Building trust across divides – strategies, tools, and success stories

What strategies are effective in building confidence and trust between conflicting parties? What role does trust play in healing and reconciliation to arrive at sustainable peace? Without trust, polarization deepens, leading to division, inequality, and widespread violence, as seen in various regions worldwide.

In response to these challenges, Initiatives of Change (IofC) launched the Trustbuilding Program (TBP) in 2019. Delivered across 12 countries, the TBP draws on IofC's 80 years of experience in global peacebuilding and trustbuilding. The program empowers communities to overcome divisions and build social cohesion by focusing on individual transformation. Each project is uniquely designed, owned, and managed by local teams who possess an in-depth understanding of the issues, and the solutions needed.In recognition of its impact, the TBP received the UN Intercultural Innovation Award in 2021.

ICBS supports its members and partners to implement Community-Based Sociotherapy (CBS), an approach developed in Rwanda post genocide and currently delivered in 7 countries. Through CBS, communities become drivers of healing and reconciliation by rebuilding trust, regaining dignity, addressing historical grievances and trauma and transforming social relationships. Critical to the approach is that facilitators are members of the same communities, and all concepts are locally defined and no pre-defined values/ norms are imposed on people, rather these are defined by the group’s members. 

This workshop will introduce participants to effective strategies and tools for building trust. Members of the TBP and ICBS will share success stories, demonstrating how they address past grievances and mistrust to pave the way for peace and social cohesion. Attendees will engage in a reflective exercise, a Q&A session and participate in an audience discussion on their trust building strategies.

Speakers

• Diogene Karangwa - Rwanda General Lead, Institute for Community-Based Sociotherapy (ICBS)
• Talia Smith - Trustbuilding Program Manager, Initiatives of Change International (IofCI)
• Leonid Donos - Trustbuilding Program Ukraine Project Coordinator, Foundations for Freedom

Interpretation

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Live streaming

All events during Geneva Peace Week will be available on-site and online.

Min Organizer

• Initiatives of Change International (IofCI)

Co-Organizers

• Institute for Community-Based Sociotherapy (ICBS)