By Mazhar Iqbal
Beginning with just two second-hand computers and a small office
Beginning with just two second-hand computers and a small office
space, which was donated by a local institution, this group of
passionate peace lovers and volunteers have now become the most
effective global peace movement. Conciliation Resources (CR) is a
London based international peace building and conflict resolution
organization, which was established in 1994.
This organization is working with individuals, organizations and
governments both in regions of conflict and globally. Their main focus
is on promoting understanding of peaceful ways to resolve conflicts in
some of the boiling regions of the world. These regions include East
and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, South Pacific region
and South America.
Conciliation Resources considers that people living with differences
of political opinion can get advantage of seeing old problems in a new
perspective. While living with incongruities and dissimilarities, they
can find opportunities to gain new ideas for resolution of political
differences.
Conciliation Resources supports those people who are at the heart of
conflicts and are striving to find solutions. With a highly skilled
team of dedicated staff and associates, it functions in a highly
professional and coordinated fashion to improve peace building
policies and practice them worldwide.
The organization’s work is multi-dimensional ranging from producing
films, writing publications and articles to organizing
awareness-raising events. The earliest project successfully launched
by Concilitation Resources was in Fiji in 1995. In 1997, they
launched another program in the South Caucasus. This was followed by a
new program in Uganda in 1999, which has since expanded to include the
East and Central Africa region.
This organization has been involved in Rwanda, Ukraine, Russia,
Somaliland, the Gambia, Liberia, Sri Lanka, the Balkans, Angola,
Nepal, the Philippines and Colombia. More recently their work has
widened to also include working in India and Pakistan.
Conciliation Resources receives funding support from a wide range of
donors. Major donors are the governments of Australia, UK, Belgium,
Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Germany. The multilateral
organizations funding CR’s projects include Australian Agency for
International Development (AUSAID), European Commission (EC), German
Federal Foreign Office & the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations,
International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Swiss Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), UK Department for International
Development (DFID) and UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
World renowned trusts and foundations like Allan & Nesta Ferguson
Charitable Trust, Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies,
Blandfordlake Trust, Commonwealth Foundation, Cumber Family Charitable
Trust, Eva Reckitt Trust Fund, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
(JRCT), Rowan Charitable Trust, Souter Charitable Trust and The
Ardwick Trust support Conciliation Resources financially.
During last few years, Conciliation Resources has been highlighting
issues of paramount security of divided communities and global
sensitivities surrounding these communities. Over the years,
Conciliation Resources has gained reputation as a professional
conflict transformation organization, experienced in the theory and
practice of peace building and peace processes.
In South Asia, Jammu & Kashmir is a conflict zone which is politically
and administratively divided between India and Pakistan. Conciliation
Resources has been issuing publications and policy briefs on peace and
confidence building measures across the Line of Control (LoC) in
Kashmir.
In a major move on enhancing cross-Line of Control (LoC) cooperation
in Jammu and Kashmir, Conciliation Resources facilitated signing of
the first written agreement on non-governmental cooperation in
Istanbul last year. This was a major development in this conflict area
of South Asia.
In countries affected by the Lord's Resistance Army conflict,
Conciliation Resources has recently taken part in workshops focusing
on strategies to deal with land disputes arising out of the violence.
It also contributed to a recent peace building forum in Manila which
discussed options for a process that could lead to an International
Action Plan on women, peace and security in the Philippines.
Working together with a number of civil society organizations, peace
activists and local NGOs around the world, Conciliation Resources is
dedicated to produce an environment of trust and confidence among
communities trapped in conflict. Their struggle is theme based and
result oriented. Public participation, peace process and dialogue,
peace building and governance, cross-border peace-making efforts and
engaging with local communities are hallmark of their struggle.
(The writer is a peace and human rights activist and could be reached
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