International Alert Impact Report 2009

Understanding conflict. Building

peace.Our impact in 2009

IntroductIon 3

our strategIc perspectIve 5

the BusIness of peace 9

development and aId: our puBlIc voIce 11

makIng people safe 15

a voIce for women 17

west afrIca 19

afrIcan great lakes 21

the caucasus and central asIa 25

south asIa 29

phIlIppInes 33

fInancIal sectIon 35

acknowledgements 39

About International Alert International Alert is an independent peacebuilding organisation that has worked for over 20 years to lay the foundations for lasting peace and security in communities affected by violent conflict. Our multifaceted approach focuses both in and across various regions; aiming to shape policies and practices that affect peacebuilding; and helping build skills and capacity through training. Our field work is based in Africa, South Asia, the South Caucasus, Latin America, Lebanon and the Philippines. Our thematic projects work at local, regional and international levels, focusing on cross-cutting issues critical to building sustainable peace. These include business and economy, gender, governance, aid, security and justice. We are one of the world’s leading peacebuilding NGOs with more than 125 staff based in London and our 13 field offices. To learn more, visit www.international-alert.org.

© International Alert 2010All 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: p.2, 28 Nepal © International Alert/Chris Underwood; p.4 Lebanon © Jennifer Hayes; p.6, 16, 18 Liberia © International Alert/Jonathan Banks; p.8, 22 Burundi © International Alert/Jenny Matthews; p.10 Vietnam © Tung X. Ngo/IRIN News, http://www.irinnews.org/; p.12 Bangladesh © Manoocher Deghati/IRIN News, http://www.irinnews.org/; p.14 Sudan © Timothy Mckulka/UNMIS – IRIN News, http://www.irinnews.org/; p.20 DRC © International Alert/Jenny Matthews; p.24, 26 Tajikistan © Steve Evans; p.30 Sri Lanka © Vidarshi de Silva Wijeyeratne/HelpAge International, available under a Creative Commons licence; p.32 Philippines © Jasper Llanderal; p.34 Rwanda © International Alert/Jenny Matthews; p.38 Sri Lanka © International Alert/Ilaria Bianchi.

Layout by D. R. ink, www.d-r-ink.com. Printed by PWPFS.

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International Alert has been growing over the past several years. Compared to an annual turnover of £5 million in 2006, we registered £10 million in 2009. Though economic recession and the prospect of public spending cuts in many of our main donor governments caution us about what may happen in the near future, we are set to continue this trend in 2010.

The increased level of finance only represents increased activity. We now have 13 offices in other countries. In 2009 we started working for the first time in Lebanon and Tajikistan, while laying the foundations for new offices in the Philippines to consolidate our work there, and in Brussels to take forward our EU advocacy.

Our real impact comes not from offices alone but because, everywhere that we work, our approach is knowledge-based and tailored to the needs of that place. That takes time, analysis and implementation by the most valuable of all our assets: our people.

Since 2006 we have grown from about 80 staff members to 125, of whom 65 are in London and 60 in our overseas offices.

And we invest time and money into ensuring that we recruit the best and offer them every chance to develop their skills and talents further. Some staff members at Alert have decades of experience, others are relatively new; all are motivated by a commitment to our mission goals and to fulfilling them through high quality work. As a result, our small teams are able to make a real difference in circumstances that are always complex, often difficult and sometimes dangerous.

At Alert we bring insight gained from working on the ground to decision-makers’ tables. In 2009 we capitalised on previous investment in expanding our communications to broaden our range of advocacy work. As a result, our growing influence in the last 12 months can be seen in the thinking of the main political parties in the UK, donor institutions and increasingly at EU and UN levels.

This unique ability to bring forward unheard voices and a genuine appreciation of how things look from the village is how we seek to change the world around us, not simply respond to it.

It has taken time and hard work to be able to develop in this way. We entered 2009 with a new business model in place. We

spent more than a year involved in discussions throughout the organisation to delineate this model – an expression of what sort of organisation we need to be in order to fulfil our mission goals and do the work we believe is so necessary.

our mission goals

The main message of the business model is that, in order to undertake our well informed and carefully shaped peacebuilding interventions, the organisation needed to work on a somewhat bigger scale. It is the nature of the financing we receive that determines this course of action; so much of it is project-specific that we have to be able to benefit in our administration and management from economies of scale.

This is what we have now set out to do. In the course of 2009, we generated a detailed business plan, putting figures on the business model. And we developed a new five-year strategic perspective. This articulates our approach and sets out the key initiatives we need to implement in order to scale up successfully. You can read a summary in the next section of this report.

We enter 2010 with a strong sense of the extent of the challenges that face vulnerable, conflict-ridden communities, and with a growing sense of our capacity to be part of building a more peaceful world. Crucial to this will be the continued support and engagement of our donors, to whom we remain deeply grateful.

dan smith richard dales Secretary-General Chairman

1. to work directly with people affected by violent conflict in support of their efforts to improve their prospects for peace;

2. to shape international policy and practice that affect peacebuilding; and

3. to strengthen the expertise, impact and public profile of the peacebuilding sector.

