In the Field

On December 16th, at the request of the Pakistani Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), ETC/I Senior Program Officer Nina Sughrue conducted a one-day conflict management session for 18 Pakistani parliamentarians, eight members of the parliamentary staff, 17 representatives of the political parties’ youth wings, nine members of the youth parliament, 10 members of the press, and six politically active civil society leaders in Islamabad. 

Ted Feifer and Maria Jessop led a workshop focused on mediation for 23 international and national staff members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo, in Pristina, September 9-11, 2009.

Promoting non-violent resolution of conflict at all local levels will be essential to bringing, and sustaining, peace and stability to Afghanistan.  In Afghanistan's recent history, the most effective agents in advancing peace and security at the local level have been indigenous structures such as shura and jirga councils, as well as Maliks.

ETC/I Deputy Director Ted Feifer and Senior Program Officer Noor Kirdar  met with six senior officials of Kosovo’s new Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 29, 2009. The group was visiting the United States under the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program to explore the role and work of a ministry of foreign affairs.

The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are two of the most troubled provinces of Pakistan. The porous border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan suffer from serious violent conflict due to the Taliban’s heavy presence in these areas.