Laying the foundations for peacebuilding

It’s been a busy start to 2012. The launch of our new website is just weeks away, while we’re also planning a two-year work review and looking ahead to an exciting range of projects in the coming months. These include Accord publications on West Africa and also Lebanon. Meanwhile, programme staff are visiting partners in East and Central Africa, Fiji, Jammu and Kashmir, the Philippines, South Caucasus, and West Africa, while our work on policy analysis continues in the EU and UK. To keep up to date with our peacebuilding activities throughout the year, sign up to receive our e-bulletin every two months.

Fiji at a crossroads

Conciliation Resources welcomes recent political developments in Fiji. Frank Bainimarama, Fiji's Prime Minister and head of the military, announced in a new year's day speech that the Public Emergency Regulations that have been in place since April 2009 will be lifted on 7 January. This means censorship and assembly restrictions will end ahead of an inclusive constitutional consultation process that is due to commence in February. This is a positive step for the people of Fiji and one for which our partners, in particular the Citizen's Constitutional Forum, have been advocating for some time. We support these ongoing efforts towards building a sustainable democracy in Fiji.

Confronting the legacies of displacement

A recent policy brief from Conciliation Resources addresses a problem at the heart of displacement dilemmas. While pre-conflict demography and settlement patterns cannot be recreated or restored, any peace agreement failing to establish a realistic basis for some degree of return is unlikely to be seen as legitimate by all conflict parties, or by the international community. Individual rights, societal choices reviews the situation of the 1 million people who lost their homes as a result of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, and explores what policy choices now can safeguard individuals' rights in the future. Also available in Azeri and Armenian.

Joint Chamber strengthens cooperation

In a major advance towards enhancing cross-Line of Control (LoC) cooperation in Jammu and Kashmir, 10 major business organisations – for the first time including traders' associations from both sides – have reinvigorated the Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry founded in 2008. After three days of dialogue in Istanbul, the group – facilitated by Conciliation Resources, with local partners Centre for Peace, Development & Reforms (Mirpur/Islamabad) and Indus Research Foundation (Jammu) – signed the first written agreement on non-governmental cooperation. This adds to confidence-building measures that have been in place since the opening of limited cross-LoC trade in 2008.

Aid effectiveness on the agenda at Busan

Policymakers, donors and civil society representatives will soon meet in Busan, Korea with the aim of reviewing global progress on development aid. Sophie Haspelagh, our Policy Analyst, will be adding Conciliation Resources’ expertise to discussions on aid effectiveness in conflict affected and fragile states. Not one low-income fragile or conflict-affected state has yet achieved a single Millennium Development Goal. The fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, from 29 November to 1 December, is intended to result in new commitments to ensure aid has its intended effects in reducing poverty and improving quality of life.

Colombia must rethink its path to peace

In early November the Colombian army killed Alfonso Cano, the head of Farc (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). While many argue this is another significant step towards ending the bloodshed and instability caused by almost five decades of armed conflict, in reality nobody knows for sure what will follow. Responding to recent developments, Kristian Herbolzheimer of Conciliation Resources makes the case in a Guardian article that Colombia needs to fundamentally rethink its approach and design a participatory peace process. While, “there are no ready recipes for building peace,” he writes, there is a need, “to keep trying innovative and inclusive approaches.”

Dialogue not bloodshed to keep the Liberian peace

We’re in the final stages of preparing a new Accord for publication in December which explores the war to peace transitions of Liberia and Sierra Leone. This Accord also forms part of the wider People's Peacemaking Perspectives project. Through analysing the impact of peacebuilding initiatives and current conflict dynamics it identifies possible measures to prevent conflict and consolidate peace, as well as drawing out broader lessons for peacebuilding. As Liberians go to the presidential polls for a second time, we urge political leaders to support an ongoing dialogue to help build a lasting peace.

New look, same dedication to working together for peace

To support and strengthen our work with partners around the world, Conciliation Resources has recently been reviewing the way we communicate. As a result we’ve refined how we define our mission and have created a new visual style that will help increase our impact. To complement this we’re currently working on a new website that will launch early in the new year. With our renewed vision and focus, plus an enhanced online platform for sharing our activities, knowledge and expertise, we look forward to providing an even greater contribution to peacebuilding over the coming years. Watch this space!

Supporting peace in the Basque Country

On 17 October we joined a number of international organisations in co-sponsoring a peace conference in San Sebastian. Local organisation Lokarri led the event, which focused on supporting the search for a permanent end to the conflict in the Basque Country. A panel, made up of international participants including Kofi Annan, issued a declaration that called on ETA to formally end the armed confrontation and for all parties to take steps towards a dialogue on political issues. This has since been endorsed by an important grouping of Basque leftwing nationalists, and by President Jimmy Carter, Tony Blair and Senator George Mitchell. 

People's Peacemaking Perspectives on the Lord's Resistance Army conflict

The conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continues to cause destruction, displacement, death and distress for civilians and communities across four countries in central Africa. As part of the People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project, interviews, group discussions and workshops were held with local communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Uganda. The policy brief resulting from this research highlights an overwhelming desire among affected communities for a peacemaking solution based on civilian protection and engagement with the LRA.

Public forum: Women in peace processes

Conciliation Resources – together with the School of Peace and Cooperacció – is convening a Public Forum in Barcelona on Friday 28 October on the issue of "Women in peace processes". The forum’s goal is to discuss achievements and challenges for women peacebuilders and to share innovative practice from Colombia, the Philippines and elsewhere. Participants in the event will include Colombian and Filipino peacebuilders. These women will have just completed the second stage of an exchange trip exploring the situation faced by their counterparts and what innovative solutions women affected by conflict can offer. View the forum's schedule in Spanish.

Somali famine highlights urgent need for international support

World Food Day draws into focus the fate of millions of Somalis in need of emergency aid. Years of conflict and ongoing insecurity are compounding the effects of uneven food availability and distribution. The result is famine, widespread displacement, and human suffering on a devastating scale. Whose peace is it anyway? Connecting Somali and international peacemaking – Accord 21 – shows how Somali-led initiatives can provide durable security and law, as well as revitalise the economy. But they need international support. In the words of Mohamed Sahnoun, “there is remarkable potential in the people of this country which deserves to be given a chance.”

Partners exchange experiences in the UK

Partners from the regions of Jammu and Kashmir, and the South Caucasus are currently in the UK to exchange their wealth of experience of living and working in these areas. Ershad Mahmood and Fayaz Ahmad Dar join us on Commonwealth Scholarships. Ershad is Executive Director of the Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms while Fayaz has led on a research project focusing on youth in Indian-administered Kashmir. Their visit coincides with strategic planning workshops in London for a range of partners affected by the Georgian–Abkhaz conflict, who've been sharing ideas with the Kashmiri partners on youth engagement in peacebuilding.

Aid must achieve results for conflict-affected populations

Not one low-income fragile or conflict-affected country has yet achieved a single Millennium Development Goal. In late September we met with International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell to urge him to make aid more effective in cases of poor governance, conflict and fragility. "DFID is hoping to create a 'New Deal' for aid in conflict-affected countries," says David Newton, Director of Policy at Conciliation Resources. "We support this, but it is important that they prioritise the needs of vulnerable populations. Strengthening public participation and government accountability is key to building more peaceful societies."

Highlighting the efforts of peacebuilders

Around the world, ordinary people lead the way in finding alternatives to violence. September 21 marks the UN Day that aims to strengthen these efforts. In several towns across the Central African Republic our partners JUPEDEC – a local human rights group that is actively engaged in advocacy and support for the return of women and children taken by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) – have been marking the International Day of Peace with marches and songs for peace. Conciliation Resources works closely with local communities to ensure that people directly affected by violent conflict are involved in its resolution.

Peacebuilding gets people talking at the annual UK party conferences

At political conferences this autumn we are making the case for supporting people to build peace. At the Labour conference on 26 September, David Newton will chair an event – organised together with CARE International and Saferworld – on the topic of 'Conflicted Development: Can aid help prevent violent conflict?'. At the Conservative conference on 4 October, Dr Laurence Broers is on a Foreign Policy Centre panel to explore 'New opportunities and old challenges on Europe's eastern frontier: What now for EU and UK engagement in the South Caucasus?'. To attend conference accreditation is required.

Calls for regional engagement in the future of Fiji

This September CR and our Fiji-based partners the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum (CCF) are in Auckland, New Zealand for the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting. Fiji is currently suspended from the Forum due to the Bainimarama government’s refusal to hold elections for another three years. At the Forum's numerous side events, CCF are making the case for its members to show their commitment to regional peace and security by pushing for peoples’ participation in dialogue across conflict divides and internal reform processes. Find out more about our support for the efforts of partners in Fiji.

The war doesn't stop at borders so why should peace

In August we held a four-day workshop to enhance the capacity of community–based and civil society organisations that focus on cross-border issues in the Mano River Union region. The purpose of the training, which explored participatory active research, was to identify a series of indicators to ‘nip potential conflict in the bud’ before it escalates. The event took place in Monrovia, Liberia, with representatives who work in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone meeting together to share their experiences. They also identified new areas on which to focus bi-lateral research within communities on either side of the border.

Film about Mano River Union borders helps conversations flow

‘Talking borders’ is a powerful docu-drama about issues border community people face as they go about their daily lives in the MRU. With our partners in Sierra Leone we have held screenings in Freetown this summer for representatives of the country's security forces, Immigration and Customs agencies. Our aim is to gather security concerns that will feed into a policy dialogue in November. The film was previously screened in 24 border communities and local audiences took that opportunity to share their own issues of concern. At the most recent events, two women are taking the opportunity to represent those opinions to officials.

Exploring attitudes towards return in
the Nagorny Karabakh conflict

The forced displacement of over 1 million people is a key legacy of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict in the South Caucasus. Our new publication presents the research of Armenian, Azerbaijani and international analysts, who grapple with policy questions arising from this legacy. Their essays reveal the fundamentally opposed nature of Armenian and Azerbaijani approaches to resolution. Forced displacement in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict: return and its alternatives provides evidence of popular attitudes towards the return of displaced persons, and explores possible means, likely obstacles and alternatives to return.

Exchange visit strengthens women's peacebuilding capacity

Ten Filipinas visited Colombia in August, facilitated by CR and local partners. The women exchanged ideas with their peers, as well as meeting local government representatives and working with a range of interest groups. Both parties benefitted in what was, as Rina Jimenez-David puts it, "our own little attempt [at understanding] the roots of armed conflict and seeking a way to bring the voices of non-combatants, especially women, to the table.” The visit was a boost for Colombian women's organisations as they advocate for a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. A Colombian group will visit the Philippines in October.

Conciliation Resources welcomes new UK Building Stability Overseas Strategy

During spring 2011 we submitted reflections and recommendations ahead of the UK’s Building Stability Overseas Strategy. We now warmly welcome its publication. Through the Building Stability Overseas Strategy, the Government has clearly committed itself to addressing violent conflict and fragility through a coherent framework. We look forward to a continued exchange on how best to implement the approach that has been set out.
Read more about our response to this new strategy

Survey launched in Georgia highlights opinions of internally displaced people

In Tbilisi, together with staff from the Caucasus Research Resource Centers, this July we launched a survey of people's attitudes towards internal displacement. By
taking part in the survey, Georgians who were displaced from their homes by the 1992–93 war in Abkhazia had the opportunity to express their views on conflict, return and justice. The results – including a report, policy brief, presentation slides, and videos – provide some important new insights into an often overlooked community.
Read more about this publication and supporting materials

Women’s exchange inspires action

Women from grassroots organisations across three countries affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have participated in a Conciliation Resources visit to formerly LRA-affected parts of northern Uganda. The women – from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic – visited a rehabilitation centre for former abductees and the home village of the rebel leader, Joseph Kony. They met people who have been personally affected by the violence. The unique visit challenged perceptions, as well as demonstrating practical peacebuilding methods such as encouraging the return and reintegration of abductees. Read more

Exploring the art of negotiation

CR staff took part in an all-day mediation simulation in July focusing on the current day Israel–Palestine process. Facilitated by TRACK4, we explored the issues and steps involved in negotiation. Setting aside usual work roles, staff took on an allocated profile as part of either an Israeli, Palestinian or American delegation. A week's worth of preparatory reading provided the basis for some heated discussions, as roleplayers sought agreement on what might be mutually acceptable ideas. "It was a real eye opener," commented one participant, "In the simulation you can really see the pressures at play and how problems require trade-offs as well as creative and inclusive solutions."

