On the 17th of October 2019, Masakhaneni Projects Trust (MPT) held a Local Peace Committees (LPCs) planning Workshop at Montgomery gardens in Bulawayo. The one-day workshop was attended by members of LPCs in Matobo district. The formation of these LPCs was facilitated by MPT for the purposes of introducing dialogue among disputing community members with a thrust towards maintaining community cohesion. The LPCs were drawn from the four wards of operation; wards 14, 15, 16 and 18. Established in August 2018, the LPCs assist in peace building through conflicting resolution and promotion of tolerance and diversity. The members of the LPCs are serving on a voluntary basis.
The workshop’s objectives were centered on reflecting on the work that has been done by the LPCs in Matobo since the beginning of the project in 2018. This reflection and consultative workshop also sought to do a contextual analysis of the operating environment and how the various stakeholders could plan for the future in an endeavor to consolidate and strengthen ongoing efforts by the LPCs in improving peace building processes and conflict transformation. The rationale for strengthening peace building and conflict transformation is to enhance interdependency, solidarity, and diversity at community level as well as to promote tolerance. The LPCs are an integral part of this process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-whuqb80t0
The facilitator employed a highly participatory approach through various innovative activities that required participants to reflect on their work and strengthen LPCs so that they are more effective, efficient, and sustainable and register positive changes in the lives of people and communities of Matobo. The facilitator reiterated the importance of the work being undertaken by the LPCs in managing conflicts and transforming them towards peace building. The workshop was about sharing best practices and other lessons learnt, interrogating and evaluating work done whilst also consulting on the strategies that can be taken as we move towards 2020.
The Peace Committees were established in the wards and communities to fulfil the following objectives;
- To build peace in conflict situations and reinforcing existing peace,
- To foster conflict resolution – this includes negative and positive conflict,
- To encourage and nurture peace building through dialogue, promote mutual understanding and encourage better relationships after conflicts,
- To celebrate diversity as a strategy to promote tolerance,
- To facilitate inclusive and participatory peacemaking and peace building processes,
- To build trust, productive and inclusive solutions to conflict and united action that is inclusive of all sides of the conflict and that is aimed at reconciliation
- To avert a relapse into conflicts, violence and to create self-sustaining peace
- Managing of social restiveness; defuse disputes that have the potential to break the peace,