Tribute to Father Neles Tebay

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What we do

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s (HD) mission is

to prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflicts,

through dialogue and mediation.

Mediation and dialogue

{:en}Mediation and dialogue are the most effective, and cheapest, tools for preventing and resolving armed conflicts. They are the core business of HD, a globally connected private diplomacy organisation that operates discreetly to help conflict parties settle their differences.{:}{:fr}La médiation et le dialogue constituent les outils les plus efficaces et les moins coûteux pour prévenir et résoudre les conflits armés. Ils sont au cœur de l’action de HD, organisation de diplomatie privée qui, grâce à des réseaux de contacts dans le monde entier, œuvre en toute discrétion pour aider les belligérants à régler leurs différends.{:}

Mediation Expertise

{:en}Providing effective support to mediators can increase the chances of successfully preventing, mitigating and resolving conflicts and of sustaining peace after an agreement is signed. HD offers this support by giving mediators access to the latest conflict resolution expertise and experience.{:}{:fr}Appuyer efficacement le travail des médiateurs permet d’augmenter les chances de prévenir, atténuer et résoudre les conflits, mais aussi de maintenir la paix une fois qu’un accord a été signé. HD soutient les acteurs de la médiation en leur donnant accès à une expertise de pointe ainsi qu’aux expériences les plus récentes en matière de résolution des conflits.{:}

Oslo Forum

{:en}The Oslo Forum is the leading international network of conflict mediation practitioners. Co-hosted by the Norwegian Government and HD, the Oslo Forum convenes conflict mediators, peacemakers, high-level decision-makers and key peace process actors in a series of informal and discreet retreats.{:}{:fr}Le Forum d’Oslo est une série de rencontres informelles réunissant des médiateurs internationaux, hauts responsables politiques et autres acteurs des processus de paix. Le Forum leur offre un cadre discret et informel pour mener une réflexion sur les pratiques actuelles de la médiation, travailler ensemble au-delà des divergences institutionnelles et de points de vue, et faire progresser leurs négociations.{:}

Humanitarian Mediation

{:en}As part of its conflict mediation and dialogue activities, and where political dialogue may be difficult or impossible, HD undertakes mediation on a humanitarian basis. Humanitarian mediation enables the parties in conflict to address key issues, such as safe access and protection of civilians, the special needs of women and children, displaced populations and any affected minority groups.{:}{:fr}Dans le cadre de ses activités de médiation, lorsque le dialogue politique se révèle difficile, voire impossible, HD entreprend des initiatives à vocation humanitaire. La médiation humanitaire permet aux belligérants d’aborder des problèmes majeurs tels que la protection des populations civiles et leur accès à l’assistance humanitaire, les besoins particuliers des femmes et des enfants, la question des personnes déplacées et celle des minorités affectées par le conflit.{:}

Where we work

For almost two decades, HD has supported peaceful settlements around the world. The organisation is currently involved in more than 40 dialogue and mediation initiatives in over 25 countries.

Libya
Preventing and resolving inter-communal conflicts in the Diffa region of Niger
Moldova
© Reuters/Erik De Castro
South China Sea
The Gambia
Supporting Myanmar’s Peace Process
Myanmar – Addressing the crisis in Rakhine State
Signing ceremony of the Southern Plateau Peace Declaration, Nigeria, December 2016, between 56 ethnic communities following an Inter-communal dialogue process led by HD.
Nigeria

Who we are

HD is a Swiss-based private diplomacy organisation

founded on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence.

About

{:en}The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) is a Swiss-based private diplomacy organisation founded on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence. Our mission is to help prevent, mitigate, and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation.{:}{:fr}Le Centre pour le dialogue humanitaire (HD) est une organisation de diplomatie privée basée en Suisse et fondée sur les principes d’humanité, d’impartialité et d’indépendance. Sa mission est d’aider à prévenir, atténuer et résoudre les conflits armés par le biais du dialogue et de la médiation.{:}

Foundation Board

{:en}As a Swiss non profit Foundation, HD is supervised by a Board, which serves on a voluntary basis. It sets the mission and the general policy of the Foundation and provides overall supervision of the development and implementation of the organisation’s programme and administration, as managed by the Senior Management Team and staff. {:}{:fr}HD est une fondation suisse à but non lucratif dont les activités sont supervisées par un Conseil de fondation qui définit la mission et la politique générale de l’organisation. Le Conseil supervise également le développement ainsi que l’administration et la mise en œuvre du programme d’activités de l’organisation, tel que conduits par les membres dirigeants et leur équipe.{:}

Staff

{:en}HD’s team has grown from a small group of 6 people in 1999 to more than 140 from over 40 different nationalities today, supervised by a 10 member Senior Management Team. The organisation is made up of individuals driven by meaningful objectives who find creative approaches to “getting things done” and are dedicated to making a difference in peace and mediation efforts. {:}{:fr}Composée d’un petit groupe de six personnes en 1999, l’équipe de HD compte aujourd’hui plus de 140 collaborateurs issus de 40 nationalités différentes, qui travaillent sous la supervision de 10 cadres dirigeants. L’organisation regroupe des individus animés par le sens de leur mission, qui recherchent des méthodes créatives pour “faire avancer les choses” et tiennent à contribuer aux efforts de paix et de médiation. {:}

Latest updates

Tribute to Father Neles Tebay

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Father Neles Tebay on 14 April 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia. A Roman Catholic priest from the highlands of Papua, Father Neles Tebay had worked tirelessly to end the long-running violent conflict in Papua using peaceful dialogue.

For the past decade, he worked closely with civil society activists from other parts of Indonesia to establish a road map to peace for Papua based on dialogue. In 2009, he co-authored, along with late scholar Muridan Widjojo, the book ‘Papua Road Map’, which was published by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). His vision of dialogue was one in which all Papuans should be consulted on a peaceful future, based on shared development, respect for human rights as well as addressing historical issues. 

At a time that saw the rise of militant youth groups in urban areas which favoured the use of violence, Father Neles co-founded the Papuan Peace Network (PPN) with the goal of consulting all Papuans on the need for peaceful dialogue with the government in Jakarta. He wrote extensively in the media and appeared on radio and television across the country. 

Father Neles was no apologist for actions by the central government and security forces. In 2017, he wrote: “Since annexation in 1963, indigenous Papuans say they have been targeted by Indonesian security forces for arbitrary arrest, torture and even marked for death. The evidence is overwhelming and the signs are that atrocities committed against the Papuans will not end soon.”  

Yet, his vision of peaceful dialogue won him respect in government circles, and led him to organise, starting in 2012, a series of preparatory dialogues with government departments and policy-makers concerned about the future of Papua. In the past five years, Father Neles Tebay succeeded in persuading Indonesian President Joko Widodo to make a commitment to dialogue in Papua, as part of which he was appointed as adviser. Despite battling a rare form of cancer over the past three years, he continued his campaign for peace in Papua.   

Father Dr. Neles Tebay was born in Nabire in 1964. He studied theology at Fajar Timur in Abepura, Papua. After his ordination in 1992, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Manila and a Ph.D. at the Urbania University of Rome. In Papua, he worked at the Diocesan Office of Jayapura for Justitia et Pax and led the Papuan Peace Network.

HD was honoured to have collaborated closely with Father Neles Tebay over the last few years, in support of peace in Papua, and would like to pay tribute to the man of peace and conciliation he was as well as to his tireless commitment to dialogue even in sickness.

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