Strategic Approach

The ZPT strategy is guided by four programmatic areas of intervention. These are the Capacity Building, Preventive Action and Social Cohesion, Environmental Justice and Research and Documentation pillars. These programmatic areas of focus are a product of widespread consultations with both primary and secondary stakeholders of the ZPT. The programmatic priorities were also refined through a process of internal validation with trustees, the secretariat, volunteers and external validation done by seasoned practitioners in the peacebuilding field on the continent.

The four thematic areas are guided by the overall goal of the ZPT which is to Harness and strengthen peace building efforts through the development of capacities in various entities.

Capacity building is one of the key priority areas for the ZPT. Though capacity building is an important component within each of the other three priority areas, it is listed separately to highlight specific groups of interest for the ZPT in the next 5 years. Capacity building in peacebuilding refers to efforts to strengthen governments, institutions, systems and individuals to meet the challenges of sustainable peace.  Activities range from analysis of capacity constraints, to training and non-formal education to strengthen capacity for monitoring and implementation; focusing on both the capacities of the public sector and those of civil society organizations to monitor and promote peacebuilding.

To this end, the ZPT is targeting to work collaboratively with the following institutions;

• Traditional Leaders. There are different levels of traditional leaders in Zimbabwe. The highest level is the chieftaincy followed by the headman and at the basement of this hierarchy are the village heads. The institution of traditional leadership in Zimbabwe is provided for in the constitution of Zimbabwe. They are given prominence in the management of social, political, economic and environmental resources within their areas of jurisdiction. More importantly, they are expected to mediate conflicts of different dimensions, particularly resource-based conflicts, social and even political. The strategic analysis of the capacities of this important institution has shown that most of them are often found wanting due to capacity gaps as a result of the lineage based appointment approach which disregards merit or educational qualifications. There is need to develop the capacities of traditional leaders to engage, manage, mediate, resolve and transform conflicts in a more programmatic way that guarantees respect for gender sensitivity, human rights and respect for the constitution. There is also need to ensure that the indigenous conflict resolution processes are impartial and transparent to ensure sustainable outcomes.
• Religious Leaders– Religion, conflict and peace are closely intertwined concepts. There is need to develop synergies between religious actors and other players in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Religion has the potential to break apart society or to manifest nonviolent methods to breach factors that contribute to the tensions of conflict. The social and cultural weight that religion may have in various societies imply that religious institutions may be better equipped to motivate communal action. There are capacity gaps related to the ability of the majority of religious institutions to prevent, manage, resolve and transform conflicts. In view of this, there is need to enhance capacity for the transformative potential of religious institutions in the quest for sustainable peace in Zimbabwe and beyond.
• Government Institutions- The capacity of government institutions to mediate and manage local conflicts has often been brought into question by many actors. Finding opportunities for synergies and capacity building will go a long way in enhancing their capacities. It has been observed that the bureaucrats in government require training on conflict-handling as they deal with members of the public that come from different socio-political backgrounds. Some government departments are often accused of being biased towards certain political formations. There is therefore need to develop their capacity to manage conflicts in public institutions.

• Chapter 12 Independent Commissions – Commissions collectively referred to as Chapter 12 Commissions share common objectives which are outlined in Section 233 of the Constitution as follows: to support and entrench human rights and democracy; to protect the sovereignty and interests of the people; to promote constitutionalism; to promote transparency and accountability in public institutions; to secure the observance of democratic values and principles by the State and all institutions and agencies of government, and government-controlled entities; and to ensure that injustices are remedied. ZPT has observed that the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission that is charged with peacebuilding work countrywide is domiciled in Harare and Bulawayo only with very limited staff compliments and glaring resource constraints thereby manifesting capacity gaps that require enhancement. (NPRC Annual Reports 2018, 2019). The ZPT, being a member of the NGO family is strategically positioned to enhance this much needed capacity.

• Parliament – The capacity building initiatives will target both the Senate and the House of Assembly members across the political divide. Thematic committees on Peace and Security, Gender, Environment etc. will be targeted. Parliament plays an important oversight and legislative role. However, not many of the parliamentarians are trained in conflict resolution skills and thus raising the need to come up with interventions to address this gap. 

