Quaker Network for the Prevention of Violent Conflict
Le Réseau de quaker pour l'Empêchment de Conflit Violent


 

QPN AFRICA 2005 CONSULTATION :
 

The activities began with a short delay at 10.30, compared to the time mentioned on the agenda, because of the late arrival of participants.
Opening time : 10.30
Number of participants: 39
Meditation: 10.45
Adrien animated the meeting (instead of Elie NAHIMANA who was late) with a short sermon on the biblical passage in Ephesians 4.29.

1. Martin Struthmann; Quaker Peace Centre, CAPE TOWN Représentant de l’Afrique australe chargé de l’administration du site web
2. Brigitte Butt; Nairobi
3. Jessica Huber; New York
4. Jeremie NZABANITA , Coordinateur CAPP Nord-Kivu; Goma
5. Josh Bazuin, MCC ; Kigali
6. Jean Pierre NYONZIMA, Mi parec chargé des programmes… ; Gitega
7. Rachelle BUGENIMANA, Departement des femmes, Urugo Rw’Amahoro ; Kigali
8. Georges Walumoli, Programme de développement ; Ouganda
9. Felicité NTIRKURAKO, chargé des programmes THARS ; Bujumbura
10. Kayumba Apendeki, chargé de programme Femme et famille au Congo ; Uvira ?
11. Jeremy Routledge, Alternatives to Violence trainer; Cape Town South Africa
12. Colin Glenn, Phaphama Initiatives; Bryanston Zozi, South Africa
13. Adrien NIYONGABO, Healing and Reconciling our Communities ; Bujumbura
14. Nokuthula Mbete, Femmes jeunes pour le développement, Quaker Peace Centre; Cape Town  , South Africa
15. Vickie Sharon NAKUTI, Evangelical Friends in Peace Comm. Development and child care  ;  Ouganda
16. Laura SHIPLER CHICO, Africa Great Lakes Initiative; Kigali, Urugo Rw’Amahoro
17. SIZELI Marcellin, director Urugo Rw’Amahoro; Kigali, Rwanda
18. Steven Collette, Change Agents Peace Programme (CAPP) ; Norvege
19. SITA Merveilleux, Coordinateur projet culture de silence ; Congo Brazzaville
20. Zawadi NIKUZE, interprette; Goma
21. Jean Baptiste KAGUFA, Secrétaire ; Bujumbura
22. Regina NTUNGUKA, MiPAREC; Gitega, BURUNDI
23. Modeste KARERWA , Directeur Peace school; Burundi
24. Levy NDIKUMANA, Mi parec; Gitega, Burundi
25. NAHIMANA Valentin, Maire de la ville de Gitega
26. Elie NAHIMANA, Révérend Pasteur Représentant Legal de L’église évangéliques des Amis au Burundi
27. HEZRON C MASITSA, Friends International Centre ; Nairobi
28. Malesi KINARO ; Nairobi
29. Moses Musonga, General Secretary, FWCC Africa Section ; Nairobi
30. Rose Imbega, Kenya CAPP
31. Gianne Broughton, American Friends Service Committee Central Africa Program, and Canadian Friends Service Committee ; Bujumbura; Ottawa.
32. Abdul Kamara, QPN Sierra Leone;
33. SAMUKA Parker, QPN Liberia
34. Lévi MUNYEMANA, CAPP Nord-Kivu ; Goma
35. Philippe NAKUWUNDI, Departement d’Education, Eglise Evangelique des Amis au Burundi; Bujumbura
36. MKOKO BOSEKA, Representant Legal, Communaute des Eglise Evangeliques des Amis au Congo; Bukavu
37. Moses BIGIRIMANA, clerk, comite des Refugies de FWCC Africa Section; Nairobi
38. David ZAREMBKA, Africa Great Lakes Initiative; USA
39. MUNYANIZI Gérard, Urugo Rw’Amahoro; Kigali

Seven people are excused because of their absence due to different occupations and responsibilities they have.
Nevertheless, the assembly appreciates the presence of a secretary in the consultation, something which until then had never been done. Thanks are also addressed to the organization committee.

Welcome message

As a member the organization committee, Brigitte thanked the people who were present, giving their many occupations she appreciated the efforts of each in the success of the activity. She requested the cooperation of everyone for the respect of the program and especially for the sharing of experiences.

