SOS Sahel UK began working in Sudan in 1985. It has developed expertise in lowering tensions and increasing cooperation between herders and farmers, and in helping communities and local government improve their management of natural resources, such as forests, grazing land and water sources. Its activities in North Kordofan to date have been supported by the United Nations. This project is important because: · Decades of civil war, the replacement of customary courts with military tribunals and delays in forming the Land Commission section of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) have severely weakened traditional forms of co-operation between herders and farmers. This is particularly pertinent in North & South Kordofan, where for centuries herders have seasonally moved their animals through maraheel (livestock corridors) between dry and wet season grazing areas. Sudan cannot afford to continue undermining such forms of inter-group co-operation, which this project seeks to revitalise. · There are increasing social and environmental pressures on trees, water and land due to a growing population, the impact of drought and conflict, and elite expropriation of land. This project will help communities to regenerate such natural resources and share them equally. Funds would allow us to consolidate our current work in South Kordofan (Rashad, Dilling and Kadugli) and expand into four new areas of North Kordofan (Nohud, Gabiesh, Abu Zabad and Wadbanedah); these were formerly part of West Kordofan and lie on the border with Darfur. £50,000 will enable many of the following activities to be undertaken: · Collection and analysis of base-line information concerning issues such as the incidence of conflict and experiences of successful conflict mitigation activities. The results will be shared widely with key agencies in Sudan in an effort to influence wider thinking and practice. · Training, capacity building workshops and direct support to Pastoral and Farmers Unions, Community Associations and the Native Administration; enabling them to represent their members’ interests and engage with Government policy-makers. · Support to community initiatives that promote shared management of natural resources, for example water supplies used by both settled farmers and mobile herders. · Promotion of this project’s approaches through key individuals in strategic positions, such as technical Government departments in the region, helping them to champion its ideas and approaches among a wider group of organisations. Expected Outcomes: · Increased awareness among local associations and unions of their potential contribution to and responsibility for natural resource management at all levels. · Higher levels of satisfaction among pastoralists and farmers with the actions taken by institutions working on their behalf. · A greater sense of shared ownership and control over resources amongst communities, leading to reduced tension. · Greater understanding among State-level actors of the problems and opportunities experienced by pastoralists and farmers in maintaining secure access to natural resources. With the current political changes and the 2005 Peace Agreement, this project is timely and well-placed to institute the rehabilitation and recovery that is desperately needed in this region. We welcome the opportunity to discuss our work and this project in greater depth, so please do get in touch if there is any further information you need.