies with potential clients and collaborators. It was one of many events in a long history of engagement across the region using economic cooperation as a peacebuilding strategy resulting in a number of exciting and innovative business ideas. On the other hand, and maybe more importantly, the event told a tale of the progress we have made on the shared journey with our partners during the past few years. After the event, one participant captured the spirit of the event with the words: “Business is a common interest, it brings people together. Not only can we cooperate but we must cooperate... this is the future.”
“Business is a common interest, it brings people together. Not only can we cooperate but we must cooperate... this is the future.” 2011 highlights: Regional beekeepers’ and tea-producers’ workshop in Gyumri.
The third Caucasian Tea Festival in Tbilisi. RUSSIAN FEDERATION ABKHAZIA
BLACK SEA
CASPIAN SEA SOUTH OSSETIA GEORGIA
AZERBAIJAN ARMENIA
Turkish-Armenian food produce exhibition in Kars.
TURKEY
NAGORNY KARABAKH
IRAN
A first Caucasian Textile and Fashion Forum in Yerevan.
A new Caucasus Honey brand – a collection of seven different types of honey from across the region aimed at commercial production and emphasising the potential of economic cooperation.
Country case study | Uganda
Oil for peace in Uganda: Dialogue for empowerment The recent discovery of oil in Uganda has been a double-edged sword for local communities. As the activity of oil companies intensifies in the region, communities anticipate benefits in the form of better roads, education facilities, and fair compensation for the land they lose to oil developments. But concerns run high about land-grabbing, an expected influx of migrant workers, nepotism, misuse of funds, and environmental damage. So far, oil companies are still in exploration stage, but rumours and suspicions are already rampant. Improved information flow, understanding and interaction between local communities, the government and oil companies are crucial in minimising the harmful potential for escalating rumours and fears. Dialogue is an important way of achieving greater trust and accountability. So Alert started working with local organisations in Uganda’s oil region to promote greater awareness and understanding about the oil sector. In 2010, we helped the Kitara Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA) open an oil information centre. Two centres were established in 2011, in partnership with two other local organisations, and we’re planning to open two more in 2012. These centres promote the sharing of information among local communities, oil companies and policy-makers, and provide a convenient location for dialogue. During 2011 we also helped our partners organise a series of community dialogue events,
12
convening local groups to share information and views about oil. Government and oil company representatives participated, to listen and help answer people’s questions, and introducing an important element of accountability. Oil is still a new sector in Uganda, requiring new legislation. Members of Parliament took advantage of our dialogue events in 2011 to consult and gather ideas from local leaders, civil society, cultural institutions, the private sector, and the media about the planned petroleum legislation. Dialogue meetings are thus a two-way process, informing those directly affected about the changes that impact on them and providing them with a chance to communicate their questions and concerns to the government and oil companies. We see this as a way of helping make the government and oil companies more accountable to the people and responsive to their needs.
Public debate on oil Towards the end of 2011, there was increasing public scrutiny of the way the Ugandan Government and the oil companies were managing the new oil sector. A debate on oil was held in parliament highlighting procurement processes and bribery allegations. A set of accountability and transparency principles were agreed, and published in newspapers. Alert’s dialogue process helped prepare the legislators for this debate and for the forthcoming parliamentary bills to be tabled in 2012. The parliamentary group supported the parliamentary group supported by Alert since 2010 was at the heart of these developments. Throughout the debates, Alert was a key source of constructive and objective information for parliamentarians. Our publication Oil and Gas Laws in Uganda: A Legislators’ Guide was regularly referred to, and we received constant requests for more information. As a result, we have developed a reputation across government and opposition alike for our reliable, transparent, objective and apolitical approach to this complex issue.
