Background
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The Sudanese Programme was founded as the Sudan Programme, when present day South Sudan and Sudan were one country. The idea for the Programme developed following a conference convened in 1998 at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, by Ahmed Al-Shahi and Ami Elad-Bouskila to mark the 70th birthday of the late Al-Tayyib Salih, a longstanding friend and prominent novelist and writer in Sudan, Africa, the Middle East and beyond. The proceedings of this conference, at which he, his wife, Julie, and three daughters were present, were later published as Al-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ: Seventy Candles.
Founding and aims
In 2002 Ahmed Al-Shahi, Anis Haggar and Bona Malwal formally founded and launched the Programme with sponsorship from the Middle East Centre and the African Studies Centre at St Antony’s College. Sudan at the time was going through a second civil war (1983–2005). Talks and negotiations to end the conflict between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement / Army, under the leadership of the late Dr John Garang, and the Government of Sudan, under the leadership of President Omer al-Bashir, were being attempted and conducted in various locations and with the mediation and support of various states and organizations (such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, [IGAD], the African Union, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations). As formal peace efforts sought to move the cuontry towards peace, conflict declined on some fronts but also increased on others, such as in Darfur. The founders of the Programme thought it necessary to embark on debating the peace process among Sudanese and non-Sudanese, to enable them to express their views about peace efforts, negotiations and the future of both the Republic of Sudan and (as it would become in 2011) the Republic of South Sudan. From the outset the Programme was committed to the principles of independence and impartiality, consistent with its establishment within an academic context. The Programme maintains and continues this commitment today as a charity.
2002-2011: During its first decade, the Programme convened many conferences, workshops and lectures at which speakers and participants were able to discuss and share their views without constraints or prejudice. The respectful, free and convivial atmosphere that prevailed at events was conducive to meaningful discussions about the future of South Sudan and Sudan, and the conflict in Darfur, South Kordofan (the Nuba Mountains) and Blue Nile.
2011-2018: Following the independence of the Republic of South Sudan in 2011, the Programme changed its title to the ‘Sudanese Programme’ to reflect the change from one country to two, with the shared aspects of identity, name and history. The Programme continued to convene conferences, workshops and seminars, in line with its remit and principles. In 2018 the Programme became a registered charity (no. 1177019), subject to the rules and regulations of the Charity Commission of England and Wales, and with the objective to widen its ability to convene events and undertake activities that facilitate dialogue and promote knowledge and understanding for the benefit of peace and prosperity in South Sudan and Sudan.
Themes: The Programme has dealt with a wide variety of themes, aiming to facilitate dialogue and promote knowledge and understanding on diverse aspects of both countries, valuable in themselves and valuable to peace and prosperity. Themes have included, for example: ongoing peace negotiations and efforts, constitutional arrangements, elections, aid, politics, the role of professional women, the problem of identity in the two Sudans, the future of higher education in the two Sudans, slavery, the position of religious minorities, oil and the economy, political opposition, postgraduate research on the Sudans, art and society in the two Sudans, the borders of the two Sudans, women writers of the two Sudans, and media and journalism. For a fuller overview, please see the record of events under the Past Events tab above.
Funding
The Sudanese Programme has received financial support from a range of donors. These include Anis George Haggar, the Kenana Sugar Company, Alex and Felicity Duncan, Ibrahim Elsalahi, Eiman Baldo, Ian Woodward, Sally Wood, Suhair Sharif, David Wolton, Gasim Badri, Rick Jackson, John Udal, John Hanna, Golda Abbe, Jill Shankleman, Othaylat Suliman, Nhial Deng Nhial, Solidarity International and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK).
The Programme has also received financial contributions from a variety of organisations co-sponsoring or co-convening particular events.
The Programme is grateful for the financial support it has received. Mr Anis Haggar became a ‘Benefactor of St Antony’s College’ in 2017 in recognition of his longstanding and generous support of the Sudanese Programme.
Donating to the Sudanese Programme
Over the past 24 years the conferences and events convened by the Sudanese Programme have made a positive contribution to peace efforts in South Sudan and Sudan, and to knowledge and understanding of both countries.
The Programme is very grateful to the generous donors that have enabled this work.
If you would like to make a donation to the Programme then you can do so by downloading our donation form. If you are a UK tax payer we can also reclaim basic rate tax on your gift through the Gift Aid scheme.