PAEMA is dedicated to working in partnership with communities in our countries of focus - Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burma - until the day that the risk of atrocities ceases. This means we don’t jump to a new crisis when it occurs. Maintaining our engagement with communities through cycles of violence allows us to build relationships of mutual respect and trust over many years. 

We know that conflict-affected communities are the greatest experts in finding sustainable solutions to end ongoing violence and atrocity prevention. But they shouldn’t have to do this work alone. Collaboration is key to finding sustainable solutions to these ongoing problems. 

Communities experiencing conflict are often sidelined within decision-making processes that deeply impact their lives. When they are consulted for information, this is often done in an extractive way by international stakeholders. At PAEMA: We work to shift power back to communities affected by violence and tackle structural obstacles.

We actively work to include violence-affected communities in international policy and advocacy spaces by providing training that equips community members to engage with policymakers directly. 

We participate in and build coalitions and working groups to take collective action in support of local efforts. Through our long-term engagement with communities, we bring a strong understanding of historical and socio-political contexts to these collaborations. 

We believe that our approach to collaborating with impacted communities and coordinating with other organizations allows us to play a role in creating effective and lasting change. 

All of this is central to our mission.