The Evolution
Presentation Outline
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Idea Conception
Formative Years
Historic Partnerships
Growth and Development
Consolidation
Sustainability
1990 – 1997
1997 - 1999
2004
2005 – 2010
2010 – 2012
2013 - 2015
Conception
1990 - 1997
• As a result of the civil wars in the region, especially the Liberia and Sierra
Leone wars
• Youth bulge
• Inter-communal violence that threatened Ghana’s fragile democracy
• Sierra Leone CSO movement against military rule which saw the ousting
of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
• Small arms proliferation and collapse of states
WANEP PROBLEM TREE – COLLABORATIVE
PEACEBUILDING IN WEST AFRICA
WANEP’s First Problem Tree Analysis
State Collapse
Lack of Access to
means of sustainable
livelihood
Identity Crisis
Small Arms
Proliferation
Bad
Governance
Marginalization
of groups
Intolerance
Booming
market in WA
Lack of clearly
defined political
ideology
Ethno-Politics /
hegemony
Threat
(perceived/real)
Politicizing ethnic
difference
Proliferation of
militias and
rebels
movement
Ineffective and
incoherent state
institutions
Distorted or
inequitable
means of
distribution
Politicising
ethnic
difference
Growing
insecurity
(individual/Coll
ective)
Clash of
western/traditio
nal governance
structure
Human /
Collective
Security
Political
pluralism
(multipartism)
State Collapse /
Failing State
Extractive
Private Sector
Declining
resources
Resistance to
transition
Bad
Governance
Lack of
principled
responsible
leadership
Ethnic
proclivity
Governance by
Proxy
History /
socialisation
Porous Borders
Refugees
Movement
Achievements & Challenges
of the Era
Achievements:
• The understanding of the strength
and satisfaction in African solution
to African problems and by African
people
• The awakening of local capacities
• First ever regional in character CSO
• Able to raise funding support
• Concept included on the agenda of
the Reconciliation conference in
Caux, Switzerland
• Feasibility study conducted across
West Africa
Challenges:
• Starting and building an African org
to respond to African problems
• Development of programs to
respond to identified issues
• Concept of peacebuilding network new resulting in conflicting
expectations from individuals and
organizations
• Travel difficulty in region
• Poor communication infrastructure
in region
• Transiting from Activism to
Constructive Engagement of the
State
Formative Years
1997 - 1999
• WANEP officially launched in Accra, Ghana on September
10, 1998
• 7 Countries (Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Benin,
Togo, Nigeria, and Liberia) in attendance (The initial
study to establish WANEP with Winston Foundation
Grant $60,000 was in these countries)
• Joint proposal developed with Institute for Justice and
Peacebuilding of the Eastern Mennonite Varsity, Nairobi
Peace Initiative and group of West Africans
• 1st Funding of $200,000 secured from Winston
Foundation for World Peace
Achievements & Challenges of the Era
Achievements
• WANEP Launch
• 6-year Core Funding from
CORDAID
• Professional and Technically
endowed Regional Secretariat
• Establishment of first phase of
National Networks (7)
• 1st thematic program
developed: Non-Violence &
Peace Education (NAPE)
• Decentralized Administration
Challenges:
• Overwhelming human security
issues in region
• Inadequate Financial support
• Managing Donors’ interests
e.g., CORDAID
• Weak National Networks
• Abuse of decentralization by
National Networks
• Managing national networks
with their diverse interests
Historic Partnerships
• Institutionalization of WARN in 2000
• In 2002, WANEP entered into a historic partnership with ECOWAS
• WANEP and ECOWAS signed MOU in 2004, renewed for another 5
years in 2009.
Project-based
partnerships with;
 USAID
 Government of Finland
Achievements & Challenges
of the Era
Achievements:
Challenges:
• Attracted Support from multiple
international donors including EU,
Oxfam USA/GB, AWDF, Warchild
Canada, CORDAID etc.
