Views and Visions of Coexistence in South Africa

The ACCORD Burundi Intervention is bringing together peacebuilding agents at the end of August to assess and monitor progress in the project titled “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Burundi: Promoting Peace, Reconciliation and effective Governance.” 

ACCORD has conducted field research in Sudan to investigate the increasing threat of climate related conflicts in Africa. The research findings will inform the work of policy makers and the NGO sector to deal with and prevent climate related conflicts.

Following the changed mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), ACCORD has recently engaged with key peacebuilding stakeholders to consolidate sustainable peace efforts in the country.

The Training for Peace (TfP) Programme at ACCORD participated in a Southern African Development Community (SADC) - Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre (RPTC) 'Content Development Workshop’, held from 28 – 30 July 2010 in Harare, Zimbabwe. 

ACCORD’s Peacemaking Unit recently conducted a Study Tour and Conflict Resolution Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from Sudan in Pretoria and Johannesburg, South Africa. The training aimed at enhancing the participants' understanding of conflict analysis and intervention strategies. 

ACCORD's African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme (APCP) will be conducting training sessions and workshops during July to September. This is tied to ACCORD’s aim of enhancing coherence and coordination of peacebuilding stakeholders through capacity-building initiatives.

ACCORD hosted Professors Ajay Dubey and Aparajita Biswas from India on Wednesday 15 July 2010, as part of ACCORD’s commemoration of 150 years of Indian settlers in KwaZulu Natal. The academics are in South Africa is to look into the contribution of the Indian Diaspora to the development of South Africa over the last 150 years.

ACCORD's Knowledge Production Department (KPD) - under their first thematic focus area of Peace Agreements and the second thematic area of Climate Change and Conflict - will be undertaking fieldwork in different countries during July and August 2010.

ACCORD staff recently retreated to Botha’s Hill for a two-day academic writing workshop hosted by the Knowledge Production Department (KPD). The picturesque, mid-winter environment at the Chantecler Hotel provided the perfect setting for nine ACCORD staff members to get their writing caps on and develop their academic and critiquing skills.

ACCORD's Training for Peace (TfP) Programme conducted an in-mission Conflict Management for Peacekeepers and Peacebuilders Course for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in Khartoum from 28 – 30 June 2010. The course included both national and international staff from the three components of the mission – civilian, police, and military.

Peacekeeping Analyst, Gustavo de Carvalho has returned from the United Nations in New York with a fresh outlook on tackling the peackeeping challenges in Africa. Gustavo attended a thematic debate entitled "UN Peacekeeping: looking into the future" held at the UN headquarters on 22 June. The debate was called by the President of the UN General Assembly to allow all member states, academics, Non-Governmental Organisations, and other stakeholders to engage in the discussions on strengthening peacekeeping operations.

ACCORD’s Peacekeeping Analyst, Gustavo de Carvalho, recently joined Chiefs of Civil Affairs from UN field missions to discuss and coordinate efforts aimed at improving their work at a meeting in New York.

ACCORD staff recently flew to Oslo, Norway, to participate in planning the fourth phase of the Training for Peace Programme (TfP) in conjunction with our TfP partners. The meeting from 9-11 June was arranged by the Royal Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs to discuss an updated strategy for the TfP Programme.

Senior Trainer and Advisor to ACCORD, Mr Cedric de Coning. has published two new research papers exploring different aspects of peace operations. In the online journal, Global Governance, Cedric focuses on the role of the special representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in the context of UN integrated missions. This special edition of Global Governance focuses on mediation in post-conflict peace operations and we encourage everyone to read this edition of the journal. 

ACCORD's Training for Peace (TfP) Programme at ACCORD and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) supported the United Nations (UN) Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in a Workshop on Mission-Wide Protection Strategies on the Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping Operations from 31 May – 01 June 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

With the aim of strengthening the conflict management capacity in Burundi, ACCORD conducted a one day training session for twenty-two trainers of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Bujumbura on 17 May 2010. The session focused on conflict management analysis, effective communication skills, and an overview of the importance and conduct of mediation.

ACCORD brought youth leaders and security forces together in Bujumbura on 10-13 May 2010 to formulate violence prevention strategies in their communities in preparation for the 2010 local and national elections.

Concrete steps must be taken to strengthen the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) ability to help countries emerging from conflict, with the aim of not only maintaining peace but promoting economic recovery and sustainable development. President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone made this call at the closing of the high-level two-day seminar in Durban recently.

View a selection of photogaphs from the 2010 Africa Peace Award ceremony, on 30 April 2010, at Durban's International Convention Centre. The award was presented to the President Ernest Bai Koroma on behalf of the Nation of Sierra Leone.

ACCORD, in its 18 years of finding African solutions to African challenges has moved from experience to excellence in being one of the first Non-Government Organisations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Sierra Leone.