Annual Report 2011/2012

2

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Black SeaaND ceNTRal

aSIa

MIDDle eaST

aceH

aFRIca

Helsinki, Finland• Headquarters

Brussels, Belgium

New York

61professionals

from20 countries

Fieldoffices inseveralregions

3

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) is a Finnish, independent, non-profit organisa-tion that works to resolve conflict and build sustainable peace across the globe. our tireless mediation and peacebuilding efforts are based on the strong belief that all con-flicts can and should be resolved.

As a private diplomacy organisation, CMI works to prevent and resolve violent conflict by involving all actors relevant to achieving sustainable peace. We do this by supporting regional mediation capacity and skills, by bringing together local actors and facilitating confidence-building dialogues, by strengthening the sustainability of peace through new approaches for conflict preven-tion and post-conflict reconstruction, and by rapidly providing flexible mediation support at different stages of the peace process.

Founded in 2000 by president and nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari, CMI has grown significantly in recent years. We now have a team of over 60 professionals dedicated to conflict prevention and reso-lution, and field offices in several regions of the world, in addition to our offices in Helsinki and Brussels. CMI has recently been recognised internationally as one of the most influential private diplomacy organisa-tions. We will continue our long-term com-mitment to conflict resolution in 2012 and beyond, because every peace matters.

All conflicts can be resolved

4

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

he world had 388 conflicts in 2011, ac-cording to the International Conflict Barometer. This is an all-time record. Eighteen new, violent conflicts emerged

last year – only seven ended. As a peacemaker, I am seriously concerned about this trend and the large number of unsolved conflicts. I strongly feel that we should never accept some conflicts to remain frozen, and as a conse-quence leave people suffering. Each unresolved conflict should be seen as a serious challenge.

Based on my experience, I believe that particularly in internal conflicts, it is easier to find solutions through result-oriented peace processes. We have gained results in peace processes by beginning to solve smaller, practi-cal questions first. Big questions like power-sharing and governance structures are more difficult to address. When one starts with small steps, and gains small victories, it is easier to push for bigger issues later on. Often even the big problems can turn out to be simple to solve.

It is important to understand that a peace agreement cannot be forced upon the parties. The parties have to want to make peace. CMI witnessed this in the Aceh peace negotiations, where the agreement was signed in six months

because the parties wanted to reach a solution.Peace agreements cannot solve all problems.

In an internal conflict, it is important to under-stand that a peace agreement is just the begin-ning. At best, an agreement can create a democratic institutional and political framework that en-ables the parties to continue work-ing together on the issues agreed upon. Many peace agreements fail and revert to violence within a few years. This is partly due to the fact that the collective memories and suffering are so strong that, unless they are addressed in some way, there is little potential for a peaceful future.

We must also learn from our experiences. Learning has many dimensions: we need to reflect on our past efforts and capture them in a way that they can be easily shared, and not forget our mistakes. We need to accept that there are things that we can still learn about making peace.

Peace mediators are needed. However, I underline that conflicts can never be solved by a single person only. It takes a team. I have been fortunate to have had the possibility to

choose my teams during mediation processes. I am convinced that a professional and dedicated team contributes to the success of the process in question. It is important to keep in mind

that in the end it always comes down to people. We – people – lead, manage, design, develop and imple-ment. Good examples of these are the staff of my organisation, CMI.

I am honoured to have col-leagues who are at the top of their own area of expertise, hardwork-ing, innovative and fun to be with. I am proud to be the “founding father” of an organisation that has

become a widely recognised actor in its field of work. I do what a proud father would do – I encourage, nurture and advise when asked. CMI has a big task in developing and sustain-ing new ways of making peace and transform-ing them into action. In this work, I give CMI my full support.

Martti Ahtisaari, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

TThe parties

have to wantto make peace.

Word from the Chairman

5

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

6

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

iolent conflicts have a devastating im-pact on people’s lives leading to human suffering, collapsed economies and the destruction of entire communities. As

a private diplomacy organisation, CMI works to prevent and resolve violent conflict, and to pave the way for sustainable peace.

Modern conflicts are messy, complex and difficult to localise within definite territorial, ideological or political boundaries. As the nature of conflicts is becoming multidimen-sional, the role of traditional diplomacy is becoming more limited and private mediation organisations are being recognised as impor-tant players in the world of peacemaking. Private diplomacy is a form of non-intrusive diplomacy run by a non-state actor, designed to create space for armed opponents to engage in unrestricted dialogue on the ways and means to peacefully resolve their conflicts.

Private diplomacy actors bring unique strengths and comparative advantages to me-diation processes. We can react to situations swiftly, with fewer bureaucratic constraints, and with greater ease for the kind of immedi-ate and frequent political, tactical and logisti-cal decisions required of mediators. Private actors can be the first to engage and to facili-

What makesCMI unique?

Tuija Talvitie, Executive Director

V

7

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

tate dialogue amongst belligerents before the official world even takes notice. We can work discreetly and ensure an impartial approach. We are often more acceptable to governments as we are not seen to pose a threat to national sovereignty.

We have to go to tough places, meet people and do things that other actors cannot or will not do. Our work on the ground, investing the time and continuity required to secure the con-fidence of the parties to a conflict is important, often groundbreaking.

We can create platforms that are informal, participatory and quick to set up, and which can facilitate the development of new and cre-ative approaches and unlock stalemates. This is the core of mediation. To support the national dialogue in Yemen, CMI has managed to con-vene all Yemeni conflict groups in unofficial talks, where political actors who had refused to meet each other have been able to jointly discuss their greatest national concerns. These discussions provide a nation-wide dialogue forum in the country, increase the confidence and trust between the groups, and feed into the formal peace processes.

