Bringing together political adversaries on policy

Sector?

Minority issues; Inter-ethnic relations

What?

Dialogue Management; Strategic partnerships; Capacity building;

Where?

Republic of Macedonia

Why?

The Ohrid Peace Agreement signed between the Republic of Macedonia and the Albanian armed groups in 2001 was meant to end the armed conflict in Macedonia. The peace negotiators felt that if the communities would not see rapid implementation of the agreement, it would have no meaning and violence would stage a comeback in the country.

When?

2004, 2005

What exactly?

I performed the needs assessment was to examine what intervention would lead to rapid results and de-escalation of ethnic tensions.This led to the design of a dialogue project in the Republic of Macedonia that provided politically influential persons with the opportunity to work together to create more sustainable and inclusive policies. A highly committed team led by Michael Szporluk implemented the project. I supervised the implementation and ensured support from all political parties and donors.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues, Germany

Ministry of External Affairs, Ireland

What happened?

Policy recommendations generated by the multi-ethnic, multi party working groups were channeled to policy and decision makers. This led to emergence of new policies, which contributed to making the peace agreement work for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.

The dialogue process led to the formation of expertise based working groups, which demonstrated to all involved parties that concerns of all ethnic groups are very similar and need to be tackled with professionalism and seriousness.
Experts of the “minor minorities” were engaged in mainstream policy and advocacy work, which opened new channels for their respective communities to express their concerns.

“ Sunoor Verma makes ideals work in practice by focusing on issues that successfully bring together parties, which in another context might be on opposite sides of a conflict. In so doing, he brings about action, which brings concrete benefits to all while making the potential lines of conflict gradually less relevant. ”

Dr. Eben Friedman
Regional Representative
European Centre for Minority Issues

Support for the Sri Lanka Peace Process

Sector?

Minority issues; Peace building; Inter-ethnic issues

What?

Dialogue management; Assessment & Evaluation

Where?

Sri Lanka

Why?

The Muslims in Sri Lanka are a minority spread out across the island state. They tended to be the balance of power in parliamentary equations. However the peace process in Sri Lanka did not include them as a party in negotiations. The inner divisions within the Muslim community further diminished the chances of their participation. It was felt that for the eventual peace agreement to be implemented the participation of a Muslim representation is a must.

When?

2005

What exactly?

Sunoor Verma was retained to conduct Needs assessment; Stakeholder Consultations; Situation analysis and Institutional capacity assessment of the divided Muslim communities in Sri Lanka in relation to the peace process in that country. This involved, consulting with political, religious, community leaders and other members of the Muslim communities, the government, international missions and further relevant actors in Sri Lanka. The project was carried out in a climate of growing security concerns and travel restrictions.

With- whom?

Cambridge University, Centre of International Studies

Carnegie Foundation, New York

What happened?

Visible and invisible opinion makers were consulted thus ensuring a report, which is highly reliable. This substantive report detailed the identity, interests and positions of Muslim political actors in Sri Lanka in relation to the peace process. This report was presented to the peace process facilitators.

“ While many give lip service to the importance of a participatory approach that involves the community in the design of projects, Sunoor puts this theory into practice through his natural curiosity and his interest in working with people. This enhances the sustainability of interventions. ”

Michael Szporluk
Expert, Civil Society Development
Mercy Corps

What?

Refugees; Humanitarian Relief;

Dialogue Management; Needs Assessment; Stakeholder Consultations; Project

development; Negotiations.

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

In 1999 during the Kosovo refugee crisis, following concerns of inter-ethnic instability, the Republic of Macedonia imposed a condition on the international community for admitting refugees from neighboring Kosovo. The number of refugees that are evacuated from Macedonia to NATO countries would be the number of newly admitted refugees into the country. In the race against time, while it was vital to evacuate as many refugees as possible, it was important to give priority to vulnerable cases. Prioritizing medical cases among an exhausted from difficult travels and traumatized population was one aspect of the challenge. The other- convincing reluctant host governments accept medical cases for evacuation and the associated costs to their health systems.

When?

1999

What exactly?

Sunoor Verma’s services were retained by the UNHCR to formulate priority criteria for the evacuation of refugee patients to NATO countries. Sunoor prioritized the cases from 7 geographically dispersed refugee camps, and negotiated with NATO country delegations transfer and treatment of emergency medical cases from among the refugees. He coordinated and monitored the facilities for evacuation of severely ill refugees. He played a key role in the initiation, planning and implementation of extending the medical evacuation program to approximately 200,000+ host family refugee cases. Sunoor monitored the standard of medical escorts during evacuation. He worked in partnership with local medical authorities, government authorities, donor community and NGOs to facilitate the patient evacuation process.