Acholi Region
Quotes from our dialogue events in 2011:
“I thank International Alert and encourage them to do more consultation especially amongst the Acholi Region communities. Alert should also take “People have been having some of our leaders to see the good negative views on oil and gas and bad experiences elsewhere that exploration and this is because are being talked about here.” there has been an information gap in Richard Twodong, Member of the sector. However, people are now Parliament happy because information is being shared.” Geoffrey Okello, Student, Gulu University
West Nile region “The community dialogues especially on the oil and gas legislation process have been a good initiative by International Alert. Stakeholders from the community were able to contribute and make their voice heard on what should be in the law. These voices were even captured by the media.” Mark Amucu, Community Member and Environment Activist
Bunyoro Region D.R.C
Rwenzori Region “I have benefited a lot from this dialogue as an individual and as a member of parliament on the natural resources committee, which is the committee of parliament handling the two bills.” Alex Ruhunda, Member of Parliament “Speculation, propaganda and negative campaigns create distance which cripples dialogue. There should be constructive mechanisms to bridge the discussions between government and civil society.” Clovis Kabaseke, Lecturer, Mountains of the Moon University, Fortportal.
Lake Albert
UGANDA
■ = Oil exploration area Kampala
Lake Victoria
“… His majesty is aware of this meeting. He is aware of the role KHEDA and International Alert are playing to promote dialogue and to overcome conflicts that are usually associated with oil … we trust that our voices will be heard by parliament and that our views will be sufficiently replicated.” Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kingdom, Rev. Fr. Dr. Bonny Kyaligonza “Alert has been promoting dialogue and as citizens we are being empowered to engage government on issues of transparency and accountability.” Robert Rukahemura, Youth Media Group Hoima.
Rwenzori Region “People in Rwebisengo are starting to get enlightened and interested in oil and gas information, and are getting ready to co-exist with the oil industry.” Kairumba Lameck, Member RWEPOTA, Ntoroko District. “I have a four-acre piece of land but as I have no land title or even any document for the land, I am so scared that I will lose my land to the oil companies in case they find oil in it.” Hajji Naziri, Karugutu Sub County, Ntoroko District “The oil companies never involve us in the planning processes, they just come to tell us what they have already done. That’s why the community gives them a cold reception.” Kanoni Grace, Kabarole District “When Heritage was operating in this area (Rwebisengo sub county), all herdsmen resorted to working for the oil company as casual labourers, and we fear that when actual activities begin, there will be no labour left in the community.” Kyamanywa Timothy, Ntoroko District
“What we are really trying to get to is a situation where you understand the other side’s fears, hopes, and aspirations, and the interests which underlie their political positions, and they understand yours, so that when you sit around the negotiating table you can look at the problem as something which you have solved jointly and not in opposition to each other.” PARTICIPANT IN AN ALERT DIALOGUE EVENT
14
Country case study | lebanon
Doing politics differently: Dialogue for power-sharing Power-sharing is something of an art form in Lebanon. Many political parties are based on religiously-defined sectarian identities in a system dating back to an unwritten “National Pact” agreed between the Christian and Muslim communities at the dawn of Lebanon’s independence in 1943. The President of the Republic is by convention a member of the Maronite community. The Prime Minister has traditionally been a member of the Sunni community. And the Speaker of Parliament, long considered the third-most powerful position in Lebanese politics, comes from the Shia community. Every government is therefore a complex coalition. This may be necessary in a deeply divided society but it makes it difficult to address issues that directly affect the safety and quality of life of its citizens – for example, the availability of small arms, the inflexibility of the political system, consequent corruption, and women’s political exclusion. The political parties can only resolve these issues if they talk with each other and ultimately work together. That’s what our work in Lebanon is about. One problem in Lebanon has been the limited opportunity for genuine dialogue. But in 2011 we brought 60 youth leaders together for a seminar in Beirut on conflict and power-sharing, with international speakers. We set up a training workshop on communication skills in which 20 members of youth wings of political parties participated. And we took youth leaders on a study trip to South Africa that was followed up by a workshop in Beirut to discuss and analyse 16
what they had learned and what they got out of the trip that was relevant to Lebanon. How did we get there? It’s a slow and not always easy process. In 2009 we began to nurture a dialogue among representatives of the youth
Tripoli
Beirut Beirut
LEBANON LEBANON Zahle
refer to this practice as “doing politics differently” – because they are doing it through dialogue. The aim is to help the group deal with difficult issues. For this, individuals have to find the courage to say what they fear to say. This creates tension and conflict which the group has to work through as it identifies topics for discussion and develops practical ideas to bring about real change.
