Annual Report and Accounts For year ended 31 December 2019 About International Alert
International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace.
We focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to policy level, we bring people together to build sustainable peace.
www.international-alert.org
© International Alert 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. Layout: D.R. ink Cover image: © Joerg Boethling/Alamy Contents
Organisational details 2 Message from the Chair of our Board of Trustees 3
Annual report 4
About us 5 Vision 5 Mission 5
Our work in 2019 6 Activities 6 Changes 7 Locations 8
Progress against our goals in 2019 10 Organisational goals 10 Programme goals 12
Priorities for 2020 21
Strategic Report 22 Structure, governance and management 22 Financial review 24
Acknowledgements 28
Accounts 31 Organisational details
Trustees Ambassador (retired) Carey Cavanaugh (US) – Chair (also directors Gregor Stewart* (UK) – Honorary Treasurer of the company) Carol Allen-Storey (US) (resigned 14 May 2019) Hans Bolscher (Netherlands) Christopher Deri (US) Abir Haj Ibrahim (Syria) Padma Jyoti (Nepal) Oliver Kemp* (UK) (resigned 9 March 2020) Dr Alaa Murabit (Libya/Canada) (resigned 14 May 2019) Lisa Lynn Rose (US/Northern Ireland) Erin Segilia Chase* (UK)
* Denotes member of Management Advisory Committee in 2019
Principal officers Harriet Lamb, Chief Executive Officer (until 30 April 2019) Michael Young, Chief Executive Officer (from 2 September 2019) Susan McCready, Chief Operating Officer, Company Secretary (until 13 March 2020) Jessica Banfield, Director of Programmes (from 1 April 2019) Mohsin Baluch, Chief Finance Officer (until 14 April 2020)
Auditors Haysmacintyre LLP 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1AG, UK
Bankers National Westminster Bank PO Box 35, 10 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TT, UK
Solicitors YESS Law (employment legal advice) New Wing, Somerset House, London, WC2R 1LA, UK Clarkslegal (immigration legal advice) 12 Henrietta Street, London, WC2E 8LH, UK
Status Company limited by guarantee without share capital, governed by Memorandum and Articles of Association, incorporated on 6 August 1987, registered as a charity on 24 September 1987
Registered office 346 Clapham Road, London, SW9 9AP, UK
International Alert is a registered charity (registration number 327553) and a company limited by guarantee (registration number 2153193) in England and Wales.
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 2 Message from the Chair of our Board of Trustees
This report comes at a time of great uncertainty. back her considerable experience of Alert. We stayed Violence and poverty sadly remain endemic and social focused on delivering our mission and maintaining division is on the rise. Questions are being raised steady operations despite these changes, thanks to about the benefits of wider international cooperation. our peerless team across programmes, finance and Now the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) operations in London and worldwide, and steady pandemic is spreading across the globe with an ever- engagement, guidance and support from our Board climbing death toll. This virus has reshaped everyday of Trustees. life: sharply diminishing economic activity, heightening We believe COVID-19 will engender greater social unemployment, and bringing international migration unrest, violence and conflict. Where it has spread and travel to a near standstill. While much is unknown unchecked, it is impacting minority and marginalised about what lies ahead, one thing is certain: the communities the hardest. As the majority of the programmes and activities carried out by International world’s poor already live in fragile and conflict- Alert and our partners in the peacebuilding sector are affected states, this pandemic will demand greater needed now more than ever. engagement by the peacebuilding sector. It will In May last year, we adopted an ambitious five-year also require us to continually adjust and adapt strategy – Breaking cycles of violence, building cycles our strategy, tactics and operational structure to of peace. Its strategic ambitions for peacebuilding succeed in this changed environment. We are already remain equally relevant today: to strengthen taking steps to bolster our resilience and expand communities’ voices and capacity; to harness the our capacity to maintain our vital mission. We are power of the private sector; to help foster just, especially grateful for the continued support of our inclusive and accountable governance; to ensure strategic donors – the Dutch, Irish and Swedish citizens’ priorities are reflected in peace processes; governments – during this time. and to champion gender and conflict sensitivity in In my home state of Kentucky in the United States, ways that contribute to peace. This annual report is the COVID-19 mantra is ‘We are all in this together; peppered with examples of how we are furthering we are all on one team’. As a global community, the goals laid out in our new strategy. From Mali to we must not lose sight of the importance of global Afghanistan to the Philippines, our teams – working solidarity in the face of today’s manifold challenges. directly with our partners and local communities – Peacebuilding focuses on increasing understanding, are helping promote peace not only at the grassroots trust and social cohesion. We are committed to level, but also nationally, regionally and globally. striving in partnership to safeguard and build upon We faced two key personnel changes in 2019. the development gains and steps towards peace Our previous CEO, Harriet Lamb, unexpectedly realised to date and to ensure that peacebuilding decided to leave in early 2019, with her replacement, is an integral part of global efforts to respond to Michael Young, only coming on board in September. the pandemic. Mike brings to the role decades of success in the We will get through this together. peacebuilding sector, having held senior positions at Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee, coupled with considerable field work in the Middle East, Africa and south Asia. We also had turnover with our Director of Programmes, with Jessie Banfield returning to the organisation from the Carey Cavanaugh United Nations Development Programme, bringing US ambassador (retired), Chair of International Alert
3 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Annual Report Trustees’ and strategic reports
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 4 About us
International Alert works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace. We focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides. From the grassroots to policy level, we bring people together to build sustainable peace. Peace is just as much about communities living together, side by side, and resolving their differences without resorting to violence, as it is about people signing a treaty or laying down their arms. Peace is when you can walk your children to school in safety, feed your family or make a living, no matter who you are. That is why we bring people together to inspire and amplify our voice for peace. In collaboration with local communities, partners, businesses and policy-makers, we turn our in-depth research and analysis into practical solutions that make a difference on the ground.
