Options for Peace-Building in Zimbabwe

Conflicts in Zimbabwe have caused communities to be divided along political party lines. Violence has been widespread and this has exacerbated economic collapse and social polarization. The acts of violence and loss of life and property and livelihoods must be addressed urgently. In high density urban areas this violence continues to divide communities. This research seeks to explore options for peace-building in high density urban areas of Zimbabwe. The Chitungwiza high density area outside Harare was used as a population of the study. The objectives of the research were to find out residents' concepts of peace, to explore the history of political violence in Chitungwiza and to seek options for peace-building in Zimbabwe's urban areas. The study drew on Laderach's reconciliation and peace-building framework, Chester Crockers's framework for institutional peace-building. The researcher used a qualitative approach to field research and interviewed victims and perpetrators of violence as well as elected leaders in the Chitungwiza community. The main findings was that options for peacebuilding should start with orientation towards peace-building for community residents.