CMI assists conflict parties to identify new, alternative solutions to their conflicts outside

of the existing options. We have a special privilege to work between official and unoffi-cial structures, and can thus advance new ways of interaction both horizontally between different conflict parties and vertically between different layers of society and the interna-tional community. In Nagorno-Karabakh and South Sudan, our specific focus is to foster out-of-the-box thinking, firstly among the youth on different sides of the conflict, and then by connecting them to the official actors in the peace process.

CMI works systematically to develop new methods and tools for conflict resolution to enhance the pos-sibility to find common ground and lasting solutions. In the Middle East, new kinds of foresight exercises have enabled NGOs and officials to identify innovative ideas and solu-tions for conflict prevention. When working with young leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, we have used videos and social media as novel tools for preliminary interaction between the parties when face-to-face meetings have not been possible.

Peacemaking often happens at many levels and tracks simultaneously. These tracks should support each other. Observers have concluded

that the increasing number of peacemakers has made the international peacemaking com-munity more effective and that the mediation of armed conflict is now a prominent ingredient of international politics. We, as private diplomacy organisations, can have many roles: we can act as lead mediators, provide impor-tant support to governmental or regional peacemakers, assist in the implementation of the peace agreements, engage civil society

and connect relevant actors in new combina-tions. The impartiality, expertise and experi-ence we can deploy with ease and speed should not be underestimated. We, as members of the international peacemaking community, have to work together as a force for good, share our knowledge, respect each other’s unique com-petencies and accept that complex challenges for peace need the combined efforts of many actors with different expertise and skills.

We have a special privilege to work between official

and unofficial structures.

What makesCMI unique?

Tuija Talvitie, Executive Director

8

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

MI with President Ahtisaari facilitated the peace negotiations between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Move-ment, which led to a peace agreement in 2005. The agreement is considered a key achievement on the road to sustainable peace

in Aceh. Yet, the full implementation of the peace agreement has re-mained an important challenge.

Although many parts of the peace agreement have been implement-ed to date, the nearly seven years following its signing have shown that some questions still remain to be resolved. These issues – concern-ing among others governance, human rights, economic matters and reintegration – require further discussions to enable a process for their implementation. CMI’s Aceh Peace Process Follow-Up project supports the parties in enhancing communication and information sharing to resolve key outstanding issues through a dialogue process called “Focus Group Discussions”. These discussions have been established during 2011 and are periodically organised by the Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs of Indonesia.

The project also includes a research component through which the CMI team seeks expert analyses and insights that can assist in finding sustainable solutions to unresolved issues. The research team has pro-duced reports on legislative questions, economic matters, reintegration, transitional justice and women’s participation. Some of the documents produced during the project are available at www.cmi.fi and www.aceh-peaceprocess.net.

The CMI follow-up project, supported by the European Union, will continue until June 2012. As the organisation’s role in support-ing the peace process comes to a close, CMI encourages all parties to continue their con-structive collaboration towards sustainable peace in Aceh.

Aceh peace process follow-up

C

9

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

10

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Africahe year 2011 saw the birth of a new African nation and some twenty presidential and parliamentary elections held across the continent. In this changing context, CMI experts continued to support conflict resolution by building strong partnerships with key organisations. Why do we believe

so firmly in collaboration? Broad cooperation among a multitude of players is required to effectively resolve the current complex conflicts in Africa and to build peace in the aftermath of war.

Our international expert teams are dedicated to improving current practices in the field of mediation and peace building. We work with our partners of en-suring that all relevant parties are included in the negotiations. Jointly we find solutions to key issues such as creating platforms for broader consultations and ensuring access to professional mediation support.

Over the past year, we have brought together businesses and policy makers to create innovative peace building methods, connected African officials and civil society to identify strategies for the most pressing conflict prevention needs and created platforms for youth involvement in post-conflict state-building dialogues. To promote the importance of addressing sexual violence in conflicts we have linked high-level decision-makers with victims and grass-root level initiatives.

Cooperation affects positive change. We have seen this yet again this year.

T

11

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

In 2000, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and I were appointed by the United Nations Development Fund for Women to conduct an independent assessment on the impact of armed conflict on women. We travelled to most of the world’s conflict zones, talking to women and girls who had experienced the devastating impact firsthand. At the time, Ellen could not enter Liberia as it was still at war, so I visited her country alone. I encountered a country ravaged by war, with its capital Monrovia in ruins, and the people traumatised in many ways. Violence against Libe-rian women, especially young girls, had been widespread on all sides of the conflict. Since 2002, the guns have been silent, but violence against women continues.

With CMI’s project on gender-based violence, in which I act as Senior Adviser, we seek to reduce the gap between peace processes and the concerns of women, especially regarding violence during and after wars. Our aim is to increase the knowledge and expertise of peace medi-ators. In partnership with the West African Network for Peace, the proj-ect is analysing empirical findings and compiling lessons learned on the occurrence of gender-based violence and how it has been addressed in peace processes and conflict resolution efforts in the region.

Many of the issues current President Johnson Sirleaf and I raised in our report from 2002 are still of pressing concern for women in conflict and post-conflict zones around the world. In West Africa, rape, forced prostitution and silencing women about their tragedies still happen frequently. I strongly believe that a thorough investigation and discus-sion on gender-based violence should always be included in any peace mediation effort. Together with the CMI team, we have made progress in bringing this issue to the forefront in both high-level discussions and meetings on the grassroots level.

Elisabeth Rehn

tackling gender-based violencethrough increased knowledge

12

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

CMI works in West Africa to develop a comprehensive training pack-age for enhancing the capacities of key mediation actors in the region to design and participate in effective multi-track mediation processes. The more inclusive a mediation process is, the better. In successful mediation, dialogue is part of the process, and civil society’s opinions, including those of women and young people, inform official high-level negotiations both formally and informally. These critical actors are of-ten neglected or not fully utilised in the peace process, and West Africa is no exception in this regard. CMI’s ‘Enhancing West African Capaci-ties in Mediation’ project focuses on this disconnect.

