Peacebuilding with Regional Partners programme
The partners in this programme are faith-based organisations with large constituencies whose secretariats are based in Nairobi, but that have extensive networks across Africa.
These organisations have broad mandates that include conflict transformation and together with their constituencies they make up the main target group for the programme. One theory of change has been developed for each one of LPI’s three strategic priorities:
Civil society support and engagement
Faith-based dimensions of conflict have become increasingly important in the region targeted by the programme. The existence of regional and national faith-based organisations capable of engaging with local conflicts, as well as mobilising local actors likely to play a positive and complementary role, is a necessary requirement to sustainable peacebuilding as a long-term process that can only be achieved from within the societies in conflict.
While the faith-based organisations targeted by the programme use a framework that generates commitment and engagement, have credibility and rely on networks that range from the grassroots to the national level, these qualities do not replace expertise and, alone, do not make up for effective engagement. By developing the capacity of the partner organisations to analyse, strategise and act in conflict transformation, the programme builds on fertile ground, complementing the already existing qualities and thus enhancing the potential for effective engagement within the societies at conflict.
Policy work and awareness-raising
The regional context, especially Kenya, is diverse and dynamic. Here, engagement in conflict transformation needs to be framed around an understanding of it. Sound research and analysis are thus pre-conditions for effective engagement. Research and analysis with primary data collection carried out in the field can also serve as a basis for supporting the engagement of external actors, such as embassies and international agencies.
By involving internal and external actors in the actual process of data collection – and not only feeding them with information – these can further their understanding of the conflict and frame their engagement in ways that are conducive to peace. Joint initiatives in research and action provide an opportunity for the partner organisations to not only learn and grow together, but also to enhance ownership among the participating organisations and policy makers, who are part of the research from the onset.
Cross-fertilisation of conflict transformation theory and practice
Engagement in dynamic conflict settings necessitates a process of constant action-reflection in order to enable learning, including analyses of the context, the intervention and its results. As a fairly new field with a lot to learn, conflict transformation has borrowed concepts and methodologies from other fields with varying degrees of success. In certain cases this has not worked as planned, with the realisation that there is a need to develop methodologies that are more suitable to the conflict transformation field.
Implementation modes and types of activities
The implementation of this programme will be based on activities such as organisational analysis, capacity building through the accompaniment of partners, on-the-job and formal training, conflict analysis and research, accompaniment in mediation and negotiation, conflict analysis and research, gender mainstreaming, policy work, the publication of the Horn of Africa Bulletin, financial support and the continuous training in and application of LPI’s Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning tool.
For information about the programme’s results please see Annual report.