“A lot of debate was triggered by the idea put forward for a BeirutSYRIA based conference on the topic of youth in politics in the Arab Tyre Tyre world, which was to be planned by the party representatives. ISRAEL They thought that it had the potential for creating conflict amongst them; each would wings of Lebanon’s 19 political vie to bring their own regional parties, some of whom may be networks into the process, Lebanon’s leaders of tomorrow. thus undermining the idea of doing politics differently. In the The effect is to create a safe end, they decided to cancel it. space in which they can begin We asked whether it could be to tackle the more contested replaced by something else. They issues which divide them. We
put forward the idea of having a dialogue with their Palestinian counterparts in Lebanon.” Reflections of an Alert staff member
Suggestions have to be aired, tested, and possibly replaced by another idea. Gradually the participants are moving towards more controversial topics. It is their capacity to deal with these that will ultimately indicate their abilities as political and community leaders to build and sustain peace. Alert’s role as an outsider or third party combines facilitation of the meetings, advice and practical assistance. Sometimes, participants want us to take the lead. To get this right, we have to keep recalibrating our role so the process both remains theirs and maintains momentum.
“Individuals have to find the courage to say what they fear to say.” These shifts happen slowly and there are often setbacks. The reward is when there is a sense that overall the process is moving forward. In Lebanon, the dialogue participants are gradually taking more of a lead, using the space created by Alert to discuss more difficult issues, instead of either avoiding them or going straight into public confrontation over them. In this informal, private space Lebanon’s young political leaders are having real conversations, challenging each other’s as well as their own positions. This continues to be difficult and requires courage on the part of all involved – the courage to trust and the courage to listen. For
Alert, we never stop learning about what is involved in facilitating dialogue. A recent comment by one of our staff members perhaps sums up the conflicting feelings we often have as peacebuilders privileged to be working with those trying to end the violence that eats away at their communities: “Crossing the city on my way back home I realised I was feeling pleased and excited. I noted that in a not too distant future I might look back at this moment differently. For now though, I will hope that we are at a turning point; at the beginning of the path we had wanted to take.”
Country case study | Sri lanka
Bringing the diaspora home: Dialogue for reconciliation Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war ended in May 2009 with a military victory for the government. The war is over, but the task of securing long-term peace is just beginning. Rebuilding the economy and infrastructure is important. But so is healing divisions between people and creating equal economic opportunities, giving the chance for all Sri Lankans to play a role in their country’s future. Communities living abroad – the so-called diaspora – can sometimes fuel violent conflict in the countries of their origin through their financial and ideological support to different parties to the war, and they can by the same token promote peace, reconciliation and development. In the case of the Sri Lankan conflict, some voices from all sections of the diaspora were seen as having contributed to polarisation between and within ethnic communities, hampering attempts to find alternative ways of addressing the issues.
could play, an issue on which there had been little discussion thus far. This was possible because post-war Sri Lanka offers new opportunities for people of all ethnic origins to get together to address their divisions. But
INDIA
Jaffna
SRI LANKA Kandy Colombo
In January, Alert along with the Royal Commonwealth Society, took a group of second-generation British Sri Lankans and two British parliamentarians to visit Sri Lanka. The group travelled across the island to meet with a cross-section of politicians and civil society representatives. This visit helped them improve their understanding of the complex realities on the ground and challenged their misconceptions. And it initiated an alternative dialogue in Sri Lanka itself on the potential post-war role the diaspora 18
understanding of the impact and significance of the diaspora on Sri Lanka’s post-war reconciliation and development. The initial aim was for the diaspora communities to improve their understanding and awareness of post-war issues to then engage in constructive dialogue with people in Sri Lanka, to identify and work on areas of common interest.
