Exploration of Local Peace Committees in Community-Based Peacebuilding: Five African Cases

Abstract

This paper explores local peace committees (LPCs) as a means of resolving community-based conflicts. I posit that communal harmony can be realized by utilizing local capacity that exists within communities, thus rebuilding fractured and estranged relationships. This article discusses African examples of local peace committees that are seen as effective and necessary peacebuilding structures at local levels. Central to LPCs are three concepts: participation; the need for sustainability; and utilizing local knowledge and skills. LPCs are intended to be inclusive and to involve community members who can work together to rebuild relationships; further, they become valuable instruments that use traditional and local skills to resolve conflicts where their resolution matters the most. Evidence from African cases demonstrates examples of LPCs that prevented communities from degenerating into violence and widespread conflicts. The cases analyzed in this paper are from Burundi, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. I have also examined challenges of instituting LPCs that should be considered and stenciled on one's mental sheet concerning their effectiveness and sustainability.