NGO'S TO BE CAPACITATED TO SPEARHEAD COMMUNITY PEACE-MAKING

In the majority of our engagements, Khulisa received an observed call that there are plenty of organisations that require development. So that they can resolve conflict and address violence and crime before they escalate and result in horrendous incidences.

And we at Khulisa answered that call by introducing a peace-making programme to equip NGOs with the skills to achieve this!

BACKGROUND

Peace-making and conflict transformation requires that service providers are experienced in organisational development, governance, effective programme delivery, accountability structures, mentoring and measurable impact.

Khulisa Social Solutions and the Restorative Justice Centre, have the relevance and capacity to deliver a variety of conflict resolution interventions. Together, we are backed by our collective 40 years of experience in the field of Restorative Justice, and make a pretty solid team!

There are a variety of interventions that can be introduced to communities to address the lack of social cohesion, violence, conflict, gender-based violence, bullying, etc. And each has its charm. We believe NGOs have different areas of expertise and focus and will need capacitation per their target audience – thus a tailored training programme.

While multiple NGO support/implementation programmes are aimed at reaching a huge group of community members to leverage wide-scale change of behaviour, we assert that the delivery of the above mentioned is aligned to multiple government mandates and creates so much more in a way of opportunities for NGO funding, capacitation and service delivery.

THE INTERVENTION OR PROCESS

A group of NGOs will be selected to participate in a pilot programme. The programme includes a process of:

- Programme application;
- An organisation need assessment;
- Local community asset mapping;
- Researching local needs and capacity building;
- Training the organisation in respective peace-making areas;
- Mentoring and reporting on training applications;
- Facilitating a sustainable rollout of the programme objectives.

After the selection process and a suitable team has been assembled, using the tools of conflict analysis, conflict transformation and restorative justice, the group of NGOs will be trained as mediators in terms of the recently developed standards of the SA Restorative Justice Accreditation Body. Additional possible modules include gender-based violence and hate incidents.

NGO’s which fall outside the identified target area can apply to join the programme. Programme services will, however, only be rendered according to the availability of funding.

Khulisa will invite and collaborate with a variety of partners based on expertise and resources to contribute various elements of the intervention/programme process.

- The Restorative Justice Centre assumes responsibility for:
  - Designing the research processes;
  - Delivering feedback tools;
  - Developing and providing training;
  - Tracking organisation and programme progress;
  - Provide general quality assurance oversight;
  - Offer support to the mentors on the ground.

Khulisa Social Solutions assumes responsibility for:

- - Stakeholder engagement;
  - Overseeing programme implementation;
  - Collecting relevant data;
  - Ongoing communications;
  - Providing public education and opportunities for advocacy
  - Maintaining the principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversities are central to all interventions

OUTCOMES

Khulisa and the Restorative Justice Center are confident that our training in conflict transformation, peace-building and restorative justice, will equip local community members with the ability to:

Identify and begin to address the underlying drivers of conflict and violence;
Be empowered and equipped to address conflict at grassroots levels;
Develop platforms and mechanisms to address future episodes of conflict and violence

Inherent in Khulisa’s approach to addressing conflict is the empowerment of local people with enhanced interpersonal skills who can contribute to community building an increased social cohesion.

CONCLUSION: THE WAY FORWARD

We are moving away from a reactive/curative approach to conflict that promotes intervention as a response to conflict, violence and crime, and rather now adapting a proactive/preventative approach that invests in initiating peace within all aspects of a community, before an incident occurs.

Developing ways to avoid conflict is, in the long run, much more effective than managing or defusing already existing, often explosive, conflicts. Behaviour patterns of violence acquired through socialization within the family and the community at large will have to be replaced by non-confrontational communication skills, peaceful human relations management and community cohesion. This preventative approach, in turn, will reduce violent events and crime.