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- Convenors:
-
Zainab Mai-Bornu
(University of Leicester)
James Kewir Kiven (African Leadership Centre Trust, Nairobi, Kenya)
Gordon Crawford (Coventry University)
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- Formats:
- Papers Mixed
- Stream:
- Governance
- Sessions:
- Tuesday 29 June, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
This panel explores the contributions of civil society actors, notably women’s organisations, to conflict resolution and 'peacebuilding from below' in various contexts. It examines the difficulties encountered, including from ‘shrinking civic space’, and the strategic responses to such challenges.
Long Abstract:
A bottom-up or grassroots approach, often associated with John Paul Lederach (1997), has increasingly taken centre stage in peacebuilding discourses. It places emphasis on the “significance of local actors and of the non-governmental sector and the links with local knowledge and wisdom” (Ramsbotham et al. 2016: 274). Some analysts consider such ‘peacebuilding from below’ as essential to resolving conflicts, creating space for the needs, perspectives and practices of local communities to be included in conflict resolution processes (Pearson 2001). Especially important is the centrality of gender and recognition of the unique and crucial contribution of women to peacebuilding.
However, peacebuilding from below is not without its difficulties or complexities. Local communities are also “sites of power asymmetry, patriarchy and privilege” (Ramsbotham et al. 2016: 276). Additionally, a bottom-up approach to conflict resolution is unlikely to be sufficient in itself, given that resolution of conflict is likely to be formalised in national-level agreements. Therefore, an interplay between local and national levels is required, perhaps mediated by professionally staffed NGOs. The potential role of civil society is also influenced by the wider national context and the extent to which CSOs are affected by ‘shrinking civic space’.
This panel invites papers that look at the range of roles that women’s groups and different civil society actors play in conflict resolution and peacebuilding in various country contexts, how effective they are, the challenges faced, and the strategies adopted to counter constraints.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Tuesday 29 June, 2021, -Paper short abstract:
Women in Nigeria have engaged in various peacebuilding and conflict resolution initiatives. Yet, little is known about their roles even though Niger Delta women are playing a key role in mediating non-violent oil protests, in the North, they are living through Boko Haram and ethno-religious crises.
Paper long abstract:
In thinking about the extent to which Nigerian conflicts have been reported, most studies ignore women’s participation in peace dialogue. Building peace necessitates visioning what constitutes peace across cultures, ethnicities, and between genders. Women’s vocabularies, cultural repertoires of knowledge and categories of understanding are very important, but in Nigeria, they tend to fade to the background during official peace negotiations. At the grassroots community levels, women groups such as the Federation of Ogoni Women’s Association, Federation of Muslim Women’s Association and Ijaw Women connect, take the centre stage in peacebuilding discourses and initiatives yet, their active roles are ignored. The aim of this paper is to show that women are an untapped resource in the peace and conflict dynamics and calls for significant attention to the local level participation of women in Nigeria.
Paper short abstract:
The farmer-herder conflicts has expanded significantly in the last decade. This paper explores the various contributions of women groups to the strategic management of this complicated and increasingly intractable conflict in Nigeria.
Paper long abstract:
From the Savannah's of Kaduna to the palm-populated farms of Abia and the vibrant green thickets of Oyo, the threat of conflict arising from disagreement between farmers and herders is an ever-present reality. The farmer-herder conflicts which began as an almost uniquely northern Nigerian problem, has expanded significantly in the last 7 years. Reaction to this scourge at both the federal and state level have been arguably sub-optimal at best. Rural insecurity, law enforcement and security agencies early-response, and prosecution for the perpetrators have remained some of the major issues begging for interrogation. These endemic conflicts have revealed that in the absence of adequate government intervention, both herders and farmers take issues into their own hands, further exacerbating the problem. Consequently, a community level solution is required to tackle what has become a community level threat. While conflict is traumatizing and devastating for all parties involved, women are the most affected group; be it violent or non-violent conflicts. Using the social feminism theory, this paper explores the various contributions of women to the strategic management of this complicated and increasingly intractable conflict in Nigeria. This is done utilizing the qualitative method of research, analytically reviewing existing literature.
Paper short abstract:
Women have worked in different scenarios for peacebuilding in Colombia. They have assumed diverse roles: social collectives that pushed for the gender approach, negotiators at the dialogue tables, and the commitment of ex-combatants who wish to reintegrate into society and the labor market.
Paper long abstract:
Women's participation in peace processes can take place at various times, at the negotiation tables, at the signing of the agreement, and in the implementation of the agreement. Likewise, they can adopt different roles, whether as spokespersons in the design, as bearers of truth and change, as guarantors in the verification and in the process of insertion into civilian life itself, when they are ex-combatants. Since 2000, with the decree 1325 of the United Nations Security Council, their inclusion has become more than important, necessary for the construction of stable and sustainable peace. Although the agreement signed by the Colombian government in 2016 with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) is recognized worldwide as one of the best and most comprehensive in terms of gender inclusive frameworks, there are still many issues to be improved. Based on press records, reports from the main agencies and interviews with spokeswomen of this group, the aim of this paper is to show how their participation has been included in the peace agreement and the new roles of women in the reincorporation process once they have handed in their weapons, with special emphasis on their socio-labor reintegration.
Paper short abstract:
The paper discusses the role of women in peacebuilding and addressing sorcery accusation related violence (SARV) using a case study of the Yuri tribe in Papua New Guinea. We highlight the way women combine Christian and indigenous Yuri knowledge and the implications for SARV National Action Plan.
Paper long abstract:
Sorcery accusation related violence (SARV) is a particular form of violence that is linked to the belief that illness and deaths are caused by persons with supernatural powers. Contemporary manifestations of SARV in Papua New Guinea (PNG) present an increasing challenge to the government who established the SARV National Action Plan.
In the highlands of PNG, SARV affects mostly women who often experience horrific violence. Women-led and community-led organisations have been active in addressing SARV at the community level. They have addressed the larger community conflicts, including tribal warfare, while promoting indigenous values of unity and community resilience. One of such organisations is YAKA, established by the Yuri tribe in the Simbu province.
This paper discusses findings from 26 participants of qualitative interviews and 14 participants of kapori (storytelling) and photovoice, representing the thirteen clans of Yuri tribe and seven Christian churches. The analysis focuses on the role of women in community-led initiatives in the context of PNG and their role in promoting peace building to address SARV.
The Yuri women combine Christian and Yuri knowledge, beliefs and values of care and empathy to address SARV, navigating their multiple roles within Yuri society. We discuss the challenges and opportunities for YAKA as a community-led initiative to inform the SARV National Action Plan and how strategies can recognise the crucial roles that women play in maintaining community cohesion.