Building capacity for sustainable peace in Malawi

To resolve conflict, Malawi has relied on a constitutional commitment to using non-violent means and the application of traditional conflict management mechanisms such as negotiation.

Since independence in 1964, Malawi has relied on traditional means of dispute resolutions which served Malawi reasonably well and the country has maintained relative peace and prosperity. In more recent years, however, the country has witnessed a growing trend of rising conflict and the increasing fragility of peace.

Grievances over widespread poverty, unemployment, and social inequalities have manifested in outbreaks of violence. Without political consensus on reform priorities, efforts to resolve differences through negotiation and traditional methods have fallen short and Malawi’s long-term stability is under threat.

The Government of Malawi has responded to this challenge by seeking to institutionalize a mechanism for sustainable peace through a National Peace Architecture (NPA).

Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the NPA is a national initiative that will provide an institutionalised platform for proactive collaborative dialogue, peace building and conflict prevention in Malawi.

The NPA is led and implemented by the government of Malawi, primarily for the purpose of development and promoting national ownership and capacities for sustainable peace.

Original source: UNV
Published on 31 January 2019