IJR

The work of mental health and psychosocial support workers as well as peacebuilders to heal and restore the social fabric that binds and supports people within their communities is essential for breaking cycles of violence and building sustainable peace. While it seems self-evident that these two fields would coordinate their efforts in order to enhance their impact, research by IJR points to the fact that the two fields work mostly in isolation from one another.

On 06 February the ‘Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic’ was signed by the CAR government and 14 armed groups in Bangui following negotiations in Khartoum that began on 24 January under the auspices of the AU. It addresses justice and reconciliation, governance, and transitional security arrangements.

In July 2019 IJR’s Senior Project Leader Dr. Webster Zambara was in Uganda to facilitate Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution programmes at the Uganda Senior Police Command and Staff College at Bwebajja, outside the capital Kampala. Dr. Zambara introduced these overarching key concepts to a group of 37 senior police officers who form a new cohort embarking on further studies in Peace and Security with the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE) Africa Programme.