IVORIAN EX-FIGHTERS BUILD NEW BUSINESSES UNDER UN REINTEGRATION PROGRAMME
New York, Jul 24 2009 7:10PM
From raising chickens and growing tomatoes to washing cars and renting out party equipment, combatants from Côte d'Ivoire's civil war are finding jobs in hundreds of new enterprises and projects under a pilot United Nations initiative that aims to reintegrate ex-fighters into their former communities.
The $4 million disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme, which is being jointly run by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire and the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP), has helped between 3,000 and 4,000 ex-combatants since it began in August last year.
Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Côte d'Ivoire and the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the West African country (known as <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI), told the UN News Centre that the initiative has been so successful that it should be introduced across all peacekeeping operations run by the world body.
"We are recommending that $1 million be given to each peacekeeping operation… the extra money could come from the UN Peacebuilding Fund," he said.
That Fund, which was set up to help jump-start projects in countries emerging from conflict, has supplied the money for the Côte d'Ivoire programme, which is also backed by international partners.
Unlike traditional DDR schemes, which give participants a small sum of money and a package of basic tools and equipment so they can resume life in their former communities, the pilot initiative focuses on giving jobs and helping ex-fighters to fund small businesses and short-term projects in the hope they will be deterred from taking up arms again.
Some of the former combatants in Côte d'Ivoire have never held jobs before, Mr. Choi said, but thanks to these so-called "microprojects" ¬– which are approved by a joint UN-local committee – they now have the opportunity to operate a small business and try to expand it.
Chicken farms, a car wash, vegetable market gardens and an event rental business (tents, chairs and sound systems are hired out for public events and parties) are just some of the enterprises that have emerged under the programme.
The projects are not funded indefinitely in the hope that they will eventually become self-sustaining, Mr. Choi explains, saying "you can't be permanently dependent… We don't intend to replace the Ivorians – this is a supplementary programme. Our target is to help people build their own livelihoods that will keep going."
He notes that the initiative has been helped by the increasing security in Côte d'Ivoire over the past 18 months, which has allowed businesses to flourish and given ex-fighters a greater incentive to participate.
UNOCI and UNDP are currently analyzing the microprojects that have been supported so far to evaluate their success and determine whether they need further support. The initiative was also discussed in Casablanca, Morocco, at a recent meeting of DDR officials from across the UN.
Jul 24 2009 7:10PM
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New York, Jul 24 2009 7:10PM
From raising chickens and growing tomatoes to washing cars and renting out party equipment, combatants from Côte d'Ivoire's civil war are finding jobs in hundreds of new enterprises and projects under a pilot United Nations initiative that aims to reintegrate ex-fighters into their former communities.
The $4 million disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme, which is being jointly run by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire and the UN Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP), has helped between 3,000 and 4,000 ex-combatants since it began in August last year.
Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Côte d'Ivoire and the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the West African country (known as <"http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/missions/unoci/">UNOCI), told the UN News Centre that the initiative has been so successful that it should be introduced across all peacekeeping operations run by the world body.
"We are recommending that $1 million be given to each peacekeeping operation… the extra money could come from the UN Peacebuilding Fund," he said.
That Fund, which was set up to help jump-start projects in countries emerging from conflict, has supplied the money for the Côte d'Ivoire programme, which is also backed by international partners.
Unlike traditional DDR schemes, which give participants a small sum of money and a package of basic tools and equipment so they can resume life in their former communities, the pilot initiative focuses on giving jobs and helping ex-fighters to fund small businesses and short-term projects in the hope they will be deterred from taking up arms again.
Some of the former combatants in Côte d'Ivoire have never held jobs before, Mr. Choi said, but thanks to these so-called "microprojects" ¬– which are approved by a joint UN-local committee – they now have the opportunity to operate a small business and try to expand it.
Chicken farms, a car wash, vegetable market gardens and an event rental business (tents, chairs and sound systems are hired out for public events and parties) are just some of the enterprises that have emerged under the programme.
The projects are not funded indefinitely in the hope that they will eventually become self-sustaining, Mr. Choi explains, saying "you can't be permanently dependent… We don't intend to replace the Ivorians – this is a supplementary programme. Our target is to help people build their own livelihoods that will keep going."
He notes that the initiative has been helped by the increasing security in Côte d'Ivoire over the past 18 months, which has allowed businesses to flourish and given ex-fighters a greater incentive to participate.
UNOCI and UNDP are currently analyzing the microprojects that have been supported so far to evaluate their success and determine whether they need further support. The initiative was also discussed in Casablanca, Morocco, at a recent meeting of DDR officials from across the UN.
Jul 24 2009 7:10PM
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