NGO  - AMSS

​CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT  :

Northern Mali has experienced a series of rebellions from independence to the present day. One of the most serious is the recent one which began in 2012 and which led to an unprecedented crisis. Independence groups supported by narco-Islamists have seized the regions of northern Mali.

The badly structured and under-equipped regular army abandons the ground in favor of the armed movements and creates tensions in the south of the country leading to a coup d'état which puts an end to the democratic regime.

An international military intervention led by France is reconquering the occupied regions by driving out the Jihadists and entering into a mediation process to make peace. Presidential elections were held and the agreements were initialed and signed in June 2015 under the aegis of the Algerian mediator. A peace and reconciliation process was then initiated by the Government of Mali with the Coordination of Armed Movement (CMA) and the platform.

  It is in order to continue to support the efforts of the Malian Government and its technical and financial partners in the search for a lasting peace in northern Mali that USAID has launched a call for expressions of interest which aims to create opportunities for a range of interactions between conflicting groups in the community or in society at large to promote mutual understanding, trust, empathy and resilient social bonds.

The Malian Association for Survival in the Sahel (AMSS), with its expertise in the humanitarian field and local development in the Timbuktu region, has been selected to carry out this initiative with the technical support of FHI360

AIM AND RESULTS OF THE PROJECT  :

The aim of the project is "  Support a peaceful and prosperous Mali through local peace processes  " 

The expected results of the project are essentially  :

1. i) reduction of violent conflicts through participatory conflict mediation processes  ;

ii) the  capacity building of local organizations working to make local peace processes more effective and inclusive  and

iii) increasing community resilience to support conflict prevention and social cohesion.

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PROJECT INTERVENTION AREAS  :

In view of the current situation and the relevance of support / accompaniment

communities, twenty-two (22) municipalities including sixteen (16) of the circle of Goundam

and six (6) from that of Timbuktu are targeted within the framework of the implementation

of the project "  3 P  »In particular, but also populations of northern Mali in general.

Project interventions will affect all villages / neighborhoods / fractions

of the 22 target municipalities through awareness-raising activities,

or training of community trainers, radio broadcasts

proximity and spaces for dialogue such as cultural days and

community participatory forum for peace and reconciliation.

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PROJECT INTERVENTION STRATEGIES  :

Civil society plays an essential role in the process of reconciliation and in distributing the dividends of peace where war has wreaked havoc.

The project "  3P  Aims to strengthen the participation of this civil society in order to integrate citizens into a more participatory partnership in post-conflict reconstruction.

For the construction of peace, the prevention and the settlement of local conflicts, the project "  3  P  ”Plans to support civilian activities related to peacebuilding and conflict prevention and resolution.

Actions will be focused on three strategic axes  :

•   Capacity building of local authorities and civil society organizations intervening in the field of violence as well as its prevention, management and non-recurrence  ;

• Raising awareness within communities to encourage a culture of peace  ;

• Improving the living conditions of these communities through spaces for dialogue and dispute resolution.

In such a context, the project "  3P  »Focuses primarily on strengthening the role of civil society in conflict prevention and resolution as well as  that the improvement of the mechanisms of articulation between the Organizations of the Civil Societies and the Local Authorities to promote alternatives of life making it possible to break the cycle of violence.

TARGET GROUPS  :

Based on its previous experiences in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding in the northern regions of Mali, AMSS will rely on key actors to boost changes in attitudes, behaviors and practices at the level communities. These key actors are essentially young people, women, community leaders, administrative and political officials, communicators and traditional leaders.

In such situations, young people are a particular audience for project activities as they are usually more likely to experience the frustrations of a lack of economic opportunities and thus engage in illegal activities and violence. . Therefore, women are the first victims of all forms of discrimination and violence.

MAIN ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT  :

Pending its objectives, the project implements the following activities  :

• The development, adaptation and contextualization of appropriate training materials / modules  ;

• The use of a training of trainers approach to maximize the number of community trainers familiar with the key principles of conflict management, peacebuilding and reconciliation,

• The constitution and availability of a pool of competent local resources to continue training even after the project,

• Establishing and connecting a network of peace and reconciliation disseminators among project target groups and promoting systems to help them sustain themselves.

• Identification of community mechanisms to resolve conflicts and promote a culture of peace.

• The involvement and mobilization of local actors (young people, women, influential community members) to participate and support project interventions will ensure their continuity beyond the two-year funding cycle.

• Support for the organization of cultural days