What Ethnographic Observation Looks Like

Pun Intended

In addition to interviews a large part of my research here is based on ethnographic observation. Ethnographic observation is a way of observing people in the course of their daily activities to try to understand both their daily lives and a specific phenomenon, which in my case, is how local actors contribute to peace.

But what exactly does that mean?

I spend 1.5 days per week with each of the three organizations that are participating in my research. Initially I was spending the other half day writing but recently it's been working out that I've been spending extra time with at least one of the organizations. Often while I'm at the organizations I'll conduct up to three staff interviews during a day. If I'm not interviewing anyone, I'm usually hanging out with the staff, listening to them discuss local news, their jobs or everyday life; all the while watching how they interact with each other and their superiors. Through doing this I've identified that one of the organizations laughs a lot together, one is very open to debate and the last one is very formalized. I also spend a lot of time talking with staff members one on one learning what makes them tick as well as hearing about their stories of personal bravery in the face of injustice, their work in the field and their hopes and dreams. Sometimes the workers at the organizations also talk to me about less optimistic topics like when their family members are the victims of attacks or accidents, or even sometimes their personal beliefs on gender equality (the Bible says that men and women weren't created equally you know...)

However, I really think that the highlight of observation for me has been accompanying local peacebuilders as they undertake community based activities. This started with a visit to a local jail where one of the organizations sends their lawyers to offer public defense services for inmates who can't afford a lawyer. The Central Prison in Bukavu houses 1400 prisoners, 1100 more people than the prison was build to house. As a result of the large number of inmates many go without receiving a trial for several years.

I think that one of the most hard-hitting experiences I've had so far was observing the intake and accompaniment of sexual violence survivors. We met with three women who had all experienced sexual violence and experienced prolapses. After they share their stories with the Children and Gender program we took them to the World famous Panzi Hospital where they would be assessed and received treatment. The Panzi Hospital is famous for treating women who develop fistula's after being raped, and they provide psycho-social and income generating support on top of the medical treatments they provide. It's worth noting the rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in the DRC by all of the active armed groups. On the day that I observed 

I have also gotten to participate in a radio show and join a community group that meets regularly to conduct conflict analysis and undertake conflict resolution and mediation practices.

 

The other way in which I get to observe the organizations in action is through field visits. So far I have participated in two visits. 

During the first trip I traveled with an organization to Sange, where we met members of their community mediation and women's groups. After conducting five interviews at a local school I also had the chance to meet the organization's Director's family. 

During the second trip we stopped in several cities along the Pleine de la Ruzizi where I conducted interviews and the organization with which I was travelling checked on the progress of markets which they were helping to construct. On the way home the following day we participated in several ceremonies opening those markets which local politicians also attended. 



There are also some major challenges associated with going to the field. During the first trip, we spent nine hours driving to spend 4 hours in Sange along the Ngoma escarpment road, along which you could see the trucks that rolled down never to be retrieved. On the second trip we used the much safer Rwandan roads, but I was asked for bribes crossing the Congolese border back into the Pleine. I was also put in danger by the director of my host organization who on more than one occasion left me in precarious situations, so that he could use the vehicle for something else or to attend some other meeting. These experiences left me very exhausted. 



None the less I continue to enjoy learning about and from my research participants and understanding how local civil society organizations are indeed contributing to peace. 

Cheers!

Introducing Local Peacebuilding in South Kivu

After being here for more than a month I'm excited to share with you about some of the organizations I'm working with in the DRC.

I'm going to start by explaining in more detail why I can't name the organizations I'm working with in my post, because I think it tells you a lot about the context here. Several participants in my research project have indicated that they fear violence as a result of their work. This is because the organizations that they work with challenge local power structures in a serious way. These activities include confronting the government over human rights abuses, trying to demobilize members of armed groups and generally working in unsafe parts of the country. As a result of their work members of these organizations receive death threats, have been arrested and have been the victims of violent attacks.

Here are some general trends I can note about the organizations. Two of the three organizations I'm working with are underfunded to the point that some or all of their staff are currently working for free, while the other is well financed. Two of the organizations work, at times with the states. All three of the organizations are heavily engaged in peace education, conflict resolution and have projects focused on women and/or children. They also work on human rights, ethnic discrimination, land conflict and natural resource management. 

The staff of the organizations that I'm working at are made up of men and women, although there are a lot fewer women, and they generally range in age from 30 to 60. They are almost all University educated, pursuing programs in human rights and law, rural development and teaching.

The employees of these organizations engage in a wide variety of daily tasks. The ones that I have directly observed include the intake and accompaniment of rape victims, facilitating peace clubs, conflict mediation, facilitating of inter-community dialogue groups, public defense services at the local jail, the delivery of sensitization and training programs and research on the local causes of conflict. From speaking with them I also know that they participate in disarmament activities, ensure the safety of prisoners, coordinate with field staff (extensively), participate in regional civil society mechanisms and engage directly at the community level in conflict resolution, the demobilization of armed groups and in community building activities. 

I often find myself inspired by the people who I am working with. I'm inspired by their commitment to peace, their willingness to continue their work despite some pretty significant structural and security challenges and their bravery when facing some very heartbreaking situations. 

I'm really grateful that I'll have the opportunity to write about what I'm observing in greater detail in my thesis and beyond.