Civil Society Engagement with Communities: Tradition, Authority and Transitional Justice in Rural African Communities

Abstract

This chapter discusses engagement between civil society and African communities in pursuit of transitional justice, focusing on the role of civil society in leading and supporting community-based processes. Civil society organisations and transitional justice practitioners have increasingly focused on community-based processes in recent years, both as complements and as alternatives to national processes. While national processes tend to garner more headlines, community initiatives may better reflect the agency of survivors and more effectively unravel the complexities of local power dynamics that lie at the root of conflict. The engagement of civil society organisations with communities is shaped by local culture and power dynamics. The impact of local power dynamics depends on the ability of civil society to engage constructively and thoughtfully with communities and their leadership. This chapter calls attention to two complementary dynamics that shape civil society engagement in rural African communities: the density of local authority structures, and the turn to ideas of ‘tradition’ and associated canons of practice. These features are illustrated through three case studies, including the Fambul Tok process in Sierra Leone, the work of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative in Uganda and the Peace Building Network of Zimbabwe. Finally, the chapter draws out a few preliminary lessons for civil society leaders regarding the importance of ‘due diligence’ in choosing local authority interlocutors and the necessity of interrogating ideas of ‘tradition’ that may shape community-based transitional justice processes.