the diaspora has been as badly divided by the conflict – if not as badly hurt – as the country itself. Before any dialogue can take place between them and Sri Lanka’s political and civil society, significant steps have to be taken for dialogue within the diaspora communities themselves. To address this, Alert adopted a dual approach of working in Sri Lanka and in the UK, to improve
The starting point was therefore an extensive period of trustbuilding. Alert worked with community leaders and people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and with civil society and politicians both in the UK and Sri Lanka to share their experiences of post-war realities. We provided opportunities for groups to meet “the other”, to test out and challenge their perceptions in a safe, constructive environment. This process was underpinned by the first exchange visit in 2011. Working with the One Text Initiative, a Sri Lankan-based research and dialogue group, Alert initiated a dialogue with young, first-term Sri Lankan
parliamentarians on the significance and role of the diaspora in Sri Lanka’s conflict history and their potential in building a long-term peace. Sri Lankan politicians and civil society representatives visited the UK in December 2011 to meet with representatives from the Muslim, Tamil and Sinhalese communities in the UK. The visit helped to confront the perceptions held in Sri Lanka of the diaspora and their interests. This week-long encounter led to considerably
changed perceptions of the people involved, leading them to believe that the Sri Lankan communities abroad can play a strong peacebuilding role within Sri Lanka. In future, Alert plans to build on this work, looking to consolidate the engagement with second-generation Sri Lankans in the UK and political actors in Sri Lanka, to strengthen activities that support economic and political reconciliation.
“The concept of engaging with the diaspora was new to us before we traveled to the UK in December 2011. The influence of diaspora can be immense. However, there is a huge communication gap between the Sri Lankan diaspora in the UK and Sri Lankans here which these exchange programmes can really help. I also feel that the government in Sri Lanka can do more as the Sri Lankan diaspora in the UK does not have real access to the country, nor the necessary links or have a reason to come to back to Sri Lanka… this is important for real engagement to start happening.” Harin Fernando, an MP of the United National Party (Opposition)
“We arrived as Sinhalese and Tamils, but we leave as Sri Lankans.” participant in diaspora event
Conclusion
Peace talks.
Peacebuilding depends on people communicating with each other. Dialogue is the tool we use to bring people together. Because people are at the heart of any solution for peace. We work with the conviction that peace is possible. Our work in 25 countries and territories with our staff and partner organisations has helped people come together to achieve what they could never previously imagine possible. And while we work with local people and communities, we also take their concerns to international institutions and policy-makers to help them tailor their policies and programmes.
“We work with the conviction that peace is possible.�
2011 was a year of many achievements, some of which we have highlighted in the four country studies in the report, and some of which you can see in our map on page 8. And we are confident that more achievements lie ahead. We will continue to build on what we have achieved so far, and garner more support to make a real difference in people’s lives. We are grateful for the support of our staff, partners, supporters and donors, with whom we work to effect real change. Your support has meant we can continue to build on the work we do as well as explore new areas of peacebuilding.
20
Financial section
Treasurer’s Report Efforts in recent years to strengthen relationships with institutional funders, to increase income from donations and gifts and to strengthen restricted fundraising capacity have all resulted in continued growth in unrestricted and restricted income. Total incoming resources for the year ended 31 December 2011 were £13 million (£9.9 million in 2010) and we emerged in a strong financial position at year end. Total charitable expenditure in 2011 was £11.59 million, which represents a very small decrease (£100,000) on 2010. The increase in restricted income and decrease in restricted expenditure arises from International Alert’s income and expenditure recognition policies. Unrestricted income in 2011 was £2.59 million (£2.27 million in 2010), comprising £2.05 million in incoming resources from generated funds (£1.79 million of institutional grants; £242,000 in donations and gifts and £12,000 of investment income) and a further £543,000 of incoming resources from charitable activities. Unrestricted expenditure was £2.47 million and comprised of £2.2 million on charitable activities; £191,000 costs of generating funds and £72,000 governance costs. The balance of unrestricted funds at year end was £1.64 million. The balance of restricted funds at year end was £3 million. This is an increase of £1.3 million on 2010, when the balance of