With- whom?

UNHCR

NATO

What happened?

1. Medical evacuation program extended to approximately 200,000+ refugees residing with host families.
2. Significant increase in evacuation of patient to NATO countries for treatment.

( on the value that Sunoor Verma brings to project design/ innovation..) Good sense of “common sense”, no fear of criticism and trying to look into issues from all kinds of angles: in short the ability to make the project as likely to succeed as possible.

Annika Palo
Adviser, Department for Europe
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

The first global assessment of the needs of Macedonia’s Romani population

Sector?

Minority issues; Roma;

What?

Capacity Building; Fundraising; Project development; Dialogue Management

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

Roma remain the most marginalized group in many parts of Europe. Numerous programs have been implemented in the name of the Roma, however sustainability of these has been poor or non-existent. One of the main reasons of this failure has been the lack of consultations with the Roma in identifying their needs and understanding what interventions would be compatible with their aspirations and life style.

When?

2003

What exactly?

In his capacity as the Regional Representative for the European Centre for Minority Issues, Sunoor led the consultation with donors on the importance of launching this mapping. Sunoor also led the project design process and the building of necessary partnerships with Roma leaders. Fundraising and supervision of the project implementation was Sunoor’s responsibility too.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues ECMI

Sida Sweden

What happened?

The first global assessment of the needs of Macedonia’s Romani population was conducted. The project was implemented and led by Dr. Eben Friedman.

“ Sunoor Verma played the leading role in establishing ECMI as an organization, which conducts informed and relevant initiatives to further the integration of Romani populations in Europe. ”

Dr. Eben Friedman
Regional Representative
European Centre for Minority Issues

Building and managing a 70 NGOs coalition in Macedonia

Sector?

Inter-ethnic issues; Civil Society; Peace building

What?

Dialogue management; Fundraising; NGO management; Track II diplomacy; Conflict resolution

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

The armed conflict of 2001 in Macedonia left a society divided along ethnic lines. The fragile Ohrid peace agreement required quick measures for building confidence in the communities.

When?

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

What exactly?

In the midst of the conflict I set out to establish an inter-ethnic network of NGOs along with the European Centre for Minority Issues.

I travelled around the country meeting with communities, citizens and villagers to find those NGOs that were truly committed to improving inter-ethnic relations in the country. The ECMI NGO Network for Improvement of Inter-ethnic Relations in Macedonia was launched with a core group of 17 NGOs from across the country and ethnic groups. Gradually the network grew to a 70 member strong group that engaged in joint design and implementation of grassroots projects. Sunoor headed an umbrella grants program, administering and monitoring 50–70 community projects each year. The project carried a strong capacity enhancement component with emphasis on ethics for the participating NGO Managers.

This project benefitted very much from the guidance and commitment of Farimah Daftary of the ECMI. When no international expert was willing to travel to Macedonia due to the armed conflict, Farimah headed to Macedonia to meet with stakeholders and do a direct assessment of the ground realities. Her research and reporting were instrumental in the project receiving its seed grant. Dr. Eben Friedman succeeded Farimah Daftary at the ECMI as the focal point for Macedonia and maintained the high standards set by Farimah.

Farimah and Eben have contributed to civil society development in Macedonia in the most low profiles yet most effective way. Both heroes!

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues

Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretariat for Peace and Stability)

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sida Sweden

DfID

What happened?

1. Established the first truly multi-ethnic network of NGOs in Macedonia consisting of 70 NGOs committed to improving inter-ethnic relations.
2. 50–70 community projects generated and implemented each year jointly by NGOs members of the Network.
3. Network becomes reference point for good practices and NGO ethics in Macedonia.

External Evaluation of “ECMI NGO Network for the Improvement of Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia” 15-19 April 2003

“ In the words of Regional Representative Dr. Sunoor Verma, the Regional Office in Skopje aims to be a model office in terms of professional standards, transparency and accountability. The evaluator gained the impression that the office very much lives up to this goal. The Regional Representative, Dr. Verma is obviously a perfect choice: he is not only very committed to the success of the Network, but also very competent. His critical view of the donor-driven character of much of the NGO activities in Macedonia, especially in the realm of improvement of inter-ethnic relations, helps to make the ECMI Network genuinely innovative in that context. He maintains close contacts with relevant donor and other institutions, and is respected by the member organisations of the Network.”