Continuously seeking input from regional actors, we develop courses for a comprehensive training package on multi-track mediation and conflict analysis. The course content is developed based on exten-sive research and analysis on key peace processes in the region, as well as valuable input received from regional mediators and other experts through workshops and consultative seminars. It will also include audiovisual training material. After an initial trial, the final training programme will be available for key decision-makers in West Africa in 2013. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

enhancing West Africanmediation capacities

Regional organisations, such as the African Union (AU), have an increas-ingly important role in tackling conflicts, particularly through media-tion and dialogue. However, successful mediation requires the support of professional teams of experts. CMI is working to build a network of African experts on different thematic areas relevant to peace mediation to support the African Union in its mediation efforts. This successful project has been carried out since 2009 in cooperation with the African Union Conflict Management Division and the African Centre for the Construc-tive Resolution of Disputes. It will enter into its second phase in 2012 with a specific focus on strengthening the AU field operations.

To support mediation capacity, CMI has in the past years organised expert seminars on key thematic issues. We have brought together over 100 African experts to discuss and give policy recommendations to the AU on themes such as transitional justice, mediation and resource-based con-flicts. In addition to identifying the experts, whose know-how can be used by the AU in its mediation efforts, we have mapped African non-state ac-tors to inform the Union about the mediation expertise that already exists on the continent. In 2011, we also finalised a comprehensive DVD package of interviews with African experts and high-level AU and UN officials on various topics related to mediation.

Building mediation supportnetworks for the African union

13

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Building mediation supportnetworks for the African union

The newest nation in the world, South Sudan, declared its inde-pendence in July 2011, marking the final stage of the 2005 peace agreement that had ended 21 years of civil war. Yet, enormous challenges lie ahead for the region. Impoverished by severe under-development and the legacy of the prolonged civil war, the situ-ation in South Sudan remains extremely sensitive and prone to unexpected changes. Looking ahead, however, paramount for the peaceful reformation and future of South Sudan is the inclusion of young influencers from both rural and urban areas, and women in particular.

To address this, CMI has established the “Youth Influencers’ confidence and state-building dialogue in South Sudan” proj-ect. The project provides a platform for dialogue among youth influencers, creating confidence among them with the purpose of injecting their views to the key political processes in South Sudan. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PRC), University of Juba Centre for Peace and Development Studies, and South Sudanese NGO Organisation for Non-violence and Development (ONAD).

encouraging youthdialogue in South Sudan

CMI supports the government of Liberia in strengthening governance capacity and basic public services, both in terms of civil registration and civil service re-form. Our ‘Governance out of a Box’ project has already rolled-out decentralised birth registration services to half of the country. Technologically sound services are now available in six counties and over 100,000 births have so far been regis-tered.

2011 marked an important milestone for Liberia with President Johnson Sirleaf being re-elected for her second term in office. The non-violent election and its result provide Liberians with the necessary continuity to rebuild their country. CMI’s project continues to support basic public service delivery in order to increase the citizens’ trust in the national government. The progress made also enables further discussions on other relevant civil registration processes, such as national identification and voter registration.

In order to facilitate regional learning, in 2011 the project arranged a high-lev-el seminar on civil registries in the context of conflict prevention. With distin-guished participants from Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Ghana, the seminar identified relevant policy recommendations, which will support the implementa-tion of the recently enacted national registry law in Liberia. To gain insight to the state-society relationship, CMI also partnered with Search for Common Ground (SFCG) to initiate a State Perception Study, which will provide insight to the per-ceptions of citizens regarding state responsiveness to its population.

Developing basic publicservices in liberia

14

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

ow does one describe the diverse area that reaches from Moldova to Afghanistan and from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan? A common feature is certainly the need for inclusive and participatory dialogue, working with both decision-mak-

ers and local civil societies and conflict-affected groups. CMI’s Black Sea and Central Asia team operates in this varied region with inclusivity as one of the corner stones of our work.

This past year, in Afghanistan CMI began consulting indi-viduals of various backgrounds and affiliations to jointly analyse the ongoing conflict and to develop recommendations for con-flict resolution. In Moldova-Transdniestria, our team is support-ing the official peace process by sharing lessons in confidence-building from other conflict zones. We also work with youth affected by the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh to support the involvement of future decision-makers in peacebuilding.

In addition to inclusive dialogue, we believe in capacity-building for conflict parties, governments, international and regional organisations and civil society. In the Black Sea Peace-building Network, we aim to support civil society in becoming a full-fledged actor in resolving protracted conflicts in the region.

Black Sea and Central Asia

H

15

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

The South Caucasus has often been defined as a region in a state of “no peace, no war”; a land where contested borders and front lines appear as unwieldy, and distressful testimonies of conflicts that have never ceased to torment generation after generation since the early 1990s. Of all the protracted conflicts in the region, the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh is one, if not the most, bitter example. The so-called Line of Contact is one of the most militarised and impassable borders in the whole South Caucasus. There are no peacekeepers and snipers are not gender-, nationality- or age-sensitive. Ordinary people have limited possibilities of contact across the conflict divide, and most of the time interaction is virtual or facilitated by third parties in external settings.

CMI challenges the impasse in the peace process by reaching out to the group most affected by the conflict – the youth – through a unique multi-level dialogue. By facilitating joint workshops and inter-action between key actors from all conflict-affected groups, CMI con-tributes to keeping communication channels open and thus prevent-ing these groups from becoming completely isolated. As one of CMI’s local partners described: “We have worked to cure the sickness of hate between the youth, to allow them to focus on developing themselves and their societies.”

