Together We Stand

[ 36 ] Case study: CAR Building on our DRC findings, Mercy Corps invested in a mixed quantitative and qualitative research effort to capture the impact of our conflict management intervention in the CAR. In January 2014, during the worst violence in CAR’s most recent civil war, Mercy Corps took a unique approach of combin- ing humanitarian and conflict management programs in the country’s two most socioeconomically vital cities, Bangui and Bouar. The goal of the conflict management component was for Muslim and Christian communities to work together to peace- fully manage tensions and rebuild community cohesion. The conflict management program came at a time of immense humanitarian need within the country: roughly 2.5 million civilians needed humanitarian assistance, and 1 million had been displaced. Many in the country and inter- national community feared the conflict could evolve into protracted civil war, or even genocide. The impact of the conflict program was stunning — even to us. At the beginning of the program, just 13 per cent of people believed that conflicts were being resolved peace- fully in their communities. By the end, that number had risen to 82 per cent. A full 96 per cent of those surveyed reported feeling hopeful about peace in their community, and two-thirds of those displaced by the violence (68 per cent) had either returned home or were willing to return. Overall, there was an 86 per cent increase in the number of people who trusted the ‘other’ religious group within their community. We watched as 220 fighters and 10 commanders volun- tarily disarmed to join community leaders and peace committees to support non-violent social change. For the first time, religious leaders, community leaders and peace committees had created an environment that showed these fighters legitimate alternatives to violence. This evidence affirmed to us that even amidst intense humanitarian needs, investing in conflict reduction can deliver important results. These actions not only improve the conditions within these emergencies, but also address the roots of violence while stopping the cycle of humanitar- ian suffering and aid dependency. While violent conflict and crime continue to plague much of the CAR, we see more conflicts being resolved peacefully between previous adversaries. Within these communities, support for violence has decreased, and the CAR marked a peaceful election — important first steps that are laying the groundwork for displaced populations to return home. Case study: Horn of Africa Complementary to these findings, December 2015 research conducted by Mercy Corps in the Horn of Africa also affirmed many of our agency’s prevailing theories on whether conflict reduction contributes to increased Image: Mercy Corps (Regine Dupuy/Emily Bishop) Local peer educators have helped communities in the Central African Republic to focus on peace in the face of crisis T ogether W e S tand