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Bottom-up Peacebuilding

    In contrast to top-down peace-building, bottom-up (or ‘grassroots’) peace-building tends to be more informed by local knowledge and experience, more inclusive of diverse voices, and – because it involves and is shaped by community members – more likely to gain traction over time. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham’s photographic project on the women’s peace movement in Congo helps us picture grassroots peace-building in practice. As he explains: 

    ‘Since 1996, multiple wars have been triggered by a proliferation of armed groups, weak state institutions, a dysfunctional army and local struggles over power and resources. Peace deals, elections, the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission and the efforts of hundreds of humanitarian organisations have failed to transform these dynamics.

    Confronted by the horrors of war, a small movement of women peacebuilders is working to create dialogue between soldiers and communities, track human rights violations and advocate for an end to impunity.’ 

    Women play a central role in protecting their communities because of the deep knowledge they have of the situation and the actors present in the area. They share information across their networks about where fighting is taking place, where families are fleeing, and how operations are evolving. By contrast, soldiers deployed from the distant capital, Kinshasa, do not know the area they operate in. By leveraging their local knowledge, women peace activists can advocate with authorities, army commanders and community leaders on behalf of displaced people and their communities to reduce violence and protect civilians. 

    The women whose stories Hugh shares – peace activists such as Wivine Bayengo, Faila Kataliko, Justine Masika Bihamba, Liberata Buratwa, Rose Kahambu Tuombeane, Love Kpakay and Lydie Kake – not only seek to bring cycles of armed violence to an end but also to mitigate the secondary impacts of conflict, such as displacement, theft, extortion and sexual violence.

    Dialogue is at the heart of their work. They cross frontlines to talk with rebel leaders, advocating for ceasefires and asking that they do more to protect civilians, particularly women. They monitor crime rates and set up community conversations with government forces to address complaints from locals about the intimidation and exploitation they are experiencing from soldiers stationed nearby. They gather and share information about new outbreaks in fighting, routes that have become unsafe, and rumours of upcoming offensives. They work locally to resolve small-scale disputes and local tensions, to prevent further escalation. And they talk to new recruits to armed groups, persuading them to surrender rather than perpetuate an ongoing cycle of violence and revenge. 

    ‘Women who speak on behalf of peace are always in danger’, says peace activist Espérance Kazi. But we continue because nobody will come to solve our problems for us.’

    This quotation and the two that follow are from: Bahati, S., Maubert, C. & Kinsella Cunningham, H. (2022) ‘These women are bringing some peace to war-stricken Congo’, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/these-women-are-bringing-some-peace-to-war-stricken-congo.

    This work is challenging. It takes time to build trust and establish positive channels of communication; women’s voices have not been taken seriously in the past; and they run significant personal risks in crossing frontlines and engaging with armed personnel. They persevere because they see no other option. As one activist, Justine Masika, explained, ‘One day we told each other that we women can no longer keep our arms crossed. I say the women of Congo are strong because they don’t remain victims. They become actors of change.’  

    Despite the challenges, activist Love Kpakay is optimistic: ‘We need to find the courage to sit around the same table. You will see that we will find solutions.’

    References

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