Vision Our vision is that people and their societies can resolve conflicts without violence, working together to build sustainable and inclusive peace.
Mission Our mission is to break cycles of violence and to build sustainable peace through: working with people directly affected by violent conflict to find lasting solutions; shaping policies and practices to reduce and prevent violence, and to support sustainable peace; and collaborating with all those striving for peace to strengthen our collective voice and impact.
5 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Our work in 2019
In 2019, we ran projects in 21 countries and territories, with training, research or one-off consultancies and business partnerships in a further 18. In total, we implemented 114 projects, 21 of which took place in multiple regions.
Activities Throughout the year, together with our partners, we engaged and supported 276,301 people through dialogue, training, advocacy, accompaniment, research and outreach activities. Of these, 52% were women and 47% were men, with just under 1% of people identifying as ‘other’ or preferring not to reveal their gender identity.
335 263 116 109 dialogue trainings, advocacy and other meetings capacity- outreach activities building and mentoring
27,301 people 20,232 people 206,348 people 22,420 people 12,538 women 10,922 women 112,063 women 8,095 women 14,059 men 9,268 men 92,977 men 13,938 men 704 other 42 other 1,308 other 387 other
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 6 Changes Our teams record the ways in which their work effects change by tracking project data and using outcome-harvesting techniques. These results reflect the changes that take place in individuals, institutions and societies following our engagement – whether directly or indirectly.
Changes in Changes in Changes in knowledge and behaviour and conditions attitudes processes (e.g. policies, structures, etc.) 41% 41% 18% of results of results of results
Where our intervention achieved multiple changes – for example, changing a person’s attitude and behaviour – we categorise it by the most relevant. We continuously improve our process for collecting and documenting results, and in 2019 began facilitating reflection sessions for each programme and country team. This has improved the quality of our documented results and enabled a greater understanding around monitoring and evaluation and project impact among our staff.
7 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Locations
Tunisia
Mali What we worked on
Arts and culture
Building capacity in peacebuilding methods
Citizen-state relations/Governance
Conflict sensitivity
Crime, violence and instability Nigeria
Economic development and livelihoods
Gender
Human rights
Inter-/Intra-community relations
Media
Refugees and displacement
Security
Women’s empowerment
Youth
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 8 Ukraine
South Caucasus Kyrgyzstan
Afghanistan
Tajikistan
Nepal
Lebanon Pakistan Philippines
Kenya Myanmar
Rwanda
DRC
9 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Progress against our goals in 2019
Every quarter, our management team reported more in Snapshot 1). This laid the ground for a similar to the Board of Trustees or its sub-committee, ongoing exercise looking at conflict sensitivity. the Management Advisory Committee (MAC), on progress against our organisational and programme 2. Build our capacity to influence objectives. We developed a strategic framework to guide the A review of performance against these objectives expansion of our policy influence, including setting took place at the December meeting of the Board, out tangible steps for strengthening the capacity when objectives for the coming year were also of our global team in this area. We identified two discussed and established based on earlier reflection key cross-organisational themes around which by the Senior Management Team (SMT), programme to leverage our influence: making the case for managers and staff. peacebuilding, and gender dynamics in peace and conflict. To this end, we plan to mark the 20th We also report separately to the donors who fund anniversary of United Nations Security Council specific projects. Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security by In the following sections, we outline our progress gathering lessons of our own 20-year organisational against our organisational and programme goals contribution to the adoption and implementation in 2019. of the resolution, and to use this to drive forward discussions with practitioners and policy-makers to enhance the delivery of this agenda (read more in Snapshot 1). We also continued to play an Organisational active part within the global peacebuilding sector, including collaborating with UK-based peers to host goals a festival celebrating the International Day of Peace on 21 September and further leveraging our Peace 1. Roll out our 2019–23 strategy and Perceptions Poll 2018 with a launch and policy accompanying processes dialogue in the German parliament. Our new organisational strategy was launched in May and reflects our signature approaches to 3. Develop our work with all those peacebuilding around the world. With the arrival affected by violence of our new CEO, work started from September to We continued to roll out our toolkit, Improving the operationalise the strategy, focusing on four key impact of preventing violent extremism programming, areas: impact, influence, income and infrastructure. in partnership with the United Nations Development In December, our Global Leadership Team gathered Programme, from Ethiopia to Jordan to Kyrgyzstan. to discuss this process and to identify ways for We launched new projects advancing accountability sharing and deepening our expertise across key and trust in security provision at the interface thematic areas and ways of working. Simultaneously, between security forces, armed groups and we delivered an extensive gender mainstreaming communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo review, resulting in an action plan for 2020–21 to (DRC), Mali, Nepal and Nigeria. We also continued ensure gender is fully mainstreamed throughout our our work fostering dialogue across conflict divides, organisation and peacebuilding programming (read from Rwanda to the South Caucasus to Ukraine.
