A. INTRODUCTION
In close collaboration with its partners, including the University Centers for Peace and Development Studies in Darfur and the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the Darfur–Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC) is facilitating broad and inclusive consultations with key stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to the root causes of the conflict in Darfur.
In this regard, Building Consensus on Common Ground Issues: El Geneina, West Darfur Women was held at the UNAMID Substantive Camp in El Geneina, West Darfur State, on August 30 - 31, 2009.
During the two–day consultation, 80 women from West Darfur localities, representing internally displaced persons (IDP), non–governmental organizations (NGO), women leaders, teachers, businesswomen, pastoralists, and poets, gathered in El Geneina and discussed and built consensus around six common ground issues: land and natural resources, security, identity, recovery and development, administration and democracy, and reconciliation. The participants were divided into four groups to discuss the common ground issues among themselves and then shared their recommendations with other groups. All of the participants met again to discuss points of agreement and disagreement to narrow differences and build wider consensus on recommendations by West Darfur women.
Key findings include:
- Providing adequate education opportunities for girls and women can assist in preventing a re–escalation of conflict due to land redistribution.
- Instituting "women police" units comprised of women that are trained to help protect women could improve security in IDP camps.
- If solving the Darfur crisis becomes an overall goal around which different conflicting groups focus all of their energy, the Darfur identity can emerge stronger then before the crisis.
- All Darfurians, particularly women and youth, should participate in the development of Darfur.
- A weakness of native administration is its long exclusion of women.
- The media can contribute to reconciliation by focusing on the role of women in the reconciliation process, which has thus far been overshadowed and ignored.
This report provides background on the DDDC, the consultation process, and common ground issues, and detailed findings from the Building Consensus on Common Ground Issues: El Geneina, West Darfur Women consultation.
The DDDC will work towards developing consensus around common ground issues during consultations throughout North, South, and West Darfur. Working closely with its partners and stakeholders, the DDDC will feed Darfurian views learned during these consultations into the Darfur peace process.
The DDDC would like to thank all consultation participants and is grateful for the collaboration and assistance received from the UNAMID El Geneina Civil Affairs Department, Child Protection Unit, the Gender Advisory Unit, the Humanitarian and Recovery Liaison Section, and Head of Office.
Khartoum, Sudan
October 28, 2009
