scholarly journals A trans-scalar approach to peacebuilding and transitional justice: Insights from the Democratic Republic of Congo

2021 ◽  
pp. 001083672110594
Author(s):  
Sara Hellmüller
Keyword(s):  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Peace Research ◽  
Local Point ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Peace research has taken a local turn. Yet, conceptual ambiguities, risks of romanticization, and critiques of co-option of the “local” point to the need to look for novel ways to think about the interactions of actors ranging from the global to the local level. Gearoid Millar proposes a trans-scalar approach to peace based on a “consistency of purpose” and a “parity of esteem” for actors across scales. This article analyzes the concept of trans-scalarity in the peace process in Ituri, a province in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Drawing on qualitative data from more than a year of research in the DRC, I argue that while a trans-scalar approach was taken to end violence, it was not applied to transitional justice initiatives. The result was a negative, rather than a positive peace. By showing the high, but still untapped, potential of trans-scalarity, the article makes three contributions. First, it advances the debate on the local turn by adding empirical insights on trans-scalarity and further developing the concept’s theoretical foundations. Second, it provides novel empirical insights on the transitional justice process in the DRC. Third, it links scholarship on peacebuilding and transitional justice, which have often remained disconnected.

scholarly journals Can Traditional Authority Improve the Governance of Forestland and Sustainability? Case Study from the Congo (DRC)

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliezer Majambu ◽  
Salomon Mampeta Wabasa ◽  
Camille Welepele Elatre ◽  
Laurence Boutinot ◽  
Symphorien Ongolo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Traditional Leaders ◽  
Vested Interests ◽  
Customary Rights

With about 107 million hectares of moist forest, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a perfect paradox of a natural resources endowed country caught in repeated economic and socio-political crises. Democratic Republic of Congo possesses about 60% of the Congo basin’s forest on which the majority of its people rely for their survival. Even if the national forest land in the countryside is mainly exploited by local populations based on customary rights, they usually do not have land titles due to the fact that the state claims an exclusive ownership of all forest lands in the Congo basin including in DRC. The tragedy of “bad governance” of natural resources is often highlighted in the literature as one of the major drivers of poverty and conflicts in DRC. In the forest domain, several studies have demonstrated that state bureaucracies cannot convincingly improve the governance of forestland because of cronyism, institutional weaknesses, corruption and other vested interests that govern forest and land tenure systems in the country. There are however very few rigorous studies on the role of traditional leaders or chiefdoms in the governance of forests and land issues in the Congo basin. This research aimed at addressing this lack of knowledge by providing empirical evidence through the case study of Yawalo village, located around the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From a methodological perspective, it used a mixed approach combining both qualitative (field observations, participatory mapping, interviews, focal group discussions, and desk research,) and quantitative (remote sensing and statistics) methods. The main findings of our research reveal that: (i) vested interests of traditional rulers in the DRC countryside are not always compatible with a sustainable management of forestland; and (ii) influential users of forestland resources at the local level take advantage of traditional leaders’ weaknesses—lack of autonomy and coercive means, erratic recognition of customary rights, and poor legitimacy—to impose illegal hunting and uncontrolled forest exploitation.

scholarly journals Exploring Manhood, Masculinities and the Roles of Men Regarding Pregnancy and Childbirth in a Humanitarianized War Zone of Easter Democratic Republic of Congo

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicien Maisha
Keyword(s):  
Prenatal Care ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Men’S Involvement

This study aims to understand men and masculinities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where violence, armed conflicts, and the inability of the state to meet the basic needs of its population have justified the presence of heavy humanitarian aid interventions and probably shaped men’s behaviors. Through this study, I seek to place men first in their local socio-cultural context in order to analyze their behavior and the roles men are called to play within their community. I put my particular attention on the global health agenda and guidelines interrogating how they materialize at the local level, taking the example of the push to increase so-called men’s involvement in prenatal care service. The following questions helped me to explore issues regarding masculinities in Goma and Kanyarutshinya. Who do we call a man? How does one become or un-become a man in the context of Goma and Kanyarutshinya, two specific locations where I conducted my research. Using ethnographic participant observation, I also collected my data using in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussion, life histories, and archival data. My analysis of the data collected has shown that war and armed conflict have deteriorated the status of men in the region and consequently, they felt deprived of their masculinity. Men living in a rural setting were attached to the local traditional values defining masculinity and these motivated their behaviors. In urban areas, on the contrary, men were more exposed to intercultural practices and had easy access to media and modern communication channels and were less concerned with local values of masculinities. Everywhere, the precariousness of masculinity was observed; men, despite their efforts to avoid losing their masculinity used the so-called well-known concept of 'debrouillez-vous', failed despite everything. Finally, I found that the call for ‘men’s involvement’ regarding pregnancy and childbirth in Goma and Kanyarutshinya using the international guidelines was almost irrelevant because men were already involved using the local standards. However, the biomedical prenatal care for men in Goma called CPN Papa failed to meet men’s expectations and rejected them, thereby undermining the program’s goals.

The Role of Gender in Agent Banking: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Chamboko ◽  
Robert Cull ◽  
Xavier Gine ◽  
Soren Heitmann ◽  
Fabian Reitzug ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Republic Of Congo

Creative Reconstruction: A Systematic Approach to Reinventing Large Cities in Democratic Republic of Congo

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1485-1497
Author(s):  
Mia Nsokimieno Misilu Eric
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Capital City ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Current State ◽  
Legacy Cities

The current state of large cities in Democratic Republic of Congo highlights the necessity of reinventing cities. More than fifty years after the independence, these major cities, like Kinshasa the capital city, are in a state of are in a state of disrepair. They are damaged, dysfunctional, and more vulnerable. Today, these legacy cities do not meet the international requirements of livable cities. Democratic Republic of Congo faces the challenge of rebuilding its cities for sustainability. The movement for independence of African countries enabled the shift from colonial cities to legacy cities. It is important to understand the cultural and ideological foundations of colonial city. Commonly, colonial cities served as purpose-built settlements for the extraction and transport of mineral resources toward Europe. What's required is a creative reconstruction to achieve a desired successful urban change. Creative reconstruction tends to ensure urban transformation in relation with urbanization, by making continuous and healthy communities. Creative reconstruction seems appropriate way of building back cities in harmony with cultural values. The article provides a framework for urban regeneration. The study is based on principle of thinking globally and acting locally in building back better cities.

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