Civil Society and Peacebuilding in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene: An Overview

Description

This book examines civil society's peacebuilding role in sub-Saharan Africa in the context of climate change and the pursuit of environmental peace and justice in the Anthropocene. Five main research themes emerge from its 20 chapters: · The roles of environmental peacemaking, environmental justice, ecological education and eco-ethics in helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change · Peacebuilding by CSOs after violent conflicts, with particular reference to accountability, reconciliation and healing · CSO involvement in democratic processes and political transition after violent conflicts · Relationships between local CSOs and their foreign funders and the interactions between CSOs and the African Union's peace and security architecture. · The particular role of faith-based CSOs The book underlines the centrality of dialogue to African peacebuilding and the indigenous wisdom and philosophies on which it is based. Such wisdom will be a key resource in confronting the existential challenges of the Anthropocene. The book will be a significant resource for researchers, academics and policymakers concerned with the challenge of climate change, its interactions with armed conflict and the peacebuilding role of CSOs. · This pathbreaking book shows why peacebuilding analysis and efforts need to be urgently re-oriented towards the existential challenges of environmental peace and justice. · It explains the emerging conceptual frameworks which are needed for this new role. · It explains the critical role that CSOs - local and international - will play in implementing this new peacebuilding approach, with particular reference to sub- Saharan Africa. Foreword by Urmila Bob Foreword by Jan Cillié (Jannie) Malan Preface by Will Steffen Preface by Luc Reychler Acknowledgements Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations Part I Civil Society Organisations as Key Players in Peacebuilding in the Anthropocene 1 General Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Aim and Scope 1.3 Civil Society 1.4 Functions of Civil Society 1.5 Civil Society and Peacemaking 1.6 The Anthropocene 1.6.1 Environmental Justice 1.6.2 Peace Ecology 1.7 Structure of the Book References 2 Peace Ecology in the Anthropocene for Africa 2.1 The Anthropocene: A Turning Point, Context, Challenge and Opportunity 2.2 Peace Ecology in the Anthropocene Since 1945 2.3 Ecological Peace Policy in the Anthropocene 2.4 Rethinking Human Development in the Anthropocene 2.5 Demographic and Ecological Challenges Facing Africa in the Anthropocene 2.6 Conflicts Threatening Africa in the Anthropocene 2.7 Impact on Peace Research and Ecology in Africa 2.8 Towards Peace Ecology for Africa in the Anthropocene 2.9 Ecological Peace Policy for Africa in the Anthropocene 2.10 Outlook: Rethinking and Integrating Research and Action in the Anthropocene References 3 Civil Society, Climate Change, Security Risks Management and Peacebuilding in the Anthropocene 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Anthropocene Epoch 3.3 Planetary Boundaries and the Survival of Humanity 3.4 Climate Change, Security and Peacebuilding 3.5 Climate Conflict-Sensitive Adaptation 3.6 Environmental Conflicts and Environmental Justice 3.7 Peace Ecology 3.8 Ecoeducation, Eco-Ethics and Environmental Ethics 3.9 Civil Society and Climate Change 3.10 Human Agency 3.11 Conclusion References 4 Faith-Based Organisations and Environmental Peace: Impact of Laudato Si’ and Its Relevance in the Anthropocene 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Key Concepts 4.2.1 Civil Society 4.2.2 Peacebuilding 4.2.3 The Anthropocene 4.3 Faith-Based Organisations and Peacebuilding 4.3.1 Faith-Based Organisations and Environmental Peacemaking 4.3.2 Catholicism and Peacebuilding 4.3.3 Precedents of Laudato Si’ 4.3.4 Conscientious Stewardship 4.3.5 Ecological Conversion for Pollution and Failed Stewardship 4.4 Analysis and Argument 4.4.1 Pope Francis’ Path to Rebuild Earth System Wellness 4.4.2 World Religions’ Impact on Climate Change 4.4.3 Ecological Education 4.5 Conclusion References Part II Micro-level Case Studies 6 Empowering Women to Build Peace: A Case Study of Grace to Heal Trust in Lupane District 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Background and Context 6.3 