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 10 Snapshot 1: Our gender focus in 2020
This year marks 20 years since the adoption of been a core part of our work in this area and is United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) central to our approach to peacebuilding. 1325 on women, peace and security. We will be marking the anniversary of the We have been working on issues relating to women, adoption of UNSCR 1325 by looking back at our peace and security since the 1990s and led the own experience and lessons learned from its global advocacy campaign ‘From the Village to implementation and the challenges faced, which the Negotiating Table’ in 1999 that helped to we will share with key institutions and governments successfully influence the passage of the UN working on this issue globally. resolution. We will also share our analysis of how we think Since the adoption of UNSCR 1325, and the approval governments, institutions and the humanitarian, of 10 further resolutions, we have been running development and peacebuilding sectors could projects designed to monitor, advocate for and improve uptake of the resolution and move the implement this critical agenda in conflict-affected women, peace and security agenda forward over the countries. next decade.
This is part of our own ongoing efforts of self- reflection and progression as an organisation, which in 2019 saw us deliver a gender mainstreaming review led by an external gender expert. The review looked at our current approach to and global work on gender and gender mainstreaming, but also our internal structures and ways of working.
The recommendations formed the basis of an action plan on gender mainstreaming across the organisation that is now being finalised. The plan includes a comprehensive list of activities for 2020–21 to ensure gender is fully mainstreamed throughout our organisation and peacebuilding programming. These activities fall under five main areas: organisational culture; programming; staff capacity and knowledge management; human Credit: © International Alert Our now Head of Gender Ndeye Sow meets a women’s resources and organisational policy; and resourcing. group in the 1990s in South Kivu, DRC Simultaneously, we will be reviewing our work on masculinities and engaging men, to understand our This has included grassroots work in Afghanistan, successes, any challenges and opportunities for Burundi, DRC, Guinea, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, future programming. We will then use this learning Sierra Leone and Somalia. We have helped shape to develop guidelines and best practices for our the policies of the governments of Ireland, the teams on how best to work on issues of men’s Netherlands, Norway and the UK by inputting on vulnerability and patriarchy. their National Action Plans for implementing UNSCR Our UNSCR 1325 review is funded by UK aid from 1325. We have also contributed to the global UNSCR the UK government as part of the Peace Research 1325 high-level review process. Partnership project. The organisational gender Understanding and seeking to change gender norms review was funded by our strategic grant from the and gendered power dynamics more broadly has Swedish International Development Agency.
11 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert 4. Develop and roll out new business reconciliation into district performance contracts and financial models and systems (imihigo). We directly supported the strengthening of relationships and trust at the community level, During 2019, we launched a new business resulting in the creation of 855 spaces for dialogue diversification strategy to strengthen four key income in communities and schools to address barriers to streams: strategic funding, grants, commercial reconciliation, which were attended by 25,650 people. contracting and major giving. We also switched to This led to the establishment of permanent, locally and rolled out new finance software to enhance our owned mediation spaces in numerous communities. oversight of this changing financial model. As part of our commitment to investing in our staff capacity, In Nigeria, we continued to implement our flagship we developed new in-house online inductions programme on social reintegration for women and on peacebuilding, monitoring and evaluation, girls held in captivity by Boko Haram. Drawing on cybersecurity, safeguarding and the EU General Data lessons learned since 2016, we expanded into new Protection Regulation (GDPR). locations and built in more systematic economic and psycho-social support for dialogue participants. This included support sessions for 2,020 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to discuss Programme their experiences, which most said helped build their emotional strength. These activities also included goals other women and girls and 417 family members of Under our current strategy (2019–2023), our survivors of SGBV, to help nurture their understanding programme results are reported against five thematic and sympathy. We also produced and broadcast 77 goals. radio programmes to help reduce the stigma faced by survivors of SGBV and support the reintegration of Assessing trends and commonalities across women and girls among a wider audience. geographical regions and themes helps us to understand our wider peacebuilding impact. In eastern DRC, we helped put in place mechanisms for reducing conflicts over land. In Kitshanga in North Here are some key highlights of our impact during Kivu province, for instance, we helped develop a 2019. sustainable and community-based strategy to secure land access for landless farmers. And in South Kivu 1. To strengthen communities’ province, we facilitated a participatory process to voices and their capacity to reduce create 13 land use maps by community leaders and violence, in particular by working local authorities to clarify and resolve disputes over with disadvantaged women and boundary lines. Since then, local authorities in the young people Ruzizi Plain area have reported a considerable drop Our engagement with communities is the bedrock in the number of cases of land disputes they have of all our work. In 2019, we worked with 260,710 been asked to resolve. The cases of farmer–herder community members in fragile and conflict- conflicts during the seasonal movement of livestock, affected states across the globe to help combat for example, were down to four in 2019 compared marginalisation, strengthen intra- and inter- to 50 in the previous year, in large part due to the community relations, and promote higher levels of opening of 19 agreed ‘cattle corridors’ negotiated trust. through the project.
