The Role of the Church in Peacebuilding in Zimbabwe from 2008 to 2012: A Case of Zimbabwe Council of Churches and Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference

Abstract

Conflict has many negative impacts on both social and economic development and where it exists there cannot be any meaningful development. The church as an institution has played a very important role in conflict resolution in the past and continues to be a major player. The role of the church in conflict resolution and peace building cannot be over emphasized. This study sought to investigate the role that the church played in peace building in Zimbabwe during the harmonized elections of 2008 up to 2012.The purpose of this study was to examine and understand the role of the church in peace building in Zimbabwe. Peace building is a long term process which suffices through the engagement of a host of stakeholders for a lasting peace. The study used in-depth interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions as data collection methods. Purposive sampling was used to isolate informants who would be meaningful in the study; 48 informants participated in the investigation and were drawn from Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), Heal Zimbabwe Trust, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, ONHRI and pastors and members affiliated to ZCC and ZCBC. Key findings were that the church is an important institution in peace building and plays a major role in the reconciliation of people. Conclusions made were that the church is actively engaged in peace building within their own environments and without church involvement peace building can remain a far-fetched concept. Recommendations are that the church should actively work with Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI ) in peace building programs and train more actors within and outside the church and use its ambivalence for effectiveness. The church should advocate for peace building to be included in schools starting from tender ages, that is , pre-school. The areas of future study could focus on the effectiveness of church initiatives in peace building.