admin
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CIVIC organisations – Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CCJP) Mutare Diocese and Christian Aid Zimbabwe – have embarked on an ambitious social cohesion project aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence in Manicaland.
The project, which was launched at St Andrew’s Mission in Murai Village, Marange last Tuesday, will gobble at least US$350 000 in its five-year lifespan and will be targeting women, youths, people living with disabilities as well as duty bearers.
Dubbed the citizen participation and social cohesion project, the initiative, which is aimed at enhancing peaceful coexistence in communities, comes barely a month before the country holds its harmonised elections set for August 23.
Speaking during the project inception meeting at St Andrew’s Mission, CCJP Mutare Diocese coordinator, Mr Eliot Vengesa said different activities will be used to foster social cohesion and peaceful co-existence.
Mr Vengesa said the project is expected to cascade down to all other regions in Manicaland Province, but will start in seven wards of Mutare rural and Mutasa.
“We intend to help communities to live in peace and harmony with each other. We will be able to inculcate ways of conflict resolution within communities.
“Conflicts normally happen from family level to the community at large, and this is the reason why we will roll out the project that covers prevention of Gender Based Violence (GBV), boundary disputes as well as politically motivated violence.
“We want to foster peace among youths, women and people living with disabilities. For youths, we will be dealing with drug abuse as a cause for conflict in communities. We will also cover issues relating to PWDs, giving them a platform to be heard.
“We also feel that duty bearers need to be responsive to the needs of the communities that they lead. Therefore, we will strive to give a platform where people interact with their duty bearers and discuss issues relating to development in their communities,” said Mr Vengesa.
The CCJP Mutare Diocese coordinator, said several vehicles of conveying peace messages such as workshops, meetings, youth voice forums, sporting activities and duty bearer engagement initiatives, will be employed.
Speaking on behalf of Mutare District Development Coordinator, Ms Tanyaradzwa Matumba urged the general public to participate actively in community development initiatives and gatherings.
“It is sad that we still have people who do not see the need to participate in development initiatives and meetings in their own areas. This is the reason why we have many people who complain when things do not go their way. It is all because when the platform to discuss was availed, they did not participate. Therefore, we are strongly urging everyone to see the importance of actively participating in community development and peace building initiatives,” said Ms Matumba.
CCJP, a Roman Catholic related organisation, was formed to foster justice and peace guided by gospel values.
Online Reporter