In Rwanda, our collaboration with the National In Ukraine, we continued to strengthen the capacity Unity and Reconciliation Commission and local of local civil society. This included training over 60 districts led to the mainstreaming of reconciliation new organisations in conflict analysis and conflict and conflict sensitivity among local government sensitivity, as well as in project planning, monitoring actors. Following their participation in our activities, and evaluation, and proposal writing. We trained 50 the authorities in seven districts increased their organisations in mobile journalism and filming. And budget for reconciliation programmes and included we funded 20 organisations – five of them existing
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 12 partners and 15 new – to implement small grassroots financial management sessions for 196 women projects focusing on areas such as youth engagement, traders, and awareness-raising sessions for 228 providing opportunities for disabled people (including women on trade and border legislation and their ex-combatants), and on participatory context analyses rights and duties. We also trained 117 border officials and conflict resolution. These activities have also on conflict- and gender-sensitive communication, helped build and strengthen civil society connections and their roles and responsibilities in implementing across the country. the new Simplified Trade Regime between the three countries. This led to border agents between DRC 2. To harness the private sector to and Rwanda no longer charging an illegally inflated support inclusive peace fee for crossing the border. In addition, we helped set up 32 dialogue groups of 25 women traders each, Our work with the private sector seeks to address the 16 groups for spouses of women traders made economic drivers of peace and conflict. In 2019, we up of 30 men each, and a further 32 groups of 15 organised 231 activities with 219,501 people, mostly women traders plus their spouses to meet monthly from the private sector, on this issue. This included to conduct community-level analyses of social engaging with private sector actors from the local to cohesion, especially with the neighbouring countries. global level to promote gender- and conflict-sensitive The mixed groups started meeting earlier this year. business practices and economic development for peace. And we continued to deepen and expand our At the policy level, we continued our engagement work to mitigate the conflict impacts of extractive with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human industries by strengthening communications Rights (VPSHR), as an active member of the VPSHR between communities, companies and authorities. Steering Committee. We also leveraged our existing partnerships with industry associations, including In Kenya, we helped facilitate the increased flow the International Petroleum Industry Environmental of information between communities, the local Conservation Association (IPIECA) and the government and an oil company around oil extraction International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), in Turkana county. This enabled a series of disputes between communities and the company to be resolved to influence corporate practices. peacefully through dialogue rather than protests. For example, when locals in three areas were unhappy with 3. To promote fairness, inclusion the implementation of water distribution commitments and justice in national governance by one of the company’s subcontractors, the oil systems (including security), to company itself stepped in and resolved the issue. support peace and to address the root causes of conflict (including In Kyrgyzstan, we convened a business forum to foster more open communication between structural inequalities) communities, the state and mining companies Our governance work contributes towards stronger in order to help tackle the bouts of violence and relations between citizens and states to reduce simmering grievances around people’s economic and instability and inequality. In 2019, we organised 429 environmental concerns over mining. This, combined activities with participants from local, national and with training and small grants for further grassroots international governmental institutions. We worked discussions, has enabled local communities to better with security forces and justice systems, municipal understand the laws and business processes around authorities, religious leaders, community groups mining and become more confident in engaging with and civil society to find common ground to reduce the mining sector. violence and promote peace and inclusion. We also deepened our support to stakeholders engaged in We continued to support greater stability and social peaceful natural resource governance. cohesion for women small-scale traders working across the borders of Burundi, DRC and Rwanda, Meanwhile, in Mali, the deteriorating security by bringing them together to advocate for regional situation in the north and centre of the country economic integration and tackling corruption. highlighted the ongoing need for our work on This was complemented by economic literacy and security governance (read more in Snapshot 2).
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13 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Snapshot 2: Strengthening security governance in Mali
Mali has suffered eight years of insecurity and training and supporting grassroots peacebuilding violence due to fighting between secessionist and initiatives. Islamist militant groups and the central government, As of the end of 2019, we had helped set up and which in turn has left a security vacuum in which accompanied 25 community dialogue forums – long-standing and deep-rooted intercommunity 20 local and five regional – that had run a total of conflicts have also worsened. 215 dialogue sessions (attended by 6,740 people: During this time, trust in the state has been hugely 37% women, 63% men). We had run 18 training undermined by a combination of neglect and sessions (attended by 767 people: 34% women, 66% accusations of extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, men) on topics including conflict analysis, conflict torture and arbitrary arrests of suspected jihadists and gender sensitivity, women’s empowerment, by both the national security forces and ethnic peacebuilding methods and advocacy. And we had ‘self-defence groups’. This has exacerbated fear and accompanied and financially supported 24 locally suspicion within and across communities, with deep led peacebuilding initiatives. divisions along ethnic lines. Those involved in the programme and other Since 2016, together with our national partner community members have reported a reduction the Association Malienne pour la Survie au Sahel in the number of conflicts within and between (AMSS), we have been supporting an initiative to communities, and between communities and improve trust and strengthen accountability among the state. They have also observed increased communities, local authorities and the security and collaboration in conflict resolution between defence forces (SDF) in the northern and central community members and the SDF, and higher regions of Mopti, Segou and Timbuktu. perceptions of safety among local populations.
Our aim is to develop sustainable, locally owned “The security situation is better than last year due strategies for tackling and reducing violent conflict to the good relationship created between the SDF and instability, through a combination of dialogue, and the population thanks to the project,” said one © Dagamaissa Alhatikou/International Alert Dagamaissa © Security forces and civil society members discuss community security issues in Mopti, Mali
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 14 beneficiary. Another person reflected that “the “It is the very first time in the history of our town new FAMA [the national army] troops who are not or even the Timbuktu cercle [an administrative imbued with the project activities do not interact level below the region] that women are involved in with communities like those who benefited from the problems that traditionally are always managed by project”, highlighting both an achievement of the men,” said one of the women mediators. programme but also a need for further support of Those communities benefiting from the dialogue this kind. forums have also seen traditional and religious A significant outcome for the programme has been leaders, many of whom had lost their influence and the acceptance of female mediators in communities credibility due to the spiralling violence, re-engage where women typically have little or no role in and resume their roles as local peacebuilders, while decision-making. In one instance in 2018 in Borem- other members of society have begun to play a Inaly, in the Timbuktu region, a local women’s more active role in municipal activities. dialogue forum that received training and funding We have since been building on these successes successfully mediated a peaceful resolution to a and innovating further, including creating women- long-standing dispute between two male leaders only dialogue forums at the regional level. over who should be entitled to the traditional village chiefdom. This programme, which is made up of four projects, has been funded by the Canadian government The fact that the women felt empowered to take through Global Affairs Canada, the Ministry on the responsibility to resolve the issue, as well as of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the UN that the leaders in the community afforded them the Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute space to do so in a traditionally very conservative and (UNICRI) and the UN Multidimensional Integrated male-dominated society, is a sign that our dialogue Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). initiatives have helped transform perceptions not just on how conflicts should be resolved, but also on who should be involved in the process.
