Baseline study on conflict transformation

This 2007 study by Irma Specht assesses the strengths and weaknesses of ICCO's work on Conflict Transformation in Africa and the Middle East. It provides a baseline for ICCO and its partners to improve their work on country specific Conflict Transformation and to measure its impact at local, provincial, national and international levels.

The purpose of this baseline study, as formulated in the TOR is to:

1. Provide a systematic and critical overview of ICCO's current efforts and results in the field of Conflict Transformation in Africa and the Middle East. This overview should pay special attention to the efforts and results of faith based organizations.
2. To make an inventory of the indicators used by ICCO and its partners and to suggest improved indicators for monitoring our future efforts in the field of Conflict Transformation in the period 2007-2010.

The study is based on ICCO country files from Burundi, DRCongo, Uganda, Liberia, Sudan and the Middle East. Two locations, Israel/Palestine and Karamoja in Northeast Uganda were visited for in-depth field research.

Interesting features of the study

Chapter 2 gives an overview of literature on conflict transformation. Chapter 3 gives a list of possible indicators for conflict transformation (output and outcome/impact level). The author has found that impact indicators are often missing in ICCO funded conflict transformation projects.

In Chapter 4 (assessment of ICCO's partners and ICCO-funded activities) the author found that the conflict analyses were often too short and not detailed enough. She recommended that the capacities of ICCO partners to look further and deeper by built up, even if they are addressing a local conflict solving direct causes. Also she recommended that the conflict analyses are more based on a consultative process with partners in the South.

The author states that in some ICCO funded projects there is too much stress on seminars and conferences. Section 4.3 provides a list of possible conflict transformation activities.

The author evaluated the partners she visited in Uganda and Israel/Palestine regarding their work on three levels main leves of Conflict transformation:

• Behaviour (e.g. violence, destruction, versus peaceful coexistence, dialogue)
• Attitudes/perceptions (e.g. hatred, mistrust, suspicion versus faith, trust)
• Structural causes (e.g. inequality, marginalization, corruption versus development, justice and equality for all citizens)

According to the author, ICCO and its partners especially need to reinforce their work on the structural causes. She considered one of the strengths of current approaches to be ICCO's ability to work across religious barriers and to play a role in reconciling people from different religious backgrounds.

The concluding chapter elaborates on the role of religion, gender and youth in conflict transformation. The report ends with recommendations for conflict transformation strategy of ICCO and for organisational restructuring.

Read the report.

The synopsis was prepared by Justine Anschütz to help make ICCO sponsored 'research' more accessible

'Forgotten and marginalized' - Displaced persons in Khartoum

This February 2006 report - 'Forgotten and marginalized' - Displaced persons in Khartoum: One year after the peace agreement' was written by Rik Delhaas for ICCO.

Sudan has experienced the worst population displacement in the world: six million internally displaced persons (IDPs) out of a total population of 37 million people. Two million of the internally displaced persons live in official IDP camps, squatter areas or relocation sites in and outside the capital Khartoum, in northern Sudan. This report explores the situation of these two million IDPs, one year after the government of Sudan and the southern rebel movement SPLM/A signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

The report is based on previous research and some interviews. It is not set up as a research report, in the sense that it does not include a research question or clear information about the methodology used. The last part is more like a pamphlet, urging the Sudanese authorities and international donor community to take certain actions. ICCO has used it for its lobbying efforts. The report provides some interesting figures and illustrations, among others a map of IDP camps in Khartoum State.

The findings in this research suggest that the administration of Khartoum State has not just economic motives for demolishing and relocating the IDP-camps. It also uses relocations as a method of discouraging people from legitimately settling themselves in Khartoum. The government of South-Sudan, in turn, lacks sufficient influence in northern policies and thus cannot interfere. It furthermore has electoral interests in having the southern IDPs returned to their places of origin in the South. Apparently, none of the authorities care for the welfare of IDPs living in and around Khartoum.

As a result of continuing demolitions and relocations to sites far outside Khartoum the situation of these IDPs has deteriorated. In all the camps, sufficient basic services such as health-clinics, water-facilities, latrines and job opportunities are lacking. Many IDPs have lost their jobs, because they cannot afford transport costs to Khartoum. Child malnutrition and mortality are high among the IDPs. Additionally, IDPs are prevented from organizing themselves and from collectively demanding improvement of their situation. In short, circumstances in the camps around Khartoum are dire. Even the IDPs in Darfur are better off, according to Special Representative of Secretary-General Jan Pronk.

Read the report.

The synopsis was prepared by Justine Anschütz to help make ICCO sponsored 'research' more accessible

Transforming youth gangs into civil society organisations in Central America

Sarah Dobbe of CIDIN recently wrote a paper on "Transforming Youth Gangs. The Possibilities of Transforming Youth Gangs into Civil Society Organisations" (November 2005).

The main research question she asks is: "How can youth gangs in Central America be transformed into civil society organisations, and what lessons can ICCO learn from this analysis?" The report answers this question through answering the following sub-questions:

• What are the processes behind the formation of youth gangs and the occurrence of gang violence?
• What are civil society organisations?
• How do youth gangs differ from civil society organisations?
• How can these differences between youth gangs and civil society organisations be reduced?
• What recommendations can be made to ICCO with regard to transforming youth gangs into civil society organisations?

The study is structured around 4 chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction, research questions, methodology; Chapter 2: Fiction meets Reality (perceptions of youth gangs); Chapter 3: How to continue (transformation of youth gangs into CSO's); Chapter 4: Recommendations.

Section 2.2 analyses some of the important processes behind the formation of youth gangs and the occurrence of gang violence. Section 2.3 describes how youth gangs are perceived with regard to violence, and what implications this has on gangs, youth and gang violence. The popular views on youth gangs and gang violence are contested by describing alternative ways to look upon gangs. It is also described where these popular perceptions originate from.

Chapter 3 looks at how youth gangs differ from civil society organisations (CSO's) and how these differences can be reduced. The most important existing intervention strategies are analysed in the light of reducing these differences, and their potential in facilitating the transformation of youth gangs into CSO's. Section 3.3 suggests what is needed to make the transformation happen; the author also provides some recommendations to ICCO.

Read the report.

The synopsis was prepared by Justine Anschütz to help make ICCO sponsored 'research' more accessible