The Role of Participatory Diplomacy in Promoting a Culture of Peace in Africa’s Post-Conflict Reconstruction Settings

Abstract

The role of participatory diplomacy in leading to a culture of peace in post- conflict reconstruction settings has not been understood. Therefore, there have been a failure to achieve a culture of peace in Africa, particularly in the sub- Saharan region. The region has experienced numerous conflict relapses which have taken the region back to civil wars and political violence. This has been a big challenge that has triggered political violence, civil wars, xenophobia, and terror attacks in every corner of the continent. A qualitative research methodology with exploratory approach was adopted with the reliance on the secondary data collected from existing literature in the public domain. The collected data were analysed through content and document techniques. The paper explained the contributions of participatory diplomacy to a culture of peace in post-conflict reconstruction to prevent the recurrence of conflicts in Africa. The paper found that participatory diplomacy is an ingredient for a sustainable peace because it promotes public participation needed to promote healthy interactions and participation that enable people to own peacebuilding processes. Participatory diplomacy was found to promote a culture of peace because it promotes public interactions and peace education and increases people‘s competence in PCR settings. It serves as the vehicle that influences local people to partake in the decision-making processes and own the processes. Participatory diplomacy creates an avenue for public hearing, public debates, and political power transfer to ensure there is mutual trust that binds local citizens and their political leaders