The Rift Valley Institute (RVI) is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in Sudan in 2001, currently working in seven countries in Eastern and Central Africa. The aim of the Institute is to advance useful knowledge of the region and its diverse communities, bringing a better understanding of local realities to bear on social and political action. The RVI works with institutions in the region to develop and implement long-term programmes that combine action-oriented research with education and public information.
Practical research and action
The first RVI project, during the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan, was a field investigation of war-related abduction and enslavement in the north-south borderlands. In subsequent years, the Institute, with partner organisations, has pursued research into peace processes, judicial systemsand elections in the two Sudans and other countries in eastern and central Africa. It has developed training courses across the region and pioneered field-based digitisation of endangered archivesand the creation of open-access digital libraries. The RVI is a leader in practical research and policy analysis in the areas of human security, cultural conservation and social development.
Partnership in post-conflict environments
The Rift Valley Institute operates in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In those countries where government structures are intact and educational institutions remain functional, the Institute offers specialist services to development agencies, universities and research organisations. Where war has disrupted government and eroded civic life, the Institute aligns itself with researchers and community activists—from the region and its diasporas—in the effort to sustain local institutions and restore standards of research and public information. The RVI’s partners include activists, writers and artists, civil society organisations, government ministries, museums, universities and cultural associations.
Long-term impact
RVI programmes are designed for long-term impact: shaping aid interventions, expanding space for public participation in policy, supporting local research capacity, preserving communal histories, and promoting social justice. Past and current programmes include the Usalama Project, which documents armed groups in the DRC, and the Rift Valley Forum—previously the Nairobi Forum—which sponsors a continuing series of seminars and public meetings designed to facilitate discussion between policy-makers, researchers and community leaders. The Institute is implementing justice and security projects in Somalia and Somaliland, and a programme for the conservation and digitisation of the National Archive of South Sudan. The RVI is a signatory of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (2001); all RVI publications are free for download from www.riftvalley.net under Creative Commons licences.
Governance and representation
The staff and fellows of the Rift Valley Institute are drawn from Eastern and Central Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The body of fellows includes practitioners and researchers in human rights, government, history, anthropology, political science, development economics, conservation, news media and law. There are RVI offices in the UK, the US, Kenya and South Sudan, and RVI representatives in Sudan, Somaliland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Institute is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom.
Funders and partners
The RVI is supported by grants, course fees, publishing income, consultancies and individual donations. Funders include private philanthropic organisations, governments, and intergovernmental organisations. The Institute seeks continuing support for open access publication, for collaboration with schools and universities in Eastern and Central Africa, and for scholarships to enable outstanding local researchers and activists to expand their skills and deepen their knowledge of the region.
