THE KOFI ANNAN FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 COALITIONS FOR CHANGE photo: Adam Scotti/One Young World CONTENT 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 TABLE OF WORDS OF WELCOME 3 OVERVIEW BY ALAN DOSS 5 MAP OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 7 COMBATTING HUNGER 11 MEDIATION AND CRISIS RESOLUTION 15 PROMOTING YOUTH LEADERSHIP 19 BUILDING LASTING PEACE 25 SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND ELECTIONS WITH INTEGRITY 29 CHANGING DRUG POLICY 35 BEHIND THE SCENES 39 CONTENTS 3 WORDS OF WELCOME WORDS OF WELCOME 4 LEADERSHIP AND POLITICAL WILL: THESE ARE THE TWO INDISPENSABLE INGREDIENTS OF PROGRESS. They are crucial if we are to successfully over- come the most intractable threats to peace, development and human rights that confront us today and in tomorrow’s world. But mobi- lising leadership to achieve political change is much more than just engaging with political leaders and parties, important though that may be. We should remember that leaders can This report shows how our Foundation is be found in all communities, in all corners of teaming up with young people to surmount society, and in every country. Young people, for one of the most critical problems of our times instance, may not move in the highest circles of – the threat of extremist violence. Without government, but they share the experiences of mobilising political will, we will fail to meet the their peers, speak their language and engage challenges of our times. This begins with on the same social platforms. Working with identifying the right leaders who can make a young leaders can often be more effective in difference in their particular field. All of us can securing change than talking to presidents or become a part of this global ambition. prime ministers. Leadership is local. So I urge everyone – young and old – to become leaders for the change we need to make the world a fairer and more peaceful place. Sincerely, Kofi Annan Founder and Chair photo: Sandra Ardizzone Sandra photo: 5 OVERVIEW BY ALAN DOSS OVERVIEW BY ALAN DOSS 6 (See Extremely Together on page 19 for more details). The guide was released in 2017 and we are currently working on a second phase with OVERVIEW BY our young leaders, who will extend and share their experience with other young people in Africa, Asia and Europe. These coalitions are informal networks of A prominent group of former world leaders institutions and individuals that we convene to has joined our Electoral Integrity Initiative: from focus on specific threats to peace, develop- Madeleine Albright and Gordon Brown to AS A SMALL FOUNDATION, WE PURSUE ment and human rights. Ernesto Zedillo and Susilo Bambang Yudhono OUR CORE GOALS THROUGH BUILDING One such “coalition for change” is the Advisory among many others; all have committed to “COALITIONS FOR CHANGE”. Commission on Rakhine State, set up by the using their political weight to ensure that Government of Myanmar with the support of elections deepen rather than disrupt democracy the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Advisory (See Electoral Integrity Initiative on page 29 for Commission, chaired by Kofi Annan, brings more details). None of this work would be pos- together six Myanmar and three international sible without the support of our partners and commissioners. Its mandate is to review and funders. We need their inspired and generous make recommendations on how to tackle the leadership and we thank them all for their poverty, social exclusion, religious conflict and commitment to our common goal: a fairer and violence in Rakhine state, one of the poorest more peaceful world. in the country. The final recommendations of the Commission are expected in the summer of 2017. Sincerely, In the case of our African Food Systems Initiative, the leaders of this project come from Alan Doss the corporate and development worlds. They Executive Director are working with us to find ways to help African smallholder farmers lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. (See African Food Systems Initiative on page 11 for more details). A very different set of leaders is driving “Extremely Together”. For this initiative, we sought out ten remarkable young people under the age of 30, who have been active in countering violent extremism in their own communities. We mandated them to pool their knowledge and to produce the world’s first ever guide by young people for young ALAN DOSS people on countering violent extremism photo: David Magnusson/Interpeace David photo: 7 MAP OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 8 MAP OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 NORWAY Promoting Youth Leadership CANADA UNITED KINGDOM GERMANY Promoting Promoting Youth Leadership Promoting Youth Leadership Youth Leadership SWITZERLAND Supporting Democracy and Elections with Integrity Mediation and SYRIA UNITED STATES Crisis Resolution Supporting Democracy Supporting