The role of civil society organizations in land conflict resolution a case study of Kilombero District

The role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in land conflict resolution in Tanzania is still minimal, and their efficacy is questionable. This has been largely influenced by continuation and persistence of land conflicts in Kilombero, Mbarali, Loliondo and Kilosa. The situation suggests that the roles have not been clear to the society, or the CSOs themselves have not been able to take the lead towards management of conflicts. The current study aimed at promoting understanding of the roles of CSOs as a means of managing and finding solutions to land conflicts in Kilombero District. The study specifically intended to identify the roles of CSOs in land conflicts resolution, as well as the effectiveness and challenges such organizations face in managing land conflicts in Kilombero. The study adopted the qualitative research design through which qualitative methods of data collection, that is focus group discussions and interviews were used in data collection. Generally data were obtained from the residents of Kilombero District, CSO representatives and local leaders. Generally results show that existence of land conflicts in the Region are spearheaded by factors such as inadequacy of funds and influence from funders, insufficient human resources to support CSOs to engage in resolution activities, lack of transparency and accountability in the local government authorities and low level of education among the local communities. This study has established that there are various mechanisms for conflict resolution such as mediation, village land committees (VLAC), awareness campaigns, public meetings, informal discussions and seminars. However, the results of the study show that these mechanisms were not effectively used in managing land conflicts. It is concluded that the civil society organizations play various roles in attempting to create peace and manage land conflicts in this region. The study established that, if supported by other stakeholders, the civil society sector can contribute significantly to the effort of reducing land conflicts and in building sustainable land management in Kilombero.