Aid on Spreadsheets

ZOA Community-based social therapy - ZOA Community based social therapy

Sweden's Embassy in Monrovia has received a request from ZOA for support for the project "Peacebuilding and Reconciliation through Community Dialogues: Strengthening Social Cohesion and Civic Trust in Five Counties, Liberia" for the period 2017-2020. The contribution includes carrying out the evidence-based method "Community- based social therapy " which is a form of social group therapy for communities. The aim of these social group therapy sessions is to build trust among the participants and to communicate tools for dealing with difficult memories and traumatic experiences from the war, as well as proving tools for conflict resolution and communication. There are positive results from, for example Rwanda, where this apporach was first introduced. ZOA also trains local civil servants and civil society leaders in the CBS method and facilitates platforms for dialogue for community residents and local leaders, both formal and traditional. A part of the project also includes engaging teachers and schoolchildren in so-called "peace clubs". The overall goal of the contribution is to contribute to reconciliation and peace building through community dialogues. To achieve this, ZOA works at four different levels: i) individual level: improved individual psychosocial health and well-being; ii) family level: improved family dynamics, including increased gender equality; iii) social level: strengthened and improved social dynamics from grassroots level, within and between target groups; iv) civic participation and trust: increased involvement of citizens as well as improved relationships between citizens and local authorities. The project has undergone a pilot phase that has been evaluated and shows that these four levels contribute to conflict resolutionand reconciliation at local and national level.

Project ID

SE-0-SE-6-5124003201-LBR-15220

Activity status

2 - Implementation

Aid type

C01 - Project-type interventions

% to Liberia

100.00

Organisations

Implementing

INTERNATIONAL NGO

Funding

Sweden

Extending

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Accountable

ZOA

CRS code	%
Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution (15220)	100.0