This study analyzes how the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ) promoted reconciliation and healing in the Zimbabwean context of political conflict and violence from 1979 to 2013. Hypothetically, the study concluded that the church did not participate as effectively in reconciliation and healing processes.
Introduction
Background to the study
This political violence Kriger (2003) and Barnes (2004) suggest that ZANU and the government (the current ruling party led by Robert G. Mugabe) committed atrocities against ZAPU supporters led by Joshua Nkomo in Matabeleland in response to terrorism. and the Midlands Provinces, which became the shameful national episode of Gukurahundi. Kagoro (2005) described how when ZANU-PF lost the constitutional referendum vote in 2000, political violence erupted against followers of Morgan Tsvangirayi's MDC party, which was founded in 1999.
Problem statement
This study guided the church's strategies by documenting what the MCZ did and further seeks to explore why and how it engaged in reconciliation and healing. Specifically, the study analyzes the role of MCZ in reconciliation and healing in the Zimbabwean context of political conflict and violence from 1979 to 2013.
Research questions
As peace building actors and opposition political parties fulfilled their responsibilities, draconian government laws like AIPPA, POSA, NGOA and BSA were introduced which could not be escaped. This study therefore investigated why and how it was involved in the peace building process to initiate sustainable peace.
Motivation for the study
Justification of the study
Purpose of the study
It is guided by the theoretical framework of conflict transformation as described by Lederach's (2001) peacebuilding model and by the research objectives and research questions, as described below.
Research aims and objectives
Hypothesis
Scope of the study
Structure of thesis
This chapter also discusses justice and reconciliation and healing as guidance for how the church carries out reconciliation and healing processes. Chapter four discusses the study's research methods and the research design (sequential mixed method).
Summary
This chapter explores academic arguments that prevail by examining the results in light of the previous findings from the literature review. This chapter reflects on the research objectives, questions and hypothesis statements and highlights how reconciliation and healing were carried out by the church in collaboration with community organizations, the need for reconciliation and healing and the challenges encountered in doing so.
Introduction
Participation of the church in reconciliation and healing
This perspective was useful for assessing the practical role of the church in peace initiatives. This also led to a discussion to establish findings on the church's legacy in peacebuilding.
Need for reconciliation and healing between survivors of political violence
During the 2005 Murabatsvina, or 'Operation Cleansing', the government claimed it was removing illegal structures and criminal elements from towns and cities. The 2008 and 2008 elections were marred by electoral irregularities and violence between ZANU-PF and the MDC.
Civil society organisations that worked together with the church in peace-building
Sisulu, Richard and Kibble (2009) also acknowledged CSOs who collaborated with the church in reconciliation and healing programs in Zimbabwe from 1980-2008. This confirms that the church has been greatly assisted by CSOs in various forms in reconciliation and healing work.
Challenges faced by church while fostering reconciliation and healing
The work of Muchene (2004) notes that challenges have been a reality that limits the effectiveness of the church in building peace. They suggested that the church unite and empower ministers with appropriate education for peace building.
Summary
The writer also emphasized that the church should be above reproach so that internal weaknesses would not be an obstacle to peace-making initiatives. It is therefore important for positive participation in peace building that there are no internal weaknesses in the Zimbabwean church.
Introduction
Conflict Transformation Theories
Paul Lederach’s Peace-building Model
According to Lederach (1997), conflict transformation as a peace-building initiative divides the conflict society into three levels. Paffenholz (2013) asserted that the recurrence and urgency of armed conflict in Angola and Somalia, Yugoslavia and Rwanda confirmed the limitations of externally oriented (top-down) approaches to peacebuilding, so Lederach emphasized the bottom-up/ interior for peace building. in conflict-centered communities.
Other conflict transformation theorists
- Johan Galtung’s TRANSCEND Model
- Raimo Vayrynen’s Analytic Conflict Theory
- Kumar Rupesinghe’s Eleven Points Model
Overall, Galtung's theory helps explain Lederach's insistence that the goal of conflict transformation should be nonviolent, but it is not as holistic as the peacebuilding model. Miall (2007) noted the importance of Vayrynen's theory and Lederach's theory for peace building.
Justice and reconciliation
Regarding the inclusion of reparations in the justice process, the International Institute of Peace (2013), Brown, Almeida and Dharapuram (2009), Mbugua (2011) and Ferstman (2012) all agreed that this should include restitution, compensation , rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition of violence. Bottom-up peace processes do not forget justice, as in the case of Gacaca.
Healing
According to Weaver et al. 2003) and Clinton and Hawkins (2011), pastoral counseling can be individual or group. Lederach's model of peace building has activities and approaches that encourage church participation.