restricted funds at year end was £1.7 million. International Alert’s Reserves Policy is that general unrestricted reserves, excluding any part which represents the book value of fixed assets, should be sufficient to cover two months of unrestricted expenditure and programme employment costs aggregating £1.2 million. Unrestricted reserves are held primarily as a contingent buffer that can be used to provide a degree of stability in an uncertain economic climate or a period of adverse funding. They also enable Alert to make long-term investment in competence among staff and investment in new programmes, to fund fixed assets, manage fluctuations in cash flow or to respond rapidly to opportunities that may present themselves. The reserves policy is subject to annual review. General unrestricted reserves (excluding designated funds and fixed assets) at 31st December 2011 were £1,135,000 (compared to £1,062,000 at 31 December 2010). Total unrestricted reserves at 31 December 2011 (including general unrestricted reserves) were £1.58 million (compared to £1.46 at 31 December 2011), reflecting a contribution of £115,000 to general unrestricted reserves in 2011. In December 2009, Alert’s Board approved a designated ‘Organisational Investment Fund’ and the balance of the fund at the end of 2011 was £449,000. Alert must be structured for optimum impact and sustainability and we introduced a new management structure and financial model at the end of 2011. The new structures are more efficient, more cost-effective and better place Alert to take advantage of emerging donor funding structures and to secure greater income from private donations. In conclusion, continuous improvements to systems, monitoring of incoming and outgoing resources, capacity building and year-on-year investment in strategic development have all contributed to a strong financial picture at the end of 2011. 22
Financial section
Work underway to diversify sources of unrestricted income and to increase contributions to indirect costs has borne fruit, which we believe will continue into 2012, along with efforts to increase restricted income streams. A good contribution to reserves has been made in 2011 and despite the current economic climate, we are seeking to achieve a continued period of financial growth in 2012 and beyond, in line with Alert’s 2009 to 2014 business plan. The figures on these pages are extracted from the full trustees’ report and financial statements that have been audited by Kingston Smith LLP, who gave an unqualified opinion. The full accounts were approved on 23rd May 2012. Copies of the full accounts will be submitted to the Charity Commission and Register of Companies in due course. This summarised financial information may not contain sufficient information to gain a complete understanding of the financial affairs of the charity. The full trustees’ report, audit report and financial statements may be obtained from the Secretary General’s office. Signed by Trustee
William Samuel Honourary Treasurer International Alert
Independent Auditor’s Statement to the Trustees of International Alert We have examined the summarised financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Auditors The trustees are responsible for preparing the summarized financial statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law. Our responsibility is to report to you our opinion on the consistency of the summarised financial statements with the full financial statements and Trustees’ Annual Report and its compliance with the relevant requirements of section 427 of the Companies Act 2006 and the regulations made thereafter.
Basis of opinion We conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/03 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our report on the company’s full annual financial statements describes the basis of our opinion on those financial statements and the Trustees’ Report. 23
Financial section
Opinion In our opinion the summarised financial statements are consistent with the full annual financial statements and the Trustees’ Annual Report of International Alert for the year ended 31 December 2011 and complies with the applicable requirements of section 427 of the Companies Act 2006, and the regulations made thereafter.
Kingston Smith LLP Devonshire House Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors 60 Goswell Road London EC1M 7AD
Trustees’ Statement The auditor has issued unqualified reports on the full annual financial statements and on the consistency of the Trustees’ report with those financial statements. Their report on the full annual financial statements contained no statement under sections 498(2), 498(2)(b) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006.
Balance Sheet at 31st December 2011 2011 £’000
2010 £’000
58
66
1,180 4,058 5,238
1,197 2,565 3,762
603 603
574 574
Net current assets
4,635
3,188
Total net assets
4,693
3,254
1,193 449 1,642
1,128 399 1,527
3,051
1,727
4,693
3,254
Fixed Assets Tangible assets Current Assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Creditors Amounts falling due within one year
Funds Unrestricted General funds Designated to Organisational Investment Fund Restricted
24
Financial section
