In the Context of the ZPSP
ZPSP leverages the personal legitimacy of the core group of trustees and director. The programme is strongly anchored in personal bonds forged in the struggle for Zimbabwe’s sovereignty. This builds a strategic element of continuity instead of disruption in SST. Coherence, commitment and courage of individuals are thus crucial to ZPSP. It allows also ZPSP to create opportunities to build confidence between its stakeholders.
Definition - Trust Building
When emerging from a liberation struggle or war, and when militaristic conduct still lingers or the underlying issues of the conflict have yet to be resolved, it is common to find suspicion towards those in uniform or even citizens being fearful of security sector institutions. In such context, it is therefore crucial to create a forum for dialogue, whereby citizens can sit alongside those from the security sector institutions and discuss issues of mutual interest or concern. The dialogue also helps to demystify the security sector. Due to the underlying suspicions of Government regarding the intent of civil society, it takes time to gain the necessary trust and confidence to be able to engage in substantive dialogue. The aim should be to help security institutions understand that their role in society can be broader than they commonly think, while also understanding that civil society can have a helpful and meaningful contribution to their work. The key to such dialogue and confidence is the perception that the aims of civil society are nonpartisan.
Selected Resources
Building Trust Between Police and Communities, Dr Mohamed Badar, interviewed by ISSAT 2014
Security Sector Reform, Local Ownership and Community Engagement, Eleanor Gordon 2014