Summary
Introduction
Study setting
According to Creswell (2014), the research setting must be suitable for qualitative research when it involves talking directly to participants, observing and listening. This study was conducted without manipulating or changing the environment when the interviews for the study were conducted, as emphasized by Grove and Fisk (1992).
Study population
In relation to this study, the setting is Zimbabwe in the SADC region of the African continent. Special emphasis was placed on the 8 districts of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe which was autonomously established on 16 October 1977 from the British Methodists as seen by Muwanzi (2007).
Sampling of participants
As stated by Teddlie and Yu (2007), non-probability sampling in this study allowed the identification of participants who had experienced the phenomenon under study in this research. Of the six interviewees, three were former (Presiding Bishop, General Secretary and Lay Chairman) and three current (Presiding Bishop, General Secretary and Lay Chairman) leaders of MCZ.
Research instruments
Questionnaire
In particular, study results may be affected by attrition (participants stop responding) leading to a lack of external validity of the findings. Thus, the questionnaire can be considered both structured and semi-structured (Godfrey, 2016; Gray, 2004), with space for self-opinions.
Interview schedule
In general, as pointed out by Abawi (2013) and Teddlie and Tashakkori (2009), since questionnaires can never be clear to every respondent and it is difficult for the researcher to clarify, results can be compromised. The last part of the questionnaire was an open question for respondents to give their own views and comments.
Procedure
- Questionnaire distribution process
- Interview process
The interview schedule allowed the researcher to be consistent in asking questions and made the data easy to analyze. As suggested by Greene (2014), research trustworthiness was achieved through credibility (triangulation, peer debriefing, negative case analysis, referential adequacy and member checking), transferability, reliability and conformity; these help the researcher avoid bias and increase the reliability of the data collected.
Summary
The phenomena were allowed to "speak for themselves" and sensitivity was adopted to avoid bias and encourage a true understanding of the results. As an insider known to some of the participants, some saw the researcher as a friend, colleague, pastor or counselor.
Introduction
Questionnaire analysis – Scoring and definition of variables
Participation of MCZ in reconciliation and healing process from 1979 to 2013
I have been involved with the church in various peace building initiatives. Counseling was carried out in different forms. As shown by Figure 5.3 above, it is quite evident that, in general, the highest rating regarding the participation of the MCZ according to the trainings, is related to the point "the church provided the humanitarian needs of the victims of violence".
Need for reconciliation and healing
Both perpetrators and victims need reconciliation and healing. The MCZ intervention has reached national political leaders. Physical healing has taken place. Both perpetrators and victims need reconciliation and healing. The MCZ intervention reached national political leaders.
Civil society organisations that worked with MCZ
The lowest rating of 3.6, however, among ministers on 'a number of CSOs came out for coalition with MCZ' was observed. The smallest mean of 3.6 was observed for the item “a number of CSOs came out for coalition with MCZ” among the trained and untrained.
Multiple challenges to the MCZ’s Fostering of Reconciliation and Healing
In terms of issues, poor government legislative reforms as well as insufficient funding registered the highest average of 3.6 among ministers. Poor government legislative reforms was the highest rated with an average of 3.6 among the educated and 3.4 among the uneducated.
Analysis of questionnaire comments
R165 noted that peace building process in Zimbabwe was a product of teamwork between the church and civil society organizations (CSOs). R62 noted that if the church and the government work in harmony, it can promote peace building.
Analysis of interviews
P1 highlighted the role of church mission schools (Thekwani, Tinde, Matchinge, Waddilove, Pakame, Sandringham, Moleli, Kwenda and Chemhanza) which enrolled children from all communities. The Church itself failed to prepare a healthy budget for building peace (14).
Summary
The church is here and has never closed up shop, is back to the roots where people are, pastors have never given up even though some died in the process” (P6). Canaan Banana agreed to hand over power to Mugabe and played a role in the 1987 Unity Agreement in the government between ZAPU and ZANU-PF, which involved the church as an institution and as an individual in peace-building initiatives (P16).
Introduction
These explored academic arguments that prevailed by viewing results in light of the previous results. As has been referred to earlier, triangulation of questionnaire and interview results and a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches provide a more complete understanding of a research problem than either approach would have done alone.
Questionnaire results
- Participation of MCZ in reconciliation and healing process from 1979 to 2013
- Need for reconciliation and healing
- Civil society organisations that worked together with MCZ in peace-building
- Multiple challenges faced by the MCZ in fostering reconciliation and healing
The minutes of the MCZ conference (2013) confirmed that the church failed in this regard due to lack of financial resources and lack of political will. The findings of the minutes of the MCZ conference (1996) showed that training in peacebuilding awareness workshops took place at different levels of the church.
