Pact is an international NGO. Its head offices are in Washington, DC and it works across Africa, Eurasia, Asia and Latin America. Pact believes that increasing the capability of local communities and organisations to manage peacebuilding activities at the grassroots level will be a more effective road towards sustainable peace.
Under its “Enhancing Peace and Security” programme in South Sudan, Pact aims to contribute to conflict prevention and mitigation by supporting innovative initiatives that prevent grassroots conflicts from turning violent. From 2009–2012, local civil society organisations (CSOs), community based organisations (CBOs) and government entities have been awarded ninety-three small grants totalling $5.4 million to implement over 400 peacebuilding events and processes across South Sudan.
These have included providing support to grassroots organisations for rapid response to key threats and risks to community security, as well as peacebuilding, conflict mitigation and transformation, and civic engagement activities. Under a multi-million dollar People-to-People Peacebuilding Fund jointly funded by DFID, Danida, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pact has also spearheaded efforts to establish a Conflict Early Warning System with a link to the IGAD Conflict Early Warning and Response Network, worked at the community level on demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR), and provided support to community security and small arms control through collaboration with Saferworld. Approximately 6,000 South Sudanese have been reached by these activities with a specific focus on reaching vulnerable populations, including youth and women.
In addition to working with South Sudanese civil society, Pact has been working closely with key government institutions to enhance the capacity of policy makers to more effectively respond to and prevent violent conflict in South Sudan. During the CPA period and into independence, Pact has seconded technical advisers to a range of government institutions, including a legislative expert to the National Legislative Assembly and South Sudan Peace Commission and gender and reintegration specialists to South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission.
Pact’s policy team and access to justice experts provided significant support to the Ministry of Justice, Bureau for Community Security and Arms Control and Local Government Board. At a state level, Pact has established strong relationships with state institutions and local government entities, working closely with county commissioners, Payam administrations and traditional authorities to implement its activities. These relationships have been instrumental in providing Pact with important space to work on conflict, security and justice programming across the country, especially in areas affected by and prone to conflict.
