Volunteering for peace: Volunteering is particularly well-suited to peacemaking and peacekeeping. volunteerism can build social cohesion and bridge social divisions. At the most basic level, interpersonal contact is a precursor to mutual understanding. Direct contact among people from different backgrounds has the potential to make people more comfortable with each other‘s differences, to reduce anxiety, and to lead to mutual understanding and respect (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). At the interpersonal and inter-group levels, contact theory, social identity theory, and social role theory all suggest that direct interaction among people from different backgrounds will increase opportunities for these groups to receive more accurate information about the ―other and an appreciation of difference—ultimately resulting in less conflict. At the institutional level, volunteers may promote transparent governance as impartial actors during elections or they may act as neutral intermediaries in high conflict situations. Source: Volunteerism for Peace in East Africa Benjamin J. Lough University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign Center for Social Development
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 06:54:20 +0000
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