Interview results
Participation of MCZ in reconciliation and healing process from 1979 to 2013
- Effective participation
- Conceptualisation of reconciliation
- Engagement leaders of opposing political parties
- Establishment of social services centres
- Provision of humanitarian needs
- Training workshops
- Counselling
- Religious reconciliatory and forgiveness gatherings
- Memorial and reburial services
- Communication by literature production
The minutes of MCZ (2002) mention the involvement of politicians at the invitation of the church in the 2002 MCZ conference. The research showed that the church participated in fulfilling its transformative role as the conscience of the nation.
Need for reconciliation and healing
- Reconciling survivors of political violence
- Advocacy for peace and justice
- Levels of community targeted
- Legacy of church on peace-building
Research results from P4 and P9 indicated that the involvement of the church in peace building was an integral part of fulfilling its role to advocate for peace and justice. Consequently, the aim for the church's involvement was advocacy for peace and justice as a channel for peace building.
Civil society organisations that worked together with MCZ in peace-building
- Team work
Also according to Gundani (2008), the church's call for a new constitution was of great importance. According to Saki and Katema (2011), non-state actors bring social order to society with different approaches and capabilities, as they can unite for peace and justice despite challenges.
Challenges faced by MCZ in fostering reconciliation and healing in Zimbabwe.141
- Inadequate funding
- Fear of victimisation
- Lack of a social justice desk
- Lack of political will
- Poor government legislative reforms
- Divisions over partisan politics
- Lack of public counselling centres
- Lack of professional personnel
- Lack of truth-telling
The results of the study revealed a lack of political will as another external weakness of the church as stated in P1, P6 and P11. The lack of a social justice office was another identified internal weakness of the church, as reported by the survey results.
Limitations of the study
Conditions must be in place such as legislative reform, political will, transformative and restorative justice, civil community involvement, consensus building, truth telling, education for national healing and reconciliation, trauma research, trauma and grief counseling, special healing places and community intervention programs, memorialization and ritualization as well as funding. Other areas could not be obtained and the focus had to be on what was attainable.
Summary
The intent for the church in peacebuilding was to advocate for justice to end violence, restore the rule of law, deal with perpetrators and victims, and other human rights abuses in an effort to promote reconciliation and healing. The process of peace building by the church was linked to the thrust of Lederach's concept of reconciliation and also focused on ending impunity for human rights violations, promoting reparations, installing a legacy for long-term reconciliation and political transformation.
Introduction
Summary
The porter's permission was requested, there was collection and management of data from questionnaires and interviews although challenges were faced. Quantitative data from the questionnaires were processed in SPSS, presented in tables and graphs, using a five-point Likert-type scale and non-parametric analysis which is descriptive.
Major findings
Restorative justice was not effective; instead, an amnesty was upheld to protect government perpetrators who prevented the church from effectively cooperating. In addition, the church has failed to mobilize funds for a sustainable budget due to the economic collapse in the country.
Conclusions
This facility assists the church and is a mechanism for managing social justice matters without fear or compromise and with legal support. The study concluded that when the church participated in peacebuilding processes, various initiatives were used that were relevant to the prerequisites of the theoretical framework of conflict transformation based on Lederach's model of peacebuilding.
Recommendations
Recommendations for MCZ management
The church must not stop praying for the country and preparing people to forgive each other. The church should ensure that counseling is followed as a comprehensive course and not only as a subject by ministers in training.
Recommendations for future research
Given the level of atrocities committed in Zimbabwe and compared to other contexts that have managed to address human rights violations of that magnitude, it is crucial that the government heeds the suggestion of the church and civil society organizations regarding the implementation of a Truth and Reconciliation Treaty. Commission because true reconciliation cannot be experienced unless the truths about past mistakes are shared. The Church, National Healing and Reconciliation in Zimbabwe: A Female Perspective on Churches in Manicaland (CIM).
Glossary of terms
Methodist Church in Zimbabwe – “an autonomous community of Christian believers within the denominational church geographically known as Methodist in Zimbabwe, founded on 16 October 1977” (Muwanzi 2012: 18). Minister – “a person within the Methodist Church who has been accepted into full service, recognized and regarded as such a minister under the provisions contained in the Act of Church Order” (MCZ, 2007: 28).
Application for Gatekeeper’s letter
Gatekeeper’s Permission Letter
Ethical Clearance letter
Informed Consent Form
Interview Schedule
Research Questionnaire
