Thank You for Supporting BEFORE in the GlobalGiving Challenge
The 2009 Winter GlobalgGiving Open Challenge to win $6,000 is over, but you can still help foster peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau.
2.9 billion people live in countries that are prone to war. Everyday 2,000 people die in violent conflict. In 2007 $7.2 trillion dollars was lost because wars around the world hindered economic opportunities.
There is something we can do to help prevent war.
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When what is now known as the BEFORE Project, a partnership of swisspeace and the Alliance for Peacebuilding, began working in Guinea-Bissau 6 years ago the country had seen five coups in 25 years. With careful analysis and local leadership BEFORE addressed several key roots of instability in Guinea-Bissau by:
- helping prevent elections violence in 2005, 2008 and 2009
- building the capacity of the national press corps
- supporting reform by working with the military
Today, while the situation in Guinea-Bissau has improved, the country still faces real challenges: a divided and under-resourced military, violent political tensions that resulted in five assassinations in 2009, and the desire of powerful, ruthless and wealthy cocaine-cartels to use the country as a drug transit point to Europe.
Yet, there is hope. Guinea-Bissau’s new government and civil society leaders want to develop and implement an inclusive plan of action to address the real roots of instability in the country. With support from top government, religious, women’s, military, minority and corporate leaders, a coordinated effort to stabilize economic development and social inclusion can work.
With as little as $25 you can give Bissau-Guineans the resources they need to implement a national plan of action- before the country sees another war! Here is what your gift could do to help foster stability in Guinea-Bissau:
- $25 – provide two sixty-second national radio spot to publicize the Peace Summit
- $50 – enable a regional peacebuilding expert to facilitate 1 peacebuilding session
- $75 – send one women’s rights participant from the country-side
- $125 – develop and produce a multilingual national plan of action materials for 10 local leaders
Take action today. With your help and the collaborative efforts of our staff in Europe, Washington, DC and Guinea-Bissau, we can foster the safety and peace that Bissau-Guineans need.
