“Building trust to each other is very important. Telling the true reason to her builds her trust in me and so we would not have the problem again in the future.”One case suggested mutual understanding (including understanding of emotions and needs) as important to building trust and preventing escalation of conflicts. All cases expressed that empathetic listening was an important skill to encourage understanding. In addition, emotional regulation skills were regarded as useful for enabling peacebuilders to listen empathetically.
3.2.5 Trust & Stability
“Trust, supported by predictability and stability in family interactions” seemed to be an area in need of further skills/attitudes support. While cases suggested that trust was important, trust was at times undermined by common cultural perceptions of gender roles/stereotypes (e.g. who manages the money; cultural stereotypes of men taking mistresses). The Rapid Assessment Survey also indicated lack of trust as a common difficulty and cause of family conflict (e.g., 66% indicated a lack of trust/respect between partners). Focus group discussion reflected that interviews indicated a need for instruction/discussion on how to build wholeness and trust between spouses. Participant peacebuilders did have some suggestions:
