8. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR RECONCILIATION HEAL ZIMBABWE - BASELINE STUDY REPORT This section explores factors that the NPRC may need to take advantage of in order to facilitate successful peace and reconciliation interventions in the country. It also reveals potential challenges that the Commission need to consider before rolling out its peace and reconciliation programmes. 8.1. Opportunities for Peace and Reconciliation The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission is mandated to be an independent constitutional body responsible for facilitating national peace, healing and reconciliation in Zimbabwe for a period of 10 years. The NPRC should therefore take full advantage of constitutional provisions establishing its independence and the Bill of Rights in the constitution to implement programmes and activities within its jurisdiction. The fact that the NPRC is a constitutional body makes the Zimbabwean populace hopeful about the institution’s operationalization. This anticipation has unconsciously built a general willingness and acceptance of the body by Zimbabweans which must be taken advantage of by the Commission. The civic society organisations, international development institutions and the general donor community are also willing to assist in the implementation of reconciliation processes. • Constitutional Provisions –the NPRC is established by section 251 of the Constitution (Amendment no. 20 of 2013) as an independent body. Therefore, the Commission should take advantage of its constitutionally provided independence to implement programmes without interference by interested parties. The constitution also provides for a Bill of Rights in Chapter 4 which the Commission could use in determining dimensions of rights and the magnitude of violations. • Civic Society Organisations –there is a general readiness by CSOs to collaborate with the NPRC and any government departments’ interested in promoting national peace and reconciliation in Zimbabwe. The CSOs include Community Based Organisations, Faith Based Organisations, localnongovernmental organisations and several interest groups organised as associations, clubs and cooperatives. The NPRC should therefore take advantage of these grassroots oriented institutions especially in terms of technical support and community level intervention programmes. Many CSOs have a wider network of actors at grassroots level which makes it easier for the NPRC to reach many communities through them. • International community –the international community involves intergovernmental institutions, individual countries and funding institutions. These institutions are available to provide technical and financial support which the NPRC could benefit from. It is therefore, instructive that the NPRC could reach out to these institutions for financial and technical support where necessary. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been instrumental in supporting past reconciliation efforts through the ONHRI as well as the latest constitutional reform processes through COPAC. 53