DR. ULF BRUNNBAUER
Department of Southeast European History, University of Graz
Graz, Austria

The integrated analysis of the needs of the Romani population in Serbia and Montenegro

Sector?

Minority issues; Roma;

What?

Capacity building; Fundraising; Project development; Dialogue management

Where?

Serbia, Montenegro

Why?

While there was widespread recognition among donors that a variety of initiatives should be launched to support the development of the Roma in Europe, no studies were available to tell us what the ground reality was.

When?

2003

What exactly?

Dr. Eben Friedman performed an integrated analysis of the needs of the Romani population in Serbia and Montenegro. Sunoor Verma led the fundraising and negotiations with donors and provided management support to the project through his teams based in Macedonia.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues

Sida Sweden

What happened?

A strategy for Swedish International Cooperation Agency ( Sida’s) work with Roms in Serbia and Montenegro was developed. This strategy was in turned used by Sida for their programming and funding decisions.

“ Being genuinely engaged and knowledgeable in the area of work makes Sunoor Verma a successful fundraiser. ”

Ulrika Lindberg-Labasauskas
Head of Development Cooperation
Embassy of Sweden in Skopje

Romani expert groups for Romani integration in the Republic of Macedonia

Sector?

Minority issues; Roma;

What?

Capacity Building; Fundraising; Project development; Dialogue Management

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

Until the launch of this initiative most initiatives aimed at the Romani population of Macedonia were being implemented by non-Roms. This often led to poor participation of the Roms and virtually no transfer of skills or know-how. Through my work with Roms in Macedonia and many Roma NGOs I could see that there is availability of talent and experience in the Roma community. The lack of formal education was a barrier to the advancement of these potential experts. The Romani experts project was launched to prepare a pool of Roma experts who have the skills, knowledge and commitment to work on Roma issues.

When?

2003, 2004

What exactly?

I think I played a key role in conceptualizing this initiative, developing the project proposal and getting donors on board. Dr. Eben Friedman, a leading authority on Roma issues, led this project. I was also responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project and fundraising.

With- whom?

European Centre for Minority Issues ECMI

Sida Sweden

What happened?

Four Expert Group organized around the core areas of education, health, civil rights, and employment were established.
The Expert Groups generated and compiled usable reports with the data necessary to provide a basis for the design of policy not only for Roms, but also by Roms.

The success of this initiative lies in three things that came together at the right time:

1. Understanding through extensive fieldwork: for projects aimed at the Roma community to succeed, they need to be implemented by people who are part of the Roma community.
2. Representatives of Sida Sweden who were committed to undertaking initiatives that other donor designate ‘risky’ if they saw long term value in them. Annika Palo and Peeter Kamaan of Sida Sweden were unique in their untiring quest for sustainable solutions for the people of Macedonia.
3. Dr. Eben Friedman who led the project is not one of those first world experts for whom the Roma community is an exotic experiment from a distance. Eben has dear friends in the community with whom he has lived and has understood the challenges that they face. Eben’s commitment and dedication to the Roma cause ensured that the capacity of Roma experts in built to a level where they can take charge.

I salute the work done in Macedonia by Eben Friedman, Annika Palo and Peeter Kamaan.

I first met Dr. Verma in Skopje, Macedonia where he made an outstanding effort to bring together that country’s various ethnic groups by emphasizing common concerns, i.e., clean water, garbage collection and good education. Dr. Verma’s success in Macedonia is attributable not only to his practical approach to problems, but also to the fact that he concentrated on getting to know key individuals personally and he made an extraordinary effort to engage them in resolving the country’s ethnic tensions.

Dr. Gary F. Collins
Senior Adviser (Judicial Reform)
DANIDA, Bangladesh

Up-streaming UNICEF’s HIV AIDS portfolio in Malaysia

Sector?

HIV AIDS; Child rights; Women

What?

Strategic partnerships; Strategic communication; Dialogue management;

Where?

Malaysia

Why?

UNICEF has enjoyed a longstanding fruitful partnership with the Government of Malaysia. However with Malaysia graduating into a fast developing middle-income country it was felt that UNICEF could support the government better by becoming a policy partner. Countering HIV AIDS was one of the two MDGs that were eluding Malaysia. UNICEF felt that it could add value to the efforts of the government in that area.

When?

2005

What exactly?

