Policy Dialogue and Community Conversation

The Policy Dialogue and Community Conversation Department of the Global Peace Bank plays a crucial role in fostering community-level peace-building and conflict resolution. The department organizes community-level conversation units, bringing together diverse groups to engage in meaningful dialogue aimed at resolving conflicts and promoting understanding. To strengthen these efforts, the department recruits and trains community and neighborhood leaders, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to lead peace-building initiatives. By identifying and utilizing traditional peace-building and conflict resolution mechanisms from various ethnocultural groups, the department ensures that these initiatives are culturally relevant and effective.

A key initiative of the department is the promotion of the Global Peace Bank's 'Neighbour First Approach' through practical training programs for neighborhood and community leaders. This approach emphasizes the importance of building strong, peaceful relationships within local communities as a foundation for broader societal harmony. The department also focuses on youth engagement, recruiting and training young people from urban neighborhoods in the principles, values, and approaches of the Global Peace Bank. Additionally, it extends these training programs to students in educational institutions, fostering a new generation of peace advocates. By organizing and training leaders of Global Peace Bank clubs in schools, the department ensures that these values are instilled from an early age.

To support its initiatives, the department identifies academic researchers and educators specializing in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and engages them in training Global Peace Bank staff and community conversation leaders. This knowledge transfer enhances the department’s capacity to execute its Policy Dialogue Strategy effectively. The department also conducts research to identify public policy issues related to peace and uses this information to inform Policy Dialogue forums. By identifying institutions and traditions that hinder peace and peace culture in Ethiopia, the department provides valuable insights to researchers and policymakers, thereby contributing to the development of policies that promote lasting peace.