Comments on: Putting our Heads Together http://www.crsfairtrade.org/2008/03/16/putting-our-heads-together/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:53:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Hedley http://www.crsfairtrade.org/2008/03/16/putting-our-heads-together/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Hedley Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:37:27 +0000 http://fairtrade.crs-blog.org/fairtrade/putting-our-heads-together/#comment-136 In the field of peacebuilding there at least two truisms. One - unresolved conflict does not simply go away when combatants put down their weapons. The difficult work of reconciling broken communities usually takes place after peace accords are signed, usually through focused work that does not shy away from talking about contentious issues. The second truism is that seeking opportunities to explore and meet common needs will aid this reconciliation process. This is the work that the Mirembe Kawomera cooperative models for us. In many respects it would be easier for the cooperative to come together to simply meet a need, probably economic. In doing so they would miss an opportunity to transform their conflict rather than simply manage it. I want to commend Mirembe Kawomera as an example of true Conflict Transformation and a great way to build peace, one cup of coffee at a time... In the field of peacebuilding there at least two truisms. One – unresolved conflict does not simply go away when combatants put down their weapons. The difficult work of reconciling broken communities usually takes place after peace accords are signed, usually through focused work that does not shy away from talking about contentious issues.

The second truism is that seeking opportunities to explore and meet common needs will aid this reconciliation process.

This is the work that the Mirembe Kawomera cooperative models for us. In many respects it would be easier for the cooperative to come together to simply meet a need, probably economic. In doing so they would miss an opportunity to transform their conflict rather than simply manage it.

I want to commend Mirembe Kawomera as an example of true Conflict Transformation and a great way to build peace, one cup of coffee at a time…

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