The process led by CMI is dedicated to rebuilding a common public sphere that could prepare the societies for coexistence. It is based on the desires of local partners and key political stakeholders in the region to contribute to the creation of a new generation of young peacebuilders that would sustain in the future a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Comments from the involved youth illustrate the successes the project has already achieved: “Thanks to this project, I saw a new world – the world that I have desired. I finally found those people with whom we can strive for peace.”

Contributing to the peaceful settlement of the conflict over nagorno-Karabakh

16

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

The international community is gradually withdrawing its military presence from Afghanistan and a solution to the conflict is being sought with non-military means through negotiation. However, there is a fear that the voice of the people is not heard in the negotiations as the participation and engagement of the Afghan general population has so far largely been disregarded. Recognising this, CMI is working to facili-tate dialogue with different groups on the future of Afghanistan.

In Mazar-e-Sharif, Northern Afghanistan, we are engaging civil so-ciety, academia, women’s groups, media and religious leaders in a dia-logue process on the causes, drivers and consequences of the conflict and, more importantly, on the prospects for peace. Over the past year, CMI has established its presence in Afghanistan by consulting widely on the feasibility of our approach, establishing an office and employ-ing an Afghan colleague, and by interviewing potential participants in the process. At the same time, we have worked on identifying issues citizens consider crucial for the current situation and the future of Afghanistan.

engaging Afghan society in peace dialogue

“On December 9–11, 2011 there was a third Regional Meeting of the Black Sea Peacebuilding Network (BSPN) in Istanbul. It was a great event as it provided us a chance to see all our partners and [allowed for] a very open discussion about problems on the local level as well as issues of regional concern. Thank you to the CMI team for their good work”. For us at CMI, it is important to create favourable conditions for communication between people divided by numerous conflicts in the Black Sea region. We are de-lighted when we succeed and greatly appreciate feedback such as the above from experts in the region.

The annual regional meetings of the BSPN project are the culmination of the intensive work done throughout the year by civil society expert councils for conflict transformation and peace initiatives, which have been set up in seven countries of the region. They bring together the many activ-ities carried out by approximately 200 regional experts working at their of-fices, meeting people in the field, discussing issues with students, teachers, displaced people and different interest groups, attending TV programmes and conferences, issuing policy papers, bulletins and books, and through all these activities, jointly promoting peace in the region of the Black Sea.

networking for peacebuildingin the Black Sea region

17

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

The Transdniestrian conflict is not commonly known among EU citi-zens, even though it is located only a two-hour flight away from Brussels. In fact, for much of Europe it is geographically the closest unresolved post-war conflict. The political negotiations between the Republic of Moldova and secessionist Transdniestria have not yielded many lasting results in the 20 years since a ceasefire ended an unexpected war in 1992. However, a confidence-building process focused on resolving socio-economic problems affecting the daily lives of people has shown more promise. CMI’s Moldova-Transdniestria project supports this process.

In 2011, CMI enabled experts who specialise in the Moldova-Transdni-estria conflict to visit Cyprus and learn from the divided country’s experi-ences in confidence-building, socioeconomic cooperation and civil society peacebuilding. The participants included current and former officials and senior civil society experts from Moldova-Transdniestria, Brussels, Berlin, Moscow and Kyiv. During the study tour the experts met with former Presidents, current Special Representatives in the UN-facilitated negotia-tions process, civil society experts, town mayors, and officials from both the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities.

Supporting the Moldova-transdniestriapeace process

Ethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan in the summer of 2010 resulted in hundreds of people losing their lives, thousands more being injured, and a massive displacement of civilians. Following the tragic events, an independent inquiry was carried out by the Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission in 2010–2011, with CMI acting as a secretariat providing administrative and logistic support. The findings of the investigation were published in May 2011.

The inquiry looked into the facts leading to the events, and possible violations during and after the violent clashes. The comprehensive investigation included months of field research in Kyrgyzstan and other countries, the collection of documents and audio/video record-ings, as well as interviews with over 750 witnesses, victims, officials, and representatives of various local and international organisations. The final report, which also includes commentary by the Government of Kyrgyzstan, provides recommendations for the government and calls for continued international evaluation of the progress made in their implementation. The comprehensive report has been widely endorsed by the international community, among others the UN High Commis-sioner for Human Rights.

Work of Kyrgyzstan InquiryCommission completed

18

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

he past year has witnessed momentous changes throughout the region that are certain to have long-term implications. The transi-tions in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen, as well as the ongoing clashes in Bahrain, Syria and elsewhere, comprise power struggles

between entrenched elites and the citizenry, and the search for a new re-lationship between the rulers and the ruled. With the absence of credible political institutions capable of negotiating and resolving such conflicts, national dialogue has become a necessity demanded by almost all parties concerned.

Through strong partnerships with various local stakeholders, provid-ing the space and environment for dialogue that builds trust and enables participatory drafting of policy solutions has been the focus of CMI’s work. In Yemen, we have facilitated a supportive, inclusive national dia-logue with the support of all Yemeni political groups. In Palestine, CMI has continued to promote dialogue focused on national reconciliation. - We have also started to prepare a supportive dialogue in Morocco and Tunisia. In Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, ongoing efforts to formulate rec-ommendations for addressing socio-economic and environmental causes of conflict have become increasingly relevant.

The Middle East and North Africa

T

19

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

The Middle East and North Africa CMI’s project in Yemen supports the political transition of the country. Fol-lowing demonstrations and violent clashes in Yemen since early 2011, the country entered a political transition for which the road map was negoti-ated by the ruling party and opposition parties. Power was transferred from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy and a joint interim government was established. An agreement was reached on comprehensive national dialogue and a new constitution. However, many important political forces, including the Houthis of the Saada province and the Southern Movement, have rejected the plan for political transition, claiming that it represents the views of the former ruling elite and thereby excludes other relevant political groupings. As the country’s stability and security is at stake, the exclusion of any relevant political force increases the likelihood of further violence.

