In the Central African Republic (CAR), an ongoing civil war between the government and various armed groups has shaped daily life since 2012. Armed conflict had internally displaced 427,479 people, with 732,906 people made refugees in neighboring countries, as of January 2026.
In Bangui, the country’s capital, 30 journalists have recently discovered a new way to do their jobs. Working with the human rights journalism network Réseau des Journalistes pour les Droits de l’Homme (RJDH), they took part in peace journalism training that changed their approach to reporting. The results, published in Journalism Practice in January 2026, offer hopeful lessons for the media in conflict-affected regions worldwide.
Peace journalism does not ignore violence. It is about asking different questions: not just who won or lost, but why conflict persists and who is working toward solutions. It centres the voices of ordinary citizens alongside armed actors and politicians. It avoids inflammatory language and seeks clarity and balance instead.
Here are three things the CAR experience reveals about what peace journalism training can and cannot do.
1.Peace Journalism Training gives journalists a framework they were already looking for
When the training began, many participants said they had already covered peace talks, reconciliation meetings and community dialogues. Yet most had never heard the term ‘peace journalism.’ One reporter put it simply: “I have written stories about peace negotiations, but I did not know it was a specific kind of journalism.”
This revealed something important. The desire to report responsibly already existed. What was missing was a shared framework and practical tools. Through workshops built around real reporting scenarios, participants practiced reframing headlines, identifying missing voices, and choosing language that reduced harm rather than escalate fear. One journalist reflected, “The scenarios helped me realise I could ask different questions in my interviews, questions that focus on peace, not just conflict.”
In polarised environments, this shift matters deeply.
2. Peace journalism training transforms professional identity, even when systems resist change
Three months after the training, many journalists had already changed how they framed their stories. One described consciously including community voices when covering a militia-related incident, and deliberately avoiding words that might inflame tensions.
But almost every follow-up conversation returned to the same frustration: “Conflict sells faster than dialogue.”
Editors often want dramatic headlines. Breaking news moves quickly. Resources are tight. Even when a reporter wants to apply peace journalism principles, newsroom culture may not support it. This is the heart of the challenge: training can change minds, but without institutional support, implementation becomes inconsistent.
Still, something powerful happened. Before the training, most journalists saw their role as simply reporting what happened. Afterwards, they began to see themselves as active contributors to either escalation or de-escalation of the conflict. As one participant said, “I can help reduce harm by how I choose to report.” This shift in consciousness changes how a journalist walks into an interview, frames a question, or selects a headline, even when structural barriers remain.
3. Lasting impact requires more than workshops
The CAR experience makes it clear that one-time training is insufficient. For journalism to genuinely contribute to peacebuilding, three things are needed beyond the workshop room:
First, editors and media owners must be engaged. Reporters cannot sustain change alone if their newsrooms reward conflict-driven coverage. Second, institutional policies that protect ethical reporting must be strengthened, providing journalists with the professional backing to make different choices. Third, long-term mentorship matters: reporters need ongoing support as they navigate real-world pressures, not just certificates and handshakes.
These lessons apply far beyond the CAR. Across conflict-affected regions, journalists often want to promote social cohesion but operate within systems shaped by commercial pressures, political influence, and resource limitations. The solution is not to train individuals in isolation but to build environments where peace journalism can take root.
Media ecosystems must align institutional policies, editorial practices, and mentorship structures that reward balanced, solution-focused reporting. This requires engaging editors and media owners, strengthening ethical safeguards, ensuring journalists’ safety, and fostering collaborative networks that sustain reflective, community-oriented storytelling beyond individual training initiatives.
A quiet beginning with wide implications
What happened in CAR was not a dramatic overnight transformation. It was something quieter, journalists pausing before publishing, seeking out a community elder or a women’s group to balance a story dominated by armed voices, choosing a word that opens rather than closes the conversation.
Journalism alone cannot end a conflict. But it can create space for dialogue. It can humanize those on different sides. And in societies recovering from violence, those small choices ripple outward.
Sometimes, this is where peace begins.
Keywords: Central African Republic, CAR, peace, journalism, peace journalism, conflict, conflict resolution, media
Dumisani Ngwenya
Dr. Dumisani Ngwenya is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace To Heal, a faith-based organisation committed to peacebuilding, community healing, and peace education. For over two decades, he has accompanied communities affected by organised violence, guiding them on pathways toward restoration and sustainable peace.
In addition to his leadership role, Dr. Ngwenya serves as Course Director for the Master’s in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies, a programme offered by Grace To Heal in partnership with the Catholic University of Zimbabwe. He is also a Senior Lecturer in Peace and Security Studies at Lupane State University.
Dr. Ngwenya holds a PhD in Peacebuilding from the Durban University of Technology and a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His research has been featured in international journals and edited volumes, and he has presented at global conferences on themes such as historical trauma and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. He can be contacted at ngwenyad@gracetoheal.org.
Alain Yvon Kabeya Ntumba
Alain Yvon Kabeya Ntumba is a graduate of the Master’s in Applied Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding Studies, a Pan-African programme by Grace To Heal designed for practitioners seeking to reflect critically on their peace practice. The online programme, affiliated with the Catholic University of Zimbabwe, welcomes professionals from diverse fields. Based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Alain is a senior governance and critical minerals expert with over 20 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding, and extractive sector governance across Central Africa and the Great Lakes region. His work focuses on copper–cobalt value chains, supply chain integrity, ESG compliance, and curbing illicit influence in fragile, resource-rich contexts.
 experience reveals about what peace journalism training can and cannot do.){kind=link}