Paper presented by Karine Gatelier at the European Science Foundation conference « In search of peace. Dialogue between theories and practices », in Norrköping (Swenden), 20-24 October 2012.

The question this paper seeks to answer is how to create knowledge which serves the purpose of conflict transformation and peace consolidation? In the context of protracted and asymmetric conflicts, narratives of those people affected by the conflict are crucial information for conflict transformation. This paper draws on the implementation of participatory research as a method for conflict transformation in three zones, the DRC, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.

Based on the experience carried out in these areas, we would like to share some observations and preliminary conclusions of our work, answering the following questions: How to accede people's knowledge through research? How to build knowledge based on people's experience? How can this knowledge act towards conflict transformation?

Two case-studies are related to this approach : “Participatory research in Uzbekistan on forced child labor in the cotton sector: from participation to conflict transformation » « Participatory field research in Zimbabwe as a building block for conflict transformation »