Introduction

The Academy for Peace and Development (APD) was established in 1999 as a research institute in collaboration with the War-torn Societies Project (WSP) International (now Interpeace). Since inception, APD activities have focused on peace building using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. The organisation has brought together representatives of different sectors of Somaliland society to identify priorities in the process of rebuilding Somaliland. The Academy has been instrumental in facilitating dialogue on issues of human rights, democracy and good governance.

APD's participatory methods encourage consensus building among key actors with respect to strategic political, social and economic issues, leading to practical, policy-oriented recommendations and guidelines.

Mission

"Sustaining peace, promoting development"

Vision

The Academy is a center for excellence and leadership dedicated to the achievement of a more peaceful, just and prosperous society through: Research, Training, Dialogue and Documentation.

Objectives

APD is committed to promoting democracy and consensus decision making at the policy level by encouraging and supporting participation of citizens in the affairs of their lives. In this regard, the goal of the Academy is to empower Somaliland communities to peaceful change by providing a neutral venue to identify their issues and set priorities for response.

• To provide a neutral forum for dialogue and to create the opportunities to discuss and address development and reconstruction issues of common concern to Somaliland society;
• To facilitate the process to collectively identify, set priorities and formulate policy options for the challenges of development and rehabilitation of the country;
• To assist key stakeholders including: Somaliland Government, International community, donor agencies and local actors to better respond to the challenges of re-building the nation by providing them with relevant information on critical issues, seeking consensus on their interventions and facilitating their responses and effects.

Team

The Academy consists of a core programme staff of researchers, a management team, project staff, logistics and administration, an audio-Visual unit and a board of directors. The management team is responsible for setting the vision and strategic direction of the Academy and forms the basis for the decision making of the organization. The board of APD ensures the Academy to represent the interest of the community and that their diverse voices are reflected in the Academy's programmes and activities. The organisation has its headquarters in Hargeisa and established an outpost office in Burco in 2005.

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