Dr Norman Chivasa celebrated his big moment with his wife and his supervisor, Dr S Kaye.PhD Study Examines Peace Building by Communities
Many African countries are plagued by conflict and wars and this prompted Dr Norman Chivasa to conduct research into conflict resolution and peace studies earning himself a PhD from UKZN’s College of Law and Management Studies.
“Peace Building Among Shona Communities in Transition in Zimbabwe: A Participatory Action Research”, was the title of Chivasa’s thesis, supervised by Dr S Kaye.
The study examined the contributions of informal peace committees to peace building in Zimbabwe.
An advocate for peace, Chivasa understands that achieving a peaceful state requires a concerted effort by communities at grass root level. He believes that all individuals have a responsibility to contribute toward piece building.
One of the major themes of the findings of his study was that informal peace committees give communities the opportunity to come together and share ideas and solutions on problems confronting them, resulting in improved relations which also have a positive impact on local economic development.
Chivasa and his family are pleased with his great achievement.
His doctorate has inspired him to start a community-based Peace Building Trust. ‘The main thrust is to inculcate the idea that people should create peace in their communities through the production of food and getting involved in income generating projects.’
Hazel Langa