lwf dws burundi presentation on peace regional consultation dsm

WELCOME

TO THIS PRESENTATION ON PEACE IN BURUNDI

LWF in collaboration with CNEB

Photo courtesy of Mark Leveri

I. Peace Process between GoB and FNL

There are significant and conclusive achievements:

FNL is legally registered as political party.

It is integrated in governmental political and security institutions.

The demobilisation and reintegration exercise for ex-combatants is ongoing.

The mediator’s office, the AU peacekeepers’ mission and the Joint Commission for Monitoring and Implementation of the Ceasefire between the two parties officially closed their mandates as of May 31st, 2009 .


UPDATES ON SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION UPDATES ON SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION

Armed banditry and land conflicts are the most source of insecurity at present (at road and household level).

From a ‘Small Arms Survey’ study: In 2008, 1000 persons were killed and 1300 wounded in

armed violence. Most of the victims are young men. However women mostly

suffer from sexual based violence. There is a progressive positive change regarding fire arms in

Burundians’ minds.

They are currently considered as a source of danger than a protection issue as it used to be during war time.


II. Security context to date

Political stability within governmental institutions is observed.

Political parties’ and the civil society attention is on the coming general elections

Underground campaigns. Opposition parties allege the ruling party to prevent them

from conducting meetings. The civil society complains that the Government attempts to

prevent them from denouncing political and social issues that go wrong.


III. Political Context to date.

The GoB has finally opened a National Office for Refugee Protection.

Burundi continue receiving refugees from DRC.

UNHCR has announced that the repatriation exercise for Burundian refugees would be completed by end 2009. 50,000 refugees are expected to repatriate from Tanzania and 5,000 refugees will repatriate from other neighbour countries, including 2,000 refugees from Rwanda.

11 persons have been sentenced from one year to perpetuity imprisonment after being proved by the court to have been involved in the killing and attempt to killing of albinos.

Majority of the albinos who had been living in a provisional protection site in Ruyigi for security fear went back to their respective areas of origin as a result of a network of LWF, Red Cross, HealthNet TPO Burundi and the local administration, committed to coordinate psychosocial interventions to the albinos and their communities of origin.


IV. Protection issues: Refugees & Albinos


There are good harvests this time:

Favourable climatic conditions. People are concentrated more on farming. Inputs from different interveners in livelihoods.

The inflation rate has decreased due to large decrease in market prices for food commodities.

Challenge: farmers sell almost all their production at very low prices and suffer from food and seeds shortages later.

Interveners should invest more in harvest management and storage facilities.

V. Economic situation to date


Accompanying Burundi in building strong foundations for sustainable peace: The World Bank and the IMF have cancelled 92 % of Burundi

external dept (1,4 billions of USD). The 2010-2014 United Nations Integrated Support Strategy for

Burundi, with 240 millions of USD has been approved and signed.

Main focus: i. Peace consolidation and reconciliationii. Promotion and protection of human rights iii.Strategic planning and coordinationiv.Community empowermentv. Democratic governance.

EU recently announced that it will accompany the peace process and the 2010 general elections with a significant financial support.

The UN Commission for Peace Consolidation in Burundi has also promised to support the 2010 electoral process.

VI. Improved cooperation, a sign of peace & stability


LWF/BURUNDI PROGRAMMELWF/BURUNDI PROGRAMME

I. Vision:

Communities living in peace, justice and dignity, having access to opportunities for growth and realisation of full potential.

II. Mission:

LWF- Burundi is committed to empower vulnerable, marginalised and displaced communities to achieve self reliance by transitioning from relief to development interventions which will enable people to take direct control of their livelihoods to reduce human suffering and poverty.


1: Displaced individuals are accepted and reintegrated into their communities of origin.

2: Communities are engaged in the acquisition of sustainable livelihoods. 3: Structural barriers that inhibit effective participation in governance and realization of human rights reduced.

III. Strategic objectives


Currently, LWF/Burundi has three projects: Currently, LWF/Burundi has three projects: DanChurchAid/DANIDA Phase IIDanChurchAid/DANIDA Phase II: : a continuation of the

Programme for Peace Project started in 2006 with strategic adjustments as recommended by our internal monitoring, the external evaluation and the donor. The main focus is livelihoods.