IntroductIon

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International alert’s missionAlert has a three-part mission:

1. To work together with people who live in areas affected or threatened by armed conflict, to make a positive difference for peace;

2. To improve both the substance and implementation of international policies that affect peacebuilding and the prospects for peace; and

3. To strengthen the peacebuilding sector.

These three broad tasks are part of fulfilling Alert’s vision of a world in which, when people pursue their human rights and seek betterment for themselves and their communities, conflicts that arise are pursued with wisdom so that they do not erupt into violence. The problem is not conflict – the problem is violent conflict.

International alert’s workIn order to fulfil our mission goals in the changing world context:

1. We support and work with groups and institutions in conflict-affected countries that are mobilising for peace.

2. We advocate improvements in peacebuilding policy and practice based on the evidence of experience. Our advocacy targets are governments, international organisations, businesses and NGOs.

3. We explore the key international issues that have an impact on prospects for peace and devise and advocate appropriate policies.

4. We work to strengthen the peacebuilding sector, through improving our own practice, through training and through public outreach to increase awareness and support.

5. In a new departure, we have begun to explore how the approach we take and the insights we have gained through peacebuilding in other countries could be of use in the UK, drawing on this work to inform our practice overseas.

for the full version including contextual analysis, visit www.international-alert.org/strategic.perspective

over the next five yearsInternational Alert will continue working in all the regions where we are now active.

• We will expand our activities in West Africa and the Great Lakes Region, in the Caucasus, Lebanon, Nepal and the Philippines.

• We will expand our work in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America.

• We will explore regions where we can develop further based on initial work in one part of the area: the Middle East beyond Lebanon, Central Asia beyond Tajikistan, and the Horn of Africa building on our initial work on Sudan.

Alert will continue to build on its well established expertise on a number of cross-cutting issues in peacebuilding – gender, the economics of peacebuilding and the role of the private sector, community security and access to justice, aid effectiveness and governance, climate change and its relationship to conflict risk and peacebuilding. Our ability to connect local voices to international fora contributes decisively to the impact of our work with international organisations.

In recent years, Alert has significantly strengthened its capacity for training and learning. In 2010-2014 we will expand our training offers, making more courses and events available to more participants in a wider range of locations. We will do this in part by intensifying the active and explicit links between training and learning and the work of our regional programmes.

5yearsstrategIc perspectIve 2010-2014

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During 2010-2014, International Alert will:

1. scale up across the organisation: In 2008, Alert discussed and identified its best business model. To deliver peacebuilding as we understand it requires work that is tailored to each context. This is a knowledge-intensive, design-heavy approach in which considerable investment is required to allow time for adequate reflection, planning and assessment. Our analysis of our funding environment revealed that, in broad terms, the way to provide adequate resources for this business model is by expanding the volume of projects while maintaining the level of core funding. The business plan agreed in 2009 shows in detail how to do this. We will put this plan into effect in 2010-2014 and, while small-scale activities will still be carried out, the organisation as a whole and each individual programme will scale up, allowing us to deepen our engagement in the places where we work, and increase our impact.

2. engage with key international peacebuilding institutions: Alert has considerable experience of advocacy with some governments, the EU and the UN. Recently, we strengthened this work and began advocacy with the World Bank. In 2010-2014, Alert will continue to step this work up. We will recruit a team, based both in London and in countries where the UN Peacebuilding Commission and World Bank are active. We will strengthen our presence in Brussels and develop a more systematic approach to EU advocacy. We will also engage directly with the African Union. As we do so, our

way of working will acknowledge the growing role of China and the G-20 governments.

3. Be among the agenda-setters on major international questions: Alert has been at the forefront of thinking on key peace issues in our work on business and conflict, gender and peace, and community security. More recently, on climate change and aid effectiveness, we have again been among those that are shaping the agenda. We will continue this role and extend to other issues utilising our reputational, networking and staff assets. To do this, we will meet and discuss with a wide range of official perspectives including G-20 governments such as China, India and Brazil. Youth disempowerment, the peace and conflict effect of choices of energy system, and the content and meaning of international development are the kinds of questions in which we can productively engage.

4. Initiate work on community conflict in the uk: As an organisation, Alert has never worked on conflict issues within the UK. An international peacebuilding organisation ought to see if it can offer something at home. Some leading participants in community cohesion work in the UK have welcomed our analytical and comparative approach and encouraged us to bring international lessons home. We also know there is much that we can learn. We shall seek opportunities for working together with them. In time, it may be possible to work in this way with organisations in other European countries as well. All of this work will need to be specifically funded and Alert will not draw on funds given to us for work overseas.

5. validate our mission and its effect: During 2010-2014, we will assess our contribution to events in conflict-affected countries and to shaping policies in international institutions. This will include commissioning independent studies as well as other ways of reaching out to get feedback. We will thus develop a body of analysis of what worked and what did not in some of our long-term work. We fully expect this to reveal flaws and underline difficulties faced, but also to show our impact and provide evidence to strengthen the case for peacebuilding and for Alert as one of the world’s major peacebuilding NGOs.

5initiatives

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2009 IMPACT OBJECTIVES

1. Work together with donor agencies to improve their policy guidance for private-sector development and economic recovery practitioners operating in conflict-affected and conflict-prone environments.

