Strengthening Women-led Community Reconciliation in the Oromia Region in Ethiopia

This project seeks to enhance social cohesion in the Oromia region in Ethiopia by supporting conflict transformation with conflict-affected communities. The Life and Peace Institute (LPI) uses Participatory action research (PAR) as a guiding methodology in this proposed project. The premise of PAR is to facilitate sustained dialogue relationship building collaborative research and community-led inter-group actions. Project activities include: (1) conducting conflict analysis; (2) facilitating intra- and inter-communal dialogue; (3) deciding on collective actions; and (4) promoting policy dialogue. LPI engages in traditional peace-building institutions in the targeted region such as the Abba Gadaa and Hadha Siinqee. This project is helping support formal community-based organizations civil society organizations and informal civil society in peacebuilding efforts. LPI will offer support to these stakeholders to strengthen their peacebuilding skills provide monitoring and evaluation support and support them to undertake targeted research and facilitate inter-community group and generational dialogues.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced mutual understanding of conflict causes perspectives and experiences amongst communities local structures and local leaders; (2) increased capacity of community-based organizations to support gender-sensitive and inclusive PAR processes and peacebuilding activities; (3) increased inclusivity of processes that mitigate violent conflicts in a specific conflict system particularly for women and young people; (4) strengthened relationships and networks between women in selected communities; and (5) designed and facilitated approaches for intra- and inter- community intergroup and intergenerational dialogues.