No river can ever separate people: Stories of peace initiatives from the Security Zone on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River

Several NGOs, local public authorities, and active residents from the Security Zone on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River recently joined forces to launch 12 local peace initiatives, promoting social cohesion, peacebuilding, inclusion, the participation of women in decision-making processes and stronger neighborly relations.

Over the course of three months, the initiatives’ teams and 62 partners conducted dozens of activities in 55 localities of the Security Zone on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester. As a result, over 5,700 people were informed and engaged in activities.

Having a deep understanding of the needs of their communities, those involved demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt and align interventions to local realities, using alternative peacebuilding tools such as culture, art, sports, youth engagement, creating spaces for social dialogue and more.

The results of these initiatives prove that peacebuilding efforts initiated and led by local communities are much more authentic and effective.

The local initiatives were carried out in partnership with the CONTACT Center as part of the project "Building Sustainable and Inclusive Peace, Strengthening Trust and Social Cohesion on Both Banks of the Nistru/Dniester River," jointly implemented by the UN Human Rights (OHCHR), UNDP, UN Women, and funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UN PBF).

"What the eyes fear, the hands do"

Doina Pantaz is the coordinator of the initiative "Motherhood doesn't stop us, it motivates us!" launched by the “Trei Coline” Local Action Group. For 10 years, Doina tried to balance work and motherhood while taking maternity and childcare leave. But during this time, she realized the walls of her house were becoming oppressive and that routine could do more harm than good. The idea of a space where mothers could work while their children played nearby seemed like a dream.

Doina Pantaz is the coordinator of the initiative "Motherhood doesn't stop us, it motivates us!" launched by the “Trei Coline” Local Action Group. For 10 years, Doina tried to balance work and motherhood while taking maternity and childcare leave. But during this time, she realized the walls of her house were becoming oppressive and that routine could do more harm than good. The idea of a space where mothers could work while their children played nearby seemed like a dream.

This dream eventually became a reality. Doina received financial support through the initiative to create a center for working parents and their children.

"This is the reality for thousands of parents in Rezina, Râbnița, nearby villages and all over Moldova,” says Doina. “Grandparents are far away or unable to help and nannies are expensive or unreliable, so mothers are often forced to sacrifice their professional lives to raise their children, and when the children pass the adjustment period in kindergarten, many mothers feel lost, can't find a job due to long breaks, or are even afraid to go out into the world."
 

At the center, parents living in the surrounding areas will be able to come to learn or work together while their children play nearby, supervised by older siblings, grandparents, friends or a nanny jointly paid by several parents.

"After receiving 90,000 MDL, I immediately approached the district council representatives to find a suitable space for my idea, but the hardest part was renovating spaces that hadn't been used for years,” recounts Doina. “What the eyes fear, the hands do, and with the help of the community, we raised the necessary funds for construction materials, and with the efforts of volunteers, we repaired and equipped two rooms."

"We managed to play a hora at the well"

It was also a hot summer for 159 residents of Solonceni, Rezina and Ofatinti, Ribnitsa, involved in creating community spaces for dialog by rehabilitating wells, promoting local traditions, and highlighting the role of women in local peacebuilding efforts.

We are talking about the local peace initiative "Hora at the well," launched by the “Plai Nistrean” Public Association."In the past, the well was the place where people from the neighborhood gathered for advice, and maybe even for a hora (traditional dance). This is where our initiative started, with the goal of rehabilitating the wells in the two villages: Solonceni in the Rezina district and Ofatinți in the Rîbnița district,” explains Zinaida Bogaciuc, the initiative coordinator. “We asked for help from the community, with whom we worked side by side. In the end, we managed to achieve something beautiful and to dance a 'hora at the well' in the true sense of the word."

This initiative demonstrates the power of using local traditions to unite communities from both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River around a common cause, in a public space that can be brought to life.

"No river can ever separate people"

Knowing that sports and culture can increase trust and foster mutual understanding between people, the Holercani village mayor's office put on a sports-related peace initiative for communities on both sides of the Nistru/Dniester River. This time, the local authorities wanted to foster a friendly and active environment for 2,300 residents in Holercani and Tîrnăuca villages.

Over a three-month period, several sports and cultural activities were organized to strengthen relations between the residents of both villages. During these activities, the local population was also informed about the role of women's participation in peacebuilding in the region.

"Children participated through drawings, and we held a table tennis championship, the IA Mania festival,” explains Tudor Tanasev, the mayor of Holercani village. “The Tîrnăuca team also participated in the first edition of the tennis championship, along with five villages from around Holercani. We organized an extraordinary event that lasted a whole day."

The initiative was carried out in partnership with the Social and Legal Support Center "Motivație" from Tîrnăuca, Slobozia district.

"I am proud that we have been cooperating for many years. Since 2019, we have been involved in the life of our villages. We come to Holercani to participate in their events, and they participate in ours,” says Marina Iasicova, the implementation partner of the initiative from Tîrnăuca village. “This project about culture and sports always unites young people and everything that is good. When we visit each other and show our knowledge, skills and what we have achieved, it is very important for our children to be appreciated and have the desire to continue developing. The river does not separate us. The river unites us, and we don't notice the 80 km between us, we just extend our hands. No river can ever separate people, and we are a living example of this."

Dialogues between women on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River

Over 230 women from the town of Bender and surrounding areas have created an informal dialogue platform to build trust between women on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River.

Paragon, a local NGO, came up with the idea for this initiative, basing it on the belief that women in decision-making roles have a positive impact, especially in maintaining friendly relations between communities. In this context, investing in women and offering them development opportunities plays a crucial role.

"Our project 'Dialogues for Women' had one goal: creating an informal platform to foster cooperation and trust-building between women on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River, aiming to expand their skills in business, self-development and self-realization, and security,” says Olga Nevelskaya, the initiative’s coordinator. “Our team approached the project as creatively and innovatively as possible and as a result, each beneficiary gained empathy and knowledge that changed their lives."

Svetlana, one of the initiative's beneficiaries, says she was grateful for the invitation to participate. “During these few months, I have made new friends and added many new things to my 'life's piggy bank,' including information about women's rights,” she says. “I would like to thank all the participants for their friendly attitude and compassion. I didn't have a very good life, but this project made me believe in myself and realize that I can continue my life with my head held high."

The 12 initiatives received financial support of up to 90,000 MDL each to implement a diverse range of activities, including:

• Community dialogue spaces through the rehabilitation of wells in Solonceni, Rezina and Ofatinți, Rîbnița; equipping and setting up a dance hall in Hîrbovăț, Anenii Noi; renovating and equipping a center for children and parents in Rezina; and restoring the recreation area near the Ioan Vodă spring in Hagimus village, Căușeni district.
• Culture as a pillar of peacebuilding through the publication of a traditional recipes book in Oxentea, Dubăsari; creating a poetry plaque in Rezina and Râbnița; organizing the Sânziene Festival, where the Hora of Peace was danced by over 100 participants in Dubăsarii Vechi, Criuleni; equipping sports halls in Holercani and Tîrnăuca villages; and organizing art exhibitions for peace in Varnița, Aneni Noi.
• Women's leadership and participation through organizing professional and personal development workshops for women in Bender; conducting a summer camp to enhance young women's leadership in Doroțcaia, Dubăsari; and informing communities about the severity of domestic violence and prevention methods in Criuleni.