community- led conflict transformation through
participaory action research (PAR)

Eastern Development Initiative

Dire Dawa & Harar | 2025

Project Overview

The Community-Led Conflict Transformation through Participatory Action Research (PAR) project empowered communities to examine conflicts, identify root causes, and develop locally-driven peacebuilding solutions.

Objective: Increase collective actions to address conflict drivers sustainably within and between communities.

Implemented through partnership between Life & Peace Institute (LPI) and Eastern Development Initiative (EDI) across 10 woredas in Dire Dawa and 2 woredas in Harar over 9 months.

Using PAR methodology, we facilitated gender-sensitive, inclusive dialogues that built local capacity and ownership of peace processes.

Dire Dawa & Harar Regions

Community Dialogue Process

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0
Facilitators
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0
Total Participants
📍
0
Dialogue Sites
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0
Total Sessions

Youth & Women Group Statistics

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Female Participants

127 participants across 12 sites

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Male Participants

113 participants across 12 sites

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Total Participants

240 participants (20 per site)

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Sessions Conducted

72 dialogue sessions (6 per site)

Elders & Religious Leaders Group Statistics

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Female Participants

116 participants across 12 sites

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Male Participants

124 participants across 12 sites

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Total Participants

240 participants (20 per site)

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Sessions Conducted

72 dialogue sessions (6 per site)

Overall Participation Summary

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Total Female Participants

243 participants

127 (Youth & Women) + 116 (Elders & Religious Leaders)

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Total Male Participants

237 participants

113 (Youth & Women) + 124 (Elders & Religious Leaders)

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Grand Total Participants

480 participants

240 (Youth & Women) + 240 (Elders & Religious Leaders)

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Total Dialogue Sessions

144 sessions

72 (Youth & Women) + 72 (Elders & Religious Leaders)

Dialogue in Action

Understanding our community dialogue structure, process, and outcomes

Dialogue Structure

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Groups

2 groups per woreda/kebele:
Women & Youth | Elders & Religious Leaders

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Sessions

6 sessions per group + wrap-up session

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Facilitators

24 facilitators (2 per group)

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Participants

20 participants per group

Timeline & Coverage

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Duration

June - September 2025

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Coverage

12 sites across Dire Dawa and Harar

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Completion

All 6th sessions completed + wrap-up sessions organized

Session Objectives

1Session 1

Build trust and establish dialogue purpose

2-3Sessions 2–3

Identify peace challenges, explore root causes, and prioritize issues

4Session 4

Deepen root cause analysis and map stakeholders

5Session 5

Build shared understanding of prioritized issues

6Session 6

Develop concrete peace actions with implementation plans

✓Wrap-up

Summarize outcomes, discuss sustainability, and assign committees

Key Issues Identified

Participants identified youth as main conflict drivers, with root causes including:

  • Drug addiction & unemployment
  • Lack of economic opportunities
  • Football disputes & perceived injustice
  • Poor governance & inflation
  • Migration-related insecurity
  • Poor parenting normalizing violence

Dialogue in Action - Photos

Dire Dawa Woreda 01 Dire Dawa Woreda 01
Dire Dawa Woreda 05 Dire Dawa Woreda 05
Facilitators Leading Discussion Facilitators Leading Discussion
Community Members Sharing Community Members Sharing
Harar - Shenkor Woreda Harar - Shenkor Woreda
Harar Aboker Woreda Harar Aboker Woreda
Youth Participation Youth Participation
Community Leaders Engaged Community Leaders Engaged

Accomplished Activities

Building capacity, strengthening relationships, and creating lasting impact—phase by phase.

Phase 1

Facilitators Selection

Selected community members with local knowledge, trust, and commitment to peace as dialogue facilitators.

Selection Process Selection Process
Interview Sessions Interview Sessions
Orientation Orientation
Team Formation Team Formation
Phase 2

Conflict Analysis Workshop

Systematic analysis of root causes, dynamics, and stakeholders through community mapping.

Workshop Sessions
Conflict Mapping
Group Analysis
Presentation
Phase 3

Facilitators Training

Comprehensive training on dialogue facilitation, conflict transformation, and community engagement.

Training Sessions Training Sessions
Role Playing Role Playing
Skills Practice Skills Practice
Group Exercise Group Exercise
Phase 4

Stakeholders Meetings

Engaged government officials, community leaders, and civil society to build ownership and support.

Dire Dawa Meeting Dire Dawa Meeting
Harar Meeting Harar Meeting
Discussion Discussion
Commitments Commitments
Phase 5

Women's Capacity Building

Empowered women as peace agents, leaders, and mediators in their communities.

Women's Training Women's Training
Leadership Skills Leadership Skills
Group Work Group Work
Empowerment Empowerment
Phase 6

Facilitators Review Meeting

Assessed progress, addressed challenges, and refined approaches based on field realities.

Review Session Review Session
Experience Sharing Experience Sharing
Planning Planning
Team Building Team Building
Phase 7

Duty Bearers Workshop

Strengthened government officials' role in supporting community-led peace initiatives.

Workshop Workshop
Officials Training Officials Training
Collaboration Collaboration
Action Planning Action Planning
Phase 8

School Peace Club Training

Established peace clubs to cultivate a culture of peace among youth and future leaders.

Youth Training Youth Training
Peace Club Launch Peace Club Launch
Activities Activities
Student Leaders Student Leaders
Phase 9

Mediation Training

Equipped facilitators and community members with mediation skills for peaceful conflict resolution.

Mediation Skills Mediation Skills
Practice Sessions Practice Sessions
Case Studies Case Studies
Certification Certification
Phase 10

Reflection & Outcome Harvesting

Systematic documentation of changes, outcomes, and impact stories emerging from the dialogue process.