In Kyrgyzstan, we continued to support dialogue to be factored into peacebuilding policies and on the role of religion and democracy in the country practices. This included raising awareness of the as a means of promoting greater tolerance and rising conflict risks related to access and control over social cohesion (read more in Snapshot 3). water resources and protection of water ecosystems globally, as well as specifically in Mali, through In Tunisia, we have been working with young our membership in the Water, Peace and Security people from marginalised regions to undertake Partnership. We represented the partnership at the participatory analyses of their health, education and cultural needs and priorities. This has provided Paris Peace Forum in November, where we were evidenced recommendations for local and national interviewed by France24, and, following the launch of policy-makers. Those who took part reported an the partnership’s early warning tool on water-related increased understanding of their municipalities and conflicts, we gave interviews to the Guardian and relevant laws, for example those governing access Thomson Reuters. to information and civil society. They also described As part of the Peace Research Partnership (PRP) having a greater sense of belonging, value and funded by the UK government, we continued to confidence in their ability to effect change, reducing generate analysis and actionable recommendations their vulnerability to resort to negative coping for policy-makers and practitioners across Whitehall strategies such as violence. and beyond on how to support peaceful, inclusive Throughout 2019, we also continued to advocate change. Led within Alert by our Peacebuilding for environment and climate change considerations Advisory Unit, the research drew on expertise
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15 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Snapshot 3: Increasing dialogue on religion and democracy in Kyrgyzstan © Aiperi Zhanyzakova/International Alert Zhanyzakova/International Aiperi © A Youth Discussion Club brings together community members in Talas to discuss issues relating to religion and democracy, Kyrgyzstan
Since its independence in 1991 following the The two groups serve as a bridge between religious dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan has and secular parts of society, providing a space to witnessed a revival of religious groups and raise and discuss important issues affecting peace denominations. This has unfortunately been and stability in the country, and to find common accompanied by increased polarisation and ground between the various religious faiths. politicisation of religious issues and a rise in radical “It gives an opportunity to hear first-hand the and extremist movements. opinions of representatives of different faiths; the Since 2017, together with our national partner the opportunity to explain, to be heard, understand Fund for Development of Spiritual Culture ‘Iyman’, and accept,” said one working group member. we have been supporting an initiative to open public “And all these opportunities allow for ongoing debate on the role of religion and democracy in the communication.” country. Through this engagement, the groups could directly Our aim is to promote greater tolerance and social interact with government officials, including from cohesion by ensuring more people can constructively the State Commission on Religious Affairs and and peacefully challenge and resist extreme other relevant agencies and ministries. Members religious and secular narratives and policies that fuel also collectively drafted recommendations and suspicion, mistrust and conflict. influenced decisions on government policies around religion and democracy, such as the programme A key element of this was the creation of the on countering terrorism and preventing violent Advisory Working Group on Religion and Democracy extremism, and the law on religious organisations as well as the Dialogue Platform on Religion and and freedom of religion. Democracy, which comprise of representatives of all the major faith groups, academia, youth groups, civil To complement this work, we provided training to society, journalists, security and law enforcement imams in critical skills for reaching out to their own and government. and neighbouring communities, including in conflict
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 16 sensitivity, tolerance, gender and human rights ranging from early marriage to domestic violence and civic education. By the end of the project, we to radicalisation. The sessions were attended by had held 18 trainings for 1,500 imams. Of those around 3,000 people, including students, scholars, interviewed following the training, more than 70% civil society members, religious leaders and said they still use the training materials in their daily government officials alike. work and the trainers have observed an increase in “I and other discussion club participants have demand for training among imams. become more tolerant,” said one young person. “We have a better understanding of tolerance for “I can resolve conflicts through dialogue, as we peaceful coexistence with representatives of other practised such exercises.” faiths and ethnic groups,” said one of the imams. We also trained 28 junior researchers in critical Another key target group identified for training thinking and research practices, which they used were young people. Poor inclusion of young people to carry out research and produce policy briefs in decision-making in society as well as a lack of on a range of important issues around religion employment opportunities leaves them feeling and democracy that fed into the discussions and marginalised and ignored, making them more advocacy of the working group and dialogue platform. susceptible to criminal groups and radical religious movements. Since the project began, government officials in Kyrgyzstan have begun releasing more public To help address this, we created nine Youth statements on the importance of tolerance, most Discussion Clubs in universities and regional notably by the Head of the State Commission youth centres across the country and trained 16 on Religious Affairs, who praised “principles of ‘youth peer mentors’ in skills such as facilitation, tolerance, good neighbourliness and peacefulness”. leadership, civic activism and conflict management. The peer mentors then used this training to organise This project was funded by the European Union and 90 discussion sessions (10 per club) on issues ran from February 2017 to March 2020.
