Shared Cultural Identity and Trust Formation in Cross-Border Pastoralist Communities: A Case of the Ateker Cultural Festival

Cross-border pastoralist communities in East Africa continue to experience weak intergroup trust, which undermines social cohesion and contributes to persistent insecurity and resource-based conflicts. Despite increasing application of cultural diplomacy as a peacebuilding strategy, limited empirical evidence exists on how shared cultural identity influences trust formation in such contexts. This study examined the relationship between shared cultural identity and trust among cross-border pastoralist communities in the Ateker cluster spanning Kenya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, with particular focus on the Ateker Cultural Festival as a platform for cultural diplomacy and human security enhancement. A mixed-methods design was employed, involving 222 respondents drawn from festival participants and stakeholders. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed to complement and contextualize quantitative findings. Results indicate that participation in the Ateker Cultural Festival significantly enhances trust between cross-border communities. A positive and statistically significant relationship was established between shared cultural identity and trust formation (r = 0.416, p < 0.05), with shared identity accounting for 17.3% of the variation in trust-related human security outcomes. Qualitative findings corroborate these results, showing that cultural rituals, shared performances, and intercommunity interactions reduce stereotypes and improve perceptions among neighboring groups, although residual historical suspicions persist. The study concludes that shared cultural identity is a significant determinant of trust formation in cross-border pastoralist contexts and contributes to improved social cohesion and human security. It recommends institutionalization of cultural festivals within regional peacebuilding frameworks as sustainable mechanisms for enhancing trust and cross-border cooperation.

Cultural diplomacy, shared identity, trust, human security

1. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Carrier, N., & Lochery, E. (2013). Missing states? Somali trade networks and the Eastleigh transformation. Journal of Eastern African Studies, 7(2), 334–352. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Clark, P. (2010). The Gacaca courts, post-genocide justice and reconciliation in Rwanda. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Dyson-Hudson, N., & Dyson-Hudson, R. (2016). Pastoral identity and conflict in East Africa. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity. Free Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Johnson, S., & Nino-Zarazua, M. (2011). Financial access and exclusion in Kenya and Uganda. Journal of Development Studies, 47(3), 475–496. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Kamweti. (2021). Arts and cultural programs and national cohesion in Kenya. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Keohane, R. O. (2017). Institutions for the Earth: Sources of effective international environmental protection. Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Kiarie, S. K., Okuto, E., & Ngutu, M. (2026). Shared cultural identity and trust formation in cross-border pastoralist communities: A case of the Ateker Cultural Festival. National Defence University Kenya. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kinyanjui, M. N. (2019). Women and the informal economy in urban Africa: From the margins to the centre. Zed Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Lindley, A. (2010). The early-morning phone call: Somali refugees' remittances. Berghahn Books. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Longman, T. (2017). Memory and justice in post-genocide Rwanda. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Menkhaus, K. (2007). Governance without government in Somalia. International Security, 31(3), 74–106. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Ndiritu, M., Muthanga, F., & Makanju, T. (2025). Cross-border insecurity and pastoralist conflict dynamics in the Horn of Africa. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Nyamari, T. (2024). Social capital and community development. International Journal of Humanity and Social Sciences, 3(1), 14–27. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. OECD. (2024). Trust and public governance indicators 2024. OECD Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Oliveira. (2021). Community festivals and social solidarity in resource-scarce environments. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Ongere. (2022). Cultural diplomacy and representation in international cultural festivals. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Onuf, N. (1989). World of our making: Rules and rule in social theory and international relations. University of South Carolina Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Portes, A. (1998). Social capital: Its origins and applications in modern sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 1–24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Putnam, R. D. (1993). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Rothstein, B. (2011). The quality of government: Corruption, social trust and inequality in international perspective. University of Chicago Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Silva. (2019). Carnival and national identity in Brazil. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Smith. (2018). Community festivals and neighborhood trust in the United States. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Thomas. (2020). Multicultural festivals and social cohesion in the United Kingdom. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. UNESCO. (2022). Cultural diplomacy and peacebuilding report. https://www.unesco.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. United Nations. (2025). World social report 2025. United Nations Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. United Nations Development Programme. (2024). Human development report 2024. UNDP. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy is what states make of it: The social construction of power politics. International Organization, 46(2), 391–425. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Wendt, A. (2010). Social theory of international politics. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Woolcock, M. (2001). The place of social capital in understanding social and economic outcomes. Canadian Journal of Policy Research, 2(1), 11–17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. World Bank. (2023). Social cohesion and development report. World Bank Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. World Economic Forum. (2025). Global risks report 2025. World Economic Forum. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Yamaguchi. (2018). Rituals and social cohesion in Japanese Matsuri festivals. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar