Our History
Concordis’ historical roots can be found in the work of the Newick Park Initiative (NPI).
1986
NPI was created in 1986 to initiate informal and confidential dialogue between leading members of the African National Congress (ANC) and the white establishment in South Africa. In the expectation of the eventual end of apartheid, the purpose was to introduce discussions on contentious constitutional, economic and social issues, and identify potential shared ways forward.
Most of this work was carried out behind the scenes. Nevertheless, NPI’s achievements are undeniable. From 1987 to 1991, NPI:
Helped to build trust and confidence between the ANC and the white leadership in the period leading up to the release of Nelson Mandela.
Played a key part in persuading the ANC to change its long-held policies on land nationalisation and bank nationalisation, based partly on research into international experience, and thus help to move forward the process towards a formal negotiation process.
Helped to create the platform from which in 1994 Professor Washington Okumu, Executive Director of NPI 1989-1991, was able to mediate successfully between President de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Chief Buthelezi to secure the participation of Inkatha and thus avert widespread violence and killing on election day on April 27, 1994.
1994-1999
NPI’s work in Rwanda focused first on rapidly developing Rwanda’s agricultural production and on the criminal justice system that had completely broken down in the wake of the genocide.
Over 150,000 people were arrested due to suspicions of involvement in killings, but lacking legal resources posed a challenge. NPI partnered with local agencies, including the National University and the Catholic Peace and Justice Commission, to research alternative judicial processes. Their study aimed to draw insights from other countries and assess the potential role of local courts in restoring justice and community relations.
NPI started working in Sudan, initially under the name of Relationships Foundation International, working with the African Renaissance Institute to launch the Sudan Peacebuilding Programme.
This involved all the regions of North and South Sudan in issues such as how to address the concerns of the Beija region and the Nuba mountains, the distribution of oil revenues from Abyei, and the use of the Nile waters. These were important for building trust and ending the conflict between North and South Sudan. The final peace agreement was signed in Naivasha in 2005.
1999
In 2004, Concordis is born.
Concordis International separated from the Relationships Foundation and built on this earlier work to try to prevent the escalation of the conflict from recurring again.
Concordis focused its work on border peacebuilding, developing workshops and cross-border conferences to promote dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan on the management of the border and of livestock migrations. The team also participated in establishing and training peace committees for border localities. The tensions intensified after the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
Concordis staff in Maban, South Sudan, 2012.
Today, Concordis has three programmes, and we have operated and facilitated peace processes in several countries in Northern Africa for the past 20 years, as well as Afghanistan and Israel/Palestine.
NPI acted as an advisor and facilitator to the different actors involved in building peace in Rwanda.