In the Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla provinces of South Thailand, the TRF runs a programme called ‘Alternative Activity Research’ (AAR). This programme aims to support women and children who have been affected by the armed conflict in this region since 2004, by supporting research on the problems that affect them. The conflict has left a great deal of orphans and widows, who face not only the trauma of losing loved ones but also economic problems. The AAR helps to establish women and youth groups to try and build a network amongst themselves and to help with their economic situation. In this programme, TRF acts as a trainer and consultant.

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The founding goal of WOLPNET was the aim of eliminating violence in Liberia, and in particular violence against women/girls. WOLPNET seeks peaceful co-existence despite ethnic, political and socio-economic differences, to increase women and children’s economic, and political empowerment, and to promote women’s rights.

WOLPNET is in engaged in advocacy, peacebuilding, peace and civic education, vocational/skills training, and economic development through micro credit schemes and the formation of cooperatives.

WOLPNET is an active member of the national SGBV Task Force chaired by the Deputy Minister of Gender. The Task Force has developed a National Plan of Action on SGBV launched by the President of Liberia in December 2006 and is currently working on reporting, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and tools.

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Athwaas is an alliance of women in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, facilitated by the WISCOMP organisation. Athwass has set up Samanbals– centres for women of all communities, ages and backgrounds to meet and share their concerns whilst learning income generating skills. With several Samanbals now in operation they have become a powerful network for promoting peace and campaigning for political change.

In this video, Ashima Kaul of Athwaas explains their work (Ashima is also our Kashmir Local Correspondent).

Key achievements

Through the network of women attending the Samanbals Athwaas has:

• Brought together Hindu and Muslim women who had been widowed by the conflict in order to overcome their hostility and work together spinning raw cotton
• Supported a group of women refugees to start a successful tailoring business and became community leaders
• Mobilised and encouraged women to engage in civil society

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Protecting IDP’s from Sexual and Gender-based Violence

This project is aimed at reducing sexual and gender-based violence committed in the IDP welfare centres, and to provide assistance to those affected by sexual and gender-based violence. It also aims to educate and caution potential offenders against gender-based violence in the future. Through these means the initiative makes a positive contribution to the healing and conflict transformation process in the larger ethnic conflict, which is essential for sustainable peace building.

From the reduction in the number of complaints RDF receive at the counselling centres, it seems that a considerable number of problems are addressed through the initiative. A reduction of between 45% and 60% is perceived along with the increased awareness among women on their rights, and the authorities they can contact for support in cases of a sexual violence.

Conflict Transformation

This project addresses people of all ethnicities who live in seven selected districts affected by the war, and involves them in a series of seminars and workshops run in order to train local communities and individuals in conflict transformation. It operates in rural Sri Lanka and works hard to bring together different ethnicities in the same training.

Participants are given the skills to transform their conflicts, and encouraged to form community-level organisations. These organisations are intended to be the first step towards the processes of community development and reconciliation that are needed so that the war-affected people can transform the conflict.

Peace Programme for Muslim IDPs

This programme brings Muslim IDPs together with other communities in their area to bring about a solution to resettlement and develop a sustainable peace. RDF provides them with the knowledge to develop sustainable solutions for their relocation, and helps them meet with different groups who can provide assistance. The project aims to reduce conflict between IDPs and their host communities by improving relations between the two groups; ending the isolation of Muslim IDPs and bringing them support from other communities in their bid to resettle.

Awareness Programme on the UNCRC

By promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Sri Lanka, this initiative hopes to see – and indeed has seen – more children in education in the target areas, less child labour, and a focus on bringing children up in a non-violent environment. Ensuring that when the children of today become the decision-makers of tomorrow, they will take with them a doctrine of peace.

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Vocational Training for Women Affected by War

Working in collaboration with the Jaffna Technical College, JASC provides vocational training for women from internally displaced communities and their host communities in Jaffna. Individuals are given the skills to make a living, and by providing shared skills development training to both IDPs and their host communities the project creates person-to-person relationships that reach across ethnic divides.

Shelter for Internally Displaced Persons

Jaffna has over 20 years’ history of IDPs, and this project aims to move them away from the refugee camps into a safer, more secure, and healthier environment by providing them with semi-permanent houses. Through the provision of semi-permanent houses it is hoped that IDPs will be able to begin to return a more normal, settled lifestyle, away from the mentality of waiting to leave at any moment. IDPs have a space they can call their own again, a feeling of security, and hope for the future. Adults are motivated to return to work, and children see the purpose in education and study. IDPs are encouraged to integrate into the host community and the likelihood of conflict is reduced.

