Doodle Two

A version of the pyramid of peacebuilding that illustrates the idea of vertical and horizontal integration.

Vertical capacity explores and looks at the relational spaces that link people up and down in the society. Vertical spaces are those that connect the leadership of local communities with people who are guiding the higher-level processes. Horizontal capacity on the other hand refers to relationships among people and groups that cut across the identity divisions that may exist in a given location. Integration is the space where vertical and horizontal linkages come together, at the center of things. This suggests an approach to peacebuilding predicated on finding resources based on relationships, connectors, and social spaces within the setting that have a capacity to generate processes of change.