African religious leaders meet to tackle LRA conflict

July saw a key meeting in Entebbe of cultural and religious leaders from the four countries affected by the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic. This ‘Regional Civil Society Task Force’ aims to coordinate civil society action on a conflict that has taken on a regional dimension. As a result of the two-day discussions, organised by Conciliation Resources, the leaders, as well as being better informed about the reality in each state, produced a plan of action to take back to their communities. Read more about our work in this region

Barriers to engagement

It is a year since the US Supreme Court ruled in the Holder vs. Humanitarian Law Project case. In doing so they upheld the constitutionality of a law that makes it illegal for US citizens or organisations to engage in many ways that are crucial to conflict transformation. Peacebuilders must be able to engage with proscribed actors. Speaking at a seminar in Sweden, Andy Carl marked the ruling's anniversary by highlighting the serious implications for peacebuilding of anti-terrorist and material support laws.
Read the full presentation here

Routes across the Nistru:
People's Peacemaking Perspectives

The views of local people living on either side of the River Nistru are reflected in a new report and briefing paper on the Transnistria conflict, produced by Saferworld as part of the People's Peacebuilding Perspectives (PPP) project.
The findings were generated from consultations which, for the first time, brought together separate representative groups on either side of the divide. PPP – a joint initiative by Conciliation Resources and Saferworld and financed by the European Commission – gathers the opinions and experiences of ordinary people to feed into analysis and policy recommendations. Read more about the PPP project

Objectives for peacebuilding
and statebuilding

Conciliation Resources was one of six civil society organisations that took part in the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding in Monrovia, Liberia in June. We took the opportunity to emphasize that participatory and inclusive political dialogue and planning should run through the objectives being developed.
Read more about our work on peacebuilding and statebuilding

Programme partners contribute to international Kashmir conference

Tahir Aziz, Project Manager for Conciliation Resources’ Kashmir Programme, participated in an international conference entitled Kashmir in Emerging Global Perspectives, which was organised by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir University in Muzaffarabad from 23–24 May. Significantly he used the opportunity to bring two Kashmir programme partners from the Indian side, Siddiq Wahid and Zafar Choudhary (pictured right), on a rare visit to Islamabad and Muzaffarabad on the Pakistan side of Kashmir, to participate in the conference and partner meetings. Read more about our work in Kashmir

West Africa workshops explore community perspectives on conflicts

Conciliation Resources recently organised workshops in Senegal and Nigeria, which brought together civil society organisations, academics and state officials to examine key issues around several local conflicts.  Focusing on the Casamance conflict in Senegal and the Jos and Niger Delta conflicts in Nigeria, the workshops were an opportunity for participants to focus on underlying causes and possible solutions. A number of suggestions emerged from the sessions, which will be used to form the basis of recommendations to EU policy-makers. Read more

Leading peace expert highlights key issues in Philippines

As part of Conciliation Resources’ participation in the International Contact Group on the Mindanao peace process, the organisation recently invited Professor Christine Bell, a leading scholar-practitioner on peacebuilding, on a one-week visit to Manila and Mindanao. Christine focused on the issues of constitutional reform, human rights, and women's participation in peace processes - three of the most relevant peace topics in the Philippines. In collaboration with local and international co-convenors, Christine engaged with government and rebel peace panels; civil society; judiciary, security and business sectors, as well as the international community. Read report

Sharing global lessons to assist peacebuilding in The Basque Country

Peace is back on the political agenda in The Basque Country. Conciliation Resources' Adviser on Peace Processes, Kristian Herbolzheimer, was recently invited to speak at a three-day seminar on Peace, Conflicts and Co-existence at the University of Navarra, in Pamplona. Kristian discussed trends and challenges in global peacebuilding and how these can be used to inspire a transition to a post-conflict scenario in the Basque Country. Watch the video

