The Peace and Development Platform (PAD) was initiated after consultations with over 60 organizations and individuals working within the Southern African region. Using the momentum behind preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), participating individuals and organisations came together behind four objectives:

• To build a non-violent culture of peace and transform structural barriers to sustainable development.
  To promote peace, justice and demilitarization as the focal issues of development debates at the WSSD and beyond.
  To create an inclusive long-term coalition that will strengthen programmes of peace and justice in the global civil society movement.
  To provide opportunities for grassroots voices and concerns to be heard by policy makers and decision takers at all levels.

PAD, through the ‘Bridging Gaps – Forging Partnerships’ programme, aims to create and explore opportunities through which grassroots civil society can engage with policy makers on national, regional and international levels with regard to issues relating to peace and human security. The programme builds the capacity of community based organisations to contribute to the peace and security initiatives of policy-making institutions.

Stakeholder Focus

The primary target groups are members of community-based organisations who participate in conflict transformation programmes, training processes and other activities. Participants engage in the advocacy and lobbying tool kit and formulating local level strategies to influence and participate at national and continental levels. This process directly and continuously engages hundreds of community workers as well as trainers across the continent.

In addition, the programme focuses on key structures within NEPAD and the AU, in particular Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Peace and Security Council, as well as the people represented on them. It builds and strengthens relationships with the NEPAD secretariat and NEPAD structures in different regions.

PAD also seeks out and supports existing networks and forums and disseminates the material produced as widely as possible. Local initiatives are encouraged to make contact with national representatives to the AU and influence government more generally to discuss and implement resolutions of NEPAD and the AU. Most important, local communities lobby these representatives on an effective communication and outreach of programmes. The programme consults with global CSO on ways of taking it forward and opportunities that exist in influencing at a global level. It also seeks to create partnerships with other networks outside the continent in an attempt to initiate global interest.

Goal

To create and explore opportunities through which grassroots civil society can engage with policy makers on national, regional and international levels with regard to issues relating to peace and human security.

Purpose

To provide a platform for grassroots issues and concerns relating to peace and human security to be articulated through research, training and direct lobbying.

Objectives

• To advocate and lobby on policy issues relating to peace and human security of local communities of VCT members.
  To continuously provide information on policy making institutions, structures and on matters related to peace, conflict and human security.
  To strengthen and capacitate community peace builders on skills of advocacy & lobbying so that they can engage constructively with continental institutions and processes.
  To continuously support community based structures as they engage with policy makers.
  To contribute to national and continental peace building initiatives.
  Strengthen linkages and collaboration between likeminded organisations.
  To explore ways of taking PAD global.

Activities

PAD strategies includes:

• Networking and Information Sharing
  Outreach and Community Involvement
  Capacity Building
  Advocacy
  Research
  Resource mobilisation
  Monitoring and Evaluation