Identifying key areas of support required by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia to address HIV AIDS & children & Youth in Malaysia. Key components of this support involved

1. Identification of potential partners and analysis of their capacity & risk
2. High level negotiations and building of strategic partnership with government and civil society representatives.
3. Policy analysis and advise on partnerships, HIV AIDS.
4. Development of project portfolio on HIV/ AIDS.

With- whom?

UNICEF

Prime Minister’s Office, Malaysia

Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Institute of Health Management, Malaysia

Ministry of Women and Community Development, Malaysia

What happened?

UNICEF became a close partner of the Malaysian government in addressing HIV AIDS through policy interventions.

“ I believe Sunoor Verma is well apt to mediate in conflicts, as he comes across as straightforward and trustworthy, calm and with a good listening ear. ”

Ulrika Lindberg-Labasauskas
Head of Development Cooperation
Embassy of Sweden in Skopje

National Strategic plan for HIV AIDS 2005- 20010 in Malaysia

Sector?

HIV AIDS; Women; Child rights

What?

Strategic Planning; Strategic Partnerships; Dialogue Management; Strategic Communications

Where?

Malaysia

Why?

It was clear that Malaysia could not address HIV AIDS effectively without a national strategy in place. In turn for the National Strategy to be effective it needed to not only be a consensus document but also collaborative arrangements of implementation would need to be foreseen in the concept and planning. The HIV AIDS landscape in Malaysia as in many other countries was deeply fragmented and finding ways to bridge the fissures required the support of a party like UNICEF, which had a stake in addressing the issue but not in the power play that happens in every country when it comes to HIV AIDS.

When?

2005, 2006

What exactly?

The UNICEF Representative in Malaysia Gaye Phillips tasked me to come up with a strategy on bringing the movers and shakers in the HIV AIDS arena and find entry points to engage with them. I conducted a rapid nationwide mapping exercise meeting with key players and understanding their perspectives. This helped create common grounds to launch a consensus process for drafting the national strategic plan. I supervised the work of consultants brought in to support specific technical inputs and worked as one team with the HIV AIDS division of the Ministry of Health.

Adopting the first national strategic plan was a huge success for Malaysia because it paved the way for a fully budgeted HIV AIDS program to be launched by the government. The plan also provided a platform for collaboration between government, civil society and the private sector.

While UNICEF’s Representative ensured that there was strong political backing for UNICEF’s support to the process and to my services being made available, the intelligence and expertise of Indra Nadchatram were unmatched. With Gaye, Indra and our Malaysian counterparts we worked around the clock with a sense of urgency of the epidemic.

With- whom?

UNICEF

Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Prime Ministers Office, Malaysia

What happened?

Malaysia’s first National Strategic Plan (2005-2010) was adopted, budgeted and implemented.

“ Many people working in development use the experience from different settings as a blinding tool — they think they know much more than they do — Dr Verma never lets his experience blind him from seeing things afresh. Rare!!! ”

Annika Palo
Adviser, Department for Europe
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sweden

Minister level study trip on harm reduction

Sector?

Harm Reduction; HIV AIDS; Women; Child rights

What?

Strategic partnerships; Dialogue management; Capacity building

Where?

Malaysia

Why?

Implementing harm reduction at a national level was a giant step and a political risk that the Minister of Health of Malaysia took. Before launching a pilot it was felt that a study visit to a successful implementation of a similar program around the world would be important.

When?

2005

What exactly?

I mapped the case studies of implementation of government funded harm reduction programs around the world to see what would be make a good study visit for a high level Malaysian delegation and also be acceptable in the political context of the country. I negotiated with the governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia the details of the study trip including protocol arrangements.

I made a reconnaissance visit to Hong Kong and with the support of the key actors there designed a study trip. I visited all the sites myself and met with the stakeholders briefing them on the objective of the visits and also making them aware of the challenges that Malaysia faces in addressing these issues. Meticulous planning of the visit was only possible because of my intimate knowledge of the gaps in the various programs on HIV AIDS in Malaysia. I ensured that the study visit is comprehensive and demonstrates the value of investing early in a holistic program. Prevention, Treatment, Care, Advocacy, Finance, were all covered in the visit. Along with UNICEF’s Representative Gaye Phillips, I accompanied the delegation for the study trip.

With- whom?

UNICEF

Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Honk Kong Health Authority

National AIDS Society, Hong Kong

Hong Kong AIDS Foundation

Red Ribbon Centre Hong Kong

What happened?

