Women and Youth as Peacebuilders in Haiti: Community-Based Strategies for Social Cohesion

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Empowering Youth in Conflict and Marginalized Settings to Build Social Cohesion and Peace

Proposal

In Haiti, recurring political and social upheavals and increasing economic deterioration have contributed to creating a context in which violence and conflict have become deeply entrenched in the fabric and politics of society. Structural violence and growing inequalities continue to marginalise women and young people, making them even more vulnerable to the negative impacts of conflict and leaving them on the sidelines of peacebuilding efforts and initiatives.
Widespread fear and control by armed groups affect trust and resilience as well as traditional support networks within families and communities. The ‘narratives’ of the conflict are controlled by dominant groups with greater access to power, perpetuating a system in which the stories of women and young people, including not only the impact of the conflict on these groups but also their stories of resistance, are poorly documented, valued and recognised as tools for peacebuilding.
The project presented here focuses on empowering women and young people as key actors for peace. The initiative focused on a community-based approach to eliminate barriers to peacebuilding among populations (including weak social cohesion and limited representation of women's and young people's ‘narratives’ in the collective memory related to conflict, gender inequalities, individual and collective trauma, and a culture of war and violence).
Funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, Concern worked with communities and partners to strengthen dynamics for peacebuilding by reducing violent conflicts and incidents of gender-based violence. This was done through collective mediation and mental health initiatives led by women and young people, with female leadership at the heart of the initiatives. Concern supported with trauma management and worked alongside local actors to promote social cohesion, collective healing (mourning ritual, artistic workshops and discussion groups for survivors) and community resilience through various educational and recreational activities such as art, theatre, storytelling, games and traditions.
The community structures that were formed, consisting mainly of women and young people from conflict-ridden neighbourhoods, are now ready to catalyse lasting change in their communities. These networks strengthened their perception of themselves as agents of change while valuing their capacities within communities. With these initiatives, women and young people are becoming inspiring role models and taking concrete action to promote gender equality and combat gender-based violence.
Despite a difficult socio-political context in Haiti, the project had numerous achievements and a great impact that will be presented in this panel. The presentation will go through the ways that the project tackled the root causes of conflict and helped to create a more positive collective memory that is inclusive of women and young people and that brings the different members of the community closer together while recognising their role, place and history.

Authors

• Amy Folan, Concern Worldwide

• Agathe Freal, Concern Worldwide

• Monica Kassouf, Concern Worldwide