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Can We Teach Peace and Conflict Resolution? Results from a Randomized Evaluation of the Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in Liberia: A Program to Build Peace, Human Rights, and Civic Participation

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and Yale University researchers studied one of Liberia’s largest peace building programs—the Community Empowerment Program—for answers. The CEP was an intensive community education campaign that focused on civic education, human rights, and community collective action. Above all, the program attempted to impart knowledge and skills to foster dialogue and non-violent conflict resolution.

Overall, the evidence suggests that the education campaign stimulated dialogue and provided some skills and knowledge for non-retributive dispute resolution. This suggests to us that NGOs and governments indeed have the potential to shift norms and paradigms of conflict, especially when the formal rule of law and customary governance are weak.

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Uploaded on: Jun 19, 2017
Last Updated: Jun 20, 2017
Year Published: 2011
Author: Alex Hartman


Resource Tags

Resource Type: Impact Evidence Issues: Community Organizing, Environmental Justice, Family Tool Type: Reports / Research, Training Resources & Popular Education Method: Mediation & Conflict Resolution, Promoting Citizens' Participation in Governance Languages: English Regions: Liberia Nature of Impact: Conflict resolution / Case resolution, Legal Knowledge and Skills, Positive Impact Scale of Intervention/Impact: 1,000 to 10,000 people Institutions Engaged: NGOs Evaluation Method: Randomized Control Trials, Statistical Analysis