throughout the organisation, spanning the Horn of peace process and implementation of the 2015 Africa, Mali, Myanmar, Syria and Ukraine, with gender federal constitution. We have increased awareness mainstreamed throughout. The initiative was a among minority groups in target communities about partnership with fellow peacebuilding organisations the public services available to them and among Conciliation Resources and Saferworld. local authorities about the challenges facing these groups in accessing public services. We have also 4. To support inclusive peace helped improve participation by minority groups – processes and wider peacebuilding including women – within governance structures. initiatives These changes have enabled minority groups to We work across both formal and informal peace better participate in local development planning processes. In 2019, we supported the active and processes and access justice, increasing their involvement of diverse voices in different levels of confidence in the federal system. In doing so, we peace processes and governance initiatives across hope to make the federal system more inclusive a range of conflict contexts. We also organised and reduce potential grievances with federalism 306 activities around peacebuilding methods, that might undermine the outcomes of the peace reconciliation and transitional justice with 215,668 process. people. In the Philippines, we have been using our In Nepal, we have been supporting the country’s Critical Events Monitoring System (CEMS) – an transition to federalism, which is a key step in the SMS- and high-frequency-radio-based reporting
17 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert © Khalid Amerol/International Khalid © Alert Early Response Network members in Lanao del Sur province attend an orientation workshop on our Critical Events Monitoring System, the Philippines system – to capture conflict incidents and tensions 2019, we organised 634 activities around gender and in communities. The system is used by the Early conflict sensitivity with 264,602 people. Response Network (ERN) in the Bangsamoro region In Lebanon, we trained and accompanied 95 to share real-time information and work with local volunteer community workers and health and governments, key agencies, the security sector, protection professionals in delivering medical and and religious and traditional leaders in coordinating social services in a conflict-sensitive way. The quick and context-specific responses to tensions, learnings from this support have been documented violent conflicts, disasters and displacement as in a toolkit and guidance released this year on they happen. Through the data and analysis in our integrating conflict sensitivity and social stability in monthly CEMS bulletins and annual Conflict Alert development and humanitarian service delivery. This report, we have helped inform the strategies and integrated health, protection and social stability model programming of local and regional authorities in has also recently helped partners responding to the Bangsamoro, national agencies, legislators, the COVID-19 in accessing some of the most vulnerable security sector and our peers. We also advocated for communities and using established networks to measures to be put in place before the withdrawal disseminate information and key messages. of martial law in the region, to prevent a possible resurgence in the flow of weapons, the resumption of During the year, we carried out a range of activities in armed and/or extremist groups’ operations and the support of conflict-sensitive journalism, to improve region’s return to a state of violence. reporting practices in social and traditional media. In Afghanistan, we supported the increased 5. To champion gender and conflict representation of female journalists in the media sensitivity in ways that contribute to (read more in Snapshot 4). peace, including in our own work In Pakistan, we supported local civil society We provide gender- and conflict-sensitivity support at organisations to accompany and train a diverse the local, national, regional and international level. In group of senior media professionals in setting up
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International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 18 Snapshot 4: Supporting female journalists in Afghanistan
The last few years have been some of the deadliest journalists as part of a six-month online mentorship for journalists in Afghanistan since the fall of the scheme. These mentors were a crucial source Taliban regime in 2001. They are subject to constant of practical insights, learning and advice for the violence and threats by the Taliban, the Islamic women, and could help them build contacts within State, warlords and corrupt political officials. the media sector.
According to the campaign group Reporters Without Without industry experience and connections, many Borders, “women journalists are a favourite target, journalism graduates struggle to find work in the and are especially vulnerable in those regions where sector. So, to ensure that the women could utilise fundamentalist propaganda is heeded”.1 the skills and knowledge they had learned, we helped them find work placements, where they could This is in addition to the already high social and gain hands-on experience of journalism to help cultural barriers to women’s participation in launch their careers. journalism, and the continued harassment and discrimination they face in the workplace that so Samira, for instance, was able to transition from hinders their careers. her three-month internship to a full-time daily on-air position at a local television station in her home Since 2018, together with our national partner the province. Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC), we have been supporting 24 recent graduate and early We hope that, by equipping and getting young career female journalists as part of our ‘She Writes’ women into journalism in Afghanistan, this will help project. to slowly change attitudes and ultimately behaviours within the media sector towards female journalists. The project, which is based in the four main In turn, it can demonstrate to the families and regional media hubs in the country: Balkh, Herat, relatives of aspiring female journalists that the Kabul and Nangrahar, provides the women with media is a safe industry for women to work in. a comprehensive training, mentorship and work placement scheme. Training covered topics This is also vital in ensuring that the country’s media such as responsible and objective reporting, better represents women in its coverage, accurately conflict- and gender-sensitive and ‘do no harm’ and effectively reporting on their lives and holding principles, security and safety, and CV writing and authorities accountable for the discriminatory presentations. treatment women continue to face in society.
“I am a journalism graduate, but the things I learned This is certainly a goal for Samira, who wants to with She Writes were new to me,” explained Samira,2 serve as a role model for women in her province and who was in her fourth year of university when joining to share their voices far and wide. the scheme. “I learned new methods of reporting, This project began in October 2018 and runs until presentation, journalism and many practical October 2020. approaches related to journalism.”
