Since the 1990s, violence in the university environment has been a major concern for the Ivorian State, with recurrent protests and risks of violent student mobilization by political leaders during elections. Faced with these challenges, a joint initiative of UNFPA, UNDP and Interpeace (in partnership with Indigo Côte d'Ivoire) was launched in 2021 to contribute to the prevention and better management of conflicts in university campus. Funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF), this action is piloted in Abidjan (Félix Houphouët-Boigny and Nangui Abrogoua Universities) and Bouaké (Alassane Ouattara University) to enhance collaboration, the culture of dialogue and positive leadership among students and governance.

Interpeace and Indigo Côte d'Ivoire have facilitated a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process with 1366 students, teachers, members of the governance and administrative and technical staff (PAT) to generate a shared understanding of the dynamics that feed into violence and conflict. Consultations and dialogue sessions also highlighted peace and resilience factors that to build on for concerted collective action to prevent and mitigate conflict.

Les conclusions et recommandations de ce processus participatif ont été présentées en octobre 2021 et ont servi de point de départ pour les plans d’action des parties prenantes des universités. Ceux-ci rassemblent des initiatives de paix et des cadres inclusifs d’échange, de dialogue et de gestion des conflits entre les étudiants, les professeurs et les dirigeants d’université. Ce processus a abouti à un enthousiasme sur lequel capitaliser pour soutenir l’application conjointe de plans d’action et favoriser des environnements d’apprentissage plus apaisés dans les universités ivoiriennes.