Chief of Party, Pact Kenya, Peace II project
2010: Pact Kenya is a Non-Governmental Organization that facilitates institutional development of Civil Society Organizations through capacity building and partnerships. As a development organization focusing on capacity building, Pact is committed to building the capacity of local organizations, networks and coalitions working in one or more of our four (4) thematic platforms that we believe are crucial to reducing poverty and sustainable development. These include: (1)Environment and Natural Resources Management, (2)Conflict Management and Peace Building, (3)Democracy and Governance and (4)Women’s Empowerment.
One of the Projects under Conflict Management and Peace Building is the PEACE II (Peace in East and Central Africa phase 11) project; a 3-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Peace in East and Central Africa Phase II (PEACE II) program aims to enhance African leadership in the management of conflict within the Horn of Africa. In particular, it intends to improve the ability of communities and community-based organizations to respond to conflict by strengthening the linkages between those communities and the wider civil society and government at local and regional levels in the border areas of this region, where it is acknowledged there is weak local government capacity
The program builds upon previous United States Agency for International Development/East Africa (USAID/EA) conflict programs by focusing on communities composed largely of culturally and ethnically different nomadic and pastoralist populations that move across porous national borders in two priority focus areas: 1) the Somali Cluster (Kenya/Somalia/Ethiopia tri-border area; and 2) the Karamoja Cluster (Kenya/Uganda/Sudan/ Ethiopia borders). For effective program planning and efficacy the Somali cluster has been further sub-divided into two sub-clusters: the West sub-cluster and the East sub-cluster.
November 2006: I have just come from town, having met with the local press where peacebuilders made a press statement on violence that affected some parts of Kenya. It’s amazing how people no longer sit and watch violence escalate out of hand–kudos to all of us.
My new appointment is Coordinator at COPA (Coalition for Peace in Africa).
COPA is a network of organizations working on peacebuilding in parts of Eastern, Central, Horn and Southern Africa. Our main activities in the past have been in capacity building. (I believe EMU would recognize many of the Board members and trustees.) It’s a little like West Africa Network for Peace (WANEP) but on the other side of Africa, and it pays specific attention to peacebuilers, although we would like to expand its scope in the future.
My position as the coordinator is both challenging and very interesting since I now have a leadership role. (Your course on organizational leadership is instrumental right now, Ruth.) I want to maintain my links with EMU and collaborate in our mutual programs.