2. Help to create a transnational network of civil society

organisations working on issues of human rights and natural resources in the Andean region of Latin America (Colombia, Peru and Ecuador).

2009 REPORT AGAINST OBJECTIVES 1. In 2009 we began work to support DFID in redefining its

approach to private-sector development and economic recovery in conflict-prone and conflict-affected countries. The new methodology will be piloted in conflict-affected countries in 2010.

2. We designed and obtained funds for a project to create this

network in 2009 and will begin implementation in 2010.


1. Increase uptake and implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, a set of non-binding principles developed in 2000 to address the issue of balancing safety needs while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms by the private sector, particularly in Latin America.

2. Strengthen peacebuilding approaches among South Asian civil society participants, particularly their analysis of political

economies, through our ‘Economic Dimensions of Peacebuilding’ course.

2009

2010

the BusIness of peace

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1. Influence the UK Government’s policy so that DFID’s 2009 White Paper reflects the need to adopt a markedly different peacebuilding approach, tailored to the realities of governance that prevail in conflict-affected contexts.

2. Advise the World Bank and other donors on how to

integrate practical peacebuilding into World Bank country operations.

3. Alter the debate in the UK by staging at least one public

discussion with leading UK policy-makers on the links between climate change and conflict, and the policy responses required to meet these challenges.

4. Influence inter-governmental discussions launching a

significant climate change and conflict public policy report ahead of COP 15.

5. Influence the next UK Government by staging public

debates and lobbying at the party political conferences in the UK in a general election year to make the case to those who will form the next administration for reform of overseas development aid in order to genuinely meet the needs of conflict-affected regions.

2009 REPORT AGAINST OBJECTIVES

1. DFID published a new overseas development White Paper which for the first time established ‘Building Peaceful States and Societies’ as one of the core aims of the government’s overseas development policy. This is in line with what Alert has long been arguing, and we worked hard to explain and convince government officials of this while the White Paper was being developed, and advised the other political parties as they considered their own development policies.

2. Based on Alert’s advice, the World Bank adapted the way

it develops and approves projects in Nepal. Under this new system, it considers not only the expected impact of the project on poverty, but also on the conflicts that have affected Nepal’s ability to make social and economic progress.

3. Public discussion held at Chatham House to launch Climate

Change, Conflict and Fragility, a new report released ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15) highlighting the urgent policy responses needed from global leaders to meet these challenges.

4. Engaged some of those attending COP 15 on the basis of

Alert’s Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility report.

5. Staged a public debate at each of the political party

conferences at which senior politicians debated with our Secretary-General and other leading thinkers on how to genuinely reform overseas development aid for conflict-affected regions.

development and aId: our puBlIc voIce

2009

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2010


1. Publish a report, designed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the UN Millennium Development Goals, explaining how aid continues to be designed and used in ways that unwittingly reinforce conflict in poor countries.

2. Influence the way in which UK, EU and UN policy-makers and other influential voices understand aid and its impacts, by

refocusing the debate not on how aid works, but on what it is intended to achieve. 3. Start relevant activities in at least five countries based on our broad findings on the links between climate change and

insecurity and between peacebuilding and adaptation to climate change.

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1. Lay foundations for improving security by researching how women and men in Burundi and Nepal feel about their own and their families’ personal safety, and using the results to push for security improvements.

2. Improve levels of protection from sexual violence by

providing counselling and support for women and girls in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, and members of their communities.


1. Using participatory research methods, we conducted “snapshot” security assessments of three districts in Nepal, sharing findings and promoting better donor engagement with the security system through publications and a series of dialogues on public security in Kathmandu. In Burundi, research was conducted on the gender dimensions of security sector reform, and this will serve as the basis of ongoing engagement during 2010.

2. We have helped to change knowledge, attitudes and

practices in rural communities in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and within the justice sector. Our support to women survivors contributed to survivor support groups gaining in number and strength, communities openly discussing sexual violence, local chiefs and elders becoming increasingly open to discussing and promoting the rights of women, and state and traditional authorities increasing their collaboration to respond to women’s security threats.


1. Improve security and justice service provision in rural areas of Liberia and Nepal by researching grassroots perceptions of security and formal and informal access to justice, and by sharing findings with government, donors and other peacebuilding agencies.

2. Strengthen knowledge and practice around economic reintegration of ex-combatants by conducting research in Nepal,

building capacity of Nepali stakeholders, and sharing findings locally and internationally via publications and training programmes.

3. Increase understanding of the factors that turn fragility into violence by conducting research in Liberia and Nepal on how

media influences people’s perceptions of insecurity at national and community levels.

2009

2010

makIng people safe

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1. Build the capacity of our partners and other civil society organisations to monitor policy commitments and to use evidence-based advocacy so that gender is more effectively integrated into peacebuilding processes.

2. Contribute to the greater political participation of women

by implementing research with women’s organisations in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to evaluate the degree to which this participation has increased, and develop plans to improve it further.

3. Advocate for greater systematic efforts by regional bodies

(e.g. the African Union) to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on the rights of women and other policy commitments on Women, Peace and Security.


