Activity Report
Holiday Inn, Harare.
30 August, 2019.
9:00am to 16:00hrs.
Introduction
On 5 January, 2018 the Government of Zimbabwe gazetted the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Act (NPRC Act), operationalising the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). Following the operationalization, the NPRC convened consultative meetings across the country with survivors on key issues pertinent for the NPRC to cover. The NTJWG has continuously monitored the work of the NPRC since January 2018. Following the need to develop a kit for survivors to get involved in the work of the NPRC, the NTJWG developed survivors’ and participants’ training manual for survivors to raise awareness about the work of the NPRC in their communities.
The NTJWG convened a workshop to train twenty-four representatives of survivors to become focal points in Harare, Bulawayo, Matebeleland (North and South), Mashonaland (East and West), Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands on how to utilize the training manual to know and participate in the work of the NPRC. This process will allow citizens to be active participants in the work of the NPRC, and to contribute, through the NTJWG, the NPRC’s interventions by ensuring that they are victimcentred.
Objectives
- To equip leaders of survivor groups with tools and skills for effective training of victims of past atrocities;
- To provide survivors of past violations with relevant information and knowledge on the national peace and reconciliation process in order to ensure and encourage informed engagement/participation with the NPRC and
- To promote ownership in the healing process of Zimbabwe through monitoring and reporting on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission’s activities.
Methodology
The NTJWG selected three people selected from Harare, Bulawayo, Matebeleland (North and South), Mashonaland (East and West), Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands on 30 August, 2019 bringing together and train at least twenty-four survivors of past atrocities. These survivors were selected on the basis of their previous participation in NTJWG activities such as previous training, radio programmes and conferences. These were the survivors which the NTJWG has been working with in the past and have been doing TJ work in their communities, including but not limited to victims of political violence, forced evictions, resource conflicts in Chiadzwa, Gukurahundi and operation Murambatsvina. NPRC processes should be victim-centric and the training should also be victim centred.
Participants who participated in the training are now expected to return to their regions and lead training and awareness-raising on the work of the NPRC.
Outcomes of the training
- Equipped leaders of survivor groups with tools and skills for effective training of victims of past atrocities;
- Informed engagement/participation by survivors with the NPRC;
- Increased ownership in the healing process of Zimbabwe by survivors through involvement in the NPRC’s activities and
- Enhanced survivors’ understanding of NPRC processes and motivated communities which participate, document through measures that ensure the participation of survivors in ensuring non-recurrence of past violations.