The Life & Peace Institute, Office in Bukavu (IPV)

Foundation registered in Sweden

Bukavu

République Démocratique du Congo

English;French

www.life-peace.org/where-we-work/democratic-republic-of-congo/our-work-in-drc/

Theories of change have been developed for the programme’s work within each of LPI’s three strategic priorities.

Civil society support and engagement


Congolese civil society organisations (CSOs) constitute legitimate and ideal structures able to work for sustainable and in depth conflict transformation with local conflict actors and necessary positive change within current social structures contributing to conflict. Their professionalisation within the area of conflict transformation allows for a sustainable and non-violent management of the conflicts and contradictions that exist within the Congolese context (and particularly that of the Kivus). In order for the CSOs to be effective however, the capacity building of these organisations needs to respond to other identified weaknesses within programme implementation, administration, finances and general organisational development and not only to conflict transformation.

Policy work and awareness-raising


Many peacebuilding initiatives carried out in eastern Congo are top-down and remain uninformed about realities on the ground. Thus, they risk only attending to the immediate effects of the conflicts rather than dealing with the locally identified root causes. Through the well informed analysis LPI and its partners carry out on conflicts within the local context, these actors are very well positioned to feed international, national and regional policy-makers with a more comprehensive understanding of the conflicts and their dynamics, thus enabling the policy-makers to take more informed decisions.

Cross-fertilisation of conflict transformation theory and practice


While LPI has a lot to learn from various actors operating in the same area, it also remains convinced that the Institute and its partners’ experiences will be of relevance to the further development of theory and practice within conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Lessons learned from LPI and its partners’ PAR processes and conflict transformation experiences can provide areas of research as well as sources of inspiration and theorisation for various research institutes and think-tanks.

Civil society support and engagement


The direct target group for the work with civil society support and engagement in the DRC programme is the programme’s partners. A possible indirect effect of the work that LPI does with these partners will be the emergence of new actors involved with conflict transformation at the local level. The permanent peace committees that were put in place as a follow up to the Participatory Action Research focusing on the Rastas in 2008 and 2009, together with LPI’s partner Union Paysanne pour le Développement Intégral, is a concrete example of such local initiatives.

Policy work and awareness-raising


The awareness-raising and policy work will be carried out on the international, national and local levels. The policy activities at the international level will mainly be carried out via LPI’s Uppsala office and will target governments, organisations and international donors with influence on the political solution of conflicts in the DRC. LPI’s DRC programme will contribute via existing fora on general subjects targeting political actors at the provincial, national and international levels rather than initiating its own work within this area. At the local level, LPI’s partners will play a very important role in raising the awareness of key conflict actors such as armed groups (foreign or Congolese), leaders of ethnic-based associations, and community leaders.

Cross-fertilisation of conflict transformation theory and practice

Networking and cross-fertilisation within LPI as an organisation, between LPI’s partners, other peacebuilding and conflict transformation organisations within and outside the DRC. These will be carried out through active participation in relevant networks, direct cooperation, seminars, and the publication and dissemination of research results.

More information at www.life-peace.org/where-we-work/democratic-republic-of-congo/our-work-in-drc/

Democratic republic of Congo

Conflict transformation

Civil society support and engagement, Policy work and awareness-raising, Cross-fertilisation of conflict transformation theory and practice,