Peacebuilding consists of a delicate balance of respect, representation, understanding, and collaboration. URI’s 792 CCs and Regional Coordinators in 96 countries maintain these balances to build bridges of sustainable peace within their communities, regions, and internationally. These interconnections enrich URI’s work on thematic priorities such as gender and inequality, as well as issues of peace and justice locally.
URI’s regional staff in Nairobi, Kenya are currently in the process of conducting a series of informal gatherings to better support CCs’ identified needs ahead of the 2017 elections. Youth CCs, Nairobi-based CCs, and rural CCs are canvassing their communities to gauge their priorities for cooperation, justice, and peace, with plans to use this information for a more concerted effort together.
The Nairobi-based CCs recently took to the streets with cameras and notebooks in hand, chatting with young street traders, village women, residents of a low-income settlement, and others. These discussions covered law enforcement and religious leaders’ role in upholding justice, women in local peace processes, thoughts on growing crime and violence, and more. Based on the results from this activity, CCs are forming a targeted action agenda which will include increasing youth and women’s engagement in peace programming and finding alternative spaces to do so.
Nyambura Wa Mundia, URI’s Kenya Country Contact guiding CCs in this process, notes that “grassroots issues are dynamic and require a constantly monitored, context-sensitive examination for engagement for greatest impact.” We couldn’t agree more!