The participants were also connected with established and renowned – mostly female –
1. Afghanistan country profile, Reporters Without Borders, https://rsf.org/en/afghanistan 2. Not her real name
19 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert a network to promote more inclusive, objective displaced people in the conflict-affected northern and responsible mainstream news media. The Shan state and another on agricultural diversification network will work towards building the capacity of in southern Rakhine state. The latter included training their colleagues and advocate for better working their project staff on how to analyse and respond to conditions and more gender sensitivity and inclusivity gender dynamics in their future programming. in media workplaces. This is part of a wider effort to We also helped shape policy and policy frameworks increase media coverage of vulnerable communities relating to gender, peace and conflict with a range in the country. Last year, coverage of vulnerable of governments and international bodies. This communities increased by more than 31% among included consulting on the Irish National Action the media outlets we helped support (up from 1.6% Plan on women, peace and security, conducting a in 2018 to 2.1% in 2019). gender analysis for the Finnish Ministry of Foreign And in the South Caucasus, we facilitated 70 Affairs, and producing a toolkit on security sector journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorny reform and gender for the Geneva Centre for Security Karabakh to jointly produce media outputs Sector Governance, the Organization for Security highlighting the cost of conflict in the region, and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic supporting the journalists with training, mentorship Institutions and Human Rights, and UN Women. and accompaniment. This is the only such initiative Additionally, during the year, we provided strategic to bring together journalists from all sides of the capacity-building and accompaniment support on conflict context, in a region where there is little conflict sensitivity to the Netherlands Ministry of interaction across the conflict divides. Foreign Affairs. This comprised of 22 assignments, In Tajikistan, we began building on the success including a review of the Dutch Addressing Root of the first phase of our Zindagii Shoista (Living Causes Fund, a conflict analysis for agribusiness with Dignity) project, which concluded in mid-2019 partners in Ethiopia, and the production of a conflict- and had seen a 50% drop in incidents of violence sensitivity guide for decision-makers, programme against women and girls (VAWG) in the families we managers and implementers worldwide. We worked with. Having previously identified women also provided training on conflict sensitivity to with disabilities and those parenting children with headquarters and embassy staff. disabilities as a particularly vulnerable – and often overlooked – group affected by VAWG, we researched the links between disability and violence. These insights have helped us make this group one of the key targets of our future work in this area, including in scaling up our work in the Khatlon oblast (region). A number of national and international organisations working on VAWG have also expressed interest in adopting the methodology we used – which combines social and economic empowerment of women.
In Myanmar, we strengthened the understanding of various national and international organisations on gender issues. For example, we supported the Netherlands embassy by training senior staff from nine of its local partner organisations on preventing sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace. We trained the local SGBV project staff of an intergovernmental organisation on gender and conflict sensitivity. And we conducted gender analyses for two internationally funded development projects: one on employment skills for internally
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 20 Priorities for 2020
1. Ensure the organisation is resilient shared knowledge base and internal community to the impact of COVID-19 of practice across the organisation, enhancing the quality of our peacebuilding programming and The COVID-19 pandemic currently unfolding across impact. This remains highly relevant going forward. the world has profound meaning for peacebuilding. Simultaneously, we will continue to roll out our It may spark new opportunities for progress on gender mainstreaming action plan for 2020–21. peace; it may also inflame the social fractures that drive violence and conflict in fragile states. As we approach the mid-point of 2020, it is also evident 4. Develop a research strategy that the cost of countering the pandemic among the Research has long been a core component of our top donors for peacebuilding will have a significant methodology, providing robust evidence and analysis knock-on effect on aid budgets over the next few upon which to base our peacebuilding programming years. At the time of preparing this annual report, and advocacy. While we are proud of the research we are in the midst of a comprehensive scenario we have produced, we believe it could have an even planning process that will culminate in a Resilience greater impact on shaping policy decisions on peace, Plan 2020–21, which aims to map the decisions and conflict and security. This strategy will help guide the actions we must take to July 2021 in order to remain research we undertake and the ways in which we use a viable, relevant and impactful actor for peace at a the findings to influence policy change, translating time when our mission, expertise and knowledge are evidence into impact. Evidence-based programming needed more than ever. and advocacy will be at a premium among the uncertainties and complexities generated by the 2. Plan for regrowth in the post- COVID-19 pandemic. pandemic world Prior to the onset of the pandemic, we were in the 5. Help shape international action on middle of formulating a new Growth Plan 2020–22, UNSCR 1325 designed to maximise our impact, strengthen During 2020, we will deliver our strategy for our influence, grow and diversify our income, and shaping international action on UNSCR 1325 on build our infrastructure – all in order to deliver our women, peace and security in the lead-up to the mission and an ambitious strategic plan. As noted 20th anniversary of the resolution in October. The above, the impact of the pandemic means we must objectives of our strategy are twofold: to improve review these commitments. The Resilience Plan implementation of the resolution by the international 2020–21 will set out a process by which to refresh community; and to improve our own practice on our strategic plan through to 2023 – making sure the resolution. A research report reflecting on our its ambitions and goals remain fit for purpose in a past practice will form the centrepiece for internal changed world – and put in place the structures and efforts to increase our focus on UNSCR 1325, while resources necessary to recommit to greater impact a policy brief and series of policy dialogues with and influence in future years. key stakeholders will help shape the discourse in the lead-up to the UN Security Council Annual Open 3. Ensure organisational learning on Debate on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda gender and conflict sensitivity in October. The extensive gender mainstreaming review completed in 2019 revealed the need for a similar exercise looking at conflict sensitivity. This will formalise decades of experience into a robust,
21 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Strategic Report
The trustees are directors of the organisation for Structure, the purposes of company law and, in line with that responsibility, oversee the financial reporting and governance and ensure that proper financial statements are made for each financial year to give a true and fair view of management the organisation’s financial activities and its financial position at the year end.
