Alternative voices: the Angolan peace movement
Michael Comerford (2004)
The emergence of new civil society actors and initiatives for peace was one of the most significant changes in Angola during the 1990s. Michael Comerford argues that the emergence of these groups and the new political space created after 1998 was of huge significance in the context of Angola’s polarized, violent and undemocratic past. These groups – churches, media and civic organizations – have come to represent a ‘third national voice’ and an alternative to the government-UNITA confrontation. Despite failing to bring about a negotiated end to the war, the peace movement’s understanding of peace as a just and inclusive society means that it remains an important source for change in Angola.