News
Conference on local knowledge for peace
March 6, 2005. On 4 and 5 March, the Conflict Research Unit held a conference on the use of local knowledge for peace building processes. This event was co-organised by the Netherlands Development Assistance Research Council (RAWOO) and was held at the request of Ms. Agnes van Ardenne, the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation.
There is lots of research on contemporary conflicts, the organisers acknowledged, but too often local views and local research are ignored. Local analysis can be an excellent source of information and analytical debate itself can be a window of opportunity for constructive transformation processes. On the other hand, local research may be biased or inadequate? How do we deal with these questions and how can we optimise the use of local knowledge. Representatives from Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Rwanda were invited to present their experiences and engage in debate.