1. Conference held at the start of 2009 for women’s organisations from 8 conflict-affected countries to develop new approaches to advocating for peacebuilding processes to take full account of gender.

2. Working with women in each country in the Great Lakes

Region, we have undertaken research into women’s political participation, and will publish the results in 2010.

3. We closely advised the EU on how to put into action their

commitments around Women, Peace and Security, after they had adopted a key policy framework reflecting Alert’s advice in 2008. For example, we delivered recommendations on how the EU can improve its record on Women, Peace and Security, developed jointly with 45 European civil society organisations, at an annual meeting of EU member states in Brussels jointly led by Alert. In New York, Alert brought together the EU and the African Union for a joint meeting which provided an opportunity for the two regional bodies to develop lines of collaboration on questions concerning women and gender in peacebuilding.


1. Advocate for international peacebuilding practice to go further than increasing the representation of women’s voices in peace processes, and begin to integrate an awareness of the role of gender identities in perpetuating violence.

2. Contribute to greater political participation of women and young people in the Great Lakes Region and West Africa through

research, training, capacity-building and awareness-raising.

2009

2010

a voIce for women

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1. Grow community-based radio in Liberia and São Tomé and Príncipe by training and accompanying station leaders to develop business plans so that the stations will become financially sustainable and produce programmes pertinent to community needs.

2. Predict and inform the response to likely future conflicts

in Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria by exploring the link between environmental stress, climate change and human security and violent conflict at different scales and localities along the Niger in collaboration with the Tyndall Centre, a UK-based research institution on climate change.

3. Encourage the implementation of UNSCR 1325, which

requires parties to a conflict to respect women’s rights and support their participation in post-conflict peace negotiations and reconstruction, by developing a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 in the region.

4. Contribute to peace in Guinea by continuing the Alert-

hosted dialogue among Guineans in Guinea and the diaspora on themes such as elections, management of natural resources and national reconciliation.


1. Provided training to the leaders and staff of community radio stations in Liberia and São Tomé and Príncipe, thereby increasing programme quality and developing business plans which helped them to generate income from the local community and INGOs.

2. Funding constraints prevented this study from being

carried out.

3. Our accompaniment of women’s groups in Liberia in the

drafting of a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security led them to become increasingly aware of their rights and the role they can play in consolidating the democratic processes. This included the ability to monitor the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on the ground.

4. Following a coup d’état in Guinea, some participants

of our dialogue sessions were influential in brokering agreements between the military junta and other groups throughout 2009.


1. Work with traditional leaders to increase their contribution to democratic life in their countries. 2. Investigate the link between climate change and water security in Mali, Niger and Nigeria. 3. Raise public awareness of the need to increase the participation of women and young people in politics and decision-making

processes in the region. 4. Facilitate the development of a national reconciliation process in Guinea.

2009

2010

west afrIca

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1. Strengthen our existing work on reconciliation in Rwanda with wider participation and an extension to new districts following an evaluation of the pilot phase in January.

2. Work with the Burundian police forces to enhance their

capacity to promote women’s security in collaboration with partner organisations.

3. Raise awareness of the conflict potential of oil exploration in

the Ugandan Albertine Rift.

4. Encourage confidence-building and trust by facilitating a

programme of contact between civil society organisations on either side of the DRC-Rwandan border.


1. This was delayed until 2010. Our programme in Rwanda plans to double its target area, based on a 2009 evaluation which showed that the project has been highly successful in rebuilding relationships among divided people. We will partner with a specialist youth organisation, and our dialogue work will be extended through them to youth groups and secondary schools.

2. Alert and its partner organisation Dushirehamwe

contributed successfully to the training of the Burundian police force. Among other positive responses, the Director General of the Burundi National Police asked Alert to continue our collaboration, aimed at integrating gender in the reformed police service.

3. Alert published a major study on the conflict potential of

oil exploration in Uganda. In this report, we urge national and local government and oil companies to be transparent and inclusive in sharing information about developments in the oil sector in order to minimise the conflict risks and maximise the benefits of oil discovery for all. The report provoked considerable interest, and Alert has been engaged in a number of follow-up activities promoting better communications around the issue of oil in Uganda.

4. Research among petty traders plying between Goma (DRC)

and Gisenyi (Rwanda) demonstrated that around 22,000 people, mostly women, depend on cross-border trade between the two towns, mainly in foodstuffs. Civil society and business representatives from both sides of the border made recommendations geared towards removing some of the constraints these traders face, and a follow-up meeting for women traders from the two countries will be held in January 2010.

2009

afrIcan great lakes

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2010


1. Complete research into women’s political participation in the Great Lakes Region and begin advocacy based on the outcomes. 2. Assess the peacebuilding effectiveness of international institutions operating in Burundi and share conclusions with them to

improve their impact. 3. Provide advice to donors so that their support to economic recovery in Northern Uganda also contributes to peacebuilding. 4. Support multi-ethnic communities in North and South Kivu, DRC, in coming together to identify and manage development and

rehabilitation projects of benefit to the whole community. 5. Complete major research projects in DRC on the conflict dimensions of the minerals industry, on sexual violence and on

community-based peacebuilding networks. 6. Implement our reconciliation programme in Rwanda in an expanded number of districts and with a new focus on youth.