Recognising this, CMI facilitates an informal nation-wide dialogue among all key Yemeni political groupings, including the Houthis, the various segments of the youth movement, political parties, the Southern Movement (Hirak) and civil society organisations. The process supports a supportive, inclusive national dialogue through formulating and advocating recommen-dations, which incorporate the core concerns of all political groupings. Our project builds and maintains confidence between the different groupings in Yemen’s political arena during this difficult transition. It provides a neutral platform for dialogue to identify the policy areas that political stakeholders consider of paramount importance for the future of Yemen, with the aim of stimulating new thinking on how to reach consensual solutions, far from narrow political interests.

Supporting national dialogue in Yemen

20

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

In response to the Arab uprisings during spring 2011, CMI will launch new projects in both Morocco and Tunisia in 2012. We aim to support inclusive dialogue on issues of na-tional concern and to support the development of jointly de-signed policy responses and roadmaps, which can mitigate potential internal tensions and promote reforms through constructive participatory dialogue.

promoting dialogue inMorocco and tunisia

21

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Despite a number of formal agreements, the Palestinian polity re-mains deeply divided. The political, geographical and increasingly institutional schism negatively affects the lives of millions of Palestin-ians. It diminishes the impact of social and economic development efforts, and is used to justify increasing levels of repression by each of the rival governments. The situation is also preventing the Palestin-ians from formulating a unified national strategy to end the occupa-tion.

CMI supports existing reconciliation efforts to achieve sustain-able national unity among Palestinians. Together with our Palestinian partner Masarat, we have since 2010 facilitated a dialogue process that engages key stakeholders, including Palestinian Legislative Council members, local officials, civil society and opinion leaders, and youth activists. This unofficial process aims to support the formal reconcili-ation process by developing creative, realistic and concrete proposals for tools with which to overcome various obstacles to progress.

Supporting palestinian Dialogue

The persistence of international and civil conflicts in the Middle East has made it difficult for governments and other actors to take the necessary steps for addressing the root causes of conflicts—such as poverty, political stagnation and environmental degradation—before they escalate into violence.

In this context, devising and adopting long-term strategies to stop conflict at its roots would be a boon to stability and development in these countries and the region as a whole. CMI’s project aims to as-sist this process by bringing together governmental decision-makers from three Arab countries—Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon—and to build their capacities for long-term conflict prevention planning through collaborative workshops. We provide tools for the decision-makers to determine the most pressing sources of conflict in their respective countries and to devise policy recommendations for dealing proac-tively with these.

Conflict prevention in egypt,Jordan and lebanon

promoting dialogue inMorocco and tunisia

22

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

ne of the strengths of private diplomacy actors is that they are often better positioned to drive innovation; to develop and test new methodologies and approaches, and to bring people together in unconventional ways.

CMI takes these opportunities seriously.A promising CMI innovation is the use of participatory

foresight and decision analytic methodologies in our work. Nowadays, these are an integral part of many CMI projects. Normally, these methods are used in business management when tools to drive and manage change are needed, such as in strategy design. In private diplomacy these methods are novel, although the end goal is the same; to enable positive change.

At CMI, we use these methodologies for various purposes. They can be used in cooperative conflict analysis and as a basis for discussion on peacebuilding priorities. Their added value lies in the neutrality of the approach, as CMI only provides a platform for local stakeholders to develop their own recom-mendations. These methods can also be used as integral parts of dialogue processes when different groups need ways to identify and develop mutually accepted political agendas. They structure the process and guide the discussions to the most relevant issues. A structured dialogue process may also encour-age conflict parties to focus by themselves on the most feasible issues and concentrate on the challenges that only they can tackle.

Research and DevelopmentRegional bodies are increasingly recognised as well-placed for boosting state-led peace processes. CMI supports the capacity-building of these organisations by providing informal forums where they can reflect on the role, added value and main challenges of their engagement in peace processes.

Modern conflicts are complex without clear territorial, ideological or politi-cal boundaries. Thus, they almost always contribute to wider regional instabil-ity. These conflicts often require a response from the international community beyond traditional diplomacy, shifting the focus from brokering quick-fix agree-ments – which only put the conflicts on hold – to designing sustainable solu-tions that facilitate long-term peace processes.

In this context, regional bodies have an important contribution to make. If well-equipped and supported by mature institutions, these bodies can use their convening power and capacity to reach “beyond and below the state” to address the regional dimensions of the conflict and to support peacebuilding. CMI initi-ated its support project at the expressed interest of the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cooperate with other regional actors in de-veloping institutional capacity for supporting peace processes around the world.

In 2011, CMI organised a high-level conference in cooperation with the ASEAN Indonesian Chairmanship and the EU on “Building ASEAN’s capacities in preventive diplomacy and international peace mediation”, as well as a con-ference with the European Parliament entitled “Regional actors as vectors for

peace – What role for the EU?” The events were also attended by other regional actors such as the UN and the Economic Community of West African States, as well as by individual mediators. The participants had the opportunity to reflect on the past and present performance of regional organisations in peace mediation, while exchanging best practices and discussing key lessons from previous expe-riences.

Improving internationalpeace mediation capacities

O

23

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

The Liberian government has launched a challenging civil service reform of the government with the aim of reorganising and restruc-turing all ministries and governmental bodies. CMI is supporting the Liberian Civil Service Agency (CSA) in the reform planning and implementation tasks ahead.

