Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item Promoting political tolerance among youth in Masvingo, Zimbabwe(2023) Phillimon, Rumutsa; Harris, Geoffrey ThomasThis study aimed at promoting political tolerance via a dialogue initiative in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, where political broadmindedness, tolerance and trust are problematic. This research was underpinned by conflict transformation theory, complemented by intergroup contact theory. It was carried out with 16 participants from Mucheke, who participated in interviews and focus group discussions. The overall aim of this study was to promote political tolerance among youth in Mucheke in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, with the specific objectives being to explore the nature, extent, causes and consequences of youth involvement in political violence; to identify previous and current attempts in Mucheke to reduce this involvement and their effectiveness; to plan and implement interventions to reduce this involvement; and to evaluate the short-term outcomes of the intervention. The study established that political competition is the main cause of political violence in Masvingo. and that a dialogue initiative could be an effective strategy that can build relationships between political rivals. The study concluded that attitudes cannot change in a short period of time, a finding that calls for ongoing intervention to promote positive peace.Item Reducing school violence : a peace education project in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa(Education Association of South Africa, 2022-05) Ngidi, Lucia Zithobile; Kaye, Sylvia BlancheViolence occurring in South African schools takes various forms and is a concern for all stakeholders. All forms of violence have negative effects, i.e. physical and psychological, educational damage and societal breakdown. The overall aim of the study reported on here was to explore the nature, causes and consequences of school violence, and then to design an effective intervention strategy to reduce it. In this study we used action research methodology in which stakeholders were empowered to interrupt the occurrence of violence, stop the spread of violence and change group/community norms regarding violence. This strategy of violence reduction was tested at 1 school in Umlazi, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, in 4 stages: initial data collection, formation of an action team, design and implementation of a strategy, and evaluation of its efficacy. The action team was composed of teachers, community members, parents and learners who developed a strategy entitled, We Care (WC). Initial from both schools data showed that schools were unsafe, with school violence caused by substance abuse, theft, vandalism, physical violence, religious discrimination, sexual violence, cyber bullying, gender-based violence and gambling. WC clustered abnormal behaviour patterns demonstrated by learners into categories: violent cases and behavioural indicators of physical, sexual, alcohol and drug abuse. WC assisted high risk learners who had decided to act non violently, help victims and assist parents and community members who perpetrated violence. A preliminary evaluation was conducted 1 year later and WC reported that they had developed capacity to assist with these categories of violence, leading to a reduction in violent behaviour at the school.Item Restoring social cohesion after widespread rape of women in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s local community through conflict transformation : a case study(2023) Mauwa, Josephine Kimanu; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey ThomasArmed conflicts have caused extreme human suffering in which rape against women has been a major and gruesome factor. This is true in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although the issue of sexual violence is documented throughout the country, the South Kivu region remains the most affected. The systematic and widespread sexual violence has wreaked havoc and destroyed social cohesion at the individual, relational and community levels in South Kivu. The damage to social cohesion has been seen in threats to the community dimensions of rape survivors, children born from rape, and perpetrators, all of whom are the main components of the inquiry. This damage has led the community to shape and produce as social outcasts a marginalised group of women, unwanted children born from rape, and outlawed perpetrators. Community cohesiveness has also been threatened and complicated by the frivolous culture based on sexual socialization before rape incidents. Hence, the need to address social cohesion after widespread rape in South Kivu is enormous. The aim of this research was to explore the ways in which social cohesion could be restored by means of conflict transformation in local communities in South-Kivu after widespread rape against women that occurred between 1996 and 2016. Although various responses have focused on women as victims of rape and have ignored both children born of rape and the perpetrators, they are also affected. This weakens the rape survivors’ social reintegration. Therefore, the children and the perpetrators need to be included in the process of recreating social cohesion. Conflict transformation was used to contribute to restoring social cohesion, with positive results for rape survivors. Interventions were done in three main ways: training, family dialogue mixed with community awareness involving community leaders and custom law-keepers, and the creation of literacy centres. The use of participatory action research methodology led to increased knowledge from training, an improvement in relationships, and the boosting of rape survivors’ leadership capabilities and skills. The overall results of the inquiry reveal that mechanisms of social reintegration for rape survivors lies in their acceptance, through which rape survivors’ post-traumatic growth and quality of relationships in the community are enhanced. Thus, community cohesiveness and the rape survivors’ restoration of intra- and inter-personal relationships remains a shared responsibility, with each main group affected resorting to specific mechanisms for healing, be they self-initiated or supported.Item Advancing peace building programs to counter violent extremism messaging in Sidi Moumen District, Morocco(2023) Khebbaz, Soufiane; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey ThomasDigital platforms and communication tools have transformed the way we seek information and interact with others. Extremist groups are effectively using media to spread their ideas, propagate hate, and mobilize youth. This research examines the role of new media in countering violent extremism, preventing youth radicalization and fashioning political and religious discourse throughout the implementation of the “Youth Leaders for Peace” project. Youth from marginalized urban areas of Casablanca in Morocco were engaged in a participatory action research utilizing the power of new media and technology to build peace, deliver impactful messages, and influence positive change in both online and offline spaces. They worked with civil society organizations to identify, engage, and explore issues critical to the effective use of new media to enhance youth participation in political and civic life in their community. Activities were designed and implemented to encourage marginalized urban youth to participate constructively in countering violent extremism using dialogues about the principles and mechanisms of democracy, civic engagement, political participation, peaceful coexistence, and constructive conflict resolution.Item Intervention strategies to reduce school violence in Bhekulwandle rural community(2022) Mlambo, Primrose Sibusisiwe; Harries, Geoffrey; Kaye, SylviaGiven the extent of violence in South Africa, it is not surprising that its schools are also venues where various forms of violence are common. Since 1994, in the pursuit of ending violence in schools, attention has been given to ending corporal punishment and reducing other forms of violence; most of these efforts have emphasized retributive discipline methods. This research adopted a restorative approach to violence in one high school, with a focus on grade nine learners in 2019 who could be entering grade 10 in 2020. An action research approach and a mixed methods research design were employed. Quantitative data from learners was collected via questionnaires, and this was supplemented by focus group discussions and interviews with learners, teacher, and other stakeholders. The main finding was that restorative interventions, such as peacemaking circles, together with transformative learning - covering both the curriculum and pedagogy- contributed to building a culture of peace in this high school.