Interpeace launches new peacebuilding programme in DRC to foster reconciliation in the Kasaï region

Kasaï was a relatively stable region in the Democratic Republic of Congo - a country struggling with multiple conflicts – until 2016 when violence erupted out of a locally rooted conflict. A violent dispute tore apart communities in the Kasaï region, turning the area into the epicenter of an intercommunal conflict that has engulfed the entire region and spread to neighboring Lomami and Sankuru provinces.

Kasaï is one of the poorest regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is usually far off the radar of politicians and decision makers in the distant capital Kinshasa. This disconnection has failed to nurture the tradition of social integration and made it difficult for the local populations to see what connects them to each other. As a result, violence broke out in August 2016, pitting local militants against national government forces. Some 5,000 people were killed by the brutal war that raged for more than two years and 1.4 million others were displaced, according to United Nations figures.

Since then, people have struggled to recover from the two years of intense violent conflict as ethnic tensions simmer. The recent influx of over 300,000 people into Kasaï, mainly migrant workers and refugees forced to return home from Angola, is posing a threat of resurgence of violence as the region is still extremely fragile following previous conflicts. This large influx of returnees in Kasaï has stretched the already inadequate resources and generated tensions between returnees and host communities, leading to skirmishes in some villages over limited food resources.

There is a danger that inter-communal tensions may resurface. In the heat of these rising conflicts, Interpeace has partnered with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Fondation Hirondelle to restore trust among the Kasaï communities and reconcile them with DRC authorities.

On 4 July 2019, our peacebuilding programme for Kasaï was launched in DRC at an event that brought together local and national representatives to present the programme and identify their common strengths for lasting peace in Kasaï and Central Kasaï . In total, 48 participants including women, local chiefs, community members, senior state officials at all levels, members of parliament and international development partners from the European Union, Interpeace, NRC and Fondation Hirondelle attended the launching ceremony.

“This peacebuilding project is relevant in the Kasai area after the conflict of 2016 to 2018 that led to loss of lives, breach of trust and serious human rights violations. I look forward to a fruitful cooperation with the provincial government through this programme to strengthen the interventions on the ground,” said the deputy Governor of Central Kasaï, Prof. Ambroise Kamukunyi.

Our programme, funded by the European Union, will develop and facilitate dialogue and mediation initiatives for reconciliation to support sustainable peace and stability. The goal is to enhance trust and social cohesion among local communities, authorities and security forces in the region of Kasaï and Central Kasaï, by helping them to overcome deep divisions and address their conflicts in a concerted, more inclusive and non-violent ways.

Interpeace’s action will be coordinated and implemented locally in partnership with three Congolese organizations: Action pour la Paix et la Concorde (APC), Travail et Droits de l’Homme (TDH) and the Commission Diocésiaine Justice et Paix Kananga (CDJPK).

 

Strengthening the role of young women as advocates of peace and security in Palestine through creativity and art

The political sphere in Palestine is male dominated, with young women in particular excluded from political and security decision-making. Significantly, existing social norms, growing conservative attitudes, prevailing gender stereotypes and socio-economic hardship hinder women’s participation at positions of influence. As a result, young women are often not engaged or involved in traditional power structures, and ultimately, have limited knowledge of their civic and political rights, including the capacity to express their political and social views.

To help shift this reality, Interpeace’s Palestine programme (Mustakbalna) has since its creation engaged diverse actors across the political spectrum and key sectoral groups within the Palestinian society, including women and youth, as change agents to promote constructive dialogue, enhance civil peace and greater stability within the Palestinian community.

In 2018, Mustakbalna partnered with The Freedom Theatre to strengthen the role of young women as advocates of peace and security in Palestine through creativity and art. Combining technical capacity building on UNSCR 1325, human rights, and gender with training on the use of innovative advocacy tools such as participatory photography, videography and theatre, young women from six different areas in the West Bank were empowered to act with influence, stand up for their rights and lead positive change in their communities.

Empowering women through art   

In 2000, the Security Council passed UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. This resolution was a milestone because it acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls, as well as the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, humanitarian response and peacebuilding. More than just victims of conflict, the resolution recognized women as actors of change and as peacebuilders, as well as acknowledged the importance of including women in all stages of conflict prevention and peace negotiations. However, in conflict-affected countries, women – and young women in particular – often do not possess technical knowledge of UNSCR 1325 and generally lack the space, confidence and advocacy skills to voice their concerns and aspirations to decision-makers.