In the post-war state-building phase of recovery and reconcilia-tion, capacity-building is an essential and vast task for any nation. The appointed leadership of the country faces many expectations from civil society, but often lacks the resources and effective work-ing practices. The recovery process of the government is further challenged by years of misrule, which have created dependencies based on power sharing, often leading to ineffectual and oversized governmental structures.

CMI and CSA are jointly developing a Governance Architecture planning tool for successful civil service reform in Liberia. The tool will enable planning of the reform processes in a holistic way using governance architecture and process mapping techniques. By visualising change and reform, it supports government institutions in decision-making and implementing reform strategies.

Strengthening governanceplanning capacity in liberia

Large-scale incidents and disasters both inside and outside the EU require a coordinated response from all actors across Europe. CMI is participating in a research project, which aims to experiment with and demonstrate a concept and methodology for a test bed to be used in developing a Europe-wide crisis management system capable of supporting such a response.

The Aftermath Crisis Management System-of-systems Demonstration (ACRIMAS) is a scenario-based and user-centric research and development project. It is conducted by a consortium comprised of fifteen organisations from across Europe, ranging from NGOs, think tanks and private sector actors to governmental research institutions. The project aims to facilitate a gradual evolvement of EU crisis management capabilities, procedures, technologies, policies and standards. It comprises real field tests, support-ing EU-wide collaboration and communication in crisis management, and improving interaction between Member State organisations.

CMI participates in crisis management framework and policy analysis, and in analysing tasks and missions from the viewpoint of the civilian missions of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy. Moreover, CMI is contributing to crisis management capability and gap analysis as well as to awareness-raising and dissemination tasks.

Advancing coordinatedeu crisis management

24

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

executive Director talvitie tuija

africa Conteh MariamaFataki Fareed MusaIsoaho eemeliJoenpolvi KirsiKurki Annukkapriklopilova GabrielleRehn elisabethRoberts, Gama B.taflinski philippetarnaala elisatuominen SuviWeurlander pia Black Sea and central asia Cristescu RoxanaDanoyan MarinaForgeron Marie-CharlotteJaarva Meeri-MariaMatveev DenisMelnik JuliaMiettinen ernoMirziashvili Mikheilnajafizada enayatSeppänen Juha-Matti communications Haga CarolineHuusko SailaKarvonen Anterolehtinen elinaSiira elina Finance and administration Jäminki MarkoMäenpää päivi

penttilä Iirispuura HannaRuokonen IrinaSeppänen Jaana

Middle east and North africaAl-Amir KamilAl-Arashi enasAl-Fahed AbdulmajidBell Johnel Krekshi MaruanGhneim nesrinHuuhtanen HeidiHänninen emmiKeskitalo Saanalatvasalo laura Rabbani MouinSalonen lauraSavolainen taruQatarneh Yasar Office of President ahtisaari elfvig-Gomes AnnaKukkonen MinnaMarjamäki Riikkatanskanen tuula Research and Development Brummer VilleGrundström SiljaHislaire peterKaivo-oja Jarilanginvainio MikaeliMarshall Andrew C.nicolescou AugustinWevelsiep Matthias Indonesia oksanen Jaakko

staff members61

Professionals from 20

countries

Working at CMI headquarters in

Helsinki, office in Brussels or field

offices in different regions Young,

dedicated and flexible team

of experts

CMI staff April 2012

CMI staff April 2012

26

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

27

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

CMI Board April 2012President Martti Ahtisaari, Chairman,Former president of the Republic of Finland

Gunvor Kronman, Vice-Chair Ceo, Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre

Johnny Åkerholm, Vice-Chairlicentiate of Social Sciences

Kirsti LintonenFormer permanent Representative of Finlandto the united nations (retired)

Aleksi NeuvonenResearch Director, Demos

Kristina Pentti-von Walzel, Campaign Director,Hanken School of economics, Helsinki

Elina Pirjatanniemiprofessor of Constitutional and International law,Director of the Institute for Human Rights(Åbo Akademi university)

Juha RantanenFormer Ceo and president of outokumpu (retired)

CMI Board members (from left) Kristina Pentti-von Walzel, Aleksi Neuvonen, Kirsti Lintonen, Martti Ahtisaari, Juha Rantanen and CMI Executive Director Tuija Talvitie

28

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

FundraisingIn 2011, CMI began to broaden its funding base outside of governments and foundations as part of the organisa-tion’s growth strategy. As a new fundraising element, CMI established partnerships with Finnish and inter-national companies. Leading partners included Nokia, Helsingin Sanomat, Wärtsilä, OP-Pohjola, SOK, Veikkaus and Deloitte, and other partners were Neste Oil, TDC, Taaleritehdas and Royal Ravintolat. In addition, many other companies supported CMI’s anniversary campaign with pro bono work. At the beginning of 2011, CMI also launched an online donor campaign.

In 2012, CMI is continuing to enhance its relation-ships with existing corporate partners and to develop new and sustainable models of cooperation with private donors and businesses.

29

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

CommunicationsIn the past year, CMI has focused on providing increasingly more varied communications material for a broad audience, as well as increasing stake-holder awareness of the work we do. During the year, CMI’s Communications Unit organised several high-profile events and produced a range of audio-visual material in addition to traditional communi-cations material.

The 10th anniversary of CMI in 2011 was cele-brated with a seminar gathering together nearly 800 prominent guests eager to listen to distinguished speakers including Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. The second half of the year saw CMI’s annual fall seminar en-titled “Peace Mediation – What kind of support is needed?”; a seminar on cultural risk management co-hosted with World Design Capital Helsinki 2012; and the inaugural Ahtisaari Day on 16 November, with the aim of increasing awareness of peace me-diation at all levels of society.

