Social Cohesion and Promoting Civic Alternatives to Violence in Zanzibar – 2020 Elections (15 June 2019 – 30 June 2021)

Project Goal and Objectives

Promoting an inclusive public space conducive to social existence and peaceful co-existence through capacity building of influential community leaders and civil society actors in conflict transformation and alternatives to violence. The project set out in the log-frame four main outcomes: 1) facilitating a multi-stakeholders dialogue process, 2) building capacity in civic education, 3) building capacity in promoting peace journalism, and 4) building capacity in electoral violence prevention.

Objectives

1. Supporting a core group of community figures to conduct a multi-stakeholder dialogue: To identify and build the capacity of a small group of community figures to stimulate support for an inclusive public space through collective and individual dialogue processes.
2. Training in civic engagement: To build capacity of influential youth, students and journalists in civic engagement skills and values to promote co-existence and alternatives to violence.
3. Training in conflict transformation: To build capacity in establishing an early warning rapid response mechanism capable of addressing potential electoral violence in Zanzibar.

On 14-18 June 2021, CPI and its Tanzania partner, Friends of Zanzibar (now Friends of Peace) completed a ToT training on conflict transformation for 16 students and youth actors. The training concluded a two-year project on social cohesion and promoting civic alternatives to violence in Zanzibar, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland to Tanzania. For two years, over the six quarters of the project, community leaders (17), Imams (40), students (30), and NGO actors (30) received training in conflict analysis, negotiation, mediation, and social cohesion skills. Besides, 45 journalists representing 28 public and private media organizations (newspapers, radio stations and TV channels) received training in peace journalism. Furthermore, 30 community actors from Pemba received training and implemented a community-based early warning rapid response mechanism in the run-up to the general elections in late 2020.

During the CoVid-19 pandemic, a prevention handbook was translated into Kiswahili and 2000 copies were distributed in Tanzania and nine neighbouring East African countries. The ToT training aims at building local training capacity to ensure the sustainability of the results of the project in different segments, including the peace clubs the students set up on their university campus (Zanzibar University; Sumait University; State University of Zanzibar (SUZA): Mwalim Nyerere memorial Academy; and the Institute of public Administration) in the course of this project.

Deliverables

1. A core group of ten (10) community figures were trained and supported to implement a multi-stakeholder dialogue (MSD) to promote an inclusive public space.
2. The capacity of 120 youth and students in civic engagement skills and alternatives to violence is strengthened. Besides, a group of 18 youth benefited from a ToT instruction to further the reach of the civic education programme.
   • At the end of the project a select group of eighteen (18) trainees from students, NGOs and journalists received a one-week training of trainers (ToT) instruction in how to deliver introductory conflict transformation themes for further outreach and sustainability of the project’s impact. The training was successful because the training material delivered in English was also translated into Kiswahili, for participants who are less proficient in English but needed the training (Imams). The material was used by FoZ for further training in other community initiatives. This last event attended by HE the ambassador of Switzerland to Tanzania, Mr Didier Chassot, was reported in Pemba Today, by the editor-in-chief of the online publication, who benefited from the project and ToT training.[1]
   • Furthermore, this ToT group engaged the leaders of the student bodies in five universities and convinced them of creating Peace Clubs to serve as hubs for promoting dialogue and co-existence culture among campuses. The five universities are: Zanzibar University; Sumait University; State University of Zanzibar (SUZA): Mwalim Nyerere memorial Academy: and the Institute of public Administration. Furthermore, this Peace Makers Club participated in the Zanzibar Peace Conference held in January 2020. A series of community dialogues were also organized by FoZ and the Peace Club in Unguja and Pemba, from February to April 2021, in collaboration with the Mufti Office and district commissioners.
3. Capacity of Pemba Press Club journalists (12) and 25 Unguja journalists was enhanced through training in peace journalism.
4. Twenty-six (26) religious and community leaders were trained in establishing and operating an effective early warning & rapid response (EWRR) mechanism in selected electoral districts.

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^[1] Hajj Nassor, “Uswis yaahidi kuendelea kufayakazi na tasisi Marafiki Zanzibar” (Switzerland promises to continue working with Friends in Zanzibar), Pemba Today, 19 July 2021, see https://www.pembatoday.co.tz/uswis-yaahidi-kuendelea-kufayakazi-na-tasisi-marafiki-zanzibar/