The International Peace and Prosperity Project (IPPP) in Guinea-Bissau

The IPPP is a political violence prevention project testing the application of lessons learned and best practices to develop a model for fragile, failing and failed states. The IPPP approach to violence prevention features early, holistic, vertically and horizontally integrated activities, by mobilizing and supporting local leadership.

Guinea-Bissau, located in West Africa, is the site of the demonstration case, having been selected from a list of 30 candidate countries based on the work of Dr. David Carment and colleagues at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), Carleton University, Ottawa.
The mission of the IPPP - Guinea Bissau is to prevent violence by working towards peace and prosperity using a rigorous conflict analysis of specific conditions and capacities on the ground; by playing a value-added, catalytic role in assisting Guinea-Bissau citizens and international actors to implement concrete and synergistic actions through dialogue and focused actions; by providing a small grants program to stimulate security and development initiatives; and by undertaking global advocacy to mobilize international resources.
To achieve its mission in Guinea-Bissau, the IPPP has three phases:

Phase I (October 2004 – July 2005) Crisis Management/Stabilization;

Phase II (August 2005 – September 2006) Action Planning and Implementation; and

Phase III (October 2006 – Ongoing) Follow-up and Support.

PHASE I

Phase I of the IPPP activities in Guinea-Bissau concentrated on crisis management/stabilization related to the assassination of the Head of the Armed Forces and potential violence that could have occurred in a volatile presidential election in July 2005. We commissioned an evaluation report from the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) to document the results of our work. Initial observations indicate that the IPPP and the various activities that it initiated with the Armed Forces, Civil Society, and international actors played an important role in the peaceful transition of power through the election.

PHASE II

Phase II of the intervention started with the facilitation of a multi-issue, multi-stakeholder action planning session in Bissau. The session was held to produce a "National Plan of Action for Peace and Prosperity in Guinea-Bissau".

From February 15 to 19, twenty senior representatives from key sectors in Guinea-Bissau participated in a dynamic, creative, and thoughtful meeting to develop a National Action Plan for Peace and Prosperity in Guinea-Bissau. The National Action Planning Session was facilitated by a six-person team of experts, including Mr. Jeff Mapendere of The Carter Center, funded by the International Peace and Prosperity Project. The Session was held under the auspices of a Process Design Committee drawn from Bissau.

The event was very successful. The participants developed a National Action Plan that identifies specific actions that can be taken immediately and be completed soon, or that begin over the next 18 months to address some of the key issues that will advance the development of peace and prosperity in Guinea-Bissau.

The IPPP completed Phase II by undertaking several activities to support the implementation of the National Action Plan.

Phase II Completed Activities:

Local Implementation Committee established and housed at PLACON plus a local Implementation Coordinator hired with IPPP funding.

Disseminated the National Action Plan.

Contributed to the reconciliation movement in Guinea-Bissau by collaborating on the ECOWAS/CPLP/UNOGBIS-sponsored Reconciliation process.

Supported a mission by Search for Common Ground to asses the possibility of starting new programming in Guinea-Bissau.

Funds donated to support a youth workshop.

Supported the development of a Defense Strategy Paper.

Continued to build and support an informal network of Friends of Guinea-Bissau.

Hired a Consultant from Intermediate Technology Consultants to assess the Feasibility of Small Business Incubators.

Presented at an UNDP-Sponsored Conference on Early Warning Systems Held in Khartoum, Sudan.

Presented at an Event Entitled 'Catalytic Processes for Integrated Country Peacebuilding Strategies: What Are They Accomplishing?' Hosted by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. To read the event summary click Here.

PHASE III

We are currently in Phase III, which will involve the completion and continuation of some activities from earlier phases, including continued lobbying and awareness raising, continued development of lessons learned, and continued technical support for the implementation of some activities from the National Action Plan .

Additionally, Phase III will include new activities such as undertaking political mediation, making a larger contribution to the reconciliation movement within Guinea-Bissau, new support for ongoing and planned SSR/DDR activities, and an increased focus on economic activities.

