Angola’s history of chronic conflict dates back to the beginning of the 1961 liberation war through to the ceasefire in 2002. In an effort to minimize potential social conflict prior to the 2008 and 2009 elections, Development Workshop together with its civil society and church-based partners developed a series of programs aimed at encouraging dialogue and tolerance among local actors and war-affected communities in each of Angola’s 18 provinces.
DW’s peacebuilding programme was launched in December 1998 during the same month that the Lusaka Peace Process collapsed and Angola entered its final destructive phase of conflict. DW hosted a meeting of the major civil society and religious institutions including CICA, CEAST, AEA and FONGA resulting in the founding of the Angola Peacebuilding Programme (PCP). In the post-war period the PCP focused its energies on reconciliation of communities and reintegration of demobilized soldiers and their families. The PCP partners joined forces in the period leading up to elections in order to ensure that the democratic process would not provoke local conflicts and lead to a breakdown in the peace process as had the last elections in 1992.
In 2005 DW and its former PCP member institutions, mounted a renewed partnership focused on Civic Education. Via electoral training, education, adult literacy, conflict resolution and instituting organized participative planning at the local community level, DW has successfully supported its partners’ work of preparing Angola for elections.
Angola Listening Project
Author: CDA Collaborative Learning Projects. The Listening Project (LP) organized a two-week field visit to Angola in November 2006. Catholic Relief Services, Development Workshop, and CARE International collaborated with CDA …
Read moreOndaka
Ondaka, a monthly bulletin published with DW’s support, has been a cornerstone in increasing adult literacy among communities. We started production in 2001 and will continue to do so. This …
Read moreSurviving the Peace
This is substantive issues paper that was prepared as a backgrounder for the dialogue. The paper outlined the key issues to be explored in addressing the transition gap, articulated some …
Read moreAngola Case Study: The Challenges of Post-Conflict Transition
Author: Allan Cain. Presented at Surviving the Peace – Better Canadian Responses to Post-Conflict Transition Needs in Africa Conference in Ottawa. Angola has failed three times to consolidate successive peace …
Read moreSociedade Civil & Reabilitação Comunitária no Pós-guerra de Angola
Author: Allan Cain. Apresentado na Mesa Redonda sobre Doadores Internacionais e Sociedade Civil Implicações na Recuperação de Angola e nos Deslocados. Este documento analisa os desafios colocados pela reconstrução do …
Read moreHumanitarian & Development Actors in Angola as Peacebuilders?
Author: Allan Cain. Published in the Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE), Number 90, Volume 28. The article argues that despite ample justification for donor fatigue, the international community has, …
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