Levy continued by introducing the mayor of Gitega city who was present at the ceremonies delegated by the governor of Gitega province. Relaying a message in his behalf, he thanked the three dozen who came from many places with the only object to exchange about peace an activity, which fits very well with the context in which our country finds itself. It is a country, which has known many murders because of civil war.

Work on resolving conflicts, and similar initiatives are welcome and will help Burundi to strengthen the peace, which is recovered, but still delicate/fragile. He encouraged the mental as well as physical contributions of all participants.

Next on the program, Rev. Pastor Philippe NAKUWUNDI spoke instead of Elie NAHIMANA, Legal Representative of Evangelical Friends church. He thanked people who were present organizers of the conference and the mayor delegated by Gitega Governor. He reassured the participants on the security situation of Gitega province, wished them a good stay and gave an official welcome to the present delegations.

QPN PROGRAM

In the introduction, the orator mentioned that the idea of conflicts prevention was begun in London and the first consultation QPN took place in New York, but as they discussed further about conflicts in Africa and as they couldn’t debate problems of Africa apart from the continent, it was decided that future QPN consultations must take place in Africa. This is the reason why in 2001 they held the consultation in Bujumbura, the first in Africa, followed by one which took place in Rwanda, Kenya and again to day in Burundi, but this time at Gitega.

Hopes and fears

Hopes of participants

- Cooperation between participants
- Mechanisms of communication after the consultation
- To be inspired by others’ work
- To know how to progress
- To leave with consultation report.
- Organization of the consultation in West Africa
- Share experiences freely
- To Know how to intervene in the electoral process
- Creation of mechanisms to make a follow-up of information that we receive in our consultations.
- To emphasize the kind of information that we wished to share and specify them clearly
- To suggest strategies that could expand in us a spirit of solidarity.
-
Share results of communications project administered from South Africa

- Clear definition of network objectives.

Fears

- The budget risk to be exceeded
- Lack of strategic plan
- Many expenses without follow-up (wrong management)
- Lack of continuity and follow-up of our commitment worry about the respect of program because of the late beginning of the activities.
- Time risks to be insufficient t define QPN
- Too many fears could make sure us not to consider the positif side of our presence here in our consultation.
- Worry of the people who speak one language, who risk to feel disorientated.

After that, they gave an opportunity to MALES, for a reading of QPN reports collected among the notes of different persons seeing that the organization never produced any report for the previous consultation. (Document circulated in advance)

Communications Project Administered from South Africa

Colin gave a very full explanation of report on how the funds have been received? Participants had some interventions in particular:

- Conditions required to be allowed to benefit the funds
- The fare of who didn’t received the fund
- The delay in the transmission of reports on the member of organizations
- The reason why the transfer of money to the individual accounts instead of the organization accounts
To justify himself, Colin asked them to notice that there were no required conditions defined by QPN to grant the funds. Was not the fault of his organization but of QPN and AFSC.

For sending money in the individual accounts is was the easiest way and less expensive. And also for transparency means a well detailed financial report was requied from beneficiary organizations responsible.

To conclude this question it has been decided that the grant of funds must be well defined and clarified to prevent problems connected to project funds.

Website (Martin)

In Cape Town, we have been committed to create a website for network. The site is already operational and can be visited on the address below:
www.quaker.org/peace-network. It includes:

- Reports of some consultations
- Some activities report of members organization

He asked the member organization of network QPN to send the information, publications, Projects, realizations, …to enrich the website.
The electronic address of the site administrator is:
[email protected]

Elections Monitoring (Levy)

The electoral process in hand in Great Lac countries gave to the idea to form international team of election monitors composed by Burundians, cngolese and Rwandans helped by some South-Africans and Kenyans financially supported by CAPP and AFSC.

The training done by CENI and ONUB

The early participants problems from Congo did not continue with later stages

Problem met:

- To adapt to the unpredictable changes of electoral calendar remains our big problem often the dates are postponed
- We worked with people who were not available, who have been rarely present.

After his talk, some participants wanted to inform themselves on the problems connected with the language of communication on the logistical means available and on the required. Responding on all those worries the orator made known that language doesn’t pose any problem if the directives to be allowed are well clarified and the team is sufficiently trained, but the logistics means in their possession were insufficient.

