Approach and Methodology: CRD International employs a unique variant of Participatory Action research (PAR) methodology. Researchers and social actors join forces in collective research and analysis forming a true partnership. The social actors contribute their knowledge of the issues at stake and the researchers help systematize this knowledge, carry out targeted investigations to complete it, and lead the collective analysis exercise. Social actors, who traditionally are the objects of research, become - at the same time - the active subjects of research.

The methodology is designed to produce results in different domains simultaneously:

Research and analysis: The Participatory Action Research methodology is the main approach in which dialogue and research are used together to help participants identify options for policy formulation and priority setting.

Peace-building and conflict prevention: The research team promotes and mediates dialogue, building consensus among the main actors involved in post-conflict rebuilding through regular meetings in a neutral forum.

Good governance: The bottom-up strategy encourages an inclusive approach to problem solving without directly challenging established power relations, ensuring the participation of a broad cross-section of society in the articulation of political, economic and social priorities and in subsequent discussions on related policy issues and local community levels.

Review and coordination: International and national assistance organizations agencies are offered a window through which they could evaluate the impact and acceptance of their programmers and the extent to which their programs correspond to local priorities.

Building from Bottom -Up

One of the major strengths of the Centre is local community based peace-building initiative. CRD Participatory Approach brings together key actors from the political, social and economic spectrum, and offers them an informal, relatively private space in which to negotiate critical community issues.

As a part of commitment to peace building, CRD established a venue and a neutral ground for communities in Somalia, particularly south-central regions, where - for the first time - a local community dialogue was initiated. At the same time, "a bottom-up" approach of CRD encourages an inclusive, a community ownership to problem solving without directly challenging established power relations, by ensuring the participation of a broad cross-section of Somali society, including women and children, in the articulation of peace-building efforts.

Though the Somali society's desire for peace is apparent, the concept of peace building and grass-root reconciliation has always been a missing element. Many attempts were made in different times at different locations but the lack of awareness and understanding most often led to unsuccessful end.

Many times the frustration generated by the lack of exposure to community based peace-building portraits thus that the Somali people are prone to conflicts. To fill the gab, CRD/WSPI's serious community based intervention programs that combine the Somali traditional peace-building/conflict resolution mechanism (indigenous model) and the Western peace building has helped reduce inter-clan tensions and promote peaceful coexistence between people.