Vision and Purpose
Our Vision
For every community affected by armed conflict to have the resources it needs to manage conflict peacefully.
To understand at depth the situations in which we work, through consultation and analysis.
To build trusting relationships with people involved in or affected by armed conflict.
To facilitate challenging conversations between people from opposing factions.
To enable people to find workable solutions that address the root causes of conflict and contribute to lasting peace and economic development to mutual benefit.
To leave a legacy of sustainable mechanisms that enable future conflict to be managed peacefully.
Our Purpose
Our Values
Humility
We recognise that we do not have all the answers, that there are different ways of dealing with and resolving conflict, and that our contribution should be part of a broad engagement by a number of people and organisations.
Impartiality
We act in a consciously non-partisan manner - always. We do not succumb to pressure to advance the interests of third parties (including third parties who are funding our work).
Inclusivity
We promote active participation in our dialogues from people representing as many strands of opinion or interest as are appropriate. We work creatively to give voice to people and groups who might otherwise be marginalised by reason of gender, age or ethnicity. We include women as well as men, those who take up arms as well as those who chose not to, national governments as well as civil society.
Including marginalised groups: Finding creative ways to ensure the inclusion of groups often marginalised from decision making or formal peace processes, bringing in meaningful participation by women as well as men, young as well as old, those in armed groups as well as those who chose not to take up arms, national governments as well as civil society
The Concordis’ team have a proven and independently evaluated reputation for effective work in a number of fields:
Concordis’ particular skillsets
Promoting peaceful seasonal livestock migration to mutual benefit
Cross border trade: Creating the conditions necessary to enable cross border trade to resume in challenging environments
Developing markets: for exchange of goods and services between groups formerly in conflict to build resilient livelihoods for women and men, resilience to future conflict and economic incentives to peaceful collaboration
Early warning systems: Putting in place early warning systems and conflict management mechanisms to prevent tensions escalating into conflict
Working with customary and state legal systems: to establish and train quasi-judicial bodies that are acceptable to all sides
Monitoring and evaluation: of the effectiveness of peacebuilding interventions with sophisticated analysis of quantitative and qualitative datasets, which can be disaggregated by gender, age, livelihoods etc.
Thought leadership on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events: on conflict dynamics between farmers and herders in the Sahel, bringing together subject experts from different disciplines to pool knowledge and experience in building resilience and promoting sustainable adaptation
Engaging proactively with the religious element of certain conflicts: in promoting peaceful coexistence. Organisationally, Concordis has no religious affiliation, but amongst the senior staff team, there are individuals with knowledge and personal expertise in transformation of conflicts with a religious dimension.
Developing an understanding of the regional dynamics of peace and conflict across the wider Sahel.