#3

Support and Strengthen Local Peacebuilders

Support the expertise and resilience of local peacebuilders so they can participate in sustainable peacebuilding and build trust with policymakers, funders and donors. 

Local peacebuilders play a vital role in promoting peace and reconciliation within their communities. Too often they operate in difficult conditions and face significant challenges and risks in their work. To ensure their effectiveness and well-being, it is essential for their supporters to provide comprehensive support that addresses not only technical skills but also resilience and mental health.

We call on international institutions, Global North governments and NGOs to:

  • Invest in both existing and new peer support networks and communities of practice. This would enable local peacebuilders to connect, share learnings and experiences, seek advice and provide mutual peer support in addressing all challenges. These could operate at the local, national or international levels (including Global Majority networks).
  • Fund and invest in access to culturally sensitive, and contextually appropriate, mental health services for local peacebuilders. These should include counselling, psychosocial support and trauma healing initiatives. Money for wellbeing and mental health should be a formal and normal budget line in all peacebuilding programmes.
  • Work to strengthen the fundraising, budgeting and grant management skills of local peacebuilders (and according to their expressed organisational needs).

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  • Jamila, Local Peacebuilder & Co-Creator

    I resonate deeply with Manifesto Ask number 3 - "Support and Strengthen Local Peacebuilders," aligning seamlessly with my background, experience, and advocacy on mental health and resilience among peacebuilders, that started in 2016, a pivotal moment in my life led me to explore the depths of mental health. Since the inception of the Women Empowered Act for Dialogue and Peace in 2018, I've been at the forefront, leading listening and dialogue sessions among internally displaced persons (IDPs) and fellow peacebuilders in Mindanao, Philippines.

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