The workshop created a platform for exchanges that are rare under normal circumstances. For example, it gave opportunities for members of youth groups to directly voice their frustration with chiefs, and for chiefs to respond to these, and for community groups to express their concern with their own security vulnerabilities. Through the discussion, participants came to realise the nature of frictions and conflicts of which they had not been aware, and people offered expert advice to each other on how to deal with specific dilemmas. It enabled participants to share accounts of where relations across the different groups worked well (or otherwise) and so provide insights and inspiration from which others could learn. In these ways it contributed to mutual understanding and awareness. This workshop was not aiming to reach resolution of issues, such as frictions between different institutional norms and practices. This would not be possible in a few days. It was rather aiming to explore the importance of relations and good channels of communication between stakeholders. The workshop made very clear the significance of, and need for, good working relationships between different providers of peace, security and justice as a source of social resilience. Developing such relationships raises questions about the nature of appropriate relations – these are matters that are worked through in the process and practice of building reflective relations over time.