Civil Society and Women Empowerment 6.4 Women and Peacebuilding 6.5 Theoretical Framework 6.5.1 Peacebuilding 6.5.2 Grassroots Mobilisation Theory 6.6 Design and Methods 6.6.1 Design 6.6.2 Methods 6.6.3 Sampling 6.6.4 Observed Ethical Standards 6.6.5 Data 6.7 Results 6.7.1 Pre-workshop Observations 6.7.2 Post-workshop Evaluation: Responses from Women 6.7.3 Evaluation with Different Community Stakeholders 6.8 Discussion of the Findings 6.8.1 Pre-training Observations 6.8.2 Post-training Evaluation 6.9 Recommendations and Conclusions Appendix 6.1: Schedule of Activities and Participants References 7 Peacebuilding Through Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Lessons from Civil Society Organisations in Zimbabwe 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Unpacking Zimbabwe’s Broken Past 7.3 Civil Society Organisations and Peacebuilding in Zimbabwe 7.4 Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a Tool for Peacebuilding 7.4.1 Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Peacebuilding 7.4.2 Envision Zimbabwe Women Trust Experience in Peacebuilding 7.4.3 Peacebuilding Experiences of National Youth Organisation 7.5 Why Indigenous Knowledge Systems Work 7.6 Ways Forward 7.7 Conclusion References 8 Civil Society and Peacebuilding in the Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Civil Society and Peacebuilding 8.2.1 Conceptual Framework 8.2.2 Functions 8.3 Historical Background of Civil Society in DRC 8.4 Weaknesses of Civil Society in the Kivu Provinces in DRC Citizen Protection Strategies 8.4.1 Human Rights Monitoring Problems 8.4.2 Advocacy Challenges for Peace 8.4.3 Socialisation Hindrances 8.4.4 Social Cohesion Issues 8.4.5 Dialogue Facilitation Deficiency 8.4.6 Frustration in Service Delivery 8.5 Civil Society’ Role and Effectiveness in Peacebuilding 8.5.1 Protection of Citizens 8.5.2 Monitoring of Relevant Issues 8.5.3 Advocacy for Peace Promotion 8.5.4 Socialisation In-Group Identity 8.5.5 Intergroup Social Cohesion 8.5.6 Facilitation and Mediation 8.5.7 Service Delivery Domination 8.6 Conclusion References 9 Zimbabwe’s National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and Civil Society: Partners in Peacebuilding? 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Conceptualising Civil Society and Peacebuilding 9.3 Historical Involvement of Civil Society in Peacebuilding in Zimbabwe 9.4 Civil Society Peacebuilding Roles in the Post-Mugabe Period 9.4.1 Protection and Monitoring 9.4.2 Facilitation, Socialisation and Community Building 9.5 Conclusion References 10 Civil Society and Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Opportunities, Challenges and Recommendations 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Overviewing the Concept of Civil Society 10.3 Civil Society in the Democratic Republic of Congo 10.3.1 Civil Society and Peacebuilding 10.3.2 Civil Society and Democracy 10.4 Design and Methods 10.5 Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations 10.6 Discussion 10.7 Conclusion Appendix 10.1: Challenges Appendix 10.2: Civil Society’s Opportunities Appendix 10.3: Suggested Ways to Overcome Identified Challenges References 11 Promoting Democratisation in DR Congo: The Case Study of Act for Transparent and Peaceful Elections 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Theoretical Framework 11.2.1 Peacebuilding Theory 11.2.2 Political Transition 11.2.3 Democracy 11.3 Methods 11.4 Civil Society Areas of Action 11.4.1 Dynamics of Civil Society Development in DR Congo 11.4.2 Dynamic Development 11.4.3 Citizens’ Movements 11.4.4 National Framework for The Dialogue of the Civil Society of Congo 11.4.5 Apprehensions about the National Civil Society Consultation Framework 11.4.6 The Paradigm of Moral Authority 11.4.7 The National Order of Electoral Experts (NOEE) 11.5 AETA’s Action for Democratisation 11.5.1 Quadruple-Level Democratisation Monitoring Process 11.5.2 The Real Impact of AETA’s Actions 11.6 Conclusion References 12 Civil Society Organisations and School Peace Clubs in South Africa: An Outcome Evaluation 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Research Methods 12.3 Results and Discussion 12.3.1 Outcome 1: Peace Club Learners are Pace Agents and Role Models 12.3.2 Outcome 2: The Teachers Supporting the Peace Clubs are Peace Agents and Role Models 12.3.3 Outcome 3: Growth of Peace Identity in Schools and the Community 12.4 Conclusion