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1. Strengthen conflict-specific civil society dialogue to improve cross-conflict analysis and to reframe conflict issues from hard-line positions to interest-based solutions.

2. Strengthen and widen coalitions of business people who

have a vested interest in building peace across conflict divides in the South Caucasus.

3. Foster dialogue between civil society and decision-makers

in order to promote policy solutions to the conflicts in the South Caucasus.

4. Strengthen the capacity of civil society figures in South

Ossetia to engage in dialogue by supporting interventions to respond to local needs.

5. Develop actionable policy recommendations on resource

management in order to address new strategies to deal with threats and challenges to security in Tajikistan.


1. Our facilitation of a Georgian-Abkhaz civil society dialogue made a significant new contribution to debate on the conflict with a groundbreaking publication on security guarantees which outlined the separate analyses of both Georgian and Abkhaz civil society experts on the need for security guarantees, the reasons why the sides have been unable to agree on them, as well as barriers and opportunities for future agreements.

2. Our work with the Caucasus Business Development

Network (CBDN) continued in 2009 and resulted in: - Regional economic initiatives bringing together Armenian,

Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish as well as Abkhaz, Nagorno-Karabakhi and South Ossetian business communities. These processes led to the development of joint branded products to promote regional economic cooperation which underlines common economic interests.

- Advocacy work promoting cross-conflict divide and regional economic cooperation, bringing together hundreds of stakeholders across the region.

3. In 2009 a significant part of Alert’s work addressing

the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict focused on facilitating interaction between existing peacebuilding initiatives and the official peace negotiations process. One of the most visible contributions was the Armenian-Azerbaijani Public Peace Forum that we organised and facilitated in March 2009. The Forum brought 40 Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society leaders and other experts together with official international mediators.

4. In 2009 we secured funds to begin work in South Ossetia,

following the war of August 2008 which saw Russia invade Georgia after clashes between Georgia and South Ossetia. This work will begin in 2010.

5. In 2009 we recruited a new Country Director for Tajikistan.

With this leadership in place and working in partnership with local organisations, our new programme for this part of Central Asia will start in 2010.

2009

the caucasus and central asIa

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2010


1. Strengthen the capacity of civil society figures in South Ossetia by supporting interventions to respond to local needs. 2. Inject independent analysis into public and political debate in Georgia-Abkhazia on issues related to peacebuilding. 3. Increase capacity of a range of mass media groups to provide balanced and challenging media coverage, thus changing

attitudes and enabling progress in conflict resolution. 4. Expand the reach and influence of the Caucasus Business Development Network (CBDN). 5. Establish new mechanisms for South Caucasus regional dialogue that support bilateral peace processes. 6. Develop actionable policy recommendations that will influence civil and state strategies affecting security in Tajikistan.

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1. Build in-country capacity in Nepal and Sri Lanka for peacebuilding through appropriate training activities for selected target groups and partners.

2. Ensure that peace networks and constituencies with whom

Alert is working are strengthened during times of crisis.

3. Contribute to policy and programming initiatives of partner

governments as well as donor agencies that contribute to building peace especially on issues of justice for all, security and equitable economic conditions.

4. Facilitate stronger regional linkages and collaboration on

youth issues and the formulation of a South Asia blueprint for conflict-sensitive youth policy and programming.


1. Alert partnered with the Peace and Development Institute (PDI) to roll out 6 core and specialised courses to strengthen the professional skills and capacities of practitioners, policy-makers and donors working in or on conflict in South Asia – of which 2 were piloted for the first time globally. Alert contributed expertise to the training courses on youth and conflict as well as on the economic dimensions of peacebuilding. Altogether, PDI trained 87 practitioners from across South and Southeast Asia in 2009.

2. Throughout increasing instability in Nepal and the

final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka, Alert actively strengthened our peace networks in both countries. This included our work with leaders of the business community, who demonstrated their commitment to promoting responsible investment opportunities that contribute to peaceful development.

3. A National Youth Survey and youth consultations have been

completed in Sri Lanka, highlighting opinions of young people on development, governance and cultural issues, which is available now for policy-makers and practitioners to improve policy formulation and programming. Furthermore, the Nepal programme is being consulted by government as well as development partners on security and justice issues faced by local communities, with a special focus on women and youth.

4. We built further regional links and collaboration on youth

issues, primarily by hosting a major conference on youth featuring experiences and challenges from Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which led to a continued sharing of experiences and resources among partners in all three countries. We also signed an MOU with the Prince of Wales Youth Business International Ltd. (YBI) to work together to better understand the contribution of youth entrepreneurship initiatives to peacebuilding, including the design, implementation and impact assessment of youth entrepreneurship programmes. We will be taking this programme forward in Sri Lanka and Nepal.

2009

south asIa

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2010


1. Establish a training and learning institution to operate in Sri Lanka with regional outreach to other parts of South Asia, offering expertise on peacebuilding and development strategies.

