Mano River Union

Mano River Union

West Africa is a region in which ethnic, cultural and social relationships extend across national boundaries. Similarly the sources and effects of conflicts are not bound by state borders and are often highly interlinked – they can be viewed as conflict systems, featuring shared political, economic and social insecurity across a transnational space.

In the Mano River Union (MRU) region specifically, conflict has led to more than 300,000 deaths, displaced millions of people and contributed to widespread economic underdevelopment.

Turning up the volume on dialogue and governance in West Africa

Moving on from years of instability and addressing the tensions that drive conflict is a significant governance challenge in the Mano River Union region. At a recent workshop, participants in District Platforms for Dialogue shared experiences from three countries on how they're working to affect positive change in their borderland communities.

Information summary about our work

Mar 2013

A set of 10 double-sided information sheets that give a brief overview about each of the conflict contexts we work in, plus a summary of Accord and our policy work.

Côte d’Ivoire: ‘The more you talk about it, the more you see what’s possible’

Lack of basic services and disruption at border areas is fostering disharmony in West Africa. Following a fact-finding visit to communities in Côte d’Ivoire, Janet Adama Mohammed reflects on the issues they face as they attempt to rebuild after conflict. Working together, and with imagination and cooperation, local people can focus their energies collectively on alternatives to violence.

Peacebuilding NGO communicates with conflict-affected communities on French, Russian and Spanish websites

Conciliation Resources has launched professionally translated websites in French, Russian and Spanish, in an effort to inform more people about conflicts affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Côte d’Ivoire: ‘We can have an impact if we work small’

Reflecting on points raised by local people during her recent visit to West Africa, Janet Adama Mohammed explores some of the key topics of concern to Ivorians. What are the issues that risk renewed conflict and how can community-level dialogue help build understanding between neighbours?

People's Peacemaking Perspectives

People living in the midst of conflict often have the greatest insight into its causes. This film is an overview of how the People's Peacebuilding Perspectives (PPP) project brought the opinions of local people to the attention of policymakers, and what's been learned about the participatory process itself. Funded by the European Commission, the PPP project was an 18-month joint initiative between Conciliation Resources and Saferworld.

From conflict analysis to peacebuilding impact: Lessons from the People's Peacemaking Perspectives project

Mar 2012

Funded by the European Commission, the People’s Peacemaking Perspectives (PPP) project was an 18-month joint initiative between Conciliation Resources and Saferworld.

At the culmination of the project a 38-page report and a 4-page executive summary highlighted the key lessons from this in-depth participatory research.

A woman’s place is in the negotiating room

Janet Adama Mohammed, Conciliation Resources' West Africa Programme Director, taking part in a regional conflict analysis workshop in Sierra Leone © Aubrey Wade/Conciliation Resources
Janet Adama Mohammed has been working with rural women and communities to build peace for nearly two decades. “For me it’s never been about seeking money or power – just having a positive influence. We all need to find spaces in which we can unleash what we’re passionate about.” In this comment piece she reflects on how she first got involved in mediating conflicts in her native Ghana and how, in the years since, she’s been involved in some pivotal moments in the recent history of West Africa.

People's peacemaking perspectives: West Africa: Policy brief

Feb 2012
People's peacemaking perspectives: West Africa: Policy brief
In West Africa, conflicts have often had a sub-regional impact or spilled over to neighbouring countries through ethnic relations, allegiances and economic interests across borders, movements of fighters between conflicts, or the mass influx of refugees fleeing violence. Findings and recommendations in this brief aim to inform the EU's analysis and programming by presenting the reflections of local people and their state and non-state representatives on some of the key challenges facing countries in the region.

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