Interview: Peacebuilding, Protection and Psychosocial staff
FEATURE STORY: Catherine Dennis/ACT-Caritas
PUBLISHED: March 6, 2008
NYALA, SOUTH DARFUR, SUDAN -- In an interview with Katherine Gicuku Ireri, the Nyala Field Coordinator, and Adam Ateem, the Acting Peacebuilding, Protection, Psychosocial (PPP) Manager, the two staff provide some insight into the Peacebuilding, Protection and Psychosocial response by ACT-Caritas in South and West Darfur.
What the main aim of the Peacebuilding, Protection and Psychosocial (PPP) sector in the ACT-Caritas programme?
Katherine: The main aim of the sector is to take care of the complete needs of conflict affected people, including psychological and protection as well as peaceful coexistence needs. A lesson learnt from recent emergencies including Kosovo and Rwanda is the importance of taking care of the wide ranging needs of people, which relate to their integrity, rights, safety, etc, needs which may not necessarily be solved by the distribution of food, blankets or water.
Ateem: During a conflict situation a variety of behavioural patterns open up, including a lack of trust amongst people, community disputes and so on. In the PPP sector, we are trying to address some of these issues. We aim to change behaviour from that perpetuating conflict to that perpetuating peace, and therefore to contribute to a sustainable peace.
Which groups are targeted by the work of the PPP sector?
Ateem: All groups of society benefit, but we are targeting certain categories more so than others. In particular, women, children and youth are targeted as vulnerable groups. On a higher level, sheiks and other community leaders as well as organised groups such as womens’ unions and youth unions.
Where does this vital work take place?
Ateem: The work takes place both in community centres and within the wider community. ACT-Caritas is currently working in nine community centres in camps in South and West Darfur. Outreach and capacity building work also takes place targeting the host community. This includes peace-building activities, which bring together host communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
How are the communities involved in this programme?
Katherine: Communities themselves are very much the focal point of the work. The community are the key players in everything that we are trying to achieve.
We often talk about the importance of security and peace, but the truth is that as much as various groups may be involved in bringing peace, it is always the community themselves who have the biggest part to play in creating and maintaining security and that peace. That is why the role of the community is so important.
What are the most important planned areas of focus for activities in 2008?
Ateem: One of the main areas of focus for 2008 is capacity building and skill training for youths. In a camp environment, youth have lots of energy but nothing to do, which creates the potential for them to become involved in the conflict. It is important to involve them in capacity building activities so that they have things to occupy them and when the conflict comes to an end they will have some skills so they can move forward with their lives.
Katherine: Having spent their adolescence in camps, these young people are approaching adulthood without hope, without a good education. In a camp scenario social networks have been disrupted. Even the order which is traditionally kept by the sheik has come under threat as youth begin to show disrespect for his authority. Youth are potential perpetrators of gender violence as well as targets to be co-opted into other dangerous groups.
We are also trying to boost our focus on gender, which is a theme relevant to all activities. This year we will continue our work with women to be active participants in the peace process, provide training in peace as well as literacy activities and skills training.
In which ways is the sector able to contribute towards peace-building?
Katherine: We are working with local groups in peace-building to maintain peace at the community level, and potentially beyond. These groups are the same people will be consulted in the peace process by the government and other actors. We will continue to work with communities at the ground level, with sheiks, women, youth. If conflict resolution is understood and peace is built from the ground, this provides a basis for peace beyond the community level.
Many people in Darfur have had very traumatic experiences during the conflict. How do the activities of the PPP sector seek to address this?
Ateem: Many people have been affected by the conflict and the rate of trauma is very high. We are trying to address some of these issues within the IDP camps and the host communities. There is much value in group counselling, which brings people together to share experiences together as well as hopes for the future. The programme is also addressing extreme cases through one-to-one counselling.
Katherine: Healing is a very long and complex process, and the work that we do is only a part of that. Survivors of any form of violence need to seek qualified medical help, and in some cases people may want to follow up with legal redress. ACT-Caritas recognises here that it hasn’t the capacity or mandate to get involved, but it is able to link with other agencies who have been mandated to support people in these ways.
What is the importance of the “do-no-harm approach’ to the PPP sector?
Katherine: The do-no harm approach is crucial not only to the PPP sector, but to all sectors of our work. We need to be sure that we implement our health activities, our water activities and so on, in a way which does not escalate conflict, in a way that does not expose women and girls to violence, in a way which does not cause trauma, in a way which does not create a situation whereby the violation of rights is possible. If anything our activities should make the situation better.
For example, when providing humanitarian assistance it is important to consider carefully targeting procedures. Both host community and IDPs should be supported, in order not to create further conflict in society.
Can you say something about your experiences of your work with communities here in Darfur? Have you seen an impact on the lives of those you have been working with?
Ateem: When I started work with ACT-Caritas back in 2005, it was not easy for people to talk about protection. IDPs did not know and talk about their rights. But now they are able to talk about their problems confidently in the camps, and to stand up themselves for their rights. The change in the camp situation has been really significant. The communities understand better how to deal with NGOs, and they understand that they also have their own roles to play to strengthen their communities.
Katherine: I remember visiting a community centre in Garsila back in 2006 and meeting a woman who was so traumatised by her experiences that she could not speak. But having met her again last year, I saw that she is now able to talk, she is able to cope, to interact with others at the centre. It is through the support, counselling and companionship at the centre that she has found the strength to speak again. She may not be completely healed but life has really moved forwards for her. These are the stories of hope, through which we witness an enormous impact for the conflict-affected people we are working with here in Darfur.
Katherine Gicuku Ireri Field Coordinator Nyala, and Adam Ateem Acting Protection, Psychosocial and Peacebuilding Manager.
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