Community-Based Participatory Research in Peacebuilding: A Literature Review

This study examines the implementation of participatory methodologies in conflict and peacebuilding contexts. A systematic literature review (SLR) was developed from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, selecting a total of 20 articles. The review analyses the objectives, methodological tools, benefits, and limitations of the implementation of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in contexts of peace and conflict in different geographical areas including Colombia, Palestine, Iraq, and the United States. The main objectives of implementing CBPR in these contexts include the establishment of governance mechanisms for peacebuilding and the design of community interventions to mitigate gender and youth violence. These objectives are addressed from different methodological tools that include focus groups, randomized trials, community mappings, interviews, and validation sessions with the community. The literature reports the benefits of this research approach, corresponding to the promotion of trust, empowerment, appropriation, and sustainability of initiatives from the validation of community needs. However, challenges are identified for its implementation, corresponding to the need to balance the objectives of the research with the urgent needs of the community and the emotional cost for the participants. We find that fostering trust, collaboration, and empowerment is the benefit reported or anticipated most widely (19 of the 20 studies), whereas the high demand for time, personnel, and training is the most frequent challenge (14 of 20); citizen science projects in fragile settings should therefore budget for relationship-building and resources from the outset.