CIPAD started as joint Consultancy Initiative by the two directors in 1995 in Asmara, Eritrea, where in the period 1995-1997 it was responsible for the assessment, design, and evaluation of over 80% of the microfinance and rural economic development projects in the Country during that period.
In 1996 the two consultants were commissioned by the Dutch Inter-Church Aid (SOH/DIA) for the first assessment and design of the first projects for the Beja Relief Organization in Eritrea targeting the conflict affected communities across the border in Eastern Sudan.
In 1997, the CIPAD Directors played a key role in the development and negotiation of the “Sudan Humanitarian Cross-Border Access Operation” Position Paper which eventually enabled the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and the DIA to remain in Eritrea, while most international NGOs were forced to leave the country that time, as the main international community partners and donors for the Cross Border Humanitarian Operation implemented by the three Sudanese NGOs (Sudan Future Care Amal Trust (SFC-AMAL), The Beja Relief Organization (BRO), and the Sudanese Humanitarian Relief Agency- SHRA) under the Sudanese opposition umbrella, the National Democratic Alliance NDA, to channel humanitarian support to areas outside the control of the government in Eastern Sudan (Garora, Togan, and Hamishkoreb) across the Eritrean borders; as well as in the South of the Blue Nile (Menza, Yaguro, Yabashar) from the Ethiopia border (Bahr Dar and Menkush). The operation later on attracted other NGOs such as IRC and Samaritan Purse, as well as MSF. During the period 1997-2000, Elhadi served as the Humanitarian and Operations Director for this support.
During the period 2000 – 2013 the directors of CIPAD were extensively involved in international humanitarian response operations in several countries in Asia and Africa, including among others, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Philippines, Indonesia and Afghanistan; providing humanitarian support to conflict and natural disasters affected communities.
In close collaboration and support from the US based Grassroots International, American Refugees Committee, African Rights, and Justice Africa, the two directors continued to their activism and advocacy for peace and development in Sudan. Their contributions included active inputs to the famous blogs “Making Sense of Darfur”, then “Making Sense of Sudan”, and “African Arguments” under the African Royal Society of the UK.
For more than 150 years, the Atlantic has told the stories of people who commit acts of moral and intellectual bravery by espousing unpopular or controversial positions. In a special issue of the magazine of November 2009 here, the editors have chosen 27 leaders – who embody this great tradition then. These are people who are risking careers, reputations, and fortunes to advance ideas that upend an established order. Making Sense of Darfur’s own Alex de Waal made this list together with Barak Obama, Steve Jobs, and the Chief Justice of Pakistan. In the ensuing discussions on this, Alex commended the role of the Directors of CIPAD, together with other Sudanese activists, as behind his achievement. https://africanarguments.org/2009/10/21/brave-thinker/
Towards the end of 2013, the idea of CIPAD evolved in the form of a US registered International NGO with focus on advocacy, research, relief and development issues.
CIPAD
Advocacy on Peace, Development Cooperation, and Humanitarian Issues, Through a Network of Like Minded Partners
