1. Rebuilding Trust in Traditional Authorities: Lessons Learned
Partnership for recovery and resilience learning Event
USAID/Viable Support to Transition and Stability (VISTAS)
November 2018

2. Approach
Due to a lack of a national judicial system functioning at the community level, VISTAS has worked to strengthen the ability of traditional authorities to adjudicate cases and mitigate violence through training, infrastructure, and logistical support

3. Case Study: Background
History of intra-and inter-communal fighting over land, resources, and cattle
Little presence of or access to formal judicial authorities outside the urban centers
Problem:
Most of the former experienced chiefs have been lost to the conflict, disease, and old age
Most new chiefs had little legitimacy, motivation, or authority. Corruption was rampant and chiefs had almost no knowledge of the customary or statutory laws
Chiefs were losing their credibility and authority
Most customary law is passed orally

4. Case Study: Intervention
Trained 150 chiefs in Greater Bor on:
Customary law
Linkages with statutory law
Peacebuilding practices
Trauma awareness
Facilitated the harmonization, printing and dissemination of Greater Bor Dinka Community customary law booklets to traditional authorities in the four communities of Bor, Twic, Nyarweng and Hol .
Reduces potential for corruption

5. Outcome
Strengthened and empowered knowledgeable traditional authorities that are trusted and therefore able to resolve intra-communal conflicts at the community level throughout the year

6. Lessons Learned
When competent and motivated, communities generally prefer to have traditional authorities resolve their cases than referring to the national courts because it is resolved in terms of blood compensation/cattle
It is also within their resources
Need consistent support over long periods of time to ensure community buy-in
Training
Infrastructure (Courts)
Blood compensation meetings

7. Challenges
Traditional authorities do not have the resources to ensure resolutions are followed through
Solution: Income generation for adjudicating cases
Traditional authorities are male dominated
Many of the laws are ‘backwards’ and go against the principles of our organizations
Traditional authorities do not have a strong presence in every community
How will they be recognized within a formal