Transforming post-conflict relationships via peace gardens in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study discussed ways of transforming post-conflict relationships via peace gardens in Masvingo, Zimbabwe where political party supporters had failed to cope with the aftermaths of election-related violence since 1980.The motivational factor for carrying out this research arose from the philosophical perspective that working together for a common goal builds sustainable and durable peace. This study was underpinned by the peace and power theory which promotes working together in cooperative and peaceful ways. The study was carried out with a sample of 36 participants from the key informants and focus group discussions from which an action team of 10 participants was formed. The overall aim of this study was to explore the use of peace gardens as an intervention strategy in transforming post-conflict relationships with specific objectives being to explore the causes and effects of election-related violence in Masvingo, Zimbabwe and to examine the use, effectiveness, and challenges of using peace gardens in transforming post-conflict relationships. The type of inquiry used in this study was advocacy participation world view while the research design was a qualitative paradigm with exploratory action research and evaluation components. Data for the study was generated through focus groups, interviews, and participant observations. The study findings revealed that politics and elections were the main causes of conflict in Masvingo with hate speech, the creation of division and partisan distribution of food as tools by which the conflict was enforced. The findings revealed the effectiveness of peace gardening as an intervention strategy in peacebuilding through its ability to dismantle barriers of division, hatred and thereby creating debate platforms for conflict resolution modalities among former political rivals.Though the results of this peace gardening intervention strategy demonstrated embedded yielding effects of action research, the study concludes that peacebuilding initiatives do not work like magic considering the sensitivity of politics and conflict. Participants in action research do not change their attitudes overnight, a scenario which calls for more or prolonged intervention cycles in promoting durable peace.