Statement of financial activities The statement of financial activities includes income and expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2011:
Incoming resources Incoming resources from generated funds Voluntary income Institutional grants Donations and gifts Investment income Incoming resources from charitable activities Working with people to make a positive difference for peace Improving international policies that affect the prospects for peace Strengthening the peacebuilding sector Total incoming resources
Resources Expended Costs of generating funds Charitable Activities Working with people to make a positive difference for peace Improving international policies that affect the prospects for peace Strengthening the peacebuilding sector Governance Costs
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds
2011 Total
2010 Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
1,793 242 12
6
1,793 242 18
1,657 117 21
373
7,536
7,909
5,528
150
2,476
2,626
2,356
20 2,590
420 10,438
440 13,028
223 9,902
191
-
191
125
1,127
6,416
7,543
7,307
722
2,323
3,045
3,615
363 72
375 -
738 72
577 70 11,694
Total resources expended
2,475
Net incoming resources
9,114
11,589
115
1,324
1,439
(1,792)
Funds brought forward at 1 January 2011
1,527
1,727
3,254
5,046
Funds carried forward at 31 December 2011
1,642
3,051
4,693
3,254
25
Financial section
Our income 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000
£
8,000,000
£5,311,000
£7,467,000
£10,367,000
£10,510,000
£9,902,000
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
4,000,000 2,000,000 0
£13,028,000
£5,229,000
6,000,000
2011
How we spent the money in 2011
5
678
1
4
3
2
26
1
Africa Programme
2
Eurasia Programme
3
Asia Programme
4
Peacebuilding Issues Programme
5
Middle East Programme
6
UK Programme
7
Fundraising
8
Management and Administration
Acknowledgements
Donors Anglo American Arsenault Family Foundation AusAID (Australia) Bread for the World (Germany) British High Commission, Sri Lanka Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) CARE International City Bridge Trust Coffey International Comic Relief Conflict Prevention Pool, UK Cordaid Department for International Development (DFID), UK Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ireland European Union Folke Bernadotte Academy Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), UK German Federal Foreign Office, Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (Zivik Programme) German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) International Business Leaders Forum Irish Aid Management Systems International (MSI) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland Misereor (Germany) NOVIB Foundation Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Open Society Georgia Foundation Pact Projet d’Appui a la Gestion Economique (PAGE) Shell Social Science and Research Council Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO) Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Swisspeace The Bryan Guinness Charitable Trust The Ceniarth Foundation The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) The Souter Charitable Trust The World Bank UK Embassy in Angola UK Embassy in Bogota UK Embassy in Georgia
UN Women United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) United Nations Development Programme Georgia – Confidence Building and Early Response Mechanism (COBERM) United Nations Global Compact United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) United States Department of State USAID/SPRING (Stability Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Uganda) Project Workers Beer Company World Vision We acknowledge our partnerships with:
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Oxford Brookes University Partners for Democratic Change International (PDCI) Plan International UK Randolph Kent, King’s College, London Responding to Conflict Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Saferworld Save the Children UK Search for Common Ground Shell Skillshare International Stabilisation Unit of the UK Government Suncor The Alliance for Peacebuilding Transition International World Gold Council World Vision York University Youth Business International (YBI)
Cultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sukhumi” DanChurchAid Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Eurointegration NGO European Commission (EC) European Union (EU) Foundation for Development of Human Resources Foundation for Tolerance International Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Inter-Church Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) Kyrgyz Agency for Community Development and Investment (ARIS) Kyrgyz President’s Administration LINKS Nihol Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Public Committee for Development of Tajikistan Rushd Save the Children Netherlands Society for Humanitarian Research Studio Re Youth & Society
