ACCORD’s Knowledge Production Department (KPD) – under their first thematic focus area of Peace Agreements and the second thematic area of Climate Change and Conflict – will be undertaking fieldwork in different countries during July and August 2010.
The first research initiative on Peace Agreements is an examination of selected mediation efforts in Africa with a view to understanding some of the main challenges faced by mediation mechanisms and processes in light of African ownership of peace processes on the continent. Grace Maina, Acting Manager of the Knowledge Production Department at ACCORD will conduct part of this research in collaboration with views from 12 African, academic experts on the topic of mediation. This work will seek to obtain an understanding on mediation by comparing and contrasting mediation experiences in Africa in which ACCORD has been directly involved. Tamara J. Kirkwood, Special Projects officer in the Knowledge Production Department will be assisting in this research initiative. The research collected will be supplemented with information and data collected from other mediation experiences in different conflicts in Africa.
The second research initiative will see Salome Bronkhorst, Coordinator in the Knowledge Production Department, travel to Sudan to conduct field research on Environmental and Conflict issues. She will be based in Khartoum and the South Kordofan State from 14 July for a period of two weeks. In the scorching 50 degree Celsius climate, Salome will talk with local and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society members. The outcome of this research on climate change and conflict will be an ACCORD report followed by an ACCORD Policy and Practice Brief.