Thinking of ways to address the particular challenge faced by young women, the Mustakbalna programme in partnership with The Freedom Theatre delivered a series of capacity building workshops, theatre and drama workshops, and participatory photography/videography sessions, to enable young women in target areas to improve their confidence, advocacy skills and technical knowledge of UNSCR 1325. These comprehensive training efforts helped 120 young women between the ages of 15-25 to find their “own voice” using creativity and art. Throughout the sessions, young women improved their ability to have oftentimes difficult conversations about security concerns, covering issues such as domestic violence, sexual harassment and abuse with their peers, project staff, and key stakeholders, while at the same time linking these concerns to broader reflections about UNSCR 1325 and to what extent it can be used as an advocacy tool. These improvements were confirmed by participants’ parents, and other project stakeholders, including women leaders, who were impressed by the level of knowledge and expertise demonstrated by young women such as displaying greater confidence and courage, greater awareness of their rights as women and as Palestinians, and greater clarity in their communication and self-expression. As a result, young women were able to bring forth their concerns and aspirations through various means and with various audiences.

The photography and videography workshops trained young women in the use of cameras and mobile phones to document issues around them and examine how these tools can be used as an advocacy instrument. Young women produced photographs and short films portraying their everyday realities, concerns and challenges regarding security, sexual harassment, societal pressure, abuse, and discrimination (gender and age) but also their aspirations and role in society. Meanwhile, the theatre and drama workshops covered not only theory and practice, but also interactive exercises such as use of body language and confidence-building. As a conclusion to the workshops, the works produced by young women, such as theatre sketches, photographs and short films, were presented in local communities to foster discussion around the role and concerns of young women.

Additionally, as part of the objective to raise broader awareness about issues concerning women in the Palestinian society, Interpeace’s partner, The Freedom Theater led the production of a play “Us Too – Women of Palestine”. The play highlighted powerful personal stories of harassment, struggle for equality, and women’s dreams of determining their own future, which toured in different locations in the West Bank.

In October 2018, a National Gathering was organized to conclude the training elements of the project. For the first time, the young women working groups were brought together from across the West Bank: Jenin City, Ya’bad, Nablus, Tulkarem, Tubas, and Hebron to help build stronger relationships, networks and communication channels with each other and with local organizations.

Connecting young women with decision-makers

As an integral part of the project, communication channels were created between young women and local decision-makers through introductory meetings to provide women with concrete opportunities to practice advocacy and accountability. These meetings were organized in all target areas, where participants discussed the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the role and particular security concerns of young women. Over 120 participants attended these meetings including young women, representatives of local municipalities, Governorate Offices, political parties, women’s and human rights organizations, legal institutions, and informal community leaders.

Furthermore, through the advocacy engagements facilitated by the programme, a meeting between young women and representatives of the National Coalition for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Palestine was organized. The discussion covered issues such as gender-based violence and discrimination against women including honor killings, violence against women by the Israeli occupation, raising awareness among men of women’s rights, gender, and UNSCR 1325, as well as the challenge of forming a unified front among women on the issue of women’s rights in Palestine.

Both decision-makers and women leaders acknowledged the importance and necessity of listening to these strong – but often marginalized – voices and recognized the place and potential of young women as “future leaders” of the Palestinian society.

Ensuring young women’s access to community structures at a local level is key to enabling them to later participate in peace and security processes at the national level. Fostering greater awareness of young women’s rights and opportunities can enable them to use such frameworks, and UNSCR 1325 specifically, as tools to advocate for a greater role for themselves.

The implementation of the Interpeace and Freedom Theatre project “Advocates for peace and security” was made possible with the generous support of the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).

Photo credit: The Freedom Theatre

Interpeace et la FICR s’allient pour renforcer les acteurs locaux

Ils sont plus de 13 millions dans 191 pays. Ils s’activent au nom de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, la plus grande « armée de volontaires » humanitaires dans le monde qui œuvrent dans les zones fragiles, rassemblée en Fédération internationale, la FICR. Face aux défis qui s’annoncent avec des conflits de plus en plus violents, le réchauffement climatique, les migrations, ces membres des différentes sociétés nationales sont en première ligne auprès des personnes dans le besoin.

