Concordis international
Encyclopedia
Concordis International is a non-profit organisation (UK Charity Commission Number 1105697) that works alongside and in support of official peace processes, where they exist, to improve the potential for lasting peace. The organisation has headquarters in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, UK, and offices in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...

 and Juba
Juba
- Locations :* Juba, the capital of South Sudan* Juba, Estonia, a village in Võru Parish, Võru County, Estonia- People :* Juba I of Numidia * Juba II of Numidia * Juba of Mauretania...

. Concordis' historical roots are in peacebuilding work by the Newick Park Initiative in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 (1986–91) and in post-genocide Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

 (1994-7). Much of Concordis’ work now focuses on Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

 and South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

,where, initially as Relationships Foundation International, the organisation have been working since 1999. Concordis remains actively engaged there both nationally and with respect to regional conflicts, including Darfur. There is an emphasis on gender awareness within programmes and women from Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan have played a prominent role in the process.

Methodology

Concordis International’s interventions are based on unofficial dialogue between and across different levels of society on different sides engaged in or affected by violent conflicts. The dialogue focuses on the issues surrounding the causes and consequences of conflicts and is informed by expert contributions and research. The aim of this is to:
  • Build trust across lines of conflict and social divisions
  • Facilitate consensus building on the basis of shared interest
  • Contribute positively to negotiation processes
  • Create the climate for more general peaceful relations

Concordis’ work is guided by:
  • A commitment to justice and reconciliation grounded in the Christian roots of the organisation's history
  • Conscious impartiality as a facilitator
  • Recognition of the need for sustained, long-term engagement.

Work in Sudan and South Sudan

Concordis International’s work in Sudan and South Sudan has aimed to facilitate informal dialogue, providing a forum where North and South Sudanese representatives can work together on key issues. Grounded in ten previous years of sustained peacebuilding engagement, the 2-year Sudanese Peace-Building Initiative (PBI), primarily funded by the European Union, lasted from January 2009 to December 2010 and, in cooperation with a number of Sudanese partners, increasingly focused on the development of cooperative, secure and economically viable relations across Sudan’s North-South border. With further funding from the EU and Norway, this border-related work continues.
Concordis has recently started work on a new project called Cultural Healing, based on a concept developed by British-Sudanese filmmaker Taghreed Elsanhouri and funded by the European Union. Work began for this project in 2010 and is scheduled to end in March 2013. The programme is inspired by a successful EU co-funded programme in Afghanistan which has contributed towards the development of an independent media sector. The programme involves training people from a wide range of backgrounds within Sudan and South Sudan to make films that express their own culture and traditions. It will be jointly executed with a local partner Nasaq.
Concordis’ work on Darfur started soon after the Darfur conflict broke out in 2003. A series of inclusive consultations were held in 2004-5 on land use and tenure, on cultural, political and economic marginalisation of the region and also on enabling the sustainable and safe return as well as integration of the displaced. After the signature of the Darfur Peace Accord in 2006, Concordis worked with senior Darfurians, the African Union and others to develop Darfurian unity as a foundation for a lasting settlement.
Concordis has also worked in partnership with the Sudan Inter-Religious Council (SIRC) to develop the capacity of Sudanese religious leaders of different faiths, from across the country, to cooperate in promoting and facilitating peace and reconciliation.

Work in Kenya

Concordis International's work in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 focuses on policy-makers from the national to the community level and aims to encourage dialogue on land reform as Kenya starts to implement a New Land Policy. Consultations to promote reconciliation and reduce the threat of renewed violent conflict in Kenya are held in partnership with the Sychar Centre and the Institute for the Study of African Realities, both in Nairobi.To date, three such consultations have been facilitated in Nairobi since 2008.

Involvement Elsewhere

Concordis conducted background research and an assessment of conflict in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 in 2003 prior to a visit there in January 2004. Concordis has maintained a modest level of research and networking on Afghanistan for several years and has been involved in the Afghan/Canadian-led Pathways To Peace
Pathways To Peace
The Pathways To Peace Organization or simply Pathways To Peace is an international peacebuilding, educational, and consulting organization which has consultative status with the United Nations. It was incorporated in 1983 as a 501 tax exempt, not-for-profit, non-partisan organization, and was...

 project.
Concordis assisted the Annapolis Friends Peace and Justice Center with expert advice on its work with the Palestinian/Israeli Geneva Initiative, bringing Palestinian and Israeli participants together for three days of intensive discussions in August 2008 on the difficult issue of access to water supplies. Concordis held a consultation in 2009 on the role of churches in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, bringing together experts and leaders from UK churches.
Concordis has undertaken in-depth research and confidential partnering discussions in other areas and also contributes to conflict analysis and public awareness, informing different groups about the complexities of conflict.

Networks and Partnerships

Concordis International has cooperated with several other agencies, often acting in partnerships.
Concordis is a member of the following networks:

Advocates for International Development (A4ID)

Alliance for Peacebuilding
Alliance for Peacebuilding
Alliance for Peacebuilding is a 501 non-profit membership organization based in Washington, DC. The stated mission of the Alliance for Peacebuilding is to build sustainable peace and security worldwide...



British Overseas Network for Development (BOND)

The Humanitarian Centre
The Humanitarian Centre
The Humanitarian Centre is a Cambridge-based hub organization which works to bring together local humanitarian organisations and societies, providing a local network and resources...

, Cambridge, UK

The Jubilee House Forum

Concordis has worked with the following local partners:

Sudan and South Sudan
  • Nasaq, a journalism training centre based in Khartoum
  • Sudan Inter-Religious Council (SIRC)
  • Sudan Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (SONAD)
  • Social and Human Development Consultancy Group (SAHDCG)
  • Center for Peace and Development Studies, University of Juba (CPDS)


Kenya
  • The Sychar Centre
  • Institute for the Study of African Realities (ISAR)


Afghanistan
  • Pathways to Peace Consortium with University of Kabul, Peacebuild and 3P Human Security

Major publications

More than a line: Sudan’s North-South Border

Accord:Peace by Piece

Concordis Briefing 1: 'Overarching Inter-Governmental Frameworks: Comparative Reflections on Nigeria’s Tested Mechanisms'

Concordis Briefing 2: 'Trade and Cross-Border Economic Cooperation'

Concordis Briefing 3: 'Strategies in Border Management and Security'

Concordis Briefing 4: 'Border Management and Security in Africa'

Concordis Briefing 5: 'Policy Frameworks for Cross-Border Transhumance'

Concordis Papers I: Land Use and Tenure - A Key to Sustainable Development in Darfur

Concordis Papers II: Devolved Government within the Post-Naivasha Sudanese Constitution - A Key to Sustainable Peace in Darfur

Concordis Papers III: Enabling the Sustainable and Safe Return and Reintegration of the Displaced in Darfur

Concordis Papers IV: Access to Education in Sudan

Concordis Papers V: The Role of Investment in Sudan’s Economic and Political Future

Concordis Papers VI: Promoting Sustainable Peace in Sudan through Post-Conflict Justice and Reconciliation

Concordis Papers VII: Intra-Governmental Relationships in Sudan

Concordis Papers VIII: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

External links

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