Last week two regional peace-building workshops organized by Initiative Africa (IA) and supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) took place in Bamboo Paradise Hotel, Asossa and Grand Resort and Spa, Gambella.
In Benshangul the workshop was facilitated by Emebet Olana, Benshangul region Attorney General that focused on conflict resolution and the role of businesswomen in peace-building; while the one in Gambella was led by Leulseged Assefa, Gender and Inclusion Advisor and focused on linking national-level peacemaking with grassroots peace-building.
IA manager, Yehualashet G/Michael, explained that “so far less attention has been paid to the question of how these two levels of effort to bring peace or at least an end to violence might affect one another.”
“It often seems to be assumed that two obviously “good” processes must complement one another and make a durable peace much more likely. IA is putting much thinking about local peace efforts in that often seem to assume that the establishment of local zones of peace or peace communities, traditional negotiations between local leaders, insurgents and government security forces would help to start, re-start or accelerate peacemaking at the national level, perhaps through encouraging a general “culture of peace.””
The reality however, says Yehualashet, in practice observations show that the relationship between local and national peace processes is more complicated than was first assumed.
Practically speaking, in Ethiopia, for example, participants argued that local efforts to encourage national peace or to establish peace locally have been encouraged and supported by national authorities. Few activists actually involved in local peace-building processes have said they have attempted to analyze those processes that they have been involved in and have thrown some light on what effects these have had, locally and nationally, and what obstacles they have had to overcome.
Engedaye Mekuriya, one of the organizers of the workshops, said national-level peace agreements may create conducive space. She added “they are not a guarantee that there will be instant peace in the communities.”