The Impact of Participatory Theater: Testimonies from DRC

SFCG’s field office in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been involved in building bridges between the Munzaya and Enyele ethnic groups in the country’s Equateur province.  In the past two years, violence between the communities has lead to mass displacement. One important tool used in this conflict transformation effort has been participatory theater .  Recently, Search staff conducted a survey examining the impact that participatory theater has had in the area. As part of the survey, we received the following two testimonies that we would like to share:

Jean-Pierre Ilaba is a 27 year old young man who lives in the Bombangai neighborhood near the Dongo market.  He shared the following story:

“What I am saying is not something that I have learned, it is the story of my uncle… My uncle lived in the house of a refugee who lives in Ngambo. One day, the owner of the house had returned home to find my uncle living there. During their exchange, my uncle refused to leave the house because he had a plot of land that required maintenance. The refugee therefore returned to Ngambo without success. Last year, my uncle attended one of your participatory theater events on the occupation of returnee houses. Touched by the theater, my uncle left the house and sent a message to the owner of the house, inviting him to return home.”

 The second testimony comes from Willy Kasereka, a resident of Socobelam, near the Kimbanguiste church:

 

“Personally, I broke into the house of my neighbor who lives in Ngambo, a mother named Mete, and I stole eight chairs.  When Mete came to check on her property and possessions, she saw that they were missing. When she asked me, I denied taking the chairs.  But once I saw your theater performance on a returnee who has a similar dispute with cooking tools, I decided to go to the chief of the area to acknowledge that I have Mete’s chairs at my house. I sent a message directly to Mete to pass by when she can to take back her chairs. .. Your theaters are really very touching and I think it will help us to change.”

As these testimonies demonstrate, Search’s use of participatory theater as a conflict mediation tool in Congo has been a great success so far.   Participatory theater  allows people to put themselves in someone else’s position by inviting them to act out another’s story. When people are moved by the stories of others, they are inspired to resolve their own conflicts.