The study trip was a huge success. The Minister of Health H.E. Datuk Chua Soi Lek led the Malaysia delegation. The delegation was handpicked to ensure that this would indeed be the team charged with implementing the country’s HIV AIDS program. The Honk Kong government was wonderful hosts who appreciated the far-reaching consequences of this study trip. One of the outcomes of this trip was that the Malaysia model for the harm reduction program was simplified further to ensures effective implementation.

“ Dr. Verma tries to solve a problem from the perspective of the beneficiary and adapts the design of a project to meet their needs instead of recommending a preconceived one-size-fits-all formula. ”

Development Expert
USAID

International conference on minorities

Sector

Minority issues

What?

Dialogue management; Peace-building; Strategic partnerships; Fundraising

Where?

Macedonia

Why?

The Ohrid peace agreement signed in 2001 marked the end of the armed conflict in Macedonia. As part of confidence building measures it was important to highlight the position of minorities in democracies. South Eastern Europe had much experience to share and learn from each other.

When?

2002, 2003, 2004

What exactly?

I negotiated a strategic partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany to advance this conference jointly. Andreas Klein who was the Director of this foundation and was posted in Macedonia was that rare breed of expatriates who knew what was happening and what was hurting in the country. Equally comfortable with the grassroots as with the political elite, Andreas ensured that there is a strong buy-in from the office of the President of Macedonia for this initiative. Marc Weller, the Director of the ECMI was quick to see value in the initiative and as a global authority on this subject galvanized a star studded line up of international experts for the conference. Florian Bieber, Eben Friedman and Tom Trier all with affiliations to ECMI and a deep commitment to the region provided cutting edge content and moderation. The South East European university had collaborated in the past with the ECMI and was an excellent partner for this initiative. Among other things I was also responsible for raising funds for hosting this conference. The ECMI team in Macedonia led by the Office Manager Gordana Cvetkoska managed the invisible backend of this huge logistic challenge as always without any show of fatigue or stress.

With- whom?

Office of the President of the Republic of Macedonia

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany

European Centre for Minority Issues

South East European University, Macedonia

What happened?

An annual dialogue forum “Minorities in democracies” has been established which brings international and regional south-east European experts to debate on the position of minorities in democracies. The first two editions saw the late President of the Republic of Macedonia HE Boris Traijkovski deliver the opening speeches before his untimely death in an airplane crash.

“ Sunoor’s insatiable desire for critical and meaningful dialogue has profoundly influenced the format and content of the Geneva Health Forum, pushing us to consider new rules of engagements, and new ways to frame and debate global health topics. ”

Dr Slim Slama
Co-Founder
Geneva Health Forum

Geneva Health Forum

Sector

Global Health

What?

Strategic planning; Strategic partnerships; Strategic Communication; Fundraising; Dialogue management; Project development;

Where?

Geneva, Switzerland

Why?

I was brought in to the GHF to expand its reach, funding base and help re-strategize so that the forum becomes sustainable.

The Geneva Health Forum is not just another conference on health. By looking to the future, it brings vision and thrives on all participants’ unique experiences and in depth insights on topics and initiatives generated and implemented all over the world. At the GHF it is believed that pooling intelligence will bring value and challenge common ideas to explore new territories of freethinking and build on inter-sectorial approaches to solving the problems of our time.
As it is held in Geneva, a city where all the major actors in Global Health are located, the Geneva Health Forum provides a unique opportunity to meet and shape tomorrow’s agenda on major health issues. Organized by the Geneva University Hospitals and the University of Geneva in partnership with the other main Swiss academic institutions and Geneva based organizations and key players in health, the GHF offers ample opportunities to debate freely on current health issues.

When?

2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

What exactly?

I mapped, negotiated and implemented a three-tier partnerships strategy for the sustainability of the Geneva Health Forum (Content, Thematic and Geographic partnerships). This involves establishing Public-Private partnership arrangements without jeopardizing credibility. More about the GHF can be read on it’s website www.genevahealthforum.org
I conceptualized and negotiated inter-institutional linkages for the implementation of a robust communications strategy for the Geneva Health Forum. This effort links academic, research and teaching institutions with multilateral and bilateral donors, foundations, private sector and media.

With- whom?

Hospitals of the University of Geneva (HUG)

University of Geneva

Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC)

Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Swiss Federal Office of Public Health

What happened?

Over the last four years the reach of the GHF has multiplied and it has established itself as an important event on the global health calendar. It attracts close to one thousand practitioners, academia and policy makers to Geneva to search for solutions in health.