2. Found a research and advocacy network in South Asia on the relationship between climate change and security in the region. 3. Build a model for youth employment initiatives in conflict-affected areas in South Asia. 4. Establish new strategic partnerships in Sri Lanka and Nepal to strengthen peaceful post-war development and community

security.

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2010

phIlIppInes


In 2009 Alert broadened its engagement in the Philippines to include conflict in Mindanao, in addition to longstanding work on the national conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF)/National Peoples’ Army (NPA). In 2010, we will further consolidate this broader approach, aiming in particular to: 1. Maintain communication between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic

Front (NDF) negotiating panels, in the context of the results of the May presidential elections. 2. Expand the reach of the Waging Peace and Generation Peace networks of peace advocates. 3. Establish a new mechanism for transformative dialogue and action in Mindanao Mindanao (namely the Mindanao

Multi-stakeholder Group/MMG). 4. Invest in the skills of local business and community leaders in Conflict-Sensitive Responsible Business Practice (CSRBP)

concepts and guiding principles and in the application of this knowledge to community consultation and analysis processes in Mindanao.

5. Revisit our Philippines country strategy in light of a planned external evaluation of our peacebuilding work and the

appointment of a Country Director.

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fInancIal sectIon

Treasurer’s Report

Continuing the trend of recent years, having invested in improved financial controls and effective fundraising supported by robust management, we emerged in a strong financial position at the end of 2009.

Total income during the year ended 31 December 2009 was £10.51 million. Total charitable expenditure was £9.71 million, which represents an increase of £1.73 million on £7.98 million in 2008.

Within our income, unrestricted income in 2009 was £2.37 million, comprising £1.83 million in incoming resources from generated funds (£1.67 million of institutional grants; £149,000 in donations and gifts and £11,000 of investment income) and a further £534,000 of incoming resources from charitable activities. This growth in unrestricted income largely reflects the continuous efforts that have been made to strengthen relationships with institutional funders and to increase income from donations and gifts in recent years.

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.

Overall funds being carried forward to 2010 are £5 million (compared to £4.25 million carried forward to 2009). The total carried forward is made up of £3.6 million restricted funds as well as the £1.4 million unrestricted funds. It should be noted that the high balance of restricted funds is due to timing of receipts in 2009 and that restricted funds represent funds received from donors that are committed to be spent on existing projects in 2010 and beyond.

Unrestricted reserves are held primarily as a contingent buffer that can be used, for example, for long term investment in the competence of staff, investment in new programmes, to fund fixed assets, to provide a degree of stability in a period of adverse funding, to manage fluctuations in cash flow or to respond rapidly to opportunities that may present themselves. A strong level of unrestricted reserves is particularly important in a time of financial

uncertainty like the present; it was thus both welcome and a reflection of effective budget management that in 2009 we were able to increase our net general unrestricted reserves.

In conclusion, system changes, restructuring, capacity building and investment between 2004 and 2009 have all contributed to a much improved financial picture at the end of 2009. Work underway to diversify sources of unrestricted income and to increase contributions to indirect costs has borne fruit and will continue into 2010, along with efforts to increase restricted income streams. A good contribution to reserves has been made in 2009 and International Alert’s balance sheet and cash flow at the year-end are secure. We are looking to achieve a continued period of financial growth in 2010 and beyond in line with the business plan of the organisation for the period 2010 to 2014, notwithstanding the current economic climate.

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 27th May 2010. Copies of the full accounts have been submitted to the Charity Commission and Register of Companies. This summarised financial information may not contain sufficient information to gain 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

craig mcgilvrayHonourary TreasurerInternational Alert

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Independent Auditor’s Statement to the Trustees of International Alert

We have examined the summarised financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2009.

respective responsibilities of trustees and auditorsThe trustees are responsible for preparing the summarized financial statements in accordance with the 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 opinionWe conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/03. Our report on the company’s full annual financial statements describes the basis of our opinion on those financial statements and the Trustees’ Report.

opinionIn our opinion the summarised financial statements are consistent with the full financial statements and the Trustees’ Annual Report of International Alert for the year ended 31 December 2009 and complies with the applicable requirements of section 427 of the Companies Act 2006, and the regulations made thereafter.

kingston smith llpDevonshire HouseChartered Accountants and Registered Auditors60 Goswell RoadLondon 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 2009

2009 2008

£’000 £’000

fixed assets

Tangible assets 66 79

current assets

Debtors 642 738

Cash at bank and in hand 4,841 3,707

5,483 4,445

creditors

Amounts falling due within one year 503 277

503 277

net current assets 4,980 4,168

total net assets 5,046 4,247

funds

Unrestricted

General funds 1,012 734

Designated fund 459 380

1,471 1,114

Restricted 3,575 3,133

5,046 4,247

Statement of Financial Activities

The statement of financial activities includes income and expenditure for the year ended unrestricted restricted 2009 2008

funds funds total Total

£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000Incoming resourcesIncoming resources from generated fundsvoluntary incomeInstitutional grants 1,673 - 1,673 1,303Donations and gifts 149 - 149 92Investment income 11 8 19 51Incoming resources from charitable activitiesWorking with people to make a positive difference for peace 367 5,163 5,530 5,482

Improving international policies that affect the prospects for peace 144 2,488 2,632 2,854