L’institution veut désormais, davantage qu’auparavant, contribuer par sa réponse à augmenter à plus long terme la capacité de ces milliers de bénéficiaires de s’organiser et de surmonter les crises à venir. Pour ce faire, et avoir un impact durable, elle doit mettre ces ressources locales au centre du dispositif. Prévenir aujourd’hui pour éviter de devoir guérir demain, tous y trouvent leur intérêt. Si les communautés sont plus résilientes, les besoins humanitaires seront moins importants, le tout dans un contexte favorisant une paix durable.

De son côté, Interpeace défend et facilite depuis 25 ans le renforcement des acteurs locaux en tant qu’organisation internationale de consolidation de la paix. Or, trop longtemps, cet environnement et celui de l’humanitaire se sont côtoyés sans forcément se parler, encore moins dialoguer sur les possibilités de collaborer pour davantage de résilience des populations.

Depuis Genève, les deux institutions veulent décloisonner ces contextes et ont décidé de rassembler leurs compétences dans une déclaration d’intention signée la semaine dernière. Pour tenter de garantir une action durable pour les communautés locales, Interpeace, et son expertise dans l’appui de mécanismes inclusifs dans plus de 20 pays, et la FICR vont travailler ensemble.

Objectif affiché, les deux institutions internationales veulent évaluer les effets positifs mais aussi, parfois, les conséquences négatives, bien que non souhaitées, de l’intervention humanitaire sur ces populations. Pendant les 3 prochaines années, leur union doit permettre de mieux identifier les premiers grâce aux nouveaux instruments lancés par des acteurs comme Interpeace pour mesurer les facteurs de résilience dans une société.

Comment y arriver, au plus près des personnes affectées, pour éviter qu’une intervention à court terme ne soit plus pertinente ou pire encore contreproductive sur une période plus longue ? Interpeace va appuyer des sociétés nationales de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge pour mieux comprendre leur mode de fonctionnement et les accompagner dans cette nouvelle ère. Une plateforme participative et interactive sera établie pour récolter les priorités et les besoins identifiés par les populations elles-mêmes. Une marque de fabrique d’Interpeace qui doit ensuite donner lieu à un baromètre.

Pour la première fois, une institution humanitaire bénéficiera de cet outil pour mieux mesurer la résilience à tous les niveaux, qu’ils soient individuel, familial, communautaire ou institutionnel. Dix pays constitueront le pilote de ce nouveau partenariat pour démarrer. Une contribution parmi celles qui rendront au moins 1 milliard de personnes plus résilientes comme l’ambitionne la FICR dans sa nouvelle stratégie. De quoi aussi pouvoir disséminer les leçons apprises par cette nouvelle approche vers d’autres institutions humanitaires et les bailleurs de fonds pour peut-être modifier l’ensemble de ces écosystèmes qui assistent les populations.

President of Interpeace, Scott Weber and Secretary General of the IFRC, Elhadj As Sy. Photo credit: Interpeace

Bâtir la paix commence dès le plus jeune âge

« Il faut que tout le monde choisisse les règles ». La conclusion d’un jeune de 13 ans, limpide, claque comme une évidence au bout d’une heure et quart d’effervescence puis de réflexion. Comme lui, une vingtaine d’enfants genevois sont venus se frotter, dans les locaux d’Interpeace, à une expérience autour d’un jeu pour mieux se confronter à l’injustice. L’un des neuf ateliers organisés à nouveau cette année dans le cadre des « Bâtisseurs de paix », rencontre de plusieurs centaines d’élèves du secondaire avec les institutions abritées au sein de la Maison de la Paix.

Il aura suffi d’un subterfuge dans un jeu de cartes, d’un groupe de jeunes autorisé à appliquer les règles les plus discriminatoires à l’encontre de leurs camarades, pour provoquer un électrochoc dans l’assistance réunie dans une petite salle d’Interpeace. Les conséquences de ces « superpouvoirs » ne tardent pas à se faire sentir. Parmi elles, l’apprentissage de la position difficile du marginalisé, du vulnérable qui n’a pas voix aux décisions qui l’affectent. Comme dans les conflits ou les situations fragiles où Interpeace opère. « Toutes les règles sont contre moi », souffle avec dépit une participante, sans se départir de son sourire.

