The tiny African country, Guinea-Bissau, had suffered a terrible civil war that destroyed much of its economy. Those who knew the country were certain that the national election in 2005 would trigger a renewal of the fighting. Well ahead of the election, an informal group of North Americans convened the heads of 10 civil society organizations and offered to help them if they wanted to work to prevent more violence. They responded enthusiastically. They mounted a campaign for peaceful elections using radio ads, T-shirts, large public banners, and person-to person messages throughout the country. On the event, there was no fighting in either the initial election nor in the consequent run-off. In the years since, the peace has held.
The tiny African country, Guinea-Bissau, had suffered a terrible civil war that destroyed much of its economy. Those who knew the country were certain that the national election in 2005 would trigger a renewal of the fighting. Well ahead of the election, an informal group of North Americans convened the heads of 10 civil society organizations and offered to help them if they wanted to work to prevent more violence. They responded enthusiastically. They mounted a campaign for peaceful elections using radio ads, T-shirts, large public banners, and person-to person messages throughout the country. On the event, there was no fighting in either the initial election nor in the consequent run-off. In the years since, the peace has held.
Based on that success, the Purdue Peace Project organized locally-led work to prevent threatened violence in about a dozen West African countries. In each case, local leaders responded enthusiastically. As in Guinea-Bissau, the local groups designed their own peace projects based on their knowledge of the culture, the people, and the specific situations. There were no failures!
In South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a small group of former fighters demonstrated how local people can work to reduce warfare. The organization arranged for a series of meetings between fighting groups, local leadership, and both local and national government officials in 2021 and 2022. Two of the meetings resulted in peace agreements signed by the participants. The group also worked with the leaders of villages to establish new enterprises to provide jobs for those choosing to leave the fighting groups. Regardless of ultimate results, the local peacemakers have demonstrated what can be done to reduce armed conflict even in the most chaotic situations.
INVOLVING OF LOCALS AFFECTED BY CONFLICT
Local leaders know and understand local situations, local cultures, and the local people involved in conflicts. Without deep understanding of local conflicts, foreigners are handicapped in their efforts to end them. Many have addressed the problems in the eastern Congo, but have failed to stop the fighting there. The small group of former fighters in South Kivu have demonstrated the value of the knowledge that comes from having lived for so long in a place.
The Carter School at George Mason University facilitated this initiative, funded by Milt Lauenstein.
SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES
What works?
The Better Evidence Project at George Mason University was established to encourage the use of hard evidence as the basis for decisions about how best to reduce warfare. To do that, it is building a large, easy-to-use resource library and a hub for collaboration and exchange of information by members of the Peacebuilding community.
Encouraging stories
the cost of conflict
With the limited resources available to the peacebuilding field, focusing our resources on activities that are cost-effective will go a long way to determining the results we achieve.
Peacemakers have demonstrated many times that wars can be stopped or prevented, but violence continues.
We can assist local leaders in their efforts to bring peace to their communities.
Milt Lauenstein
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