Community Empowerment Project (CEP): Community Empowerment Project (CEP): designed to build the necessary capacity among communities to enable them to take control of their own development. It started in January 2009.

Church World Service (CWS)CWS) Post - Primary Education project: focuses on secondary and vocational training centres.

These projects are guided by a six year Country Strategy (2009 – These projects are guided by a six year Country Strategy (2009 – 2014).2014).

IV. Projects


by promoting justice, unity by promoting justice, unity and acceptance between and acceptance between returnees and people in the returnees and people in the receiving communities through receiving communities through the following interventions:the following interventions:

LWF/Burundi addresses peace issues at the grassroots level

LWF/Burundi addresses peace issues at the grassroots level


People comprised of judiciary and administration leaders, returnees, Bashingantahe and receiving committee members from Burundi visited Kibondo camps several times to discuss judiciary and administration, land and repatriation issues with refugee leaders.

These visits have significantly reduced suspicions between refugees and welcoming communities.

As there are no longer refugee camps in Kibondo District, LWF/Burundi and TCRS continue exchanging cross-border visits on empowerment course through CEP projects.

I. Cross-border


LWF sent a lot of reading materials to the refugee communities to give them information on Burundi, complementing other sources of information they had.

The reading materials were so important in helping refugees make informed choice when deciding on repatriation.

A LWF weekly radio magazines is produced and aired by one of the most popular and powerful radio stations with main focus on return and reintegration

II. Information


One of the LWF/Burundi advocacy efforts is land rights for returnees, expellees and the marginal Batwa communities. LWF networks with other interveners on this issue.

LWF facilitates visits by government officials and Batwa representatives to Batwa communities in the project area to promote peace, community relations, and integration.

Promoting development-oriented thinking through exchange visits between Batwa communities of LWF project area and other Batwa communities inside and outside Burundi:

To see and learn from examples of successful integration and development

To witness first-hand the situation on the ground and offer more informed advice on how to best achieve full economic and social integration for fellow Batwa.

III. Advocacy


LWF supports local tribunals in its project zone with logistics support resulting

The support helps to implement pending land cases in the remotest areas (120 cases already implemented).

V. Dissemination of legal materials

Legal texts were simplified, translated into Kirundi and distributed to the LWF/Burundi partner communities:

!. Law on genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity.2. Convention against all kinds of discrimination of women3. Law on corruption and other related crimes 4. Convention on fight against torture and other inhuman and

degrading treatment5. Civil procedure

IV. Logistics support to local tribunals


LWF/Burundi empowers the partner communities in key areas such as peace building, conflict management and transformation, legal system and human rights, leadership.

VII. Sports and theatre LWF/Burundi supports sports tournaments (volleyball,

football and athletics), drama presentations and youth gathering to create more opportunities for messages on conflict resolution, land and crosscutting issues.

VI. Capacity Building


Why Livelihoods?

With the problem of landlessness, ex-combatants, returnees and many jobless youths might turn into gangs.

Promotion of food security and livelihoods initiatives is key to avoid this to happen.

In LWF/Burundi area, livelihoods assets (on-loan goats, cows, mosaic resistant cassava, … are contributing significantly to achieve a smooth and stable integration of IDPs and returnees.

Livelihoods and peace consolidation


HIGHLIGHTS ON LIVELIHOODS INTERVENTIONS HIGHLIGHTS ON LIVELIHOODS INTERVENTIONS

Agriculture and livestock development consolidate peace and unity through community solidarity schemes

Basket weavers groups have become apprenticeship centres bringing together

returnee and remainee women

Environment rehabilitation is a community concern


HIGHLIGHTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATIONHIGHLIGHTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION

Schools’ construction/rehabilitation in high return areas was a big concern for LWF during phase I

Safe water systems saved people from the risky river waters. The community take care of

the schemes with full ownership.

LWF implemented the ‘right to shelter’ for expellees and other extremely vulnerable

people in its intervention zone.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!THANK YOU FOR

YOUR ATTENTION!


lwf dws burundi presentation on peace regional consultation dsm

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