Transformations and peacebuilding in the life of communities

Ussumane Dabó, a member of the Listening Club in the village of Canico Lenquecuroto in the Farim Sector, Oio region, northern Guinea-Bissau, was like many young people who depended on their families and agricultural work for survival. During the implementation of the project "Inclusive and Peaceful Land Management in the regions of Cacheu, Oio, and Biombo," funded by the PBF (United Nations Peace Consolidation Fund), FAO, and UN-HABITAT, he was selected by his community to lead the boys' Listening Club. The mission of this club was to engage young people in managing and peacefully resolving conflicts related to land ownership. 

Simultaneously, the Listening Clubs established a sustainable financial system among their members, called "abota." This system involved a weekly contribution of 1,000 CFA francs for rotating credit on a lottery basis. Ussumane Dabó received 20,000 CFA francs from the group, which he was to repay over 19 weeks. Using his old motorbike, he decided to invest in selling fish on the street. On his first day of selling, he earned 30,000 CFA francs. The rapid success of his daily fish sales quickly inspired other Club members and young people from the village and surrounding areas to take up the trade. The Clubs' dynamic approach led FAO, through the PBF (United Nations Peace Consolidation Fund), to increase the capital funding to 800,000 CFA francs, ensuring the sustainability of their activities. 

In addition to their entrepreneurial efforts, Ussumane Dabó and the young people from his village are also social activists involved in resolving community conflicts, which are common in various regions of the country, especially regarding land ownership disputes, animal theft, and conflicts between livestock breeders and farmers, among other issues. 

With the support of UN-Habitat, demarcations and planning were carried out in several communities in the regions of Cacheu and Biombo, aimed at long-term development. The boundary demarcation process was highly participatory, based on prior work conducted by FAO with the support of delimitation brigades and local communities. As a result, the boundaries of the communities have been clearly defined, and land recognition certificates have been issued by the State of Guinea-Bissau, ensuring the security of land occupation, possession, and usage rights for these communities. The communities also now have a Territorial Development Plan (PDT), which was developed participatorily with the community itself, to guide the region’s future growth. 

Through this process, the project has successfully overcome the barriers to involving young people in conflict management and resolution, demonstrating the power and engagement of communities in planning and contributing to the realization of SDG 16. These stories testify to the possibility of peace and prosperity even in the face of conflict, offering valuable lessons for similar communities around the world.