A specific focus during the year was to strength-en CMI’s visual and audiovisual communications. This included the coordination of a full-length TV documentary on CMI’s work, a video on the mean-ing of peace produced with award-winning docu-mentary filmmaker John Webster, a new corporate video, as well as a series of 15 videos on peace mediation in Africa. All these materials as well as publications are available on CMI’s website which, together with various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, was regularly updated throughout the year.

30

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

CMI’s total income in 2011 was €5.5 million. The percentage of growth compared to the previous year is 53%. The surplus was €107 150.

CMI’s main funder is the Government of Finland with a share of 53%. Private foundations and societies are also signifi-cant supporters (21%), as well as other governments and the European Commission. CMI’s fundraising efforts were suc-cessful in 2011, including a 10th anniversary campaign, which brought in many private funders. We are pleased that private companies value our work and provide important support. The amount of funds received from non-governmental sources was €1.5 million; 28% of total funding.

In 2011, CMI’s accounting was in-sourced and strengthened by recruiting an accountant. The cost efficiency of administra-tion was high and general costs remained low. The 2011 annual financial statements have been audited by Ernst & Young Oy.

Continued growth is expected in the year 2012. The total annual budget for the year is €6.5 million. During 2012, CMI will also open an office in New York. The establishment of the office is supported and funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.

Financial Information Financial years 2010–2011

Sources of Grants and Donations

Government of Finland 53 %private foundations and societies 21 %other governments 12 %european Commission 7 %private companies 6 %other sources 1 %

2011 2010 Income and Expenditure (EUR) Governments 3 984 322 3 034 058private Foundations and Societies 1 146 093 526 830private Sector Companies 314 671 46 776other 73 389 13 829total Grants and Donations 5 518 474 3 621 493

expenses external professional Services 1 105 696 663 379personnel Costs 1 572 616 1 380 942other Costs 2 733 012 1 487 266total expenses 5 411 324 3 531 587 SURPlUS / DeFIcIT 107 150 89 906 Balance sheet assets non-Current Assets Machinery and equipment 17 200 12 617 Current Assets project Income Receivables 300 673 426 694pre-payments and deposits 114 176 57 614Cash and Bank 1 282 185 872 608 1 697 034 1 356 915 Total assets 1 714 234 1 369 532 liabilities equity equity Capital 14 223 14 223Carryforward from previous Years -309 446 -399 352Surplus/Deficit 107 150 89 906 -188 072 -295 223 Short-term liabilities project Income Advances 1 317 327 1 101 153Accounts payables and other accruals 396 907 563 602 Total liabilities 1 714 234 1 369 532

31

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

Leading partners:

Partners:

Important in-kind support in 2011 has been provided byMatkatoimisto Oy Area, Artek Oy Ab, B2B Solutions Oy, Borenius & Co Oy Ab, Eastway Sound & Lighting Oy, The Finnish National Theatre, Franck Media Oy, Hannes Snellman Asianajotoimisto Oy, Hiekka Graphics Oy, Hotel Haven (Royal Ravintolat), Iittala Group Oy Ab, Infront Finland Oy, Oy Karl Fazer Ab, Media Centre Lume / Aalto University, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, MTV Oy, Niemi Palvelut Oy, Planeetta 10 Oy,Pluto Finland, Sanoma Magazines Finland Oy, Tuomo Manninen / Graalphoto

A special thanks to the following individuals who have contributed to CMI’s work in 2011: Kari Lautjärvi, Mikko Vanni and Helena Åhman.

The European CommissionGovernment of BelgiumGovernment of FinlandGovernment of FranceGovernment of GermanyGovernment of IrelandGovernment of NorwayGovernment of QatarGovernment of SwitzerlandGovernment of TurkeyGovernment of USAAlfred Kordelin FoundationBritish CouncilFraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der ange-wandten Forschung e.V. George F. Russell FoundationHelena Åhman, D.Sc. (Tech.), Hunting Minds OyICT4Peace FoundationJane and Aatos Erkko FoundationJenny and Antti Wihuri FoundationKone LtdNippon FoundationOpen Society InstituteRockefeller Brothers FundRussell Family Foundation Swedish Cultural Foundation in FinlandUNDPUN Women

CMI would like to thank the following donors for their support in 2011

Corporate partners 2011

32

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

april 2011Month of April, epnK1 series of trainings and implementation of youth projects

12–13 April, thematic expert meeting on “power Sharing in Africa: What Role for the African union?”, Addis Ababa

19 April, CMI’s 10th Anniversary Seminar, Helsinki

May 2011Memorandum of understanding signed between CMI and the Ministry of peace and CpA Implementation of South Sudan

1–3 May, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, expert meetings, Amman, Cairo and Beirut

3 May, publication of the final report of the independent Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission into the events in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010

17 May, CMI Annual Spring Meeting, Helsinki

20–22 May, promoting palestinian Dialogue, workshop, Ankara

June 20116–7 June, Mediation Support network meeting hosted by CMI, Helsinki

8 June, Joint seminar with upI-FIIA on “States as Makers – Dif-ferent approaches to mediation and mediation support” at the Finnish parliament, Helsinki

June–December, training needs assessments conducted in the 15 eCoWAS states on mediation and conflict analysis capacities in the sub-region, West Africa

June–December, Research and documentation exercises captur-ing experiences of actors in mediation and peace processes in eight West African countries

July 20119-15 July, epnK joint dialogue workshop, Kobuleti, Georgia

17–18 July, Supporting Yemeni national Dialogue and Confidence Building, core group meeting, Istanbul

19–20 July, promoting palestinian Dialogue, workshop, Istanbul

26–28 July, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, national panel meetings, Amman

august 2011August–September, Research and documentation on existing policy and international action against gender-based violence in liberia

September 201113–14 September, High-level seminar on “Civil Registries in the Context of Conflict prevention and Sustainable peace & Devel-opment in West Africa”, Accra

