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Paper short abstract

This research explores how community-led, participatory localization strengthens social capital and resilience in conflict settings in Cité Soleil, Haiti. We show engaging communities throughout the research process builds trust and supports sustainable, locally owned peacebuilding.

Paper long abstract

Increasingly, leveraging a localized approach is recognized as a fundamental pillar for success in building social capital and promoting resilience in humanitarian disasters, particularly conflict-affected contexts. A localized approach to building social capital and resilience in conflict settings builds on local knowledge, networks, and resources for more sustainable and locally owned peacebuilding efforts. Yet often these localized efforts lack community engagement and participation. In this study on understanding the role of social capital in building resilience in Cité Soleil, Haiti, we build on principles of localization through a community-led, participatory approach. Through this participatory method, community members played a leading role in all stages of the research project, from research question development to implementation, fostering trust and relationships and building the foundations for effective conflict resolution through social capital and resilience. In this paper, we present the methodology used to successfully implement a locally-led and participatory research study, lessons learned, preliminary research findings, and opportunities for future work.