Grazing Peace: How Two Young Peacebuilders Bridged a Longstanding Divide Between Herders and Farmers in Northern Ghana

by Jeffsky Poincy and edited by Christian Labossiere

In the rural community of Sanguli in northern Ghana, conflict between Fulbe herders and local farmers is a long-standing and deeply rooted issue. Tensions often flare up over land use, crop destruction, and limited access to water, especially during the dry season. Every year, the same pattern repeats itself: Fulbe herders, moving their cattle in search of scarce grazing land, unintentionally cross into farmlands where crops are growing. This often results in damaged crops, sparking disputes that sometimes escalate into violence. These recurring clashes have not only caused economic loss but have also deepened divisions and mistrust within the community.

For Isaac N-yapi Oyan, this conflict was personal. Born and raised in Sanguli, he had lived through its consequences.

“I witnessed the pain of this conflict firsthand when I lost my first little farm as a young businessman,” he recalls. “Even after reporting the incident, I still lost most of my yams. That’s when I realized: this issue needs to be addressed before it escalates, not after.”

Patricia Benamba, from the nearby district capital of Tatale, was no stranger to the stakes either. Though she does not live in Sanguli, she had heard the stories, including one from her own family.

“My family once kept cattle in Sanguli,” she says. “One day, they were accused of destroying a farmer’s field. In retaliation, the cattle were killed. That moment stuck with me, because in these conflicts, both sides lose.”

The two met during the PEACE-WAY program in 2024, a multi-country initiative led by PartnersGlobal in partnership with WANEP (West Africa Network for Peacebuilding) that empowers young peacebuilders from Ghana, Benin, Guinea, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire to address community-level conflict through dialogue and community engagement.

As part of their final assignment, they were tasked to identify a real-world conflict and design a context-specific solution to address it. Drawing from their lived experiences and shared vision, Patricia and Isaac formed a team. Together, they launched a community-based project: “Cattle Grazing Corridors for Herder-Farmer Peaceful Coexistence” aimed at building peaceful coexistence between Fulbe herders and local farmers in Sanguli.

Co-creating peace from the ground up

With support from the PEACE-WAY project and a modest grant of $1,500, Patricia and Isaac launched their project in the Sanguili community. The core idea was simple but transformative: allowing herders to graze their cattle in clearly defined areas, agreed upon by all, and respected during specific seasons. This would prevent cattle from straying into farms and reduce misunderstandings before they even started.

Their approach went beyond drawing lines on a map. It is centered on dialogue and trust-building.

They began by holding separate dialogue sessions with Fulbe leaders, local farmers, and community elders to understand each group’s perspective and concerns. They then convened inclusive community forums where these diverse voices could come together to co-create a solution.

After weeks of open dialogue and trust-building, the team successfully facilitated the creation of two temporary grazing corridors, where herders could safely move cattle without encroaching on farmland. Since the corridors were established, there have been no incidents of cattle destroying crops in Sanguli.

In tandem, Isaac and Patricia facilitated the creation of a Herder-Farmer Association to keep the dialogue going. They also supported the development of a community-led monitoring system to detect early signs of tension or conflict. Volunteer leaders now track any incidents or grievances and bring them to the association for resolution. While the system is still informal, Isaac and Patricia are working toward formalizing the group to make the efforts sustainable.

While the early results are promising, sustaining this progress will take continued effort and collaboration. There are still unresolved questions like how many cattle per person should be allowed into the corridors, and how to ensure reliable water access—but for the first time in years, the community is working together to solve them.

“They never used to see each other eye to eye,” Patricia reflects. “Now they’re sitting at the same table, discussing how to improve things—not just for themselves, but for the entire community.”

A Scalable Model for Peacebuilding

What Isaac and Patricia have catalyzed in Sanguli is more than just a local success story. It’s a replicable model for community-based peacebuilding in communities facing similar tensions between herders and farmers. Their initiative demonstrates how young people, equipped with the right tools and resources, can lead transformative change in their communities.

It also reflects the broader peacebuilding philosophy of PartnersGlobal: supporting inclusive, participatory processes where those directly affected by conflict come together to co-create their own solutions. Rather than imposing external fixes, this approach promotes locally led solutions while nurturing trust, transparency, and shared responsibility.

Patricia hopes the initiative will serve as a model.

“I see how grateful the community is for the approach we took. I wish we could continue and expand it to other communities in the Tamale district.”

Isaac is equally hopeful.

“Our vision is to normalize this – make it a way of life, where problems are solved through dialogue, not escalation. This isn’t just about preventing conflict. It’s about community development. The waste from farms helps feed cattle, and the cattle, in turn, help fertilize the land. When herders and farmers work together, everyone benefits.”