International Alert
Encyclopedia
International Alert is a London
-based charity and international non-governmental organisation working to prevent and end violent conflict across the globe that marked its 20th anniversary in 2006. Alert is active in over 20 countries and territories across the world including the African Great Lakes
region, West Africa
, the Caucasus
, Central Asia
, the Andean Region of South America
, Sri Lanka
, Nepal
and the Philippines
.
It seeks to achieve this by following its three key missions:
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda
, and Uganda
and focus on topics ranging from good governance, social inclusion, supporting women's organisations, and ties between economics and conflict.
Asia- Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka is one of Alert's longest running program areas and today, the organisation works with a number of partners from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Other regional efforts include capacity building of civil society, business, and development organizations in Nepal as well as security sector reform and supporting the peace process in the Philippines.
Caucasus and Central Asia- Alert's activities in the Caucasus include promoting bilateral civil society interactions and regional economic integration in the Caucasus. The organisation has also been active in Tajikistan
since 2006 as part of a wider regional peacebuilding initiative.
Latin America- Between 1994 and 2004 Alert conducted research and consultations in Colombia
on peacebuilding issues such as small arms control. The organisation's primary focus in the region is now working with private sector actors throughout the Andean region to promote conflict-sensitive business practices.
West Africa- International Alert is active in Guinea
, Liberia
, and São Tomé and Príncipe
and is involved in programs promoting human security efforts, emerging democratic practices, the training of journalists, and the development of civil society organisations, among others.
Climate change- A Climate of Conflict, a 2007 Alert publication has brought much needed attention to the issue of the links between climate change and armed conflict. Alert continues to offer leading insights on this topic, largely through Secretary General Dan Smith. and prior to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, Alert launched a second influential report entitled Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility.
Gender- International Alert has been advocating for the relevance of gender issues in peacebuilding since 1999, when it began pushing for the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Current efforts include research efforts, lobbying national, regional, and international policymakers, and supporting local efforts in coordination with partner organisations.
Peace and economy- For more than 10 years, Alert has been promoting the importance of recognizing the links between peacebuilding and an equitable socio-economic foundation. Alert currently works with multinationals and local businesses alike to promote conflict-sensitive business practices that contribute to long-term peacebuilding efforts.
Security- Alert is also currently engaged in Security Sector Reform (SSR); Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR); Community Security; and Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) programs.
, and whilst conflicts between nation
s were decreasing, internal conflicts and civil war
s were rapidly increasing. Born out of the merger of The Standing International Forum on Ethnic Conflict, Development
, and Human Rights
(SIFEC), and US organisation International Alert on Genocide
s and Massacres, it counted Archbishop Desmond Tutu
amongst the members of its first board of trustee
s.
It was the first organisation to concern itself specifically with violent internal conflict and at that time there existed no internationally agreed procedures for resolving internal conflict. International Alert aimed to encourage the creation of acceptable procedures and structures for resolving such situations.
Its work in areas of violent conflict focused on working with local partner organisations to facilitate peace deals and to ensure a transition to a functioning stable society.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based charity and international non-governmental organisation working to prevent and end violent conflict across the globe that marked its 20th anniversary in 2006. Alert is active in over 20 countries and territories across the world including the African Great Lakes
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
region, West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, the Andean Region of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
International Alert's Work
The vision of the organisation is to work "towards a world where differences are resolved without erupting into violence".It seeks to achieve this by following its three key missions:
- Working directly with people affected by violent conflict, supporting their efforts to improve their prospects for peacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
- Shaping international policy and practice that affect peacebuilding
- Strengthening the expertise, impact and public profile of the peacebuilding sector
Regional Programmes
Great Lakes- Alert has conducted peacebuilding projects and programs at the national and Great Lakes regional level since 1995. Current programs are being conducted in BurundiBurundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, 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...
, and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and focus on topics ranging from good governance, social inclusion, supporting women's organisations, and ties between economics and conflict.
Asia- Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka is one of Alert's longest running program areas and today, the organisation works with a number of partners from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Other regional efforts include capacity building of civil society, business, and development organizations in Nepal as well as security sector reform and supporting the peace process in the Philippines.
Caucasus and Central Asia- Alert's activities in the Caucasus include promoting bilateral civil society interactions and regional economic integration in the Caucasus. The organisation has also been active in Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
since 2006 as part of a wider regional peacebuilding initiative.
Latin America- Between 1994 and 2004 Alert conducted research and consultations in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
on peacebuilding issues such as small arms control. The organisation's primary focus in the region is now working with private sector actors throughout the Andean region to promote conflict-sensitive business practices.
West Africa- International Alert is active in Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, and São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
and is involved in programs promoting human security efforts, emerging democratic practices, the training of journalists, and the development of civil society organisations, among others.
Thematic Programmes
Aid effectiveness- Alert promotes cost-effective development policies at the national, EU, and UN levels that reflect the realities of post-conflict or fragile states.Climate change- A Climate of Conflict, a 2007 Alert publication has brought much needed attention to the issue of the links between climate change and armed conflict. Alert continues to offer leading insights on this topic, largely through Secretary General Dan Smith. and prior to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, Alert launched a second influential report entitled Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility.