• WANEP in collaboration with CRS won
the competitive USAID RFA to support
ECOWAS Capacity in Peacebuilding
and Conflict Prevention (CBP 1 and 2)
• West Africa Peacebuilding Institute
(WAPI) launched in 2002
• Growth of national networks from 7
to 11 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire,
• Ad-hoc initiatives
• Increased demand for Early Warning
in the region due to high security
threats
• Huge peacebuilding demands from
Liberia and the whole of Mano River
region
• Fragile West African states without
conflict management structures
• Limited core funding
• Expectations from Stakeholders
including CRS, ECOWAS, USAID,
Network members
The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)
Growth and Development
• 22 full-time regional staff in place
• National Networks established in all 15 ECOWAS member
states
• Commencement of Project alignment to a 5-year strategic
plan
• Growth and development of professional peacebuilding
staff (professional trainings and other capacity building
programs instituted)
• Supporting peacebuilding infrastructure
Achievements & Challenges
of the Era
Achievements:
Challenges:
• 15 National Networks in place
• International Recognition and
acceptance
• Supported and resourced National
Infrastructures for Peace including
establishment of National Peace
Council in Ghana
• Partnership with Strategic State
Institutions
• Facilitated dialogue and mediation in
many countries in the region
• Supported the conduct and
management of election processes in
many countries in the region
• Pressure from Donor to
Restructure regional office
• Ineffective representative boards
• Inadequate organizational systems
• Dormant National Networks
• Adherence to policies and
procedures
• New peace and security challenges
• Working with state bureaucracies
• Perception of CSOs intention by
state agencies
2013 to 2015 Problem Tree
Analysis
Consolidation
• Consolidation of Regional Office:
- Office restructured;
- regional team established to include
Zonal Coordinators and ECOWAS Liaison
to support National Networks and partners
• National Networks re-invigorated with established
systems such as: Network Accountability, Learning &
Planning System (Nalps), WANEP Sustainability Index
(WSI), etc.
• Establishment of professional Boards
• Expansion of partnership base through Joint Financing
Agreements (JFA)
Achievements & Challenges
of the Era
Achievements:
• 15 National Networks in place
• Improved systems and team
• Providing support to ECOWAS, AU, GPPAC and other
national, international and intergovernmental
organizations and CSOs
• Satisfactory funding base
• Commencement of strategy base programming
• Record low staff-turnover;
- Only 2 Executive Directors (EDs) since 1998
- Out of 4 Programme Directors (PDs), 2 still in
organization
- At least 10 staff have spent 14 years in
WANEP
- Staff have returned
- Staff who left have gone to higher positions or are
still in peace work e.g. Lemah Gbowee, Takwa Suifon,
Levinia Addae-Mensah, Ecoma Alaga etc.
Challenges:
• Increasing Pressure to support
other organizations in region
• Abuse (and confusion) of
decentralization by National
Networks
• Transparency/accountability
issues
• Resistance in establishing
professional boards by some
Networks
• Project based plans
• Emerging complexities of
managing a Network
Sustainability
• Change from 3 year project planning to 5year Strategic planning
• Establishment of Reliable/sustained core
funding (JFA)
• Institutionalization of bi-annual General
Assembly
• Leadership and influencing role in human
security in West Africa
• Establishment and institutionalization of
Succession Plan
Achievements & Challenges of the Era
Achievements:
Challenges:
•
• Poor Human Security
standards in many countries in
Region
• Emerging human security
threats in region
• Weak National boards
• Weak governance structure in
some National Networks
• Poor transparency &
accountability
• Increasing international
demand for technical support
Produced over 500 professional peacebuilding
practitioners in WA and beyond
• Key player in major global peacebuilding
efforts;
-regional secretariat and chair of GPPAC
-member of AU’s ECOSOCC
-special consultative status with UN
(ECOSOC)
-chair of JAES
-Member of International Curriculum
Development Group
• Over 550 member organizations across West
Africa
• Published key resources for Peace Education,
Election Management, Policy Briefs, etc.
2015
From Sustainability to Vision 2020
Ensuring Early Response to Early
Warning
HOW DO WE POSITION OURSELVES AS
STAFF IN THE EMERGING ERA?
How do we actively involve all
Member Organizations for a
Reinvigorated WANEP?