BEN HOFFMAN PRESENTS THE IPPP AT THE UN
-September, 2006-
The International
Peace and Prosperity Project Is Presented at the United Nations
The International Peace and Prosperity Project (IPPP) in Guinea-Bissau
builds peace through a locally-owned collaborative venture featuring international
help and organization. It aims to root peacebuilding practices locally and
encourage long-term development in Guinea-Bissau.
It also serves as a successful prototype and template for future peacebuilding
projects in other regions or countries.
On September 8th Dr. Ben Hoffman of the Canadian Institute
of International Applied Negotiation (CIIAN) and Mr. Josué Gomes de Almeida of
the World Bank spoke about their experiences working on the IPPP at a United
Nations session dedicated to prevention.
Dr. Hoffman and Mr. de Almeida talked about the
value of working through local leaders and addressing tough security
issues while providing peacebuilding programming. Since the IPPP is still a
work in progress, they noted that it remains critical for political elites to
allow the government to govern properly so that it can build international
confidence in the country. They also discussed how the
IPPP convened leaders of
local civil society organizations, organized an electoral task force that
helped promote peaceful elections, and helped mitigate the possibility of
conflict within the army. Afterwards organizers convened a broader meeting that
gathered government officials, army brass, civil society representatives, NGO
representatives, and members of international institutions such as the World
Bank and the UN. At this meeting members created a National Action Plan for
political and economic development that continues to receive support from local
and international organizations and governmental organizations.
Sponsored and organized by CIIAN and funded by the Alliance
for Peacebuilding through the contribution of board member Milt
Lauenstein, the IPPP has focused for the last two years on
peacebuilding in a country that was initially on the verge of erupting into
violent conflict. Under Dr. Hoffman’s direction the project continues to make
measurable strides in alleviating tensions in-country through the direct
participation of the Guinea-Bissaun citizenry.
Dr. Ben Hoffman is the former Director of Conflict
Resolution at The Carter Center, where he worked on Sudan
and Uganda in
particular. He is an experienced international mediator and peacebuilder.
Currently he is the President of the Canadian International Institute of
Applied Negotiation. Mr. Josué Gomes de Almeida is a senior public servant in Guinea-Bissau.
He leads a World Bank-funded economic development project in the Ministry of
Economy. He also serves as coordinator of the National Action Plan for peace
and prosperity in Guinea-Bissau.
Pictured
above, left to right: Ben Hoffman, Mr. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Josue de
Almeida. Sept.8, 2006 - New York.
For more information please contact Miriam Kramer, Director
of Development and Communications at 1-202-464-7377 or miriam@allianceforpeacebuilding.org.
Formed in 1999 and incorporated in 2003, the Alliance
for Peacebuilding is a coalition of diverse organizations working together to
build sustainable peace and security worldwide. Members of the Alliance
are directly engaged in applied conflict prevention and resolution. They
provide negotiation and mediation services, train negotiators, facilitate
communication to break down barriers, and help find solutions to the issues and
pressures that otherwise drive groups and nations to achieve their objectives
through violent force. Members also conduct research and provide evaluation and
education. The role of the Alliance
is to bring these organizations together for collaborative peacebuilding.
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