Peace & Development Research Center

Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC), is dedicated to peace-building, promotion of democracy and human rights and the furthering of equitable development through participatory action research. The organization, since it was established in 1999, has been working on peace-building, reconciliation of conflicting Puntland communities, strengthening governance structures at local and regional levels as well as supporting the local and international actors in their efforts towards peace-building and state-building. PDRC is committed to the continued education of the citizens on their roles and responsibilities towards their country. Based on Puntland’s long-term political aspirations towards good governance, PDRC with the support of its partners has supported the preparation of the local council elections through civic and voter education in rural and urban areas, through the use of its Mobile Audio and Visual Unit (MAVU) and through working with the media of Puntland. It has in particular supported the development of Codes of Conduct for the political associations and the media and helped establish the Elections Monitoring Committee (EMC). In 2004, PDRC started to foster the democratization of Puntland’s political system. PDRC and its local and international partners focused on a) reviewing the “Puntland Provisional Constitution� and b) assisting in the capacity building of then emerging Local Councils in the various districts of Puntland; especially those in remote and hardly accessible areas. The organization continues to support the main pillars of good governance and rule of law to prevail in Somalia, in general, and in Puntland, in particular.