Presentation of strategic planning

Gianne Broughton begins her talk by the following question:
“how can QPN support and reinforce peace in Africa? Then, She invited the audience to analyze the actions which have been done and those which are possible.
The question was discussed in small groups of six each.

Activities Reports of QPN member organizations

After many discussions on the way to do the activity the assembly decide go ahead in spite of the absence of some panel members.

Panels (pacifist churches)

SITA DUBOIS Merveilleux presents “M’BONGUI” welcome center/hostel common compartment, Congo-Brazaville.
At the beginning, M’BONGUI was a project for the non-violence, but it is becoming now a culture of silence for non-violence and peace.

Activities:

- Educational talks, and debate – conferences on the silence, the no – violence and peace.
- Street theatre and vocal (songs)
- Training and sensitization about active non-violence
- Participation in the work of the forum on “non – violence at school” and in the sensitization day on the culture of non – violence and peace organized by Congolese coordinator for the decade of non –violence and peace for the world’s children proclaimed by UNO (United Nations Organization) (2001-2010)
Philippe NAKUWUNDI introduces Evangelical Friends Churches Burundi.
The war which rages in Burundi since 1993 demanded that we could initiate many activities in related to peace;
- The trauma healing
- Creation of peace school at Magarama – Gitega in order to receive students coming from different ethic groups.
- Elaboration of a curriculum for peace education (on-going)
- Sensitization of religious leaders in favour of the electoral process
- Elections’ monitoring
- Activities in connexion with reintegration of retuned refuges at Ruyigi.

MKOKO BOSEKA introduced pacifist church, Democratic Republic of Congo.

He made his intervention by preaching on the biblical passage in 2 Corinthians 5.20. he expressed himself by saying that:” There is a necessity to pass by diplomacy school in order to become Christ’s ambassador, that school which Christ teaches himself.” He called us to accept and to carry the ambassador’s cross in order to be worthy of this name and to inherit the Kingdom of God.

Participant interventions

- They needed a very clear detail on the meaning of the term “silence” used by M’BONGUI organization.
- Worry about the spirit which animates the leaders of pacifist churches
- When performing peace education activities, do they have the same spirit of good will and disinterested generosity that they have when they evangelize?
-  The difference between pacifist churches and other churches

Ending the point, the orator called the audience to continue peace education ignoring the needs of city and also by beginning in their respective churches. He encouraged participants at the same time to undertake peace education initiatives with a voluntary spirit of willingness, as is the case in the evangelization.

Worship sharing

The orator invited participants to have a spirit of sharing and worship, to take a few moment in order to hear their fellow’s experience, to revive in others your own experience in order to strengthen each other, in meditation.
In order to be able to understand each other well the audience subdivides in groups of six.

Friday

The day’s activities begin by sharing biblical passage in 2corinthians 5.18-20
Yesterday’s small-group work defined the challenges that network is facing to respond positively to the expectations of the member organizations. The following lists the topics defined yesterday, which will be debated in small groups far.

1. To have a continental network with effective communication.
o Annual meeting
o Maintain communication infrastructure
o Use the infrastructure better; including the website
o Share the research and documentation.

2. To reinforce the voice of community based experience the policy level.
- A strong connection between, community based organization and policy organizations

3. Facilitate exchange of experience
- At meetings use time for member skill – building or collaborative work.

Examples:

a. Capetown Quaker peace center with an organization of central Africa on “women and peace building”
b. FRIENDSKORPSET (Norway), organization staff can go and work in other organization for one year.
c. TANENBAUM CENTRE; QPN could become member
d. FWCC ecumenuc accompaniment in Israel/Palestine QPN send Africans
e. To establish inter- Africans groups

4. To evaluate replicate and reinforce successes
o Work camp
o AVP (in National institutions)
o Election monitoring
o Peace education.

5. To build on experience from election monitoring
o To establish a permanent committee
o To organize groups in each country especially in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya (Referendum) and Uganda 2006

6. Spread and reinforce peace education with:
o Youth, including schools: curriculum, teachers or professors training
o Churches
o Women

7. Nurture the spiritual foundation of our work.

8. Expand number of countries in our network.
o What is the role of other non-Quaker

9. Search for funds.
o QPN must support existing Quaker organizations
o QPN will be a channel to reach no-Quaker potential sponsors.