Kashmir cross-LoC educational opportunities report published

Conciliation Resources has this week launched a study that examines the scope for cooperation in the sphere of higher education across the LoC in Kashmir. The report authors, Ambassador (Rtd) Arif Kamal and Dr Siddiq Wahid, argue that nurturing cross-LoC institutional links in the educational field, would help to give substance to people-to-people contacts and inject faith into the idea of "peace dividends" against a backdrop of recurring tensions. The main recommendations of the study were presented in the region at a policy dialogue organised by the Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms. Download the report

Engagement needed concludes Georgian/Abkhaz conflict seminar

The idea of “engagement not isolation” was a key theme to emerge from a recent seminar in Helsinki, at which Conciliation Resources’ Director of Programmes, Jonathan Cohen, spoke. The seminar entitled Conflicts in Georgia – Challenges and Prospects for Settlement was organised by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Aleksanteri Institute, and showed that despite the on-going fragility of the Geneva process, international interest in the conflict remains. Keynote speeches were delivered by Representative of the UN Secretary General for Georgia, Antti Turunen, and former Special Representative, Heidi Tagliavini to an audience of 60 delegates.

Re-thinking the Georgian/Abkhaz conflict

Conciliation Resources has supported four leading analysts of the Georgian/Abkhaz conflict to consider attempts made over two decades to resolve it. Their reflections, contained in a new publication, focus on the conflict from both a Georgian and an Abkhaz perspective. The authors give insight into the importance of interpretations of the conflict in shaping policies to resolve it. They also chart shifting policy orientations up to the present day and suggest policy options more likely to resolve the conflict. Read More

Submission to UK Building Stability Overseas Strategy

Conciliation Resources recently made a submission to the UK government and its Building Stability Overseas Strategy (BSOS). Conciliation Resources’ submission highlights its latest Accord publication, which recommends policy responses focussing on conflicts not countries. The submission also contains broader recommendations such as working to resolve, and not just manage, conflicts and to support inclusive political settlements and local civil society. Read More

Minister of Finance praises Conciliation Resources’ Kashmir trade report

A Conciliation Resources report on Kashmir has been praised by Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister of Finance. The report, a series of papers written by Kashmiri civil society actors, is accompanied by a policy brief. It describes how intra-Kashmir commerce is building peace in the region. Speaking at the report’s launch in Jammu, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said that the publication was useful and would help policymakers understand various viewpoints from both sides of the Line of Control. Read the report 

Reflecting on the World Development Report

The World Bank’s 2011 World Development Report (WDR) on Conflict, Security and Development offers a timely and refreshing contribution to discussions on development and the particular challenges of conflict and fragility. It is bold in its assertion that international development and peacebuilding practice has to adapt to new realities. Many people have grappled with these issues – often successfully. We need to ensure that these experiences are heard, shared and acted upon. Conciliation Resources reflects on some of the peacebuilding policy and practice issues that we, and our partners, have been working on relating to the WDR’s findings. Read more

Conciliation Resources’ partners to discuss Caucasus conflicts in USA

Four of Conciliation Resources’ partners are visiting Washington, D.C. and New York between 9 and 17 April. The purpose of the visit is to bring local perspectives on the Georgian/Abkhaz and Nagorny Karabakh conflicts to audiences in the United States. They will make presentations at several public events, including: roundtables at George Washington and George Mason universities; the Brookings Institute; and the Annual Convention of the Association for the Study of Nationalities at Columbia University. Read more

Conciliation Resources co-authors report on strengthening EU in peace processes

Conciliation Resources recently co-authored a report on the EU’s role in co-ordinating third-party support for peace processes. The report, “Standing United for Peace”, is published by the Initiative for Peacebuilding with the financial assistance of the EU. The report gives background on the evolution of coordinated third-party support to peace processes since the end of the Cold War. It identifies opportunities for further EU engagement but it also highlights some of the EU's limitations. Recommendations focus on how to improve performance and increase positive impact. Read report

Peace processes need to allow greater involvement of women

In 2000 the UN adopted Resolution 1325 which called for greater inclusion and decision-making roles for women within peace processes. More than ten years on, and as International Women’s Day 2011 is marked, actual implementation of 1325 remains patchy. Conciliation Resources is working to raise women’s awareness of their rights; to connect women disproportionately impacted by conflict to policy-makers; and to build women’s capacity to participate fully and equally in future peace processes. Read more.

