Don’t undermine the dignity of host community during peace building – Supreme Court judge to int'l peacebuilders

A Supreme Court Judge, Her Ladyship Justice Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu has urged mediators and peace builders in Africa to prioritize the opinions and involvement of local communities when implementing peacebuilding initiatives.

Referring to the Advisory Group on Peacebuilding’s recommendation that peacebuilding is an inherently political process requiring broad inclusive participation, she stressed the need for involvement at all levels, from state and civil society stakeholders down to the grassroots level.

He emphasized that the wisdom of the host community should be respected and considered during the peacebuilding process.

She cautioned against imposing external priorities on host nations and highlighted the importance of facilitating local ownership of the peacebuilding process.

The Supreme Court Judge further noted that peacebuilding should not be viewed as the burden of outsiders, and interventions should build on the knowledge and resources within the local community.

According to her, an imposition of peacebuilding initiatives would potentially result in the abandonment of projects when external actors leave, especially when local populations are not adequately involved in priority setting and programme selection.

She therefore emphasised that for sustainable peacebuilding, local communities must be engaged in decision-making processes to ensure that initiatives align with national priorities.