Strengthening the peacebuilding sector 23 484 507 585

total incoming resources 2,367 8,143 10,510 10,367

resources expendedcosts of generating funds 133 - 133 127charitable activitiesWorking with people to make a positive difference for peace 939 4,855 5,794 4,749

Improving international policies that affect the prospects for peace 575 2,325 2,900 2,275

Strengthening the peacebuilding sector 297 521 818 767governance costs 66 66 64

total resources expended 2,010 7,701 9,711 7,982

net incoming resources 357 442 799 2,385

Funds brought forward at 1 January 2009 1,114 3,133 4,247 1,862

funds carried forward at 31 december 2009 1,471 3,575 5,046 4,247

The total of “funds carried forward” includes £1.4 million of unrestricted reserves and £3.6 million of grants received in late 2009 for implementation in 2010.

Our Income

How we spent the money in 2009

n Africa programmesn Eurasia programmesn Asia programmesn Peacebuilding issues programmen Middle East programmen Fundraisingn Management and Administration

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

12,000,000

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

£5,5

52,0

00

£5,6

32,0

00

£5,2

29,0

00

£5,3

11,0

00

£7,4

67,0

00

£10,

367,0

00

£10,

510,

000

39acknowledgements

AusAID (Australia)Arsenault Family FoundationBarrow Cadbury TrustBread for the World (Germany)CAREC B and H H Taylor 1984 TrustThe Ceniarth FoundationComic ReliefConflict Prevention Pool, UKCordaidDavid and Elaine Potter FoundationDepartment of Foreign Affairs, Republic of

IrelandEuropean Commission (EC)German Federal Ministry for Economic

Cooperation and Development (BMZ)Government of Canada (DFAIT)Management Systems International (MSI) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwayMinistry of Foreign Affairs, SwedenMisereor (Germany)Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI)Open Society Georgia FoundationRoyal Danish Ministry of Foreign AffairsShellSwedish International Development Cooperation

Agency (SIDA)Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

(SDC)The Delegation of the European Commission

to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan

The Macedonian Charitable TrustThe Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)The Souter Charitable TrustThe World BankTurner BroadcastingUK Department for International Development

(DFID)UK Embassy in AngolaUK Embassy in BogotaUK Embassy in GeorgiaUnited Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP)United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)United States Agency for International

Development (USAID)

USAID/SPRING (Stability Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Uganda) Project

William Adlington Cadbury Charitable TrustWorkers Beer Company

GAPS (Gender Action for Peace and Security) is funded through: The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Polden Puckham

we acknowledge our partnerships with:

ColombiaACP - La Asociación Colombiana del Petróleo

Comité Minero Energético para los Derechos Humanos

FIP - Fundación Ideas para la PazIndepaz - Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo

y la Paz

GlobalActionAidAdelphi ResearchCAFODCARECenter on International Cooperation (CIC)Christian AidConciliation ResourcesConcordis InternationalCrisis Management Initiative (CMI)EGMONTEuropean Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)FAFO, NorwayFundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y

el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE)GAPSHellenic Foundation for European and Foreign

Policy (ELIAMEP)International Center for Transitional Justice

(ICTJ)InterpeaceNEP/CES (Peace Studies Group of the Centre

for Social Sciences - University of Coimbra)Netherlands Institute for International Relations

(Clingendael)Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP)Partners for Democratic Change International

(PDCI)Plan International UKResponding to ConflictSaferworld

Save the Children UKSearch for Common GroundShell Skillshare InternationalTransition InternationalWorld VisionYork UniversityYouth Business International (YBI)

Great Lakes Region of AfricaActions des Femmes pour les Initiatives de Paix/

Association des Femmes Chrétiennes (AFIP/AFEC), DRC

Alpha Ujuvi, DRCARCT-Ruhuka (Association Rwandaise des

Conseillers en Traumatisme), Rwanda Association d’Appui aux Initiatives de Base –

APIBA, DRCCARE Uganda Centre d’Etudes et de Formation pour la Gestion

et la Prévention des Conflits dans la Région des Grands Lacs (CEGEC), DRC

Cercle d’Initiative pour une Vision Commune (CIVIC), Burundi

Collectif des Associations Féminines pour le Développement (CAFED), DRC

Collective of Genocide Survivors’ Organisations (IBUKA), Rwanda

Commission Diocésaine Justice et Paix, North Kivu province, DRC

Conseil des Organisations des Femmes Agissant en Synergie (COFAS), DRC

Dushirehamwe, BurundiDuterimbere ASBL (Association Sans But

Lucratif), RwandaDuterimbere IMF (Institution de Micro-Finance),

RwandaDynamique Synergie des Femmes (DSF), DRCEast African Sub-Regional Initiative on the

Advancement of Women, Great LakesFellowship of Christian Councils and Churches

in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA)

Forum des Amis de la Terre, DRCGreat Lakes Ecumenical Forum, Great LakesGroupe d’Actions de Citoyens pour la

Surveillance de la Transition/Observatoire Citoyen de l’Action Publique (GAT/OCAP), DRC

Institut Africain de Développement Economique et Social (INADES – Formation), Burundi