Safe House for Women and Children

Since 2003 JSAC has provided an immediately accessible secure place for children and women affected by violence, providing temporary shelter, medical and legal care. Further, acting on the information given by those seeking shelter, the initiative carries out awareness programs designed to address the root causes of violence in specific locations. The project provides a much needed facility in this conflict-affected community.

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They conduct ‘cultural sharing’ programs and educational programs to promote ethnic cooperation between Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims and to facilitate a better understanding on the conflict.

Tamil Youth Radio

This project provides a radio program in Tamil for the plantation community, particularly aimed at young people. It gives young people a space to access information, exposing them to outside sources – widening their perspective and giving them new approaches to solving conflicts and contributing to the peace building process by giving out unbiased information. Further, the initiative supports them in solving problems such as finding employment outside the plantations, corresponding with government officials in Sinhala, and participating in higher education.

Young Women’s Empowerment Programme

The Young Women’s Empowerment Programme targets talented young women who are interested in politics, and provides training and education intended to develop the participants into future political leaders of the plantation community. The hope is that the project leads to the inclusion of their voice in legislative structures such as Provincial Councils, widening the discussion of the conflict and peace process by including an as yet neglected voice.

Community Social Mobilisation Initiative

Although they form a large percentage of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the voice of the plantation workers is not very well represented in discussions related to ethnic conflict and peace process. In order to strengthen the voice of the plantation workers, this project aims to mobilise them into small groups, empower them through training and education, and encourages them to unite together as larger, stronger organisations. Training is provided to raise awareness of the ethnic conflict and related issues, and to provide them with the skills to organise, speak out and take action. Other programmes are also run which aim to ease tensions and improve the relationship between plantation workers and the surrounding communities.

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Sustainable Peace Project

Sustainable Peace is a cross-community programme which aims to bring participants together in a wild and natural environment in South Africa. The idea emerged from the success of South African peacebuilding initiatives that were conducted in the same way. The project brings together ex-prisoners, police and army officers, victims, community leaders and business people.

The visits include exposure to South Africa’s political transition and the socio-economic inequalities arising from Apartheid. A central feature is a shared wilderness experience, facilitated by the Wilderness Leadership School. For a few days former enemies walk together in a place of unspoilt beauty, cross crocodile-infested rivers, sleep on the ground, and protect each other while on guard duty against dangerous animals. The friendship that grows out of this experience echoes similar results achieved with employing wilderness to bring South African ex-combatants together.

Peace Education

Glencree offers learning opportunities about peacebuilding and reconciliation to primary, secondary schools and youth groups. Young people visiting Glencree explore their understanding of themselves, others, and their relationship to communities at local, national and global levels. Peace education is given through a series of one-day or two-day programmes. Workshop activities connect to the Education Curriculum at levels appropriate to the age and subject range of each group.

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WAVE encourages members to take an active role in the organization and empowers them through support and training. Members are represented on the management committee, facilitate group support activities and befriend and visit others who might have suffered from violence during the Troubles. The aim is to work through a process of healing, with a longer-term goal of reconciliation.

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Youth Peacebuilding Initiative

This project trains young refugees in non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution. By involving youth groups and presenting an alternative to violence, AZZA aims to spread a culture of non-violence through the IDP community. The Youth Peacebuilding Initiative operates throughout most of Sudan and works both with individuals and through workshops and youth groups. It offers training in conflict mediation, conflict transformation and peacebuilding, giving young people the skills and experience they need to undertake peacebuilding activities of their own at local, state and national levels.

Peacebuilding Workshop

This initiative in Damazin, East Sudan provided training in effective conflict resolution, including practicalities such as setting up projects, proposal writing and fundraising. Around 30 participants, mostly young people drawn directly from the community, took part in a workshop and over ten days they were given training in real-world conflict resolution techniques and post-conflict development issues. AZZA aim to increase the number of young people trained in development and peace work and plan to repeat this workshop around the country.

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Actors for Peace

Babiker Badri wanted to raise awareness and understanding of the terms of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). They commissioned writers to dramatise the treaty and approached famous actors to perform it on tour between March and December 2007. Babiker Badari felt that women and young people had a particularly limited awareness of the CPA and were therefore being excluded from the peace process. Further, they felt that simply lecturing people about the agreement at public meetings left them bored and none the wiser. The project therefore aimed to convey relevant information about the CPA directly and effectively.

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