Peacebuilding and trust in complex situations

What strategies are effective in building confidence and trust between conflicting parties and what is the role of trust in healing and reconciliation to generate peace that is sustainable? The peace workshop "Building trust across divides - strategies, tools, and success stories", co-organised yesterday by Initiatives of Change International's Trustbuilding Program and the Institute for Community-Based Sociotherapy (ICBS), showcased examples of grassroot peacebuilding in Ukraine and Rwanda and gave space for an interesting exchange with the participating peacebuilders from different sectors and institutions.

After a warm welcome and introduction by Talia Smith, Manager of the Trustbuilding Program, Diogene Karawanga (ICBS) showcased his work with genocide survivors in Rwanda in order to make healing more authentic and sustainable, using the help of the local community as a "doctor" for those suffering. 

Leonid Donos from the Trustbuilding Program in Ukraine and Foundations for Freedom explained their approach and also the challenges in a society torn apart from a war that has been going on for close to three years. He highlighted the importance of mental health and self-care, and spoke about the role of forgiveness and trust in rebuilding Ukraine's future. He also explained how they tried to pay attention to who was sitting at the table, starting the conversation  with people with similar opinions in order to avoid a loss of trust at the beginning of the peacebuilding process, before expanding the discussion to a more diverse group.

More than 60 participants joined the workshop both in person and online and questioned the speakers on how to overcome blockages in the face of deep divisions within and between communities, whether social cohesion can be achieved if the perpetrators have not been held accountable yet and about the challenge of rebuilding trust without forgiveness. 'The trust level is a process, you cannot achieve it in a day or two.', commented Diogene and Leonid insisted: 'Forgiveness is fundamental in building trust!'

Talia Smith picked up on the audience's questions, giving background information on the Trustbuilding Program: 'One of the Trustbuilding Program's key challenges is bridging the gap between our grassroots efforts in communities and achieving policy-level influence for systemic change. Additionally, many of our teams face the task of scaling our trustbuilding work to the national level—a space where, interestingly, Initiatives of Change has traditionally focused its efforts on national reconciliation'.

During the open microphone moment, a medical doctor shared her experience of working in crises zones in Africa and concluded: 'You cannot build trust with fear.' 

A young peace activist who had worked in Armenia shared his insights of using arts-based practices, like theatre, to make people understand that reconciliation is possible in spite of the odds.

Another participant spoke about the importance of involving the local communities into the design of the different tools used to help them start the trustbuilding processes in their specific situation: 'Using simple tools are a starting-point. Then evolve when the group is ready for it!' She also highlighted that collaboration was essential and concluded: 'We can learn together. It is not about who is better!'

* Story originally published on IofC Caux Foundation website

Initiatives of Change has a long track record in building bridges across the world's divides. Find out more about the Trustbuilding Program.

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