Organisational structure The MAC meets at least three times a year and International Alert is a UK-based NGO, registered with is the key committee of the Board. The MAC has Companies House and the Charities Commission. been entrusted with the more detailed oversight of The charity is a company limited by guarantee and key areas of the charity, including finance and all has no share capital. budgetary issues, fundraising, security and human resources issues. We are governed by a Board of Trustees (Board). The Board has a sub-committee, the Management The CEO is accountable to the Board for all the Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises on and organisation’s work, and the other members of the monitors the work of the Executive Team. The MAC Executive Team report to the CEO. The Executive comprises of the Treasurer and two further trustees. Team reports to each Board and MAC meeting on the organisation’s work, activities and finances, During the reporting period to which this presenting progress in relation to the budget, annual Annual Report and Accounts relates, our senior objectives and strategic framework. management team comprised of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Programmes, the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Finance Officer. Board of Trustees In 2020, we moved to an Executive Team, which The Board may consist of 3 to 15 members. comprises of the CEO, the Director of Programmes, Generally, the number has ranged between 9 and 13 the Director of Finance and Operations, the Director members. The Board is international, to reflect the of Resource Development, and the Director of diversity of the organisation’s work. Advocacy and Communications. New trustees are elected at the Annual General There are around 230 staff based in London and Meeting or by the Board at a regular meeting and our 13 offices around the world, including a team of serve for a period of three years. Trustees may be thematic peacebuilding experts. The programmes’ re-elected for one further term of three years. Before work is supported by administrative, financial, a decision is taken to appoint a trustee, meetings fundraising, human resources, IT, and advocacy and are arranged for the potential new trustee with communications teams. the CEO and one or two senior Board members, International Alert UK is affiliated with International normally including the Chair. On appointment, Alert Europe, which is registered as a stichting new trustees receive a full induction on their (foundation) in the Hague, the Netherlands. responsibilities under company law and charity law, and on the organisation. The process includes both Decision-making a pack of relevant documentation and a series of meetings with senior and middle management. The Board meets four times a year and is responsible for governance, establishing the organisation’s During 2019, two trustees either completed their strategic framework and annual objectives, and term or resigned. We ended 2019 with a total of nine agreeing the annual budget. trustees (three women and six men), five of whom
International Alert | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | Annual Report | 22 © Simon Risasi/International Alert GPS data collection for creating land use maps to clarify and resolve disputes over boundary lines in South Kivu, DRC are based outside the UK, including two from two of state whether a SORP applies and has been the main geographic areas in which we work (Asia followed, subject to any material departures, and the Middle East). which are explained in the financial statements; and Trustees’ responsibilities prepare the financial statements on the The Board, as directors of the organisation for going concern basis unless it is inappropriate the purposes of company law, is responsible to presume that the charity will continue on for preparing the annual report and the financial that basis. statements in accordance with applicable law and The Board is responsible for keeping proper accounting United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United records that disclose, with reasonable accuracy at Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). any time, the financial position of the charity and Company law requires the Board to prepare financial that enable the Board to ensure that the financial statements for each financial year that give a true statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. and fair view of the charity’s state of affairs and of its They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets income and expenditure for that period. of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud as well as other irregularities. In preparing these financial statements, the Board is required to: Insofar as the Board is aware:
select suitable accounting policies and apply there is no relevant audit information of which them consistently; the charity’s auditors are unaware; and observe the methods and principles in the the trustees have taken all steps they ought to Charities Statement of Recommended Practice have taken to make themselves aware of any (SORP); relevant audit information and to establish that make judgements and estimates that are the auditors are aware of that information. reasonable and prudent; The Board is responsible for the maintenance and state whether applicable accounting standards, integrity of the corporate and financial information including the Financial Reporting Standard included on the charity’s website. UK legislation (FRS 102), have been followed, subject to any governing the preparation and dissemination of material departures disclosed and explained in financial statements may differ from legislation in the financial statements; other jurisdictions.
23 | Annual Report | Annual Report and Accounts 2019 | International Alert Our total income in 2019 was £16.68 million Financial review (compared to £18.16 million in 2018). Our total expenditure in 2019 was £16.42 Over the past five years (2015–2019), our million (down by 10% from £18.24 million in expenditure has grown by over 17%. However, 2019 2018). has been a challenging year and, as shown in the chart below, there has been a decrease of 10% (£1.82 Our unrestricted income in 2019 was £2.33 million) in expenditure in 2019 as compared to 2018. million (compared to £2.46 million in 2018) and our total unrestricted expenditure was This has been due to slower project expenditure in £2.33 million (compared to £2.27 million DRC, Kyrgyzstan, Mali and Ukraine, while expected in 2018) – comprising of £1.90 million on funding in Afghanistan, Myanmar and Pakistan charitable activities and £0.43 million on did not materialise. The gaps in senior and middle raising funds. The balance of unrestricted management positions across programmes also 17,9 7K funds17,2 1at K year end was £1.94 million contributed to slower fundraising, resulting in lower (compared to £2.23 million in 2018). expenditure. 14,199K 14,042K 1 , 02K Our restricted income in 2019 was £14.35 Yet, it should be noted that we grew by almost million (compared to £15.70 million in 2018) 17% over the past five years – averaging an annual and our total restricted expenditure was 1 ,4 2K growth of 3.4%, which is a very good achievement in £14.0914, 2 K million (compared to £15.97 million a difficult10,8 funding40K environment.11, 77K 11,619K in 2018). The balance of restricted funds at year end was £2.86 million (£2.69 million in With sound financial management systems, effective 2018). We expect to utilise this balance on fundraising and robust management, we emerged in programmes during 2020. a positive2,6 6financial2K position2,622K (in terms of2,42 unrestricted K 2, 2 K 2,690K reserves)201 at the end of2 02019:14 201 2016 2017
Tota e enditure
Restri ted e enditure