International Alert is dependent on grants and donations for its peacebuilding programmes. We are indebted to the following donors and also to the growing number of individuals who have given financial support, attended events and who have volunteered their time. We wish to acknowledge financial support from the following organisations:

40

Institut de Recherche et de Dialogue pour la Paix (IRDP), Rwanda

Kitara Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA), Uganda

Le Caucus des Femmes de Sud Kivu pour la Paix, DRC

Life and Peace Institute, DRCMakerere University, UgandaMid North Private Sector Development Company

Limited (MidNorth), UgandaNational Commission for the Demobilisation and

Reintegration of Ex-Combatants, RwandaNational Unity and Reconciliation Commission

(NURC), RwandaObservatoire de l’Action Gouvernementale

(OAG), BurundiProFemmes Twesehamwe, RwandaRadio Isanganiro, BurundiRefugee Law Project (RLP), UgandaRegional Analysts Network, Great LakesRéseau des Femmes pour un Développement

Associatif (RFDA), DRCRéseau Haki na Amani, DRCSaferworld, UgandaService de Renforcement des Appuis aux

Communautés de Base en Afrique Centrale (SERACOB), 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, BurundiUmuseke, Rwanda

NepalAntenna FoundationAssociation of International Non-governmental

Organisations (AIN)CARE NepalEqual Access NepalForum for Women, Law and DevelopmentFriends for PeaceInstitute of Human Rights Communication Nepal

(IHRICON)Karnali Integrated Rural Development and

Research CentreMinistry of Peace and Reconstruction (Nepal)Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare

(Nepal)Ministry of Youth and Sports (Nepal)National Business Initiative (NBI)NGO FederationSaferworld

Samjhauta NepalShanti MalikaYouth Action NepalSocial Welfare Council (Nepal)

The PhilippinesAIM Policy CenterFCO ManilaGaston Z. Ortigas Peace InstituteGeneration PeaceWaging Peace Network

Sri LankaBusiness for Peace Initiative (BPA)Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA)Ceylon Chamber of CommerceConsortium for Humanitarian Agencies (CHA)International Labour Organisation (ILO)National Secretariat for Non-Governmental

Organisations Peacebuilding and Development Institute

Sri Lanka (PDI-SL)Sri Lanka Youth ParliamentUniversity of ColomboYoung Asia Television (YATV)Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL)Youth Employment Network (YEN)

The South Caucasus regionAbkhaz Experts’ CouncilAssociation of Women of AbkhaziaCaucasus Business and Development Network

(CBDN)Civil Diplomacy InstituteCivil Society InstituteCouncil of Europe Office of the Commissioner

for Human RightsCultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sukhumi”Eurointegration NGOFoundation for Development of Human

ResourcesGerman Federal Foreign Office (Zivik)HAYAT International Humanitarian OrganisationInternational Association of Business and

ParliamentPublic Committee for Development of TajikistanSociety for Humanitarian Research

West AfricaAgência Nacional Petróleo, São Tomé and

Príncipe AGORA, GuineaCentre for Justice and Peace Studies, Liberia

Coalition Nationale de Guinée pour les Droits et la Citoyenneté des Femmes, Guinea

Conseil Nationale de Transition, GuineaCorps Guinéen pour le Developpement et la

Paix, GuineaFlomo Theatre Production, LiberiaFederação das Organizações Não-

Governamentais (FONG), São Tomé and Príncipe

Foundation for International Dignity, LiberiaGabinete Registro Publico de Informação

(GRIP), São Tomé and PríncipeInternational Foundation for Electoral Systems

(IFES), GuineaExtractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)International Committee of the Red CrossInternational Crisis GroupJustice and Peace Commission of the Catholic

Church, LiberiaLiberia Media CentreLiberia Women’s InitiativeMano River Union Peace ForumMano River Women’s Peace NetworkMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Media Women Centre for Development and

Democracy, LiberiaMinistère de la Réconciliation Nationale, GuineaMinistère de l’Administration et des Affaires

Territoriales et Politiques, Guinea Ministry of Gender, LiberiaMinistry of Information, Culture and Tourism,

LiberiaMinistry of Internal Affairs, LiberiaNational Movement for Justice and Democracy,

Sierra LeoneOffice of the Gender Adviser at UNMIL, LiberiaPetroleum Oversight Commission, São Tomé and

PríncipePopulation Services InternationalPress Union of LiberiaSearch for Common GroundSolidarité Thérapeutique & Initiatives contre le

Sida (Solthis), GuineaSouth Eastern Women’s Development

Association, LiberiaTelevisão Santomense, São Tomé and PríncipeTerre des Hommes, GuineaUniversities of Kofi Annan, Sonfonia, Labé and

Kankan, GuineaUnited Nations system in Guinea, Liberia, São

Tomé and Príncipe and Sierra LeoneWest Africa Civil Society ForumWomen in Peacebuilding Network, LiberiaWomen’s NGO Network, Liberia

International Alert. 346 Clapham Road, London SW9 9AP, United KingdomTel +44 (0)20 7627 6800, Fax +44 (0)20 7627 6900Email [email protected]

ISBN 978-1-906677-61-9

News & Politics

International Alert Impact Report 2009