25 Organizations and Individuals
Sign an Open Letter to the Prime Minister
Demanding Action on the DR Congo

photo: AFP/LIONEL HEALING The new military cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda risk a new escalation of combat in the eastern Congo and an even greater humanitarian crisis

The alarming situation in the province of North-Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has caused more than one million people to flee their homes for displaced persons’ camps that offer little safety. This brings to more than one million the number of displaced persons in North-Kivu province alone as a result of the violent confrontations between the DRC armed forces and the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP), a rebel movement headed by Laurent Nkunda.

Initiated by the Table de concertation sur la région des Grands Lacs, Partnership Africa-Canada and Peacebuild, the open letter calls on Canada to play a more active role in addressing this forgotten conflict. Canada must support the Amani programme and the reinforcement of MONUC, provide emergency humanitarian aid, work to end impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region, bolster the Canadian programme to help victims of sexual violence and require that companies based in Canada obtain the assurance that the minerals used in their products do not come from the Kivu areas controlled by illegal armed groups.

Read the Open Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Lettre ouverte adressée au premier ministre Stephen Harper

Georgia-South Ossetia
Civil Society Dialogue Launched

In December, a small group of Georgian and South Ossetian civil society representatives met for a two and a half day dialogue workshop, outside of Washington, D.C. The meeting was held at the retreat facility “Point of View” run by George Mason University’s Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR). A total of a dozen women and men gathered to resume communication at the civil society level after the August war. Hosted by Susan Allen Nan, ICAR, and co-facilitated by Paula Garb, University of California Irvine and Lara Olson of Peacebuilding, Development and Security Program at the University of Calgary, individuals in this track two meeting participated in their personal capacity only. During the meeting, they discussed the implications of the August war in rebuilding peace and security in the region, as well as areas where civil society initiatives could play a constructive part in improving relations. The meeting was made possible by USAID, Planethood Foundation and ICAR. Based on strong commitment from participants, the organizers are working to secure support for further efforts.

Point of View: An international research and dialogue complex dedicated to conflict analysis and resolution, Mason Neck, Virginia.

For more information on this initiative, contact:
Lara Olson
Co-Director, Peacebuilding, Development and Security Program (PDSP)
Centre for Military and Strategic Studies (CMSS)
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive, NW,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Tel: (1-403)220-8557
Fax: (1-403)282-0594
lolson@ucalgary.ca

First Detailed Audit of Canada's Export of Military Goods

In this first detailed audit of a government report on Canada’s export of military goods, Project Ploughshares analyzes the data published by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) for the period 2003–2005. The purpose of the audit is to examine this published record and other evidence to determine “the propriety, compliance, and adequacy” of Canadian export controls. Compared to many weapons suppliers, Canada is a responsible arms exporter. Canada also was one of the first states to report weapons shipments in some detail. However, there are significant holes in both the practice and transparency of Canada’s export controls. A number of improvements are necessary to ensure that its export authorization system meets the emerging international standards that Canada supports.

Read the full report: On the Record

Launch of the online Forum for Peacebuilding Ethics (PeacE)

The International Peace Research Institute (PRIO) in Oslo Norway recently launched an online forum aimed at facilitating an active and ongoing dialogue between researchers, policymakers and practitioners. Its objective is to address ethical issues at all levels of peacebuilding – from global political concerns to the everyday issues faced by the people on the ground. The field of peacebuilding receives varied responses, from the strong moral support it currently enjoys as a central measure of the UN and other international organizations and NGOs to the mounting critique it has recently faced in academic and public circles. This forum aims to facilitate and encourage this debate, allowing those from varying perspectives to share their knowledge, experience and concerns.

The official launch of the forum is scheduled for February 19, 2009 in New York city.

Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR)
2009 Third Party Neutral Training

The Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR) recently released the 2009 schedule for their upcoming Third Party Neutral training courses. In four modules, participants are introduced to the key elements of deep-rooted conflict, community-based conflict resolution and TPN principles. They also develop their skills in the roles of conciliator, mediator, and facilitator through role-plays, conflict scenarios, classroom instruction and peer feedback. Participants graduate from this 4-module, experiential program with a 160 Hour Third Party Neutral Program certificate.

Click here for the full schedule and fees.

2009 International Human Rights Network
Training Programmes

The International Human Rights Network (IHRN) designs training programmes which are open to applicants world-wide and from a range of organizations. In 2009 these Training Programmes focus on:

Human Rights Fieldwork: Principles, Practice and Skills. This annual programme next takes place in Ireland from Sunday 31st May to Saturday 6th June 2009.

Justice Sector Reform: Applying Human Rights Based Approaches. This annual programme next takes place in Ireland from Sunday 21st - Friday 26th June 2009.Participants in 2009 will be automatically registered for the one-day international conference: Measuring Justice: Evaluating justice sector and human rights.

Click here for more information

* Peacebuild currently has four Working Groups and one Forum that bring together members interested in particular thematic areas of activity. The Sudan InterAgency Reference Group and the Afghanistan Reference Group are also key mechanisms for NGO-governmental interaction promoted by Peacebuild.

