South Africa’s Community Work Programme: Local Peacebuilding Innovation Within a National Developmental Architecture

Abstract

This article examines South Africa’s Community Work Programme (CWP) as a case study of an attempt to address two key dilemmas facing peacebuilding theory and practise: (a) balancing the need to address immediate and long-term causes of conflict and violence and (b) balancing the need for a large-scale systematic approach whilst creating space for local ownership and agency. Drawing on in-depth case studies of six CWP community interventions, it demonstrates how this national public employment sector programme has been shaped into a vehicle for peacebuilding by local actors. Whilst these initiatives still face resistance to local ownership and innovation, they demonstrate how local agency can integrate national developmental priorities with local safety and security priorities.