« C’est de la tyrannie. Vive la république », lance un autre qui tente de constituer des alliances tout en se disant révolté par le poids attribué à ces camarades qui peuvent tout se permettre. Et certains ne se privent pas d’utiliser cette autorité offerte, faisant ressortir instinctivement les fragmentations qui peuvent faire basculer les sociétés dans la violence. Genre, identité, nationalité, confession religieuse, les pénalités imposées par ces arbitres du jeu reflètent les facteurs de division observées dans certains pays.

La salle incarne autant de diversités sur chacune de ces composantes. Les difficultés constatées dans certains pays sont mentionnées. A chaque fois, le jeune qui en est le ressortissant acquiesce. Certains doutent encore de l’opportunité de faire la paix dans le leur ou avec un Etat avec celui-ci est en guerre. Mais ils entendent malgré tout, souvent réceptifs au besoin d’inclure tous les groupes pour pouvoir peut-être atteindre une paix durable. « Racistes », « sexistes », « inégalitaires », « discriminatoires », les qualificatifs s’enchaînent pour refléter la situation éprouvée face aux règles dans le jeu de cartes comme il aurait pu l’être dans une population entière confrontée aux violences dans des sociétés aux mécanismes injustes. Beaucoup relèvent une frustration. L’importance du contenu d’une décision mais aussi et surtout de comment celle-ci a été prise, la légitimité qu’elle rassemble. Interpeace relève elle-même régulièrement que les jeunes doivent être associés entièrement au dialogue dans la consolidation de la paix. Mais l’expérience n’a pas bénéficié seulement aux enfants. « Un certain nombre de professeurs devraient venir la faire », glisse l’une des enseignantes qui encadrent le groupe. Comme Interpeace le défend dans toute son action, tous les acteurs doivent être pris en compte dans les sociétés.

Photo credit: Interpeace

Oxford Peace Talks 2019: Africa Leading for Peace

On 16 May, the Bonavero Institute at Oxford University became a space for sharing stories of peace, in the first ever Oxford Peace Talks held in honor of Kofi Annan, the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and founder of the Kofi Annan Foundation. Organized under the theme “Africa Leading for Peace,” young Africans shared their personal stories and experiences, to highlight their efforts to promote peace in Africa. The Oxford Peace Talks also helped shift the needle on the narrative of Africa being a continent in need to a continent of global relevance with best practices and models of peace.

Speakers at the Oxford Peace Talks 2019. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

The event started with Kofi Annan’s empowering message recorded in the Geneva Peace Talks 2017. In his own words, “Young people can make a difference. You have the capacity to lead […] One is never too young to lead, and we are never too old to learn.” Following his emphasis on the role and participation of youth, the inaugural Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Kate O’Regan, kicked off the event. Quoting Kofi Annan, she emphasized the power of sharing stories. In her own words, she said “in seeking to protect and promote human rights in our world, the most important thing you can do is to tell one another stories.”

Our first speaker was Anupah Makoond, a peacebuilder from Mauritius and Co-chair of the 2019 Oxford Africa Conference. She was supposed to be an engineer, but peacebuilding came to her after meeting Martti Ahtisaari, Johan Galtung and Kofi Annan- three peace mediators. Starting with her experience of how peacebuilding came to her, she asked the audience to contemplate what peace means and how peace can be achieved. She shared, “When I was 18, I had an amazing experience of encountering Martti Ahtisaari, Johan Galtung and Kofi Annan. Three men who spent their lives in conflict zones, and have so much optimism, energy and joy. This is the meaning of life.” Finalizing her talk, she emphasized the importance of creating space for people’s voices to be heard.

Anupah Makoond. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

We then heard from Qhayiya Mudau, a physiotherapist and Rhodes Scholar focusing on how to improve access to health rehabilitation services in rural South Africa. Her stories shed some light on how rebuilding the lives of individuals leads to rebuilding peace. She said “Access to physiotherapy services, I believe, has such a crucial role in building and rebuilding the lives of individuals after disease or disaster. However, many people face a multitude of barriers when accessing rehabilitation services because of a variety of barriers. What happens now? Rehabilitation services are about rebuilding.”

