Peacebuilding work: the CRS approach

“Peacebuilding is creating the opportunity for shared experiences,” Todd Walters, activist and adjunct professor, told our workshop class. The workshop was a 2-credit course on Peacemaking and the Environment, and concluded last weekend. It was an incredible learning experience that I will write more about in another blog post. Essentially, peacebuilding is a social, political, economic and environmental movement striving for transformation from conflict to a state of harmony, functional tolerance, and peace. As a thriving academic field, it articulates the integration of conflict resolution, international development practice and policy, anthropology, economics, social welfare, and security studies.

But how is peacebuilding actually practiced? In the torrential cycle of militant and structural violence, what actions are being taken, and by who? What are the solutions that peacebuilding offers?

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is spearheading peacebuilding practice through programs not only in Mindanao, but worldwide. The CRS strategy is to “bridge relationships, transform structure, and build peace.” CRS Philippines Peace and Reconciliation program (based in Davao) seeks to address one of the fundamental issues of conflict in Mindanao: land.

Approaching the land conflict, CRS operates through the “A3B” program – Applying the 3 B’s (Binding, Building, and Bridging) to land conflict in Mindanao. The initiative involves a staged approach that is a not linear or sequential, and different processes for different groups.

  1. Binding – Intrapersonal efforts at self transformation, including inter-religious dialogue and trauma healing
  2. Bonding – Training traditional religious leaders, group conflict analysis, organized group celebrations
  3. Bridging –Inter-group reconciliation efforts, such as joint leader training

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CRS is effective in leveraging partnerships to nurture relationships between and within different state and non-state groups. Although founded in the beliefs and institutions of the Catholic Church, CRS is committed to helping everyone. They are effective because they engage in all levels of activity, from the grassroots, to civil society institutions, to top-level government, religious and military leaders. Specifically, they focus human and capital resources into strengthening communication in peace networks, peace education, conflict mitigation in land-related issues, peace and conflict mapping, disaster response, and development assistance

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According to CRS, not all development projects are peacebuilding projects. Many development projects exacerbate competition and corruption over where money gets spent, and cause more community conflict. However, development projects can become peacebuilding work, with the proper set of processes built in to transform relationships.

MIIS students have partnered with CRS before in other fieldwork course with Dr. Iyer and the Center for Conflict Studies. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to have CRS host us in Mindanao. Through their peacebuilding network of partners and allies, we were able to meet incredible individuals and a wide range of peacebuilding actors working to bring peace and inclusion for all people in Mindanao.