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IN NIGER, FARMERS AND PASTORALISTS WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE DISPUTE

The people in Niger faced continued insecurity to their lives and livelihood due to weak rule of law and inter-communal violence that resulted in the displacement of entire communities. UNICEF and UNHCR provided critical assistance to help cover gaps in peacebuilding by joining forces with the government on national and cross-border initiatives. Farmer-pastoralist conflicts reduced as women and youth trained as peacebuilders in the conflict-prone regions. More than 350 community groups ＆Dimitra Clubs＊ established in 60 villages with more than 10,000 members, addressed challenges within communities and aided women in assuming leadership positions in conflict prevention and mediation.?

In the small town of Fabidji in the Dosso region in Niger, local disagreements between herders and farmers fueled by competition over resources created significant tensions within communities. As conflicts became recurrent and threatened the peaceful coexistence of communities, the?community clubs 'Dimitra＊ engaged women in central roles as mediators in conflict prevention.

※Since we started our mediations, the farmers accepted the passage of cattle in their fields thanks to the creation of the passage corridors. Peace between farmers and herders has been re-established,§ Ramatou, woman mediator in the Dimitra Club, Niger.

※Each club meets separately to discuss specific issues in a safe space," explains Abdoulaye, a farmer. "Then, all the clubs get-together together in a village and prioritize the problems and find solutions. We have been able to restore dialogue among ourselves as we don't want to be dependent on outside support to solve our issues."
※Since the establishment of the Dimitra Clubs, and the interventions of the women mediators, we have had the best harvest this year as the animals did not destroy the fields. This has also brought peace in our homes" another farmer added.

Neighboring villagers interested to know more about the clubs' work attended village assemblies. "When we saw how these clubs had an impact in Fabidji, we decided to create Dimitra clubs in our village," said Mariama, a young woman from the neighboring community. "Our girls and young women faced harassment by men. With the Dimitra club, all young women joined forces and explained the issue during a village assembly. We, as young women, now feel safe and empowered to express our concerns."

Dialogue and peaceful coexistence is?a major growth area for the PBF, following the response to the Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace Resolutions to engage earlier with a greater focus on prevention. The PBF increased its investments from $95.7 million in 2017 to $123.7 million in 2019, totaling $362 million, or 68 % of its portfolio. From Mali to C?te d＊Ivoire and the Central African Republic, the PBF facilitated the inclusion of marginalized groups, countered hate speech and other divisive practices, and invested in civic education. It promoted the coexistence and peaceful resolution of conflict among the displaced and host populations by complementing humanitarian efforts with investments in conflict management and dialogue. It strengthened national capacities that helped communities better cope with shocks that exacerbate conflict risks, such as insecurity, climate and economic shocks in both urban and rural settings.?