Inter-community meetings and national reconciliation: forging a pragmatic peace Kåre Lode (2002) In an effort to end persistent violent conflict in northern Mali, in late 1994 local leaders began to organize local inter-community meetings. Kåre Lode of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) describes how these often resulted in localized ceasefires but failed to address the root causes of the conflict. From this process a group of civil society leaders formed a facilitation group, supported by the NCA, which systematized the process and facilitated meetings across the north to address broader and deeper issues. A third phase of meetings emerged, supported by the UNDP but still firmly rooted in local ownership. As a cumulative process the meetings contributed to stability and security and provided the basis for national reconciliation, local development and empowerment.
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