Training Instills Desire to Change
SFCG teaches conflict resolution theory and practical mediation skills to help officials in Burundi mediate land disputes.
In Burundi, SFCG runs several programs to help resolve conflicts around land disputes. As explained in the previous blog, many of the disputes revolve around land that the owners abandoned in 1972. In the early 70’s Burundi experienced an ethnically motivated rebellion mainly in the South. The government responded by killing hundreds of thousands, and forcing an equal number to flee the country. They remained in exile for years, but started to return for the elections in 1992 and have been returning continuously. However, the land they left behind in 1972 was occupied or redistributed by local officials to those who remained. The returnees now claim their former land, but the land has been inhabited by others for decades. These land disputes pose a serious challenge to peace in Burundian society.
One of SFCG’s efforts to help with the resolution over the land disputes is the Conflict Transformation Training. The training is for staff and local collaborators of the National Commission for Land and Other Goods (CNTB). The CNTB resolves the land disputes by mediation in order to reduce the cases for the courts. The CNTB can provide several rounds of mediation but refrains from arbitration. If the mediation was successful and an agreement was reached, the document is legally binding. If no agreement was reached, the CNTB refers the disputants to litigation.
SFCG trains CNTB staff by familiarizing them with conflict resolution concepts as well as teaching practical mediation skills. read more…
Deep Concerns about Elections in DRC
For the last elections in 2005, SFCG published a comic book around the voting process with the main character Mopila.
The national election campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially started on Friday 28th of October, exactly one month ahead of historic presidential and legislative elections, scheduled for November 28. 41 humanitarian and human rights organizations, one of them being SFCG, have expressed concern about the high political tension and deteriorating security situation. They have called upon all Congolese and international actors involved to take urgent measures to prevent electoral violence, better protect civilians and ensure credible, free and fair elections. read more…
Participatory theater contributes to finding solutions to land disputes.
In Burundi, SFCG runs several programs to help resolve conflicts around land disputes. As explained in the previous blog, many of the disputes revolve around land that the owners abandoned in 1972. In the early 70’s Burundi experienced an ethnically motivated rebellion mainly in the South. The government responded by killing hundreds of thousands and forcing an equal number to flee the country. They remained in exile for years, but started to return for the elections in 1992 and have been returning continuously. However, the land they left behind in 1972 was occupied or redistributed by local officials to those who remained. The returnees now claim their former land, but the land has been inhabited by others for decades. These land disputes pose a serious challenge to peace in Burundian society.
One of SFCG’s tools to help mitigate land disputes is Participatory Theater, which was developed by SFCG’s DRC office. The participatory approach starts before the actual performance. The actors start by interviewing the locals to learn more about their daily lives and the context of their conflicts. After these preliminary interviews the actors use this information to craft their performance and tailor it to the specific challenges the local audience faces. Their goal is to include and do justice to, all side’s perspectives.
Community network members are briefed on collecting security information and how to provide it to SFCG (photo: Brett Morton).
By Charles Holmquist
In December 2010, the former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Hilde Johnson, made a recommendation to the United Nations executive committee that conflict sensitivity be integrated into all UN development projects and stabilization initiatives. One project that includes a sensitivity component is the UNICEF-funded Program of Expanded Assistance to Returnees Plus (PEAR +).
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) two NGOs are implementing PEAR+, The Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI) and Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI). They build schools, wells, and health centers and they raise awareness in the communities on education, healthcare, and children’s rights.
SFCG in DRC has been asked to train the staff of the implementing NGOs to become more sensitive to conflict. Conflicts sometimes can be triggered by aid projects such as PEAR+ because they may change the community by favoring certain community members. This is especially true when certain community members are assigned a special role and form a committee. The committees for the PEAR+ have been formed to assist the implementing NGOs be continuously present in the respective communities. Another challenge the implementing NGOs face is that the communities sometimes feel being lectured or reprimanded on issues such as water, sanitation, hygiene practice, education, and child abuse.
Emmanuel Jal puts his heart into "We Want Peace" (photos: Jonathan White)
Holding up his Common Ground Award, Cardinal McCarrick likened its design to both a flower and a tear. He accepted his award for his role in securing the Freedom of the American Hikers from Iran saying the design was fitting, “For along this journey there have been many tears, but there have been flowers too.”
A Rwandan Journalist Travels for Search for Common Ground to Kinshasa
Generation Grand Lacs is a joint radio project between Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
SFCG has recently revived its radio program Generation Great Lakes, and is working with a new group of young journalists from Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to produce the series. One of the aims of Generation Great Lakes is to bring greater understanding of each others cultures and lives to youth across the region. To follow the project in greater detail, you can like their Facebook page. SFCG coordinates the project, which is a collaboration between five radio stations: RTG@ in Kinshasa, Mishapi Voice TV in Goma, Radio Isango Star in Kigali, Radio Salus in Butare (Rwanda), and Radio Isanganiro in Bujumbura. At each station, two journalists are assigned to the program. Professional and personal exchange are important, therefore, the 10 journalists of the team rotate around the different stations (on a schedule) for joint production.
A recent rotation took place when Rwandan journalist, Sandrine Isheja Butera, traveled to Kinshasa to co-host the program. It was her first time in DRC, first time on a plane, and she was made doubly nervous with all of the warnings and concerns about DRC that her friends and family gave.
Sandrine writes about her first experience in Kinshasha for the Common Ground Blog:
By: Sandrine Isheja Butera
I am surprised to find how nice people are, contrary to what I was told before leaving Rwanda. In fact, all my friends and family were afraid when I told them I had to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo. I must admit, I myself was apprehensive about going to Kinshasa to co-host this program. War and the tense situation between our two countries do not make our relations easy.
My travel itinerary was to fly to Nairobi and then catch another plane to the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville where I had to spend the night and take a boat the next day to go to the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa. The journey promised to be long but I was determined to see the bright side of it and not let fear take over.
