Graham Chuck and Peter Murphy met with four graduates – two women and two men - from Midlands State University (MSU) in programs that were initiated by the Inclusive Government in 2010-13.
One of them graduated in 2022 in Development Studies, and had a placement with an NGO which ran a program called DREAM in Epworth and Chitungwiza, satellite towns of Harare. The target participants were girls aged 13-24, and the goal was to provide them with skills for healthy living and job preparation, through mentoring. The program was funded by USAID, which was abruptly shut down in June 2025 when President Trump totally abolished USAID.
She wanted to continue with a Masters degree to evaluate the DREAM program, but there was no funding. She felt that the current university courses were not practical enough for the kind of social development work she was given.
Another had undertaken the Peace Studies program at MSU from 2014-18. He had been active as President of a UN Charter committee at MSU and with ZimPI under its previous name, the National Peace Trust, and organised local fundraising for children in need. He outlined the objectives of a proposed Masters and PhD in Peace and Security Studies and there was some discussion about the need for goals to be decisive and not for incremental change. The goals would be to eliminate child abuse and child poverty, eliminate drug abuse, increased awareness of children’s rights, attain gender equality within a specific timeframe, to create employment and entrepreneurial opportunity for youth, making sure everyone is included, to create a community mechanism to protect boys and girls and prevent the emergence of vulnerable children, and increased youth participation in national peacebuilding projects.
The target beneficiaries are boys and girls aged 10-24, their parents and caregivers, their schools, community leaders, faith-based organisations and youth groups.
The Masters Program in Peace and Security Studies would aim to produce staff to the Chiefs Courts by providing the students with theories, concepts and practices. He set out an elaborate set of ten modules for this program. Senator Holland emphasised the need to teach the “African Way” to achieve peace – the restoration of dignity through truth-telling to the families and supporters of both the alleged victims and the alleged perpetrators of violence; followed by an act of justice to restore the hearts of the victims, such as traditional payments of cattle; followed by the shaking of hands and acceptance all round that the issue cannot be raised again. She wants this process to be institutionalised in Zimbabwe, but ZANU-PF does not accept this.
The PhD program was also elaborated, with seven proposed modules, with the final one being presentation by students of Doctoral Seminars.