Qhayiya Mudau. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

A former gang member and now a peace ambassador in Uganda, Sadat Zagah Zziwa, shared his journey of becoming a peace ambassador. As a former gang member, he encountered death and catastrophic situations, however, he shared his story of how he realized the meaning of hope. He shared his passion of the Ngabo Youth Friendly Service Centre as an alternative space for people living in marginalized areas. Finalizing his talk, he hopes the same agenda can be implemented across the world, giving us inspiration for peace.

Following the musical performance of Ngoni Mugwisi, our next speakers delivered several approaches to promote peace in Africa. Dr. Sellah King’oro took center stage next. As an Assistant Director of the Research, Policy and Planning Department of Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), she shared her ideas of how Africa is leading for peace based on homegrown solutions. In her own words, “How can Africa lead for peace? Things have changed; Africa is adopting homegrown solutions to address conflicts.”

Dr. Sellah King’oro. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

Award winning South African actor, Daniel Mpilo Richards, spoke next and shared with us his journey of becoming a peacebuilder as a creative director for the Ruben Richards Foundation. Kicking off his stories with his experience in Cape Town, meeting a gang leader and capturing the emotion of hope, he emphasized that we all have the capacity for change. He stated, “No matter who you are, what you have done, we all have the capacity for change.”

Daniel Mpilo Richards. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

We then heard from Fatima Al Ansar, the youngest diplomat in Mali and an activist for girls’ education and women’s rights. She inspired us with her passion and vision for a world where men and women live an equal life, a world where we all enjoy a peaceful life in harmony and the world where one’s gender or religious difference does not matter. Fatima reminded us that “empowering girls is the key for the development of our nation.”

Fatima Al Ansar. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

Our last speaker of the night was Hajer Sharief. She is a founder of Libyan organization “Together We Build It,” and Young Leader from Kofi Annan Foundation’s Extremely Together Initiative. Calling herself a a full-time war survivor, she expressed the need to focus on the ordinary citizens who live in conflict zones. She reminded everyone that “People are not born violent; people are born into violence. People in a war zone have a voice and have an opinion to deliver.”

Hajer Sharief. Photo credit: Sanya Samtani

Vice President of Interpeace, Simon Gimson, closed the night with the following inspirational reminder: “Conflict is a natural experience and so is peacebuilding. Profound individual experiences and contributions they are making towards peacebuilding are sedimentary layers of wisdom, wisdom about peacebuilding.”

The full event and the individual talks are available at www.peacetalks.net

Pictures of the event and photobooth are available at the Peace Talks Facebook Page.

Oxford Peace Talks

The 2019 Oxford Peace Talks is organized under the theme: Africa Leading for Peace, and held in honour of Kofi Annan, the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and founder of the Kofi Annan Foundation.  Through a series of 8-minute talks, young Africans will share their personal stories and experiences, to highlight their efforts to promote peace in Africa.

The event will take place at the The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Mansfield College on 16 May 2019, from 17:30 to 19:00 followed by a reception. This is the first time the Peace Talks travels to a university campus. This is a satellite event of the 9th edition of the Oxford Africa Conference (OAC).

The Oxford Peace Talks will also help shift the needle on the narrative of Africa being a continent in need to a continent of global relevance with best practices and models of peace. Speakers come from across different professional and personal backgrounds to emphasize that each and every one of us, regardless of our age and background, can contribute to promoting peace in our communities and beyond. This is something Kofi Annan strongly believed in as he often said: “You are never too young to lead and never too old to learn”.

Kofi Annan’s legacy is an illustration of the essence of the Peace Talks’ theme: his contribution to peace has truly transcended borders and has contributed to asserting Africa’s relevance globally.

The Oxford Peace Talks is co-organized by Interpeace, Oxford Africa Conference, Kofi Annan Foundation and hosted by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights and in partnership with OxPeace and Mirabaud.

The event will feature the following speakers:

Learn more about the speakers at the event page on peacetalks.net.

 

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