Finding effective ways of building peace through action research is the subject of a new book titled: Building Peace via Action Research-African case studies. The book was launched at the Research Office Boardroom, Steve Biko campus last week.

The book is authored by Dr Sylvia Kaye and Professor Geoff Harris who are both based at the International Centre for Non-violence at the Durban University of Technology where they facilitate the postgraduate Peacebuilding Programme.

According to the authors, the book arose from an increasing concern that research makes very little difference to policy and practice, including a lack of connection between the researchers and policymakers. Action research provides an opportunity for at least some peace to be built during the course of the research and the commitment to the genuine participation of the people whose situations were being researched. The 11 case studies in the book illustrate the challenges involved in carrying out action research. They include projects involving education and training, healing and reconciliation, restorative justice and community peace building.

Prof Sibusiso Moyo, DVC of Research, Innovation and Engagement, was also very excited with the launch of the book.“We are celebrating the book launch on building peace via action research studies. As a University we are more interested in creating communities of practice, we have been pushing over the years to get people involved in research. I am really glad that this is our first collection and I’m hoping for many more,” she said excitedly.

Author Dr Sylvia Kaye said that without Prof Moyo’s assistance the book would not have happened; it was her kind support that it was possible to have the book launched and printed. “We came across this idea of action research being central to creating knowledge. It’s trying to test something to see whether these findings that people come up with will work and do anything for the people involved. The next phase of our research will be to take what is developed by our students and go the next step, so we in the process of defining larger focus areas and we will see what the next step is from there,” she said.

One of the contributors of the book, DUT’s Jean Chrysostome Kiyala Kimbuku, spoke of his PhD research on the reintegration of child soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. “Peace involves cooperation, networking and trust building activities in order to build better relationships amongst individuals and groups,” he said.

Another contributor, Dr Gnanam Pillay, Director of the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at DUT, focused her PhD thesis chapter on the role of social entrepreneurial developments as the means of reducing poverty and inequality.

The book is available from Ikes’s Bookshop on 031 303 9214.

Pictured: DUT staff with authors, Dr Sylvia Kaye and Professor Geoff Harris , at the book launch.

Waheeda Peters