Reflection Session Reflection Session
Story Collection Story Collection
Analysis Analysis
Documentation Documentation
Phase 11

Recognition Event

Celebrated achievements, recognized contributions, and honored the dedication of facilitators and community champions.

Celebration Celebration
Award Ceremony Award Ceremony
Community Appreciation Community Appreciation
Closing Remarks Closing Remarks

Peace Actions

Communities took ownership of peace through concrete actions that transformed relationships and built lasting harmony.

Peace Action 02A
Community-led initiative addressing local tensions through dialogue and joint activities.
Dire Dawa
Peace Action 02B
Grassroots peace building efforts bringing divided communities together.
Dire Dawa
Peace Action 07
Youth-led peace initiatives creating positive change in schools and neighborhoods.
Harar
Peace Action 06
Intergenerational dialogue bridging age gaps and sharing wisdom.
Harar
Peace Festival - Dire Dawa
Grand celebration bringing together all communities in a powerful display of unity.
Festival
Peace Festival - Harar
Cultural celebration showcasing diversity and shared commitment to peace.
Festival

Best Practices

Two innovations emerged as sustainable models for long-term peace building that can be replicated and scaled.

Mediation Hub Inauguration

The establishment of a permanent community mediation hub represents a breakthrough in sustainable peace infrastructure.

  • Trained mediators available to community members
  • Safe, neutral space for conflict resolution
  • Free and accessible services
  • Community ownership and management
  • Integration with traditional justice systems

Why it's a best practice: Creates lasting institutional capacity for peace beyond the project lifecycle.

School Peace Club Sustainability

Youth-led peace clubs have become self-sustaining engines of positive change in schools and communities.

  • Student leadership and peer education model
  • Integration into school curriculum
  • Mentorship from trained facilitators
  • Regular activities and campaigns
  • Partnerships with parents and community

Why it's a best practice: Cultivates a culture of peace among future leaders with minimal ongoing resources.

Major Outcomes

12 transformative outcomes from our community dialogue process

01
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Enhanced Community Solidarity

Communities pooled resources and supported each other in peacebuilding efforts.

02
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Improved Social Responsibility

Increased collective action and responsibility for peace among community members.

03
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Local Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

Communities established sustainable mechanisms for resolving conflicts locally.

04
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Expanded Livelihood Opportunities

Peacebuilding created pathways to economic opportunities for community members.

05
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Restorative Justice for Vulnerable Groups

Vulnerable groups gained access to fair and restorative justice processes.

06
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Youth Conflict Transformation Capacity

Youth developed skills to transform conflicts in their communities.

07
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Enhanced Leadership Skills

Facilitators and leaders gained advanced skills in dialogue and peacebuilding.

08
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Increased Women's Participation

Women's voices and participation in local governance significantly increased.

09
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Strengthened Social Cohesion

Communities developed stronger bonds and support systems.

10
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EDI Institutional Learning

EDI enhanced organizational capacity through project implementation.

11
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Improved Community Security

Communities experienced improved security and peaceful coexistence.

12
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Strengthened Trust and Ownership

Increased trust and stronger ownership of peacebuilding processes.

Voices of Change

Real stories from community members whose lives were transformed through dialogue and reconciliation

Eleni's Story

A woman's inspiring journey from victim to peace champion, transforming her own trauma into a source of healing and hope for others in her community.

"My pain became my purpose. I help others find peace because I found it myself."

Personal Transformation

Challenges During Project Implementation

Every transformative journey faces obstacles. Here's how we confronted and learned from ours.

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Identifying Suitable Dialogue Facilitators

The Challenge

Identifying suitable dialogue facilitators from the woredas was challenging.

Our Response

This was mitigated by engaging local institutions such as edir.

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Selecting Willing and Targeted Participants

The Challenge

Selecting willing and targeted participants was difficult.

Our Response

Strong facilitator follow-up and continuous outreach helped address this.

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Venue Availability

The Challenge

Venue availability posed challenges.

Our Response

These were resolved through consultation with woreda offices and participants.

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Youth Participant Disruption

The Challenge

Some youth participants initially disrupted the dialogue.

Our Response

Setting ground rules and clarifying objectives improved engagement.

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Political Tensions

The Challenge

Political tensions in Dire Dawa and Harar affected the process.

Our Response

Coordination with government bodies helped mitigate this.

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Expectation Management

The Challenge

Participants expected immediate solutions.

Our Response

Clear communication managed expectations.

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Government Bureaucracy

The Challenge

Government bureaucracy slowed coordination.

Our Response

Repeated follow-up helped ease the process.

Lessons Learned

Wisdom gained from the field that will guide future peacebuilding efforts

1

Context Matters

Conditions vary even within the same region—what works in one area may need adaptation in another.

Key Insight

Each community has unique dynamics. Adaptation is essential, even within the same region.

2

Plan for Sustainability from the Start

Sustainability must be planned from the beginning, not as an afterthought.

Key Insight

Embed sustainability strategies from day one to ensure communities can continue independently.

3

Facilitator Capacity Is Critical

Dialogue effectiveness depends heavily on facilitator capacity.

Key Insight

Comprehensive training and ongoing support for facilitators is essential for success.

4

Patience Is Essential

Patience is essential—building trust and transforming conflicts takes time.

Key Insight

Rushing the process undermines progress and community ownership. Trust cannot be rushed.

5

Communities Are Powerful Peacebuilders

Communities are powerful peacebuilders when given the opportunity and support.

Key Insight

Empowered communities with the right tools become the most effective agents of change.

Poem by

Yitagesu Tamerat

Aboker Woreda - Harar Dialogue participant

Continue the Journey

The work of peace building continues. Explore the full documentation, connect with our team, and join us in building bridges across communities.

Download Full Report Contact EDI