African Union Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Addis Ababa Office, Ethiopia Global Oxfam International, Liaison Office ActionAid with the African Union, Addis Ababa, Adelphi Research Great Lakes Region of Africa Ethiopia African Institute of Corporate Actions des Femmes pour les Citizenship (AICC) Initiatives de Paix/Association Andean Region BOND ACP - La Asociación Colombiana del des Femmes Chrétiennes (AFIP/ CAFOD AFEC), DRC Petróleo Comité Minero Energético CARE Alpha Ujuvi, DRC para los Derechos Humanos Christian Aid Appui à la Promotion de Centro de Colaboración Cívica Collaborative Learning Projects l’Entrepreneuriat Local Socios Perú (CDA) (APPEL-Kivu), DRC Corporación de Gestión y Derecho Conciliation Resources Association d’Appui aux Initiatives Ambiental (ECOLEX) Concordis International de Base, DRC FIP – Fundación Ideas para la Paz Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) Indepaz – Instituto de Estudios para Association des Femmes Rapatriées EGMONT du Burundi (AFRABU), Burundi el Desarrollo y la Paz European Peacebuilding Liaison Association Rwandaise des Office (EPLO) Conseillers en Traumatisme (ARCTEurasia Programme Ruhuka), Rwanda FAFO, Norway Agency for Technical Cooperation CARE Uganda Fundación para las Relaciones and Development (ACTED) Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior Association of Scientific-Technical Civil Society Coalition for Oil in (FRIDE) Uganda Intelligentsia (ASTI) Fund for Peace Collectif des Associations et ONG Association of Women of Abkhazia Féminines du Burundi (CAFOB), Gender Action for Peace and Security Business and Economy Centre Burundi (GAPS UK) Caucasus Business and Collectif des Associations Féminines Hellenic Foundation for European Development Network (CBDN) pour le Développement (CAFED), and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) Caucasus Institute International Center for Transitional Centre for Humanitarian Programmes DRC Dushirehamwe, Burundi Justice (ICTJ) Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) Interpeace under the President of the Republic Duterimbere ASBL (Association Sans But Lucratif), Rwanda King’s College, London of Tajikistan Duterimbere IMF (Institution de Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) Civil Diplomacy Institute Micro-Finance), Rwanda NEP/CES (Peace Studies Group of Civil Society Institute Dynamique Synergie des Femmes the Centre for Social Sciences – Coalition for Democracy and Civil (DSF), DRC University of Coimbra) Society East African Sub-Regional Initiative Netherlands Institute for Committee for Youth Affairs, Sport on the Advancement of Women, International Relations and Tourism under the Government Great Lakes (Clingendael) of Tajikistan NGO Working Group on Women, Committee on Religious Affairs under Great Lakes Ecumenical Forum IBUKA, Rwanda Peace and Security the Government of Tajikistan Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) Council of Europe Office of the OECD-DAC Commissioner for Human Rights
27
Institut de Recherche et de Dialogue pour la Paix (IRDP), Rwanda Kabarole Research and Resource Centre (KRC), Uganda Kitara Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA), Uganda Le Caucus des Femmes de Sud Kivu pour la Paix, DRC Life and Peace Institute, DRC Makerere University, Uganda National Commission for the Demobilisation and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants, Rwanda National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), Rwanda Northern Uganda Business Forum for Peace, Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Oil and Gas (PFOG) Plate-forme Démarche pour une Interaction entre Organisations de Base et Autres Sources de Savoirs (DIOBASS), DRC ProFemmes Twesehamwe, Rwanda Radio Isanganiro, Burundi Refugee Law Project (RLP), Uganda Réseau des Femmes Africaines Ministres et Parlementaires en RDC (REFAMP), DRC Réseau des Femmes pour un Développement Associatif (RFDA), DRC Réseau Femmes et Paix (RFP), Burundi Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE – West Nile), Uganda Saferworld, Uganda Solidarité des Femmes Activistes pour la Défense des Droits Humains (SOFAD), DRC Solidarité des Femmes de Fizi pour le Bien Etre Familial (SOFIBEF), DRC Solidarités Féminines pour la Paix et le Développement Intégral (SOFEPADI), DRC The Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum for Peace (Amani Forum), Great Lakes Transitional Justice Consultation Group, Burundi Umuseke, Rwanda Lebanon Association Suisse pour le Dialogue Euro-Arabo-Musulman Lebanese Center for Policy Studies Maldives President’s Office – Government of the Maldives South Asia Network for Security and Climate Change (SANSaC)
28
Nepal Antenna Foundation Association of International Nongovernmental Organisations (AIN) CARE Nepal Communication Nepal (IHRICON) Equal Access Nepal Forum for Women, Law and Development Institute of Human Rights Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, Nepal Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Nepal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nepal National Business Initiative (NBI) Nepal Police NGO Federation Saferworld Samjhauta Nepal Shanti Malika Social Welfare Council, Nepal Youth Action Nepal The Philippines AIM Policy Center FCO Manila Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute Generation Peace Mindanao Multi-stakeholder Group (MMG) Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Waging Peace Network South Sudan Academics and Researchers Forum for Development Sri Lanka All-Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues UK Association of Professional Sri Lankans in the UK (APSL) Business for Peace Alliance (BPA) Care Conflict Sensitivity Consortium Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce CODOC Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Lanka Youth Organisations Network (LYON) National Secretariat for NonGovernmental Organisations One Text Initiative (OTI) Peacebuilding and Development Institute Sri Lanka (PDI-SL) Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Sewa Lanka Sri Lanka High Commission in London Sri Lanka UK Business Council Tamil Information Centre University of Colombo Voices for Reconciliation Young Researchers Collective (YRC) Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL)
