Publications

BICC (Bonn International Center for Conversion – Internationales Konversionszentrum Bonn) operates at the interface between development and security policy, on the one hand, and application-oriented peace and conversion research, on the other. With our 2007 Annual Report we wish to once again provide details of how we are equipped to perform our information, consultancy and research remit—both in the field of analysis and individual projects—and of BICC’s financial development. 
Whether it be in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan or Aceh (Indonesia)—throughout the world there is a danger that attempts to put an end to conflicts by force will result in renewed bloody clashes. The Leading Article in this year’s Annual Report is therefore devoted primarily to the question of how the international community can succeed in developing effective mechanisms for breaking this vicious circle. 
The Data section of the Annual Report provides information on the correlation between military and development expenditure. An overview of global conflicts indicates the current hotspots of violent conflict. 

Individual Project Reports provide an insight into BICC’s application-oriented research, consultancy and training work. For example: What were the benefits of a special training program in Sudan last year? One research project was devoted to evaluating the demilitarization and demobilization measures in the Indonesian region of Aceh. The project report illustrates the questions raised. A further project takes the examples of India, Nigeria, Russia and Spain and asks whether and how ethnic federations help to regulate conflicts in multi-ethnic societies. Another report presents the results of an expert workshop on the role of the African Diaspora in Germany in general and in North Rhine-Westphalia in particular. As a member of a European consortium of non-governmental organizations, BICC received a contract from the EU Commission to conduct the “Fatal Transactions (FT)” project. The aim of this project is to develop development policy information and lobby work in the area of “Resources and Conflicts”. In Columbia, BICC advised the government on questions of the reintegration of ex-combatants. Problems of demobilization and small arms disarmament were at the center of a project that was conducted in Afghanistan. In OECD-countries, BICC analyzed instruments and options for ‘Early Warning’ and ‘Early Action’ in case of conflict.