10. To be more organized.
o Follow up : identify concrete projects (reasons to communicate)
o Create a committee in order to make a follow-up between the meetings
o Evaluation: identify the needs (needs identification), and strengths of members’ the contributions of each prioritize needs
o Responsibilities and roles: reinforce general structures representatives must be active. Do we more representatives?

11. Build capacities of member organizations
o Mechanisms where committees must organize member training of information (documents, booklet new methods)
o Train members on communication infrastructure
o Identify a standard system of accounts with standard directives for finance procedures and train each in member organization
o Training organization management.

QPN mission

To improve the effectiveness of friends organizations to prevent violent conflicts in Africa by working on all levels, from the community base to international level.

Instruction for small group work

1. Check if you need a translator

2. Discuss objectives and aims of your subject.
a. Do you accept all presented ideas? If no, do you have question?
b. Clarify ideas which are nor clear

3. Identify works to execute in relation with time resources, appropriate staff.
o What must have been accomplished before Monday?

4. Nominate two delegates.

Report-back of small group works

Groups 1: Reinforce capacities of member organization
- Create regional communities, one representative in each country with capacity to communicate by e-mail.
- Establish a working group
- E-mail communication
- Send a questionnaire
- The regional committees plan activities every months
- Twin or match organizations on regional, international and continental levels
- Seminars of capacity building between members

Groups2: To be more organized

- Create regional local, and international structures in order to have more representations
- Share capacities knowledge and experiences (twinning or matching)
- To establish a follow-up committee.
- To work with Quaker organizations.
- Elaborate an effective and transparent communication structure.
- Search for funds to support our structure.
- To give more impact to our work.

Committee Fundraising Report

Finances: (see financial report of consultation)

David Zarembka.

A glance at the report
18000$: Global cost of consultation
6000$: East Africa
500$: Unforeseen (already consumed)

Thanks to AFSC and CAPP for their financial help.

The assembly also thanked the effort of the organizing committee.
If we manage to complete the conference well and have concrete results from our activities, we hope that after this consultation, there will be a well-specified structure for searching for funds.
We need to see better communications between as suggestion, it has been proposed that communications the organizing committee and the member organizations. Please answer messages that ask for your input.
Organization members must have been ameliorated.

Activity reports of QPN member organizations (continuation)

Panel 2 (National peace centers)

Levy NDIKUMANA introduced “MIPAREC” (Peace and Reconciliation Ministry under the Cross), Burundi.
Ministry that works through the following three programs:
- Civil Service for peace (formation of local leaders, woman promotion, development activities, pacific cohabitation)
- Researches, documentations and formations (books, formations tools for local community and organization, research in hand on traditional justice improvement.)
- Women’s center for social change (a women’s organization for development women’s participation in the electoral process, organizing windows)

MIPAREC also undertakes self-financing activities to help local communities lacking in financial support.
Concerning how to organization support itself, MIPAREC generates income by proving facilities for consultations with other organizations. Their staff works on a voluntary salary and works hood! They also have funding contracts with the government and with funding organizations and religious sponsors.
Marcelin  SIZELI introduced “URUGO RW’AMAHORO” (peace house), Rwanda.
- Sensitization an fight against AIDS through the department for women and children to promote familial education
- Supervise clubs for sensitization, peace education
- Exchanges of experience with other organizations.
- Staff training to accomplish their work well
- Construction of an office
- Library
- Debate and reflection evenings
- Leadership capacity building

Malesi KINARO Introduced “Uzima” (Good life), Kenya

Achievements:
- Seminars on counseling, conflict prevention
- Purchase tend at KAKAMEGA
- Work camps

Projects:

- Construction of peace center
- Train teachers of primary and secondary schools non-violent discipline for children, training based on the relationship between student and teacher.

Nokotula MBETE introduced “Quaker peace center”, South Africa Republic.

Achievements:

- Reinforce public participation in democratic process.
- Promote individual competence through peace building
- Promote diversity values by trying to fight against prejudice
- Work in network to promote security

Projects:

- Anti-racism with schools, teachers and students
- Positive discipline, teachers and students
- Youth at risk (students identified by teacher) in collaboration with different organizations that are well informed in psychology seminars for changing the yang peoples of thinking
- Nutritious food with women who have to preserve their health.
- Forum for young women’s development

One of DRC participants asked the people of panel 2 to give her directives and especially the support of all kinds regarding activities in connection with women’s promotion and development. She asked the same of all the participants.

