Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (Elman Peace) was founded in 1990 in Mogadishu, Sudan. It works to promote and establish durable solutions to peace; cultivate leadership; and empower vulnerable groups.

The programs are on the forefront of developing local, innovative, rights-based, and community-centred approaches to human rights violations, sexual and gender-based violence, countering violent extremism, as well as wider humanitarian issues.

All programs and operations are guided by principles of equity, inclusion, accountability, transparency, participation, and respect and comprise four key strategic pillars: intervention, advocacy, research, and communication. This approach is the backbone of programs such as the “Drop the Gun, pick up the Pen” rehabilitation and reintegration services that facilitate disarmament and disengagement from armed conflict and violent groups through providing vocational skills trainings and trauma therapy; rights-based education services for girls and women; and mental health and wholistic wellbeing services. Recently, Somalia’s first network of rape crisis centres and safe houses were launched to respond to and prevent all forms of violence against girls and women.

Elman Peace has been recognised nationally and internationally, including two Nobel Peace Prize nominations and the Aurora Award.

Goals 

This project will work to contribute to the peaceful rebuilding of Somalia through education, capacity building; improving access to psycho-social support services; and responding to the increasingly volatile situation for women and girls in Somalia.

Activities

This project will support peace-building activities in Somalia such as:

• Psychosocial counseling, trauma healing and emergency medical care at Somalia’s first rape crisis centre to help equip survivors with skills to lead self-determined lives;
• Disarmament and rehabilitation of young women and men co-opted into clan based militias by warlords and reintegrating them back into their societies with non-violent behaviors and alternative livelihoods;
• Facilitate meaningful the participation in political processes of women & youth leaders by providing capacity building; the promotion of structural gender equality through policy and advocacy; and contributing to transparent and accountable governance through training of civil servants.
• Provision of essential services for survivors of gender-based violence such as safe houses, non-formal education, psycho-social support etc.

Myriad Canada is working with Elman Peace on this project, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace, cultivating leadership and empowering the marginalized brackets of society to be decision makers in the processes that ensure their well-being.

Elman Peace if the recent recipient of the KBF Africa Prize. The KBF Africa Prize rewards outstanding contributions to development in Africa, initiated and led by Africans. It seeks to draw public attention to the many inspirational stories, challenges and successes emerging from the African continent. Beyond its monetary value of 200.000 euros, it offers its winners unique opportunities to increase their visibility and promote their cause to international audiences.

For more information, visit www.kbfafrica.org/the-prize/