Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA)

Crime and violence prevention has long been recognized by civil society organizations internationally as a key component, along with law enforcement, of an effective response to promoting safety. However it was not until recently that key lending institutions began to make explicit links between violence prevention and development and not simply to view it as a security issue. For example, in its recently released World Development Report 2011, the World Bank notes that more than 1.5 billion people live in countries affected by violence and highlights the negative impact of repeated cycles of violence on a country or region’s development prospects.

The Open Society Foundations’ Crime and Violence Prevention Initiative (CVPI) is premised on the view that the criminal justice system alone cannot curb violence. Addressing violent crime requires an integrated, long-term approach that addresses the root causes and drivers of crime, in addition to traditional law enforcement and criminal justice sanctions.

The CVPI, in partnership with the Law Programme at OSISA is currently in the process of building the foundations for a violence prevention initiative in Mozambique. As a first footing the two entities wish to undertake an operational project along two related tracks: (A) to develop sound baseline information on the crime and violence situation in Mozambique and (B) to begin to build a cadre of in-country policy makers and practitioners who can drive the prevention agenda going forward. The latter will be done through the development and implementation of a crime and violence prevention training course targeted at both government officials and civil society organisations working in the field.

The project will run from July 2011-June 201.

The CVPI and OSISA will work with state and civil society partners in order to promote the crime and violence prevention agenda in Mozambique and to develop sound legislation and policy in this regard.

The project will contribute to knowledge through the learning from this pilot project on the nexus between law enforcement and crime prevention and will contribute to the development of a sound national strategy for the management of crime and safety in Mozambique by supporting promising local crime prevention interventions where they interface with broader safety and law enforcement interventions at local, provincial and national level.