Communities need to understand their history and traditions to develop effective strategies, stated human rights defender Josphat Tshuma.
Tshuma spoke at the launch of the book “Community Peacebuilding in Matobo: The Transformative Power of Togetherness,” written by Dr Samukele Hadebe under Masakhaneni Trust.
The book documents the daily life of the Matobo people, the challenges and opportunities they encounter as they make a living, and how they can sustain projects initiated by various organizations even after funding ceases.
Tshuma said the book reflects the experiences of the people in Matobo and the way of life of different communities, offering valuable lessons for development.
“We need to look at the importance of tradition and peacebuilding. Tradition is often misunderstood because we never take the time to understand it. We need to understand where we come from, our history so that we can make decisions for the future and work towards development,” Tshuma said.
“Peacebuilding is not something small and easy. People quarrel because they don’t understand each other. People hit each other in marriage, fighting with their spouses. Is that our culture? Where does such behaviour come from? Our culture encourages alternative methods to resolve problems instead of fighting.”
Tshuma said there is a need for community unity to combat the social ills of drug and substance abuse, which are devastating to the younger generation.
Speaking at the same event, Matobo traditional leader Chief Fuyana commended the organisation and his community for documenting their way of life.
Chief Fuyana said having written evidence helps people make informed decisions that enhance development.
“We have had various organisations in my community that come to empower people through various projects. The challenge is that once the funding is depleted and the project ends, there is no sustainability. People need to find ways to continue these life-enhancing projects,” he said.
“This book will help us do that as a community. It also focuses on the importance of peacebuilding. One cannot build where there is no peace. So this book is quite important as it addresses all these pertinent issues.”
