Indigenous Knowledge on Land Conflict Management Strategies and Peaceful Coexistence Among Ngorongoro Communities of Arusha Region, Tanzania

The overall objective of this study was to investigate how the IndigenousKnowledge on landconflicts management strategies influences peaceful coexistence in pastoral communities of Ngorongoro district, Arusha region. The study used the mixed-methods research design where both quantitative and qualitative perspectives are adopted to identify to examine the effects of land conflicts on peaceful coexistence in Ngorongoro district. The study sampled a total of 153 respondents. The multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the district, divisions, wards and households, while purposive sampling was used to select community leaders and members. Simple random sampling was used to select elders. Primary data was obtained using questionnaires, focus group discussions and interview guides. Secondary data were reviewed from reports of national and international NGOs and journals. Qualitative data were analysed using framework and thematic analysis, while the quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages generated through Statistical Package for Social science (SPSS) version 20. Majority of respondents agreed that land conflicts may disturb the coexistence of peace to high probability wherethe respondents indicated that land conflicts resulted in violence. Community members confirmed that indigenous people were affected negatively by land conflicts; where respondents indicated that livelihoods were undermined. In conclusion, majority of respondents agreed that peaceful coexistence among communities, to a high extent, was disturbed. The study recommended that all stakeholders in lands management should encourage education through capacity building, cooperation and involvement of local community members during planning and decisions-making for lands management in order to sustain peace among communities of Ngorongoro district, Arusha Region, Tanzania. Keywords:IndigenousKnowledge, landconflicts management, strategies, peaceful coexistence, pastoral communities