Gender- International Alert has been advocating for the relevance of gender issues in peacebuilding since 1999, when it began pushing for the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Current efforts include research efforts, lobbying national, regional, and international policymakers, and supporting local efforts in coordination with partner organisations.
Peace and economy- For more than 10 years, Alert has been promoting the importance of recognizing the links between peacebuilding and an equitable socio-economic foundation. Alert currently works with multinationals and local businesses alike to promote conflict-sensitive business practices that contribute to long-term peacebuilding efforts.
Security- Alert is also currently engaged in Security Sector Reform (SSR); Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR); Community Security; and Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) programs.
Training
International Alert provides training for individual practitioners and organisations engaged in peacebuilding activities. Alert's training staff is made up of experts with diverse backgrounds and works with Alert's various field programs to refine the methodologies and peacebuilding approaches offered to the government officials, civil society actors, and students who attend their courses. The training department regularly updates the schedule of upcoming course offerings.History
International Alert was established in the mid-1980s, an era dominated by the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and whilst conflicts between nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
s were decreasing, internal conflicts and civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
s were rapidly increasing. Born out of the merger of The Standing International Forum on Ethnic Conflict, Development
Development studies
Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...
, and Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
(SIFEC), and US organisation International Alert on Genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
s and Massacres, it counted Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
amongst the members of its first board of trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s.
It was the first organisation to concern itself specifically with violent internal conflict and at that time there existed no internationally agreed procedures for resolving internal conflict. International Alert aimed to encourage the creation of acceptable procedures and structures for resolving such situations.
Its work in areas of violent conflict focused on working with local partner organisations to facilitate peace deals and to ensure a transition to a functioning stable society.
Structure
International Alert's current Secretary General is Dan Smith. The organisation is led by a Board of Trustees made up of eleven members from around the world, and a five person Senior Management Team. It is divided into teams working on Eurasia, Asia, the Americas, West Africa, the African Great Lakes, Peacebuilding Issues, and Development.Secretaries General
The organisation has been led by four Secretaries General, as well as two acting Secretaries General, since its creation.- Martin EnnalsMartin EnnalsMartin Ennals was a British human rights activist.Ennals served as the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, between 1968 and 1980....
- 1986 - 1990 - Leah Levin- acting SG 1991
- Kumar Rupesinghe- 1992 - 1997
- Martin Honeywell- acting SG 1998
- Kevin Clements- 1999 - 2003
- Dan Smith- 2003 - present
Trustees
- Richard Dales (Chair), UK
- J. R. Nereus O. Acosta, Philippines
- Rosemary Bechler, UK
- Edward Clay, UK
- Paulina Lampsa, Greece
- Craig McGilvray (Honourary Treasurer), UK
- Frida NokkenFrida NokkenFrida Nokken is a Norwegian civil servant.She was born in Fredrikstad. A cand.polit. by education, she worked for Statskonsult from 1975, the Financial Supervisory Authority from 1989 and Posten Norge from 1992. From 1995 to 1999 she served as director of the Norwegian Customs and Excise Authorities...
, Norway - Brendan O'LearyBrendan O'LearyBrendan O'Leary is an Irish political scientist, who is Lauder Professor of Political Science and Director of the Penn Program in Ethnic Conflict at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was formerly Director of the now-closed Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict...
, USA - Will Samuel, UK
- Stephen Stedman, USA
- Martin Woollacott, UK
- Michela Wrong, UK
Notable Past Board Members
- Amir Bhatia (1994–2003)
- Marianne HeibergMarianne HeibergDr. Marianne Heiberg was born in Oslo, Norway, and received her education in the United States and Great Britain as well as at the University of Oslo, where she graduated in 1971 with a degree in social sciences....
(1997–2004) - Swanee HuntSwanee HuntSwanee Grace Hunt , Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, is the founding director of the at the Kennedy School, and former United States Ambassador to Austria....
(2003–2006) - Michael IgnatieffMichael IgnatieffMichael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
(2000–2001) - Joel Joffe (1994–2000)
- Frank JuddFrank JuddFrank Ashcroft Judd, Baron Judd is a British Labour Party politician.Judd was educated at the City of London School and the London School of Economics...
(1993-2000; Chair 1997-2000) - Pauline Neville-JonesPauline Neville-JonesLilian Pauline Neville-Jones, Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG PC is a former BBC Governor and Chairman of the British Joint Intelligence Committee . Before her elevation to the Peerage she was known as Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, DCMG...
(2000–2004) - N. Barney Pityana (1990–1991)
- Jan PronkJan PronkJohannes "Jan" Pieter Pronk is a Dutch politician and diplomat. Currently, he is a Professor of Theory and Practice of International Development at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague....
(2003–2004) - Desmond TutuDesmond TutuDesmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
(1986–1993) - Stanley WolpertStanley WolpertStanley Wolpert is an American Indologist, author, and academic. He is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the political and intellectual history of modern India and Pakistan and has written fiction and nonfiction books on the topics...
(1986–1991) - Michael Young (1986–1988)
External links
- International Alert
- Alert's Latest Publications
- Alert on Facebook
- Alert on Twitter
- Alert's YouTube Channel
- Supporting Alert
- Intelligent Giving profile of International Alert
- International Alert page in Russian
See also
- United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders) A global NGO and youth network dedicated to the role of youth in peacebuilding