The nomination, in the International Development category, acknowledges our six years of work supporting the peace process between the Government of Ethiopia and the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which culminated in the signing of a peace agreement in October 2018.
Negotiations between the two sides began in 2012 in Kenya under the facilitation of a government of Kenya team. Conciliation Resources supported these talks, providing technical advice to the Kenyan team and the conflict parties throughout the six years of negotiations. This included providing training in preparing for negotiations and the wider peace process, and sharing relevant experiences from peace processes elsewhere. Conciliation Resources has also supported dialogue meetings with diaspora communities, to help them feed their ideas on peace in the region into the formal negotiations.
The peace agreement, signed is Asmara, Eritrea, brought to an end more than two decades of violent conflict in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia and paved the way for the Ogaden National Liberation Front to pursue its political objectives through peaceful means.
Aden Abdi, Conciliation Resources Africa Department Director, led the organisation’s support to the peace process:
“We’re delighted to be nominated for this award, which not only recognises our own commitment, but the commitment and dedication of all parties and people in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia to work together for a more peaceful future. Peacebuilding is a painstaking process which requires patience, long-term support, and vitally the inclusion of all those who are impacted by conflict. This nomination is an appreciation of this approach, and an acknowledgement of the power of peacebuilding to end violent conflict.”
Since the signing of the peace agreement, Conciliation Resources has continued to support the peace process in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. And whilst increasing violence has sadly been seen in other parts of the country, the Somali Region has remained relatively stable. Our work now includes supporting ongoing dialogue on the political and peaceful transition in the region, supporting the formation of victims and survivors networks, and supporting long term reconciliation and dealing with the past.
The Charity Awards is the sector’s most highly-regarded excellence recognition scheme. All 27 shortlisted charities this year have been judged by an independent panel of sector leaders as having demonstrated best practice in leadership and management, from which other organisations can learn.
The ten category winners, plus the recipients of the Overall Award for Excellence and the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, will be announced at a live-streamed online awards ceremony on 10 June.
