Mthatha, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, faces high levels of violent crime, unemployment, and weak cooperation among institutions. The Ubunye project piloted a collaborative, community-led peacebuilding approach that brought together traditional leaders and multiple stakeholders for ongoing dialogue, mediation training, and the creation of local peace forums.
The Ukuthula project took this further by strengthening dialogue between communities and national governance and linking community initiatives to South Africa’s ongoing national dialogue processes. The project showed that lasting peace requires continuous engagement, genuine local ownership, and respect for existing customary structures.
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