The Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA) is committed to playing an active and leading role in advancing peace, development and social justice for the people of Sudan.
SUDIA has frequently collaborated with international and national partners which has created a pool of information and expertise. This has led to innovative projects and activities across a range of sectors. These include livelihoods, community development, media, natural resource management, reproductive health and organizational development. As a facilitator, SUDIA builds capacity within existing organizations to replicate successful pilot projects.
SUDIA works closely with a wide base of institutions from civil society, the private sector, and government, developing programs and projects that sustain and reinforce peace and development, support the country, and help the Sudanese people achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Their current Sudan program is focused along three main areas:
Advancing democracy
This programme aims to work with and strengthen civil society and ensure its effective role in key and fundamental areas that will contribute towards greater democracy within the current context of Sudan. These include media and access to information, human rights, gender and civil society
Economic development
This programme facilitates the provision of technical assistance and services to a range of national and international partners. On a macro level, the programme works with the private sector, media and government to create an enabling environment that is supportive of broader civil society activity. On a micro level, it contributes to building the capacity of individual Sudanese organisations and ensuring that they are active, diverse, significant and well distributed geographically throughout the country.
The programme aims to provide real and significant opportunities for economic growth and revitalisation by developing and strengthening local community approaches and structures which serve disadvantaged and vulnerable populations across the country.
The framework of the program is embodied in two key principles: economic opportunity and sustainable community development. The first priority in revitalising distressed communities is to create economic opportunities in the form of jobs and self-employment possibilities. The programme provides opportunities for entrepreneurial initiatives, small business expansion and training. SUDIA partner's with government and the private sector in order to provide services that deliver improved social mobility and economic expansion.
Building peace
This programme rests on the premise that sustainable peace is delivered through a well researched and locally-grounded understanding of the relevant issues. SUDIA interventions are guided by context-specific knowledge and a thorough understanding of all the factors that pose a challenge to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. The programme develops local and national capacity in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, facilitates dialogue and reconciliation, and promotes recovery activities. It does this through a range of innovative and well researched methods that aim to integrate the best international practices with local traditions and customs. Through the programme SUDIA continues to establish relationships with national and international partners in an effort to transform the lives of war-affected communities across Sudan.