Review of environmental NGOs in conflict and post-conflict Africa

23/05/2011 | Area of work: Sustainable peace building

A report has been published by IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands entitled "Conflict and Post-Conflict in Africa - Analysis of a thematic cluster of projects". The report is written by Mark van Dorp, who carried out a review of 63 small grants projects in five African conflict or post-conflict countries: Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

A key finding is that the small grants programmes of IUCN NL have played a key role in helping environmental NGOs to bridge the difficult times during and after prolonged civil conflict in Africa. Where most funding agencies tend to withdraw from escalating conflict zones, IUCN NL has been one of the few funding partners that kept supporting environmental and development NGOs throughout conflict periods. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The conclusions and recommendations will help IUCN NL to (1) improve its financial and technical assistance strategy and (2) communicate the results and impacts of its grants in (post-) conflict settings to policy makers, donors and other interested parties. The outputs of the study will also assist NGOs in the preparation of project proposals and in improving project implementation.

The outcomes will be used in dialogues with development and humanitarian relief organizations about the usefulness and need to integrate environmental concerns in their relief, reconstruction and development efforts in (post-) conflict settings. In particular, IUCN NL hopes that this review contributes to a better understanding of the environment as a vehicle for reconciliation and peace building.