Conciliation Resources runs analysis and advocacy workshops in Sierra Leone

Conciliation Resources is to stage a series of workshops in Sierra Leone which will be attended by people from Liberia, Guinea and Cote D’Ivoire. They will participate in country and regional analysis sessions on what is driving conflict in West Africa, as well as receive training in EU advocacy work. The workshops are part of the People’s Peacemaking Project (PPP). The project is funded by the European Commission and aims to link European decision-makers with people affected by violent conflict. Read more

Report on trade across the Line of Control in Kashmir launched

Conciliation Resources is launching a publication and policy brief in India and Pakistan on trade across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. The publication outlines the constraints under which the trade takes place and measures that could enhance it. Despite the limitations, the trade is serving to re-connect long-divided families and communities, and is contributing to peacebuilding throughout the region. Launch events are taking place in Islamabad as well as in Muzzafarabad on the Pakistan side of Kashmir, and in Jammu and Srinagar on the Indian side of Kashmir. Read more

Reports explore impact of UK and EU legislation on mediation

Conciliation Resources (CR) has launched two new workshop reports on the impact of counter-terrorism legislation on mediation. UK law prohibits meetings with blacklisted armed groups unless the meeting is considered "genuinely benign”. The EU terrorist listings create political barriers to negotiation. Both discourage engagement with groups for peacebuilding purposes. The reports summarise recent discussions at Chatham House on UK legislation and the findings from a workshop on EU legislation, convened in Brussels by CR and Berghof Peace Support. Read the reports Image © UN Photo/Martine Perret

Accord launches in USA, Sierra Leone and Liberia

The latest edition of Conciliation Resources’ Accord publication launched in Washington DC (watch the video) and New York City on 8 and 9 February respectively. The Accord, which focuses on cross-border peacebuilding, was also launched in Freetown, Sierra Leone with the British High Commission on 23 February and in Monrovia, Liberia on the 28 February.  Read More

Kashmiri peacebuilders discuss cross-border trade on BBC

Conciliation Resources’ (CR) partners Ayesha Saeed and Zafar Choudhary recently spoke in a BBC World programme about the trade across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir which was opened in 2008. Ayesha and Zafar, who are from Islamabad in Pakistan and Jammu in India respectively, reflected on how community-based trade is reuniting families divided for decades by the LoC and also how the trade is serving as an invaluable tool for building peace in the region. Watch a video interview between Ayesha and Zafar here.

Ugandan Archbishop speaks out about the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict

Conciliation Resources’ (CR) partner, Archbishop Odama of Gulu, spoke recently on a BBC News interview about the challenges of working to find a peaceful solution to the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict now it has spread to neighbouring countries. His Grace highlighted recent cross-border initiatives, such as a Regional Civil Society Task Force, which are helping communities work together to find solutions. Archbishop Odama was in London as part of the launch of CR’s latest Accord publication and as part of his visit, also met the Archbishop of Canterbury. See the BBC interview

Paix sans frontières: Building peace across borders

Conciliation Resources this week launched its latest Accord publication, number twenty-two in the series – Paix sans frontières: building peace across borders. Armed conflict does not respect political or territorial boundaries, however conflict strategies still focus on the nation and state as the central unit for intervention and analysis. Highlighting 20 different case studies, this publication looks at how peacebuilding strategies can think outside of the state; both ‘beyond’ it and ‘below’ it, through regional engagement and community trade and networks. Read more

Swiss Embassy dinner pre-launches latest Accord

The Swiss Embassy in London co-hosted a dinner with Conciliation Resources (CR), as a pre-launch for the latest Accord - Paix sans frontières: building peace across borders. Around 20 London-based ambassadors and senior diplomats attended the dinner. Ambassadors came from Finland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Turkey and Brazil. Anwar Choudhury, Director of the International Security and Institutions team at the Foreign Office was invited as guest of honour. Several CR partners also attended the dinner to discuss their work. Read more