A Conflict Prevention and Response Initiative

Early Warning and Early ResponseSystem: The case of the UWIANO

Platform for Peace-KenyaPresentation made at a seminar

Infrastructure forPeace organized by Global Alliance of

Ministries and Infrastructure for Peace from 14th - 20th September 2013,

Geneva SwitzerlandBy Guyo Liban

In December 2007, Kenyans lined up to vote peacefully in the country’s General Election.

What followed was a period of turbulence and turmoil unprecedented in Kenya’s history.

However, doubts over the results of the elections led to disagreement between the two front runners

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In its wake, the orgy of violence left a trail of death and destruction

Leaving behind a people devastated and scarred

President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga hold First talks since disputed electionRight Hon. Prime Minister Raila Odinga (L) shakes hands with and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as President Mwai Kibaki looks on during a press conference outside the president's office on January 24, 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya.

UWIANO EXPERIENCES: InceptionUwiano is a Kiswahili word for Cohesion. Conceived in lead up to the National Referendum on

Kenya’s Constitution, 2010.Overall Objective• To provide strategic leadership and coordination in

Kenya’s Peace AgendaSpecific Objectives:

To build partnerships of peace and cohesion actors at all levels

To strengthen conflict early warning and early response

To establish a solid foundation for national cohesion and integration for a peaceful and prosperous Kenya.

Structure of Uwiano

Membership

Phase 1: 2010 Referendum•NCIC •NSC•PeaceNet-CSOs Representative•UNDP- Financial and technical support

Expanded under the phase 2 to include UN Women and IEBC

Uwiano Institutional framework:1. Principals:Highest policy organ. Provides policy direction to theplatform

Roles • Strategic leadership• High level contacts with strategic partners• Receive and review briefs• Direct media publicity and campaign;• Regular media, stakeholder briefings• Intervention missions to hot spots• Resource mobilization and donor relations • Approve resources to be allocated to the partners

2. Joint secretariat:

Technical arm of the platformRoles •Implementation of the UWIANO strategy;•Facilitate Peace Monitors, Field

Monitors, and CSOs in the hot spot areas;•Information gathering and dissemination

(collect and collate); •Operationalize the “Situation Room”; •Provide regular briefs to the Principals’

Committee

……………………………………………………•Conduct field missions and implement

response interventions;•Ensure smooth flow of resources and

materials to the partners at local level;•Prepare IEC materials and media

publicity campaign messages and materials;

•Document and disseminate the UWIANO experiences;

3. Data Management and Support Team

Roles: • Technical and analytical support to the JS and the

PC.• Management of the UWIANO nerve centre• Identifying user requirements and developing

appropriate management information systems• Constant troubleshooting• Retrieval of information• Verification and analysis of information and

dissemination of data;• Recommend response actions;• Preparation of Briefs, Press briefings and

generating daily and weekly reports

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1. Crowd Sourcing▫Free Public SMS▫Email input through monitored site

2. Media Sourcing ▫Newspapers▫Radio▫Television▫Blogs (Facebook, Twitter)

3. Peace Structures ▫Peace structures / Peace Monitors and

others in the NSC structure via new NCEWERS Situation Reports

Mode of Operation • Information relayed to the situation room

through the system on http://www.nscpeace.go.ke/ncewers which has access rights and http://www.nscpeace.go.ke/108 open to the public

• Information also relayed through mobile phones and emails

• Verification of the information to determine its credibility

• Analysis of the information and scenario setting • Communication to the relevant actors for

intervention • Follow up and documentation

The Nerve CenterSituation Room-NSC

Components of the Uwiano Initiative

•Conflict Mapping •Media and publicity campaigns•Consolidating Partnerships•Development of the SMS Platform•Data collection analysis and dissemination Type of Messages, Informative, positive message, threat, hate speech coded message or incitement to violence.• Emergency and Rapid Response

▫ Emergency Response Fund (ERF)•Documentation of the peace process

UWIANO Key Results •Peaceful referendum •Consolidation of partnerships at national and

local levels for effective coordination.•Conflict prevention and resolution through

community scans and rapid response-Strengthened conflict early warning and response to potentially violent conflicts

•Containment of hate speech •Facilitation of community dialogue on

topical / emerging issues including the ICC process

•Proliferation of other actors carrying out EWER, M & E etc

Factors that contributed to success• Strong partnership of committed and willing

partners.• Effective response mechanism as each member

has a niche in a particular area (comparative advantage)

• Existence of peace architecture e.g. DPCs• Supportive donors • Contribution of the media• Demarcation of the country into zones for

effective and efficient management of information and response

• Active Citizen participation

Challenges and Constraints

•Financial limitations. The lower funding levels compared to the Platform’s actual expenditure

•Response Challenges particularly during the General Election

•Decision making. At times slowed down by relatively large and varied partnership

•Issue-based challenges e.g. What was and what was not hate speech.

•Large and overwhelming stream of information from the citizens

Lessons learnt• Peace building and conflict management should

be inclusive and involve all the affected stakeholders in addressing the conflict issues in a given context.

• Community participation in conflict prevention and resolution is an essential building block for conflict management interventions.

• Timely and effective response is essential in resolution of conflict and settlement of disputes.

• Inter-agency collaboration is key to the success of the platform.

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……….• District Peace Committees (DPCs) have proven to

be valuable interface structures between the government, community leaders, CSOs, and FBOs when responding to conflict and insecurity situations.

• The role of women as key actors is essential for the effective implementation of peace building and conflict management activities.

• Inter-agency collaboration is an absolute necessity for successful peace building and conflict prevention interventions. Each partner brings in strengths emanating from their respective mandates and capacities and approaches to conflict prevention and peace building.

Way forward

•Deepening the collaboration and coordination among and between members and partners.

•Documentation and continuous learning and information sharing.

•Increase funding to UWIANO

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THANK YOU!