UK Programme Centre for Good Relations Community Accord Community Resolve Conflict and Change Global Education Centre Lancashire Global Education Centre Music in Detention Stockwell Partnership Talk for a Change University of the West of England West London YMCA Who is Your Neighbour Y Care International West Africa Abdou Moumouni Dioffo University, Niger AGORA, Guinea Association of Liberian Community Radio Centre d’Appui à la Recherche et à la Formation (CAREF), Mali Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Liberia Coalition Nationale de Guinée pour les Droits et la Citoyenneté des Femmes, Guinea Commission Nationale Electorale Indépendante, Guinea Conseil Economique et Social, Guinea Conseil National des Organisations de la Société Civile, Guinea Conseil Nationale de Transition, Guinea Coordination Fonds de Consolidation de la Paix, Guinea Corps Guinéen pour le Développement et la Paix, Guinea Federation of Liberian Youth Flomo Theatre Production, Liberia Gouvernorats Labé, Mamou, Kankan, Kindia, Boke, N’Zérékoré, Faranah, Conakry, Guinea Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria International Committee of the Red Cross International Crisis Group International Foundation for Electoral System, Guinea International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Guinea Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church, Liberia Liberia Media Centre Liberia Women Media Action Committee Liberia Women’s Initiative Mano River Union Peace Forum Mano River Union Secretariat Mano River Women’s Peace Network Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Media Women Centre for Development and Democracy, Liberia Médiateur de la République, Guinea
Ministère de l’Administration du Territoire et des Affaires Politiques, Guinea Ministère de la Défense, Guinea Ministère de la Justice, Guinea Ministère de la Réconciliation Nationale, Guinea Ministère de la Sécurité, Guinea Ministère des Affaires Sociales de la Promotion Féminine et de l’Enfance, Guinea Ministry of Gender, Liberia Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Liberia Ministry of Internal Affairs, Liberia National Election Commission, Liberia National Movement for Justice and Democracy, Sierra Leone National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections, Liberia Office of the Gender Adviser at UNMIL, Liberia Organisation Guinéenne des Droits de l’Homme, Guinea Population Services International Press Union of Liberia Primature, Guinea Renforcement de la Paix et Prévention des Conflits, Guinea Réseau Africain pour l’Autopromotion de la Femme et l’Enfant contre la Pauvreté, Guinea Réseau des Femmes Ministres et Parlementaires, Guinea Réseau des Médiateurs Citoyens, Guinea Search for Common Ground Sierra Leone Association of NGOs (SLANGO) Solidarité Thérapeutique & Initiatives contre le Sida (Solthis), Guinea South Eastern Women’s Development Association, Liberia Swisspeace Switzerland Médiation Support Project Terre des Hommes, Guinea The School of International Development (DEV), University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK UNDP Liberia UNDP Guinea Universities of Kofi Annan, Sonfonia, Labé and Kankan, Guinea UNMIL (Liberia) USAID Mali USAID Nigeria West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) Women in Peacebuilding Network, Liberia Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) Women Partnership for Justice and Peace (WPJP), Sierra Leone
© International Alert 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Photo credits: Page 1, DRC © International Alert/Aubrey Wade; Liberia © International Alert/Sando Moore; Nepal © International Alert/Niranjan Shrestha; Azerbaijan © International Alert/Jonathan Banks. Page 3, Nepal © International Alert/Kashish Das Shrestha. Page 5, DRC © International Alert/Aubrey Wade. Page 11, Georgia © International Alert/Jonathan Banks. Page 13, Uganda © International Alert/ SWORD Images. Page 14, Liberia © International Alert/Jonathan Banks. Page 15, Nagorny Karabakh © International Alert/Jonathan Banks. Page 17, Lebanon © Cluster Munition Coalition (available under a Creative Commons License). Page 19, United Kingdom © International Alert. Page 21, Liberia © International Alert/Sando Moore. Layout by D. R. ink, www@d-r-ink.com
International Alert. 346 Clapham Road, London SW9 9AP, United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 7627 6800, Fax +44 (0)20 7627 6900 general@international-alert.org www.international-alert.org ISBN: 978-1-906677-92-3