From a culture of violence to nonviolence Born from a violent struggle for independence from a violent and oppressive colonial system, the nation of Zimbabwe has inevitably inherited violence as a conflict resolution tool of choice.

The national psyche is steeped in violence, incidents of violence dot the history of Zimbabwe. Some of the major incidents include: the 1980s massacres in Matabeleland, known as ‘Gukurahundi‘, the violent farm invasions and seizures, the 2005 ‘Operation Restore Order’ better known as ‘Operation Murambastvina’ (refuse dirt) left more than 700 000 urban informal settlers homeless, violence against opposing parties activists and supporters reached unprecedented levels in the period leading to the June 27th 2008 Presidential election rerun, many people died or were severely maimed and others lost their properties. In the midst of so much violence, Grace To Heal believes its prime mandate is to deconstruct the culture of violence and help create a paradigm shift to nonviolent conflict resolution and social transformation. Grace To Heal’s approach to Peacebuilding is generational, i.e. medium to long term behavioural and attitudinal change focusing at 10-20 years’ work with each community.