Mission and Strategy

PACTA is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the resolution of violent conflicts. Our focus is South-East Asia. The name derives from the Latin phrase ‘Pacta sunt servanda – Agreements must be kept'. This principle provides the guiding philosophy of the organisation which is also underpinned by a belief in the importance of patience, understanding, persistence, sensitivity and imagination.  PACTA’s mission is threefold:

I. Stimulate dialogue and negotiations in unresolved conflicts through trust building and silent diplomacy;

II. Sustain peace processes through long-term accompaniment and capacity building;

III. Support regional and international peacebuilding efforts through research and policy advocacy.

Strategy

Our strategy is both focused and broad. It is rooted in our belief that the consent of certain actors is indispensable but influenced also by our recognition that peace needs wider support if it is to be sustained. Our strategy therefore combines deep relationship-building with wide awareness-raising. It is predicated on the simple notion that conflicts cannot be resolved until attitudes have changed; that there will be no permanent settlement unless and until there is a critical mass of support for peace.

In practical terms, this means:

• Focusing on military and insurgents – perhaps uniquely, PACTA emphasises the importance of concentrating much effort on both military and insurgents. The consent of both these actors is a sine qua non of any putative peace process and yet engaging with either, let alone both, is fraught with difficulties and sensitivities;

• Peer-to-peer exchanges – PACTA staff have substantial experience of other peace processes but we recognise there can be no substituting those who have themselves made the difficult choices and painful compromises in the search for peace.  Promoting peer-to-peer exchanges thus forms a key plank of our strategy and speaks most of all to our emphasis on encouraging a shift in attitudes amongst all stakeholders;

• Harnessing knowledge – our strategy is further informed by an emphasis on pooling existing expertise and knowledge. One of the keys to navigating the complexities of any conflict lies in stimulating a process of exchanging information and ideas between experts;

• Long-term support - peace neither begins with dialogue nor ends with an agreement. It is a fluid and protracted process which requires nurturing and supporting long after papers are signed. PACTA is resolute in its commitment to a long-term involvement through ongoing facilitation and institutional capacity-building.