Henri Dunant Centre -- the discreet peace mediator<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Geneva<\/p>\n
In helping end nearly three decades of bloody conflict between
\nthe Indonesian government and separatist Aceh rebels, the Henri
\nDunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue has temporarily shrugged
\noff the anonymity it usually favors in pursuing its work.<\/p>\n
The signing on Monday at the center's Geneva headquarters of a
\npeace deal on the oil- and gas-rich province will place the
\nindependent and impartial organization, established in 1998, into
\nthe limelight.<\/p>\n
The centre is dedicated to the \"alleviation of human suffering
\nin armed conflict through dialog\", it says in an information
\nbrochure.<\/p>\n
\"By helping the parties to a conflict to speak to each other,
\nthe Centre works to reconcile their differences.\"<\/p>\n
Following in the example of the Rome community of Sant'Egidio
\nwhich in 1992 helped forged a peace deal in Mozambique between
\nthe Mozambique Liberation Front and the armed opposition, RENAMO,
\nthe Henri Dunant Centre (HDC) has been working since January 2000
\nto halt the 26 years of fighting in Aceh province.<\/p>\n
It is financed by the Red Cross Movement, governments, private
\nphilanthropists and charitable foundations.<\/p>\n
Few acts by the centre are publicized, as discretion and low-
\nkey dialog are part of the center's approach to humanitarian
\naction.<\/p>\n
Since August 2000, the centre has been active in Yangon,
\nMyanmar, facilitating dialog between the military junta and
\nopposition groups.<\/p>\n
It is the only independent organization in Myanmar that
\nregularly meets the SPDC and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
The centre also has helped foster talks between the
\nInternational Labor Organization and the Myanmar junta.<\/p>\n
In April 2001, the centre set up a program to help counter the
\nhuman costs of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons,
\nwhich it says are estimated to kill about 500,000 people a year.<\/p>\n
It has also established a network of humanitarian negotiators
\nto support humanitarian organizations working in dangerous
\nenvironments, and has carried out a study on the problems posed
\nto humanitarian workers when engaging with armed groups.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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