There may already be issue-specific networks or forums that attempt to address
regional problems (for instance, water management or migration routes). Many
stakeholders may be represented within these networks and they present an
opportunity to communicate local issues and plans to a regional audience and to
influence broader decision-making.
Informal Institutions for conflict resolution and local
decision making
In Sudan, Ajaweed is the traditional system for conflict resolution in rural areas
and is recognized by both government and civil society. Ajaweed operates in all
rural Sudan but is particularly important where seasonal migration brings low-level
conflict. Ajaweed uses a recognized group of wise people in each village cluster
who are entrusted by the community to resolve disputes and help address
grievances.
At state level there is an Ajaweed Committee composed of tribal leaders and other
respected individuals that can address larger and more complex types of conflicts.
The Ajaweed Committee has even been able to resolve local issues within the
Darfur conflict.
In Bangladesh, a similar traditional approach is used to resolve village level
disputes. Respected elders (the ‘mathbor’) will meet to discuss and mediate
conflicts through a system known as ‘salish’. This informal approach to conflict
resolution avoids entering into the slow and complicated judicial system and is an
important part of the informal decision-making process across the whole of
Bangladesh. Salish often relates to natural resource management and livelihoods
(e.g. decisions relating to water management to balance the interests of both
fishers and farmers).
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