Peacebuilding and reconciliation

Currently 40 countries and 100 million people are under threat from conflict, ethnic violence or internal strife. Poverty, inequality and natural disasters are the major causes.

The facts

Since 1989 there have been 103 armed conflicts worldwide, 97 of which were internal. War and violence prevent development and in many cases reverse previous social and economic gains.

Over 90 percent of all war casualties are civilians, with women and children suffering most disproportionately.

Communities affected by war and violence need help fostering the conditions necessary for peace.

Our Caritas approach

Caritas Australia’s peacebuilding and reconciliation programs are conducted in countries involved in both domestic and international conflicts. We also work at a local level on domestic violence or social stigmas related to rape –  which is increasingly being used as a weapon of war – and HIV/AIDS.

Caritas Australia’s response

Caritas Australia and our partners are currently involved in peacebuilding and reconciliation programs in Brazil, Sri Lanka, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea and more.

• Movimento de Defesa do Fevelado (MDF) trains youth to be peacebuilders in Sao Paulo, Brazil in response to an increasing number of children becoming involved in drugs, organised crime and murders. It is hoped these trainees will become the next generation of leaders in their communities.
• The Centre for Communication Training trained 531 people in non-violent communication techniques in Sri Lanka. This program focused on personal transformation and included mediation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution skills which are used to bring divided communities together.
• Caritas Australia’s partners conducted several peace initiatives on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, including a leading role in the Banteay Cease Fire agreement and associated interfaith dialogue.
• An integrated peacebuilding program, consisting of community law development, community policing, skills development and community discussions was conducted in the Gor-Nauro community of Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea.

Real life: helping on the Thai-Burma border

Along the Thai-Burma border, Caritas Australia supports a range of programs for those communities made vulnerable by displacement, violent clashes and inadequate social services. One program, coordinated by our partner – Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), focuses on the vulnerability of Burmese children whose parents have migrated for work.

For many children, language barriers, a lack of documentation, and costly fees prevent them from attending Thai schools. JRS’ community-based learning centres offer migrant children primary education and a bridge into Thailand’s school system. 

Khin, 10, lives in Thailand with her mother and younger brother. Her family is one of an estimated two million people who have fled poverty, violence and instability in Burma. She is in grade four at Ban Klang learning centre. 

Caritas Australia and JRS provide infrastructure, books and tables for students. To enhance their dignity in the classroom, each student also receives a uniform, textbooks, stationery, and lunch every day. 

And Khin has embraced this opportunity to learn, especially Thai and English. “I like to read in school. I like everything about school,” she told us. 

Visit Project Compassion 2012 to read more of Khin's story and view related videos and photos. We also have a range of resources you can use in your school or parish based on Khin and peace. 

Real life: helping in the Philippines

Since the 1970s more than two million people have been displaced and 120,000 killed in Mindanao’s bloody conflict. For decades, the Philippines’ mineral-rich island has been mired by land grabbing, economic exclusion, and a disregard for customary laws and practices that breeds widespread poverty and injustice. 

Today, the island is the Philippines’ poorest: high maternal and child mortality, malnutrition and lack of education are among the many development challenges contributing to insecurity and injustice.

Bae Lisa lives in Mindanao, a Philippines’ island, with her husband and their nine children. Since 2008, we have supported Bae Lisa, a traditional leader of the Talaandig tribe and a ‘mother of peace’ – one of over 300 Indigenous leaders engaged by Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) to work together towards peace.

The program works by building peace from the ground up. Not only does MPC provide urgent humanitarian relief in conflict-affected communities, but also enables Indigenous communities to peacefully protect their traditional lands whilst encouraging robust community participation in the peace process.

Visit Project Compassion 2012 to read more of Bae Lisa's story and view related videos and photos. We also have a range of resources you can use in your school or parish based on Bae Lisa and peace.