15 September, Gender-Based Violence and peace Mediation in West Africa, project launch event, Accra

October 2011 october–December, Mapping perceptions of young leaders on key issues related to the future of the newly independent South Sudan, conducted in 9 out of 10 states in South Sudan together with the university of Juba Centre for peace and Development Studies

5 october, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, panel meetings, Beirut

11 october, High-level seminar together with eu and ASeAn on “Regional organizations as vectors of peace: Building ASeAn’s capacities in preventative diplomacy and international peace mediation”, Bali

17–19 october, networking and experience-sharing workshop on “the Role of non-State Actors in the Regional peace building and Conflict prevention Architecture of West Africa”“, organised

Highlighted events in 2011–2012

1 european partnership for the peaceful Settlement of the Conflict over nagorno-Karabakh (epnK)

33

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

by CMI, united nations office to West Africa, eCoWAS and WACSoF, Dakar

19 october, epnK high-level meeting and panel at the european parliament, Brussels

19–20 october, experience-sharing workshop and launch of the “Improving West Africa’s Capacity in Mediation and peace processes” project, Accra

21–23 october, Fieldwork needs assessment and planning ses-sions with Wipnet, Monrovia

24–26 october, Supporting Yemeni national Dialogue and Confi-dence Building, 1st workshop, Istanbul

31 october–5 november, Moldova-transdniestria dialogue group study tour, Cyprus

November 20119 november, Seminar on “Managing Cultural Risk”, co-hosted with World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, Helsinki

16 november, First national Ahtisaari Day, oulu

16–17 november, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, national panel meetings, Cairo

28 november–1 December, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, small group meetings, Beirut

29 november, CMI Annual Fall Meeting and Seminar on “peace Mediation – What Kind of Support is needed?”, Helsinki

29–30 november, experience-sharing workshop on gender-based violence and mediation for regional experts from liberia, nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, Abuja

December 20118 December, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, small group meetings, Beirut

9–10 December, Black Sea peacebuilding network regional meeting, Istanbul

January 201218–20 January, Supporting Yemeni national Dialogue and Confi-dence Building, 2nd workshop, Istanbul

February 201216–18 February, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, workshop with individual participants, Beirut

March 2012 5 March, Joint seminar with upI-FIIA on “Global networks of Mediation: the prospects of Finland and other Small States as peacemakers” at the Finnish parliament, Helsinki

13–14 March, promoting palestinian Dialogue, workshop, Cairo

april 2012 5–8 April, Foresight for Conflict prevention in the Middle east, institutional-level panel meeting, Amman

25 April, High-level conference on “Regional Actors as Vectors for peace – What role for the eu?”, co-organised with the euro-pean parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, Brussels

24-25 April, process design meeting, Mazar-e-Sharif

34

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

CMI and European Parliament contemplate the role of regional actors in peacemaking “Mediation and dialogue are proven to be cost-effective tools to tackle violent conflicts”, highlighted President Martti Ahtisaari at the conference “Regional Ac-tors as Vectors for Peace – What Role for the EU?” organised jointly by CMI and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Europe-an Parliament on 25 April 2012 in Brussels. “Despite the unavoidable effects of the fi-nancial crisis, it is important to maintain the commitment of the European Union and its Member States towards conflict prevention and peacemaking. It is not often realised that the economic cost of conflict in the past 20 years overrides many times the losses from the current financial crisis”.

At the conference, high-level speak-ers elaborated on the role regional actors can play in peacemaking and mediation, in order to offer insights on the role EU could play in this area. They agreed that regional actors have an important role to play in solving modern conflicts, which often have effects on the whole region and beyond. Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, recognised that mediation usually requires expertise in a variety of different areas: “A combina-tion of different actors, serving different roles in the process, is often beneficial.

The United Nations, regional actors and track two organisations can all have their added value”.

During the day, mediators, civil society representatives and regional actors from around the world shared their unique experiences and views on the added value of regional actors in international peace mediation, on grass-roots level negotiation processes, the role of insider mediators and on regional peacemaking in practice. An audience of over 500, including Mem-bers of the European Parliament and the EU institutions as well as representatives of various embassies, non-governmental organisations and civil society, gathered to learn about the challenges and opportuni-ties for the EU.

“In view of the groundbreaking devel-opments, which are giving regional actors a more prominent role in peace-building efforts and changing the international environment and the way in which vari-ous players interact, the European Union is duty-bound to find the best possible means of acting as effectively as it can in support of peace”, concluded Martin Schulz, President of the European Parlia-ment.

1

2

35

An

nu

Al

Re

po

Rt

20

11/2

012

1. President Ahtisaari: “It is important to maintain the commitment of the EU towards conflict prevention”

2. Mediators, civil society and regional actors from across the globe shared their experiences

3. High-level speakers agreed that regional actors have an important role in solving modern conflicts

4. The conference sought insights on the role EU could play in peacemaking

5. Over 500 participants gathered to listen and discuss

3 4

5

More information,including full

recordingand images:

www.cmi.fi/news

Photography: Saila Huusko/CMI, Mariama Conteh/CMI, CMI staff, tuomo Manninen/Graalphoto, ossi Gustafsson, Georg Darchiashvili, Yemen national newspaper Graphic Design: Hiekka Graphics Printing: Yliopistopaino

eteläranta 12, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finlandtel +358 9 424 2810, cmi.helsinki@cmi.fi

205 Rue Belliard, Box 3, Be-1040 Brussels, Belgium

tel +32 2 239 2115, cmi.brussels@cmi.fi

Follow CMI’s workWeb: www.cmi.fi Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrisisManagementInitiative twitter: twitter.com/cmioffice

Videos: vimeo.com/cmivideos, www.youtube.com/user/CMIFinland Images: www.flickr.com/photos/crisismanagementinitiative/