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Annual Report 2001

Program Report:
Collaborative Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone - Emmanuel Bombande, Coordinator

The Collaborative Peacebuilding Programme in Sierra Leone (CPP-SL) is a long-term intervention programme of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in partnership with the Africa Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Network (APRN), the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) in Sierra Leone and the Network for Collaborative Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone (NCP-SL). Funding support is from ACTS Netherlands and CORDAID, both in the Netherlands. The Collaborative Peacebuilding Programme is informed by the fundamental principle that the people of Sierra Leone are the ones best placed to respond positively to the challenges of conflict and underdevelopment. This is consistent with WANEP’s operating principle that peacebuilding processes must be locally owned.

Objectives
· To build an integrated and cooperative response to peacebuilding in Sierra Leone
· To catalyze the development of an indigenous understanding of the conflict in Sierra Leone and, thereby, mobilize indigenous resources for peacbuilding
· To build the capacity of local actors in Sierra Leone so that the process of peacebuilding is internalized in communities
· To mobilize all social and professional institutions in Sierra Leone to generate a shared vision for peace and social justice as well as reconciliation in postviolence Sierra Leone

Highlights of Activities
· In 2001, activities planned included consultations with members of parliament, ex-combatants and high commands of the Civil Defence Forces (CDF-SL) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Civil Society groups as well as Traditional Leaders; building a national framework for collaborative peacebuiding processes; and developing the capability of emerging peacebuilding practitioners in Sierra Leone.

· Two consultations were held with the 80 members of Sierra Leone’s Parliament. The consultation enabled the parliamentarians to generate a shared understanding of the complexity of the Sierra Leone conflict and their role in peacebuilding and national reconciliation.

· A concrete outcome of the process with the MPs was the enactment of a special bill--the Standing committee on Peace and Reconciliation by Parliament. The bill was unanimously approved in May 2001. The MPs since then have been active in the debates and policy forumulation processes on the issues of demobilization, reintegration, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court.

· We conducted three consultations with 115 excombatants and members of the high commands of the Revolutionary United Front and the Civil Defence Forces of Sierra Leone. Separate consultations were conducted with the RUF and CDF in September 2001. As a consequence of the two meetings both the RUF and CDF agreed to hold a joint consultation to deliberate on their roles as former warring factions in the reconstruction of war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

· They both emphasized the need for trust and confidence building between them so as to ensure sustainable peace in their country.

· In what was regarded as a ground breaking engagement, both groups declared their stand for national reconciliation and underlined that repentance plus forgiveness would bring about reconciliation. In a joint communiqué the former warring factions committed themselves to: to reach out to each other in order to enhance the mutual forgiveness and reconciliation process between us as well as to work jointly to promote national reconciliation in Sierra Leone; to organize joint meetings, sensitization tours, workshops, socio-cultural activities, radio discussions as well as take any other initiatives for the promotion of peace and reconciliation; and to develop joint initiatives and projects that will enhance skills training, generation of gainful employment as well as economic development for war victims, ex-combatants, and at-risk youths for the purpose of enhancing reintegration and reconciliation between us and the people of Sierra Leone.

· The civil societies consultations brought together 50 participants in Bo and 100 participants in Freetown. Following activities in 2000, civil society groups continue to be in the forefront of efforts to build durable peace. Seventy organisations are now in a coordinated network called the Network for Collaborative Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone (NCP-SL). In this network, community based, non-governmental as well as international organisations supporting peace efforts are innovating new forms of collaboration with WANEP facilitation and support. The NCP-SL has a secretariat with a full time coordinator. · Sierra Leone is represented on the consultative forum preparing national elections scheduled for May 2002. The NCP-SL is playing an active part in the preparations for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). It also coordinates follow-up peace building activities generated from all the seminars and workshops conducted by WANEP in Sierra Leone.

· Traditional leaders benefited directly in an engaged reflection about the role of traditional institutions in the national life of Sierra Leone. What are the challenges of these institutions today and how might paramount chiefs play a constructive role in contributing to peace. Twenty paramount chiefs attended these consultations. It is however, assumed that new insights gained from these engagements will affect decision-making processes in the various chiefdoms and therefore affect many lives.

· Two consultations planned in 2001 with government officials and primary victims did not materialize due to fluid and dynamic nature of the Sierra Leone crisis. We anticipate the holding of these consultations in 2002.

· We have learned from Sierra Leone that civil society based peacebuilding processes can make greater impact and wield moral and political leverage neccesary to influence dispute settlement at the formal level and Peacebuilding at Community level. Since the Network for Collaborative Peacebuilding structure became functional greater results are now attending our intervention processes.

· In the first quarter of 2002 we hope to conduct the consultations with the government of Sierra Leone and selected primary victims of the crisis. These consultations will focus on the role of governance in post-war peacebuilding and the challenges of healing wounded memories and rebuilding societies. Towards the end of the first quarter, a responsive assessment of the programme after two years will be conducted. It is anticipated that this assessment will inform the nature of the CPP-SL in the second phase. The commitment for long- term engagement is however a necessity for the CPP-SL.

· We are aware that the general elections planned for May 2002 may be the preoccupation in Sierra Leone and therefore could delay these projects. WANEP will remain flexible, following the lead of partners in Sierra Leone.

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