Phase III Completed Activities:

IPPP is presented at the UN. To read the press release click Here.

IPPP attended a Roundtable Donors Conference in Geneva. To read the IPPP report on the conference click Here.

An IPPP-supported workshop to identify issues and solutions related to bolstering cashew production and sales was held on December 11-12, 2006. A workshop report will be forthcoming.

The IPPP supported a new regularly-occurring Trade Fair that brings together producers, processors, and consumers to promote local products.

The IPPP provided funding support to the Military Reconciliation Commission so they could extend their activities beyond the capital.

The IPPP supported a new project developed by the Chamber of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry which will help small, medium, and large businesses to improve their performance via several activities (e.g. legal assistance, training, and consulting ).

On March 8-10, 2007 the IPPP in collaboration with Search for Common Ground designed and facilitated a three day workshop with over 20 journalists on the topic of 'Reporting in Conflict Settings'. Workshop participants were introduced to a variety of tools for conflict analysis and neutral reporting.

On March 15-16, 2007 the IPPP designed and facilitated a two day informal dialogue on national reconciliation which was convened by ECOWAS

Instability in Guinea-Bissau

The Conflict Analysis undertaken in the National Action Planning Session identified 8 key issues for Guinea-Bissau:

1. Lack of Trade Culture

2. Lack of Education/Professional training

3. Lack of Political Tools to Solve Ethnic, Religious and Military Issues

4. Lack of a National Image

5. Lack of Good Administration

6. Army

7. Economic Stagnation

8. Lack of Justice

The 8 key problems are manifest through several cross-cutting impacts. Some examples of the main consequences identified include:

Political Instability

Corruption

Lack of a National Image

Rise of HIV

Unemployment

Extreme Poverty

Strikes and Late Payment of Salaries

Criminality

Lack of Development

Permanent Conflicts

Permanent Political Crisis

Lack of Democracy

Violence

Lack of Good Political Will

Furthermore, 8 main causes were identified by the analysis; the main causes are listed below and are related to the main problems and consequences listed above:

1. Crisis in State Affirmation

2. Lack of qualified human resources

3. Inadequacy and lack of clear goals in the educational and profession training systems

4. Mistrust in win-win dialogue

5. Manipulation of national security and defense force for political means

6. Lack of favorable climate for business and investment

7. Increase of non-conciliatory interest groups

8. Struggle for power

Support the Project

You can directly help the IPPP in Guinea-Bissau in several ways:

Donate funds to the IPPP's small-grant program (funds given to support small projects in Guinea-Bissau from $250 - $10,000).

Though partial funding has been provided by a private donor, CIIAN is seeking additional funding to help carry out the full range of interventions needed to prevent the eruption of deadly violence in Guinea-Bissau. Therefore, we are seeking corporate sponsors to support our work in Guinea-Bissau.

Help make others aware of the situation in Guinea-Bissau and the IPPP's work by sharing the link to our website and/or the project documents.

Key Background Documents and Related Research:

PREVENTING POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Towards a Model for Catalytic Action (August, 2006)

MISSION STILL POSSIBLE: Three Keys to Peace and Prosperity in Guinea-Bissau (January, 2007)

A Few Donors Keep Hope Alive for Guinea-Bissau

A Feasibility Study into the Establishment of a Small Business Incubator in Guinea-Bissau

Short Summary of the IPPP's Approach & Activities

Mid-term Evaluation of the International Peace and Prosperity Project's Work in Guinea-Bissau (October 2004 - February 2006) by Paz Buttedahl, Ph.D. and Rosemary Cairns, M.A. Royal Roads University

National Action Plan for Peace and Prosperity in Guinea-Bissau

Plan d’Action Nationale pour la Paix et la Prospérité en Guinée-Bissau

News Article about the February 2006 National Action Planning Session

Guinea-Bissau: "Failed State" Looking to Recover (Update & Prospective from the IPPP)