Participants requested a consultation between the organizations of panel 2 and members of other organizations to try to exchange about the difficulties endured and how organizations can promote and educate women.

Conference GPPAC

Fred Kama Kama:
Peace Tree Network coordinator, an initiative, that links peace organization work in seven countries.

Participants’ preoccupations

Question:
Challenge of GPPAC for economic improvement in Africa

Answer:
The question one could come up is the following:

“What do-we do ourselves?” All of we have has been transmitted in us. To make a change, we must define visions and work according to those visions.
What can we do in order to realize our dreams?

Question:
What is your advice for civil Congolese, which has a tendency of being derailed and take itself as a political party, and churches which have a tendency to stay from civil society?

Answer:
It’s regrettable that everybody has been mixed in politics, even churches. It’s an individual question, what are we doing as Quakers in front of that situation, beginning with our priorities? Which values would we like to promote in order to promote this change?

Question:
Can we ask industries which make weapons to reduce or to stop their production to reinforce a good leadership?

Answer:
The important thing is to be in peace with neighbour, to be in good relationship to build the world and make it change. People will not look for weapons when they have problems with their neighbours.

Question:
GPPAC program for African governments and the conflict in Uganda which is still under-estimated, and without solution.
A good program is in place for women, refugees, and repatriated. It’s for us to develop good programs for youth so that there will never be child soldiers, cultivate in them confidence in the future.

The important thing is not that governments make good programs; we must also see how to sustain those who have already begun with means that are in our possession.

There is no use to loose out time by criticize our governments. GPPA has already begun to work at regional, national and international levels. It remains to support the GPPA initiative locally.
Quiet diplomacy is not only about doing seminars and being quiet, but also to show its commitment for a change by actions as demonstrations and protest if one remarks something wrong.

Some regional experiences of election observations

Why are QPN organizations doing election monitoring?
The answer is simple; to see if there is a relationship between elections peace and democracy, and not only to witness to their process.
Elections don’t always mean peace restoration. Sometimes, elections constitute sources of conflicts. Elections of 1993 in Burundi can serve us as an example. What we wish is not always what happens.

Can’t we use our churches, our religious organizations for election observations? This idea stimulated us to form a team of four people responsible for giving a decision on questions in connection with elections (available resources, staff, needs…)

Activity reports of QPN member organizations (continuation)

Panel 3 (Trauma Healing)

Félicité NTIKURAKO introduced “Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Service” (THARS), Burundi.

This organization works in three domains:
- Psychological care of traumatized people (victims of rape child soldiers, war survivors, people infected and affected by HIV, people who abandoned school, …) in collaboration with LIGUE ITEKA, Search for Common Ground, …in partnership with a neuro-psychiatric center
- Organize national annual conferences for those who take care of traumatized people, focused on definition of psychological trauma healing of memories stress and anger management, …( three national conferences already realized);
- Provide tools to educate the population on traumatism (news letter already in publication on

Adrien NIYONGABO introduced “Healing and Rebuilding our Communities” Burundi.

Since The QPN meeting at Kibuye (Rwanda), HEROC extended their activities in four provinces by working with the community base. Every time that Burundi knows terrible tragedies both national and international efforts have been focused on rebuilding and humanitarian aid bur never on psycho-social problems.
This would be one of major reasons of the “violence cycle” which seems to have its roots in our country and even the whole region.
To contribute to break this violence, HROC began a community-healing program as a major condition for a real reconciliation and reconstruction of our destroyed country by successive massive violence.

With that program, HROC plans to establish this simple and applicable methodology of community healing so that at the end population could continue to take on these activities by themselves.
 Insert file on Trauma Healing From Laura

Special discussion

The evening was dedicated to the preoccupation of the woman of the Congolese delegation whose organization knows differents problems in particular:
- Lack of moral, material and financier supports…
- Lack of collaboration with other organizations
- Diminution of human resources

As contributions, present members made following suggestions:

- An open and curious mind, search to find out what are doing and take examples from their achievements
- Burundian, Kenyan, …and Congolese realities are different, it is necessary to work according realities of her own society by trying to identify and study the problems she meets very well and the solution will certainly be found to cure it.
- With Congo’s wealth and the Congolese women’s willingness to work, may be all they need is serious training on organization management, human resources and project planning.

