Grass-Roots Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: A Case Study of Mosintuwu Women’s School in Poso District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Author(s): Putri Ariza Kristimanta
Date: 2021
Topics: Conflict Prevention, Gender
Countries: Indonesia
Many works of conflict resolution and peacebuilding focus on the Government or top-level leadership efforts. However, peace efforts require a comprehensive approach that is simultaneously conducted at the grass-roots level. This study examined a case study of a grass-roots peacebuilding movement in a post-conflict society, in the Poso District, where a communal conflict occurred (1998–2001). The Mosintuwu Women’s School, scattered in fourteen sub-districts and forty-two villages of the Poso District, in the Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, implemented the peace education, trauma healing, and social training for grass-roots women. This study aims to explore the contribution of this Women’s School and the participation of grass-roots women in peacebuilding. The theories used in this study are grass-roots peacebuilding, women in peacebuilding, and peace education. This study is a case study with a qualitative approach. The sources of data are from qualitative interviews, observation, and documents. The study proves that grass-roots movements are essential to peacebuilding efforts because of their contribution to creating sustainable peace, restoring social conditions, implementing peace treaties, disseminating peace issues, establishing a culture of peace, teaching the understanding of conflict and peace, and facilitating societal independence. The study also proves that grass-roots women play a critical role in peacebuilding because they prioritise transformation, female empowerment, healing and forgiveness, and also uphold gender justice and equality. The suggestion put forward is that the Government should integrate grass-roots movements as a part of peacebuilding efforts.