Sudan at the Crossroads: Transforming Generations of Civil War into Peace and Development

About

Sudan is home to the world’s longest-running civil war and largest displaced population. Since 1983 this brutal conflict over economic resources, state power, and cultural identities has drained Sudan and neighboring countries of vital social and economic capital. Fortunately the main warring parties are now in the final stages of peace talks.

Following U.S. Secretary of State Powell’s visit to the talks, the parties announced publicly that a final peace agreement may be signed shortly. However, long-time Sudan analysts question the viability of this agreement, citing the exclusion of key political and military actors from the talks as examples of the agreement’s flaws. While ‘paper peace’ seems imminent, a hastily drawn agreement or poorly planned transitional program may lead to renewed violence, if not the resumption of full-scale war.

To consider Sudan’s prospects for peace in a global context, you are invited to a two-day conference organized by graduate students from The Fletcher Schoool (Tufts University), Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University) and Harvard Law School. The first day will examine the diverse parties and issues driving Sudan’s peacemaking process. The second day will explore the peacebuilding challenges of implementing the peace agreement.

This conference will offer attendees a unique opportunity to engage with professionals in the fields of diplomacy, human rights advocacy, foreign aid, international business, and conflict prevention. Conference participants will be encouraged to consider innovative policies and programs to address the multilayered causes of Sudan’s conflicts in a collective effort to transform Sudan’s ‘paper peace’ into sustainable peace and development.