References 13 The Challenges and Opportunities for Civil Society in Peacebuilding: Lessons from the Matabeleland Collective, Zimbabwe 13.1 Introduction 13.2 The Dawn of the Gukurahundi Era 13.2.1 Early Efforts Made by Civil Society to Address Gukurahundi 13.2.2 The Matabeleland Collective (MC) 13.2.3 The Successes of the Matabeleland Collective 13.2.4 Challenges Faced by the Collective 13.3 Drawing Peacebuilding Lessons from the Collective Intervention 13.4 Conclusion References 14 The Role of Civil Society Participation in Social Cohesion Processes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Problem Statement 14.3 Background: Civil Society in South Africa 14.4 Social Cohesion 14.5 A Bottom-Up Approach to Building Social Cohesion in South Africa 14.6 Case Study 1: The African Centre for The Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) 14.7 Case Study 2: The African Solidarity Network (ASONET) 14.8 Case Study 3: The Democracy Development Program (DDP) 14.9 Looking to The Future: The Changing Role of Civil Society in Social Cohesion Processes in South Africa 14.10 Recommendations References 15 Building the Capacity of Civil Society Organisations in Nonviolent Campaigning: A Case Study from South Sudan 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Methodology 15.2.1 The Plan, Action Training Contents, and Methods 15.2.2 Day One: What is Nonviolent Action and Why Use It? 15.2.3 Day Two: How Can We Plan and Implement Nonviolent Campaigns? 15.2.4 Day Three: What Next? 15.3 Results 15.3.1 Measuring Short-Term Outcomes 15.3.2 Short-Term Outcomes 15.4 Conclusion References 16 How Informal Peace Committees Complement Macro-infrastructures for Peace in Zimbabwe 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Research Approach 16.3 Brief History of Macro-infrastructures for Peace in Zimbabwe 16.4 Brief History of IPCs in Zimbabwe 16.5 An Evaluative Discussion on the Comparative Advantages of IPCs over Macro-14P 16.5.1 The Case of Apartheid South Africa 16.5.2 The Case of Post-apartheid South Africa 16.5.3 The Case of South Sudan 16.6 Advantages of IPCs Over Macro-14P in Zimbabwe 16.6.1 Flexibility in the Creation of Peace Initiatives 16.6.2 The Gender Sensitivities in the Informal Peace Committee Framework 16.6.3 Inclusivity in the Peace Committee Framework 16.6.4 The Non-elitist Diversity and Non-formality of Peace Committees 16.6.5 The Transformative Role of Peace Committees 16.6.6 Major Challenges of IPCs 16.7 Conclusion References 17 Protecting and Nurturing Children Born from Rape in South Kivu Communities: A Challenge for Civil Society 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Context 17.3 Research Design and Methods 17.3.1 Sampling 17.3.2 Data Collection 17.3.3 Ethical Considerations 17.3.4 Qualitative Data Analysis 17.4 Civil Society and Violence Protection 17.4.1 Civil society and Citizens’ Protection 17.4.2 Civil Society and Violence Prevention 17.5 Results 17.5.1 Narratives from Rape Survivors 17.5.2 Narratives from Children Born from Rape 17.6 The Challenge to Civil Society Organisations 17.7 Explaining the Failure of CSOs 17.8 Recommendations 17.9 Conclusion References Part III Macro-level Case Studies 18 Indigenous Peacebuilding Approaches and the Accountability of Former Child Soldiers: African Case Studies 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Methods 18.3 Peace and Peacebuilding 18.3.1 Peacebuilding and Interventionist Research 18.4 Child Soldiering and Peacebuilding 18.5 Challenges of Accountability 18.6 African Philosophy and Ethics 18.6.1 Ubuntu and Peacebuilding 18.6.2 The African Palaver and Peacebuilding 18.7 Indigenous Mechanisms of Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation and Healing 18.7.1 Bushingantahe, Burundi’s Indigenous Disputes Resolution Institution 18.7.2 Baraza: Democratic Republic of Congo’s Conflict Resolution Institution 18.7.3 Ka Pahla: Mozambican Healing Rituals 18.7.4 Gacaca, Rwandan Post-Genocide’s Justice Experiments 18.7.5 Fambul Tok, Sierra Leonean Healing and Reconciliation Mechanisms 18.7.6 Mato Oput, Ugandan Healing and Reconciliation Rituals 18.8 Conclusion References 19 Navigating Channels for Civil Society Participation in Conflict Prevention and Peace-Making in the African Peace and Security Architecture 19.1 Introduction 19.2 Civil Society in Peacebuilding, Peace-making and Intergovernmental Organisations 19.2.1 Civil Society and