Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Peace (MoP) organised two-session platforms on peace initiatives to develop roadmaps for community engagement in Moyale area, Oromia Region. More than 90 (12 women) representatives comprising influential figures from among the community, the Woreda Peace and Administration Office, and Peace Committees attended the platform.

The platform engaged communities in the two woredas to jointly identify customary strategies to ensure long lasting peace and coexistence in their localities. Community Early Warning Response (CEWR) committees and focal persons participated in implementation of the strategy in all neighbouring kebeles. As part of this effort, the project successfully introduced the CEWR system and built the capacities and awareness of the committees and focal persons so they can gather, organize and analyse conflict-related data, and become involved in the final response and report process.

The two-session platform consisted of an orientation and revitalization to empower focal persons and CEWR committee members to jointly plan and implement strategies to ensure lasting peace and coexistence among the two communities. The project, “Enhance a bottom-up policy engagement of citizens and CSOs to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development” is being implemented by CCRDA and its partners in Amhara, Somali and Oromia regions.