“After many years they sent us a ‘medical caravan’ because they know now that there is no tension and the area is calm.” Naema – a local midwife Last month in a dusty village in South Kordofan a healthcare ‘caravan’ arrived to provide medical services to two tribes. The caravan stayed for three days and [...]
Insight on conflict: BLOG.
Archive: 2010
Sudan: In the wake of conflict comes health and celebration
Islands of Peace in Kashmir
It has been a diffcult summer for Ashima with demonstrations and curfews across the Kashmir Valley. Since June 11 Indian police and paramilitary forces have been accused of killing 15 civilians – 4 of them women. The curfew has bought the valley to a standstill, and for Ashima this means not only heightened insecurity but also that she is unable to [...]
From Local to National Peacebuilding
Many professionals working in conflict areas recognise that peacebuilding and statebuilding ultimately depend on the efforts of local people and institutions. Yet local peacebuilding is often equated with community-level projects that are too small for governments to handle and that can only have a limited impact. Peace Direct believes that locally led peacebuilding can operate [...]
Rebuilding lives in DR Congo
Omari spends his days working the land and running his own small business in the city of Rugenge, in eastern DR Congo. Behind what appears to be a quiet and peaceful life, is the story of a man who spent more than a decade fighting in the bush as a rebel soldier and who would likely [...]
Resolving conflict in South Kivu
In Kiromoni, a village in eastern Congo, two women had threatened to kill each other because of a past debt. Their communities had been drawn into the conflict which had grown intense in recent months over the dispute. This community, torn apart by bloody conflict and suffering intense poverty, was failing to solve this escalating [...]
50 years of Independence in DRC
WALL OF HOPE. June 30 was the anniversary of 50 years of Independence in D.R. Congo and local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi worked with the local community in Beni to celebrate with a peace procession involving the national police, state services and all members of the community. Traditional music and dance brought the community together and [...]
Job Vacancy: Finance Assistant – 4/5 days a week
Wherever there is conflict – Sudan, Nepal, DRC…- there are also local people working for peace. Peace Direct believes that their work must be at the heart of any strategy for managing conflict. We find and fund incredibly inspiring and committed people, some of whom are risking their lives to carry out work that they [...]
Race For Peace
“I saw the Peace Direct cheerers along the route – it was great to have their support. I am happy to have contributed to such a worthy cause” Dave Kirkman – Peace Direct runner As the sun comes out and the long evenings stretch ahead of us what better time to start getting fit and [...]
Burundi Election Update (1st June 2010)
I’d like also to share a bit on the situation in Burundi, one week after the district elections. The points below are based on conversations I’ve had with a different people including reporters, election observers and members of civil society who have followed the closely. The turn-out was massive: 92%, I think it’s among the [...]
Preventing Political Violence in Nepal
Four years after the peace agreement which ended the civil war, Nepal is moving towards the end of the political process to build the foundations for a stable peace in Nepal. But, reaching a concrete agreement for a new constitution before the May 28th deadline is proving difficult. The Maoists are particularly unhappy with the [...]