Conflict Mitigation 19.2.2 Civil Society Inclusion in Peace-Making 19.2.3 Civil Society Participation in Intergovernmental Organisations 19.3 African Union 19.3.1 AU Policy Framework 19.3.2 AU Policy Framework for Local CSO’s Inclusion in Peace Processes 19.3.3 AU-CSO Interface: ECOSOCC 19.3.4 AU Peace and Security Council 19.3.5 AU Continental Early Warning System 19.3.6 AU Panel of the Wise 19.3.7 AU Mediation Support Unit 19.3.8 Inclusion of Local CSOs in AU Mediations 19.4 Economic Community of West African States 19.4.1 ECOWAS Policy Framework 19.4.2 ECOWAS’ Civil Society Interface and Major Access Points 19.4.3 ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council 19.4.4 ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network 19.4.5 Council of the Wise 19.4.6 ECOWAS Mediation Facilitation Division 19.4.7 Inclusion of Local Civil Society Actors in ECOWAS Mediations 19.5 Southern African Development Community 19.5.1 SADC Policy Framework 19.5.2 SADC’s Civil Society Interface 19.5.3 SADC Summit and Organ Troika 19.5.4 Regional Early Warning Centre 19.5.5 SADC Panel of Elders and Mediation Reference Group 19.5.6 SADC Mediation Support Unit 19.5.7 Civil Society Inclusion in SADC Mediations 19.6 Comparative Insights 19.6.1 Policy Frameworks for Civil Society Participation 19.6.2 Participation in Organisational Structures 19.6.3 Inclusion in Mediations 19.7 Conclusion References 20 Centre-Periphery Relations Between Civil Society Organisations and External Funding Partners: A Case Study of South Kivu’s Peace and Development Agenda 20.1 Introduction 20.2 CSOs, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development in South Kivu 20.2.1 Historical and Geographical Background 20.2.2 Program Goals and Funding 20.2.3 Impact of Peace-Building Projects and Programmes 20.2.4 Funding Peacebuilding and Civil Society 20.2.5 Relationships Between International Donors and LNGOs 20.3 Conceptual Framework 20.3.1 Development and Peacebuilding 20.3.2 Center-Periphery Theory 20.4 Design and Methods 20.5 Findings 20.5.1 Goals, Beneficiaries, and Themes 20.5.2 Recipients, Areas, and Themes of Intervention 20.5.3 Organisational Collaboration 20.5.4 Monitoring and Evaluation of Peacebuilding Projects 20.5.5 Apprehension of Conflict and Peace 20.5.6 Ideological Orientations and Targets 20.5.7 Program Goals and Intervention Zones 20.6 Discussion 20.7 Conclusion References A Manifesto with Proposals for Action Towards a Peace Ecology and an Ecological Peace Policy: A Global Research Partnership Between Organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Countries in the Global North Introduction Background Disadvantages for Researchers in the Global South: A Diagnosis Difficulty in Attending Scientific Conferences Outside Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Constraints Visa Constraints Lack of Resources and Human Capacities Lack of Resources Lack of Human Capacities Opportunities Existing Frameworks of Cooperation Between the European Union and African Union Countries in Sub-Sahara Africa The European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) Initiatives of the Federal German Government with African Partner Countries Other Bilateral Funding Opportunities by OECD Member Governments in Support of African Research Institutions Research Partnerships by Peace Research Centres in the Global North Initiatives by the Global Peace Research Community Towards a Peace Ecology Proposals for International Research Cooperation on Peace Ecology Issues Knowledge Sharing and Scientific Networking Increased Scientific Cooperation of Universities and Research Centres Student Exchange from the Global North with Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa Internships with International Organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa Stipends for Junior Scholars Fellowships for Post Docs from and in Africa Support for Cooperative Research Projects An Open Access Partnership between the EU and the AU Challenges Lack of a Systematic Global Research Survey on Peace Research Policy Challenges: Addressing the Challenges via a Peace Ecology Approach and Aiming at an Ecological Peace Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa Conclusion References On Durban University of Technology On International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON) On University of Bandundu On the Editors On the Contributors Index