How we will achieve this strategy

• We will develop Memoranda of Association/Understanding/Partnerships with various local/international actors in peacebuilding for purposes of enhancing the capacities of identified target groups.
• We will provide platforms for consensus building and knowledge exchange as a mechanism for bridging identified capacity gaps/needs
• We shall foster increased community awareness and participation in peacebuilding initiatives.
• We will work with communities to hold government and other responsible institutions accountable for complying with the international norms and frameworks for conflict transformation that they are party to, and ensure that policies and peace processes are inclusive.
• We will provide the relevant stakeholders in specific conflict situations with conflict analysis, insights and recommendations for action from ZPT.
• We will promote conflict sensitivity in various sectors including the electoral bodies and political parties, media etc.
• We will support the development and implementation of good practices and effective models in the conflict transformation and peacebuilding field. These models could be generic or sector-specific.

The series of situational and policy reviews of the conflict dynamics in Zimbabwe point to the need to chart new directions for the resolution and transformation of today’s and future conflicts and challenges, and to support the creation of peaceful and inclusive societies. A common message throughout the recent strategic consultation processes was the need to invest more on prevention and mediation processes in order to ensure the constructive resolution of conflicts and the building of broken social bridges. In light of this, the ZPT is cognizant of the need to work proactively and collaboratively in promoting social cohesion whilst also preventing avoidable tensions through sustainable dialogical processes at the local and national levels.

How we will achieve this/strategy

• Psychosocial activities to rehabilitate and foster interaction between people
• Dialogue & counselling sessions
• Sustainable social cohesion, livelihoods development programs and projects for targeted communities
• Supporting the NPRC in the setting up of peace committees at village, ward and constituency level as platforms for dialogue facilitation and conflict prevention.

As ZPT, we firmly believe that the organisation can only grow if our programmes are evidence-based and informed by scientific research. Research and documentation provides lessons learnt whilst also providing useful insights on what works in specific contexts. The purpose of research, evaluation, and other evidence activities is to improve the delivery of programs, development of policies, and design of advocacy strategies that prevent or reduce harmful practices, improve health and well-being, alleviate poverty, and otherwise assist and empower people living in difficult life situations. From a peacebuilding perspective, the purpose may be oriented toward addressing structural issues and improving relationships between people affected by violent conflict. ZPT is committed to doing research that informs their programming as well as measure the impact of their interventions.

How we will achieve this/strategy

• Baseline surveys
• Evidence-based policy briefs, position papers and commissioned research papers
• Process evaluations
• End line evaluations
• Impact assessments.

The ZPT clearly appreciates the significance of the environmental justice dimension of peacebuilding processes in the country. A better understanding of the links between environmental justice issues and human security is vital for effective conflict prevention, peacebuilding and post-conflict rebuilding. Yet, in this country, significant attention has not been given to this environmental dimension of peacebuilding processes. Since most conflicts that happen in the country are politicized, this ecological approach is often obscured. Thus, for the fact that different environmental injustices highly contribute to a range of violent conflicts in the country, it is argued that comprehensive restoration of lasting and sustainable peace is impossible without restoring environmental justice and solving environmental problems therein.

There is a considerable prevalence of environmental injustices such as pollution, resource depletion, coercive eviction of local people from their farmland and settlement, an unfair or disproportionate share of environmental advantages and disadvantages, oppression of some groups of people to dominate and exploit their resources, and at times forceful confiscation of people’s land and resources – which in one way or the other contributes to violent conflicts.

The ZPT recognises that the issues of environmental justice and peacebuilding are interwoven. At their core, there exists the concept of humanity. Both of them fundamentally deal with human security and livelihoods. They give priority for social wellbeing. They strive to bring about peace, justice and fairness to ensure human lives and livelihoods. Therefore it is important to promote action around the peaceful management of community resources.

How we will achieve this/strategy

• Advocacy and lobbying around environmental justice issues
• Social accountability projects to hold the state, corporates and other entities to account.
• Promotion of responsible use of natural resources by communities.
• Community dialogue platforms for fostering renewable use of natural resources
• Awareness campaigns for behaviour change around climate change issue.