Democracy and Elections with Integrity and Elections with Integrity LIBYA PAKISTAN WEST AFRICA Promoting Youth Leadership Promoting MYANMAR Changing Drug Policy Youth Leadership Mediation and NIGERIA Crisis Resolution Promoting Youth Leadership SOMALIA THE PHILIPPINES Promoting Combatting Hunger Promoting Youth Leadership COLUMBIA GHANA Youth Leadership Colombian peace process Supporting Democracy UGANDA and Elections with Integrity Promoting Youth Leadership ZAMBIA Supporting Democracy and Elections with Integrity Combatting Hunger SOUTH AFRICA UNDP high-level seminar 9 MAP OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 MAP OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 10 OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES IN 2016 CANADA Extremely Together shared counter- GHANA The Electoral Integrity Initiative worked extremism strategies at the One Young World to support free, fair, and peaceful elections in conference in Ottawa. December 2016. UNITED STATES The EII launched its policy UGANDA Extremely Together’s Ndugwa Hassan paper, “Access to justice and elections with trains teachers, Imams and young people in integrity”, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. countering violent extremism. COLOMBIA The Foundation supported the SOMALIA Extremely Together young leader Colombian peace process. Ilwad Elman works to deradicalise members of Al Shabaab and promote gender equality in UNITED KINGDOM Extremely Together’s SWITZERLAND The EII launched its policy Africa. Fatima Zaman works to research and advise on brief, “Changing term limits: an electoral counter-extremism policy. perspective” in Geneva, Switzerland. LIBYA Extremely Together young leader Hajer WEST AFRICA The West Africa Drug Policy The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State Sharief engages women and young people in Network worked to influence the dialogue on NORWAY Extremely Together’s Bjørn Ihler met for consultations in Geneva, Switzerland. peace building. drug policy throughout the region. seeks creative ways to counter extreme right- wing narratives. NIGERIA Extremely Together’s Jonathan Obajeun SYRIA/UAE Syrian refugee and Extremely PAKISTAN Extremely Together’s Syed Ali Abbas advocates for education-based solutions to Together young leader Zaid Al Rayes aims to Zaidi focuses on the role of civil society to GERMANY Extremely Together’s Mimoun prevent radicalisation and extremism. create economic opportunities for the young counter extremism. Berrissoun works with young people affected With our partners we work with smallholder to show alternatives violent extremism. by extremism. farmers to increase productivity and improve THE PHILIPPINES Extremely Together’s Arizza access to local markets for food. SOUTH AFRICA We presented our work on Nocum strives to promote education and inter- truth commissions and peace processes at the faith dialogue to prevent extremism. ZAMBIA With our partners we help small- UNDP high-level seminar on conflict preven- holder farmers feed themselves and sell their tion, dialogue and reconciliation in Africa. MYANMAR In partnership with the Govern- surpluses at market rates. ment of Myanmar, we established the Advisory Through the Electoral Integrity Initiative, we Commission on Rakhine State to make recom- sought to reduce the risk of violence during the mendations for a fairer, more peaceful future elections in August 2016. for all communities of Rakhine State in western Myanmar. 11 COMBATTING HUNGER 12 AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEMS INITIATIVE COMBATTING HUNGER A Kofi Annan Foundation Initiative photo: Davide Mazzoran/Shutterstock.com Davide photo: 13 COMBATTING HUNGER 14 The potential of African agriculture is as immense as the continent is large. However, that potential will only be realised when African governments put pro-agriculture policies in place and agricultural investment – both public and private – is significantly increased. The Foundation is working with a range of partners ACTIVITIES – policymakers, aid donors, corporate leaders, and members of civil society – to make that IN 2017 happen. The Foundation, through its African Food Systems Initiative (AFSI), has promoted sustain- able livelihoods in rural areas by connecting ONE farmers to markets and the food value chain in Continue to mobilise political, business and civil Zambia and Nigeria. In 2016, these two society actors in support of productive food countries served as test beds to increase policies and increased investment in African food productivity, help smallholders build profitable systems and smallholder-based agriculture. businesses and develop strategies for agricul- tural development that may be effective in TWO other parts of the continent. Mr Annan is a Contribute to building stronger and healthier strong and committed advocate of African communities in Africa by encouraging financial agriculture. He has stressed the need for and policy commitments