Promoting political tolerance among youth in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study aimed at promoting political tolerance via a dialogue initiative in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, where political broadmindedness, tolerance and trust are problematic. This research was underpinned by conflict transformation theory, complemented by intergroup contact theory. It was carried out with 16 participants from Mucheke, who participated in interviews and focus group discussions. The overall aim of this study was to promote political tolerance among youth in Mucheke in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, with the specific objectives being to explore the nature, extent, causes and consequences of youth involvement in political violence; to identify previous and current attempts in Mucheke to reduce this involvement and their effectiveness; to plan and implement interventions to reduce this involvement; and to evaluate the short-term outcomes of the intervention. The study established that political competition is the main cause of political violence in Masvingo. and that a dialogue initiative could be an effective strategy that can build relationships between political rivals. The study concluded that attitudes cannot change in a short period of time, a finding that calls for ongoing intervention to promote positive peace.