In Musenyi, Burundi, a training program was conducted for 100 women, comprising 75 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and 25 women from the Burundian host community. The training, which was financially supported by the Government of Japan and technically supported by UN Women Burundi and SOPADI, aimed to strengthen the capacities of women leaders who are members of community peace committees. The program focused on preventing tensions, mediating conflicts, and strengthening social cohesion.
The two-day training equipped participants with practical techniques in mediation, dialogue facilitation, and peaceful conflict resolution. They were provided with tools to help community members prevent tensions, promote respectful dialogue, and work towards solutions that are acceptable to all parties. The training used a participatory approach, allowing participants to share their experiences and discuss challenges encountered in their daily lives.
Role plays and simulations based on real-life situations enabled the women to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice and build confidence in their role as community mediators. One participant expressed her satisfaction with the training, saying she now feels better prepared to help her community. The training provided a concrete opportunity for the participants to strengthen their ability to contribute to peace within their communities.
For women from the host community, strengthening dialogue between communities is an important element of social cohesion. A host community participant highlighted the importance of talking, listening, and finding solutions together before small problems become bigger conflicts. The training showed them how to do this effectively.
A member of a community peace committee emphasized the importance of putting these new skills into practice. She wants to share what she has learned with other women and help bring families and communities closer together. The training empowered the women to take an active role in preventing tensions and facilitating dialogue.
At the end of the training, participants committed to putting their new skills into practice and contributing to their communities. They expressed their determination to prevent tensions, facilitate dialogue, strengthen relationships between refugee and host communities, and support the most vulnerable people around them. By strengthening women's participation in community peace mechanisms, the initiative contributes to positioning women as key actors in social cohesion, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding.
The training is not an end, but the beginning of a commitment to turn newly acquired knowledge into concrete action for peace in their communities. The 100 women in Musenyi are now equipped to make a positive impact in their communities.
Key points
- 100 women in Musenyi trained to prevent and manage community conflicts.
- Training aimed to strengthen women's capacity to prevent tensions, mediate conflicts, and strengthen social cohesion.
- Initiative contributes to positioning women as key actors in social cohesion, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding.