Towards an Arms Trade Treaty

On January 23, Ken Epps of Project Ploughshares and member of the Small Arms Working Group attended the New York organizational meeting of the United Nations working group that over the next three years will deliberate on details of an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The new ATT “Open Ended Working Group” established by a General Assembly resolution on Christmas Eve is open to all UN member states. It will hold its first week-long session in early March in New York. With other members of the ATT Steering Committee (the civil society network promoting an ATT), Ken also met with diplomats in advance of the Friday meeting to encourage states to speak in favor of constructive and open procedures for the Working Group.

For more information about the SAWG or any of the items listed here, please contact Maribel Gonzales at: mgonzales@ploughshares.ca

Launch of the Global Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect

A day after the Holocaust Memorial Day, on 28 January, the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy launched the Global Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect.This comes after The Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) project held seven civil society roundtables last year in Thailand, Canada, Argentina, Uganda, South Africa, France, and Ghana. Their report “Global Consultative Roundtables on the Responsibility to Protect: Civil Society Perspectives and Recommendations for Action” is now available online. It includes: common challenges in actualizing R2P, common themes from all roundtables, and participant-suggested strategies and activities to advance R2P. They hope this report will serve as a resource for civil society groups seeking to inform and enhance their work on this important doctrine. The scope of the regional analysis in the report will be broadened in the coming months, as they begin organizing roundtables in regions not yet reached in the initial phase, such as South Asia, East Asia, Middle East and North Africa, and Eastern Europe.

The founding Steering Committee of the global coalition will be meeting soon to discuss principles, purposes, and structure of the Coalition, as well as some objectives for the first year. Steering Committee members include: the East African Law Society (Tanzania), the West African Civil Society Institute (Ghana), International Refugees Rights Initiative (Uganda), Initiatives for International Dialogue (Philippines), Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (CRIES) (Argentina), Human Rights Watch and Oxfam International.

For more information about the CPWG or any of the items listed here, please contact Silke Reichrath at: prevention@peacebuild.ca

Upcoming event: "I'm not a feminist, but..."

This month the GPWG and IDRC jointly sponsored a presentation by UN Gender Capacity Advisor Angela Mackay on "Women and Post-Election Violence in Kenya." The GPWG also hosted a roundtable of organizations and individuals working on gender equality and women's' human rights. The roundtable provided the opportunity for the participants working in different sectors with distinct mandates to share strategies and identify areas of common interest. The GPWG is co-organizing an event which will bring together organizations and individuals from the capital region to celebrate their achievements and debate the role of feminism in these difficult times. The event is called: "I'm not a feminist, but…" and will take place on March 4th, 2009, at 7pm at the National Archives in Ottawa.

For more information about the GPWG or any of the items listed here, please contact Kate McInturff at:gender@peacebuild.ca

Employment Opportunity:
Research Consultant – Peace Operations in Haiti

The Peace Operations Working Group (POWG) has received funding from Foreign Affairs to upgrade the Peace Operations Monitor (POM) web site. The funding in this phase of POM expansion will allow the POM to add a section on Peace Operations Best Practices, add content to complete existing pages on peace operations in Sudan, Haiti, Afghanistan and undertake preparations for the next phase of the POM, expanding to include peace operations throughout Africa.

POWG is now seeking a researcher to update the pages of the Peace Operations Monitor on MINUSTAH / Haiti. Click here for a detailed job description.

For more information about the POWG or any of the items listed here, please contact Clare Morris at: powg@peacebuild.ca

Upcoming Meeting

The Forum will host its next meeting on Thursday, 5 February 2009 at Canadem Boardroom at 1 Nicholas street in Ottawa. The meeting with take place between 9 am to 16.30pm. Colombia, Uganda and Sri Lanka in particular will be discussed along the day, in addition to thematic issues such a child participation, collaboration with CIDA and State report on the Optional Protocol.

For more information about the FCAC or any of the items listed here, please contact Guillaume Landry at: g.landry@ibcr.org

RESOURCES

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Call for Applications:
The International Peacemakers Fund

The Fellowship of Reconciliation England created the International Peacemakers Fund in 2006 to provide financial support to grass-roots, community-based peacemakers. They are currently engaged in a variety of fundraising campaigns to raise money to support the critical peacebuilding work you are doing overseas. Since 2006, they have contributed over $90,000 to peacemaking projects in conflict and post-conflict situations around the world. To date, they have supported projects in Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Bangladesh, DR Congo, and Kenya), as well as peacebuilding projects in Palestine, Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Russia/Chechnya. The projects are carefully selected, and all use non-violent methods that address the causes of conflict, to promote dialogue and build reconciliation.

Application deadline:
Friday 20th February 2009

Click here for more information

Canadian Humanitarian Worker Security:
Whose Responsibility is it?

(Source: "The Dispatch" the newsletter of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs institute.)

In light of the Taliban attack of August 13th 2008 that brutally killed three female aid workers, including two Canadians, from the International Rescue Society and their Afghan driver outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, the authors of this article argue that, as part of its commitment to human security and international development, the Canadian government must ensure that appropriate security measures are taken to protect Canadian workers and ensure that these people are properly trained in order to lower their risk levels.

Read the full article