Southern Highlands Communities Celebrate Launch of Community Peace for Development Plans

Communities in Southern Highlands Province are putting to use new community facilities as they join representatives from government and the International Organisation for Migration in launching their Community Peace for Development Plans (CPDPs).

The plans will now be rolled out in the communities of Daga, Semin, Pomberel, Humbra-Topa and Kumin.

Funded by United Nations Peacebuilding Fund’s Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative and developed with the technical support of IOM, the CPDPs promote the active participation, especially of women and youth, in peace and sustainable development at the local level. Operationalization of these plans include partnering with various stakeholders including the government, non-governmental organizations, private sector and the United Nations, and will ensure the needs, vulnerabilities, priorities, and aspirations of the community members are addressed.

The launches were attended by various stakeholder including local authorities Provincial, District and Local Level authorities, faith-based organization and the UN, and women, youth, men and children from the target community.

“I would like to say thank you IOM for supporting law and order programs in the province, and especially for coming down to our communities,” said Southern Highlands’ Chairman for Law and Order Simon Tolpe. “All magistrates, peace offices and community members are welcomes to use this community hall and promote peace building work in the communities.”

The launch events included the official opening of community halls and water points which were completed in August with assistance from IOM. These community spaces were built by men and women in the local community and will be multi-purpose facilities that serve the unique needs of each of the five communities. The water points provide much needed safe, accessible water.

The launch is the start of an ongoing community-led peace and development program. The CPDP process, predicated on Training for Transformation methodology, is a guided process that facilitated whole-of-community consultations, trainings and discussions which helped the community members to identify and understand triggers and drivers of conflict. It helps communities determine pathways to mitigate conflict, maintain peace and promote sustained community development. The CPDP provides a pathway for peacebuilding and growth through establishing a framework for dispute resolution and a platform for inclusive decision-making on community development, including the identification and prioritization of community development projects.  

Launching of the CPDPs included the opening of multi-purpose community halls and water points installed with support from IOM in response to the community-led projects in all 5 communities. Community halls will be used for various purposes including trainings on peace and conflict mediation, and rainwater points will improve access to safe drinking water among – making it easier especially for women and young people to access water for household uses within their community.