Saturday

Activities of the day begin with a biblical passage from John 5:19-20

Strategic planning (continuation)

The network is known under many names among them there are:

- Quaker Conflict Prevention Network
- Quaker Prevention Network
- Quaker Network for Conflict Prevention
- Quaker Peace Network

After discussing nuances way to choose one name it was decided that through the whole continent, the network will be Quaker Peace Network/ Africa
Concerning documents already sent and containing different names for the network, there are always ways to inform all those to whom we have already sent correspondences.
Among participants recommendation on contribution of QPN to support and reinforce peace in Africa the following were chosen for further elaboration in small groups because the majority wised to work on them.

- To reinforce the voice of community based experience the policy level.
- Facilitate exchange of experience
- Expand number of countries in our network
- To build on experience from election monitoring
- Build capacities of member organizations
- Spread and reinforce peace education with

Report back of small group works

Group 1: Spread and reinforce peace education.
- Exchanges between QPN members with orgs (outside)
- Reinforce communication
- Encourage concrete development programs and reinforce those already existing such as UZIMA, MIPAREC.
- Encourage peace education
- Initiative revenue generating projects to support peace activities.
- Faire le jumelage (I suggest: juxtapose) Twin or match peace centers and peace education programs
- Faire marriage Blend development and peace
- Organize seminars in peace education matter though youth, schools, churches, and women.
- Identify and collect existing curriculums
- Elaborate a peace curriculum.
- Facilitate experience exchanges and capacity evaluations.

Facilitate experience exchanges

By privileging: [en privilégiant]
- Collaboration
o Identify other peace organizations and work with them
o Collaboration between representatives in local, regional, national and international level.
o Encourage local exchanges, between border countries.
o Define sub-regions with exchange committee for report and follow-up.
o Establish continental (regional) committee, named by sub-regional representatives
o The reps needs to be able communicate by Internet.

Group 3: Reinforce networking through groups

Develop and enrich website by posting useful things there

- Important information concerning the search for funds.
- Peace curriculums for schools
- Names of volunteer people for various activities
- Sufficient research in connection with trauma, peace and reconciliation,…

The work of posting to the website was given to regional representatives.

Electoral stakes in Democratic Republic of Congo (Aembe BWIMANA)

Aembe BWIMANA began his talk by a short survey of the disastrous history of Congo.
He articulates electoral stakes in DRC in four points:

1. DRC challenges
Available major privileges:
- Cultural and ethnic diversities
- Freedom of expression
- Sense of humanity

Challenges to overcome:
- Generalized insecurity
- Legitimacy crisis
- Politic irresponsibility
- Impunity, looting

2. Elections planning in Congo
Those elections will be independent free pluralist transparent and democratic.

3. Election implications on national, regional and international level.

- Elected government will have as mission to restore peace in the whole country.
- A happy future for people, leaders will do people wishes and not their own wishes.
- Political cleansing
- Resolution of legitimacy problem
- Emergence of national and neighboring countries’ economy
- Human survival rational utilization of virgin forest natural resources… for human security

4.  Role of Congo Friends

- Support elections in Congo make pressure on Congo leaders
- Support the independent electoral commission
- Let-us choose leaders of our own choice
- Bring us international observers

The orator ends his talk by calling the international community through Congo Friends, those present to support electoral process in hand, because of the positive impact that it will have on social economic religious and security level in Congo, the sub-region, the continent and the whole World.
Certainly that there are many constraints which block the election program, but if we really support it, it will finally be done.

Clarification of small group work (continuation)

Group 4: Extend the election-monitoring program
- Each country must organize a team of more than thirty people for election monitoring with a coordinator
- After observation work, members must meet to make a report, one day after elections.
- Received training must be identical for all the countries
- Nominate a coordinator in each country, sub-region and continental level
- To call to UNO or specialized organizations for the training of those observers.

The co-coordinators in each country will call each other for names of people to invite to be international observers.

Group 5: To evaluate replicate and reinforce success.
- Distribute the evaluation tool from the program for use peace education, work camp organization, Trauma Healing, election observations, Search of funds at website.

Group 6: Spiritual basis

- Elaborate Quaker theology of peace based on bible by using existing documents published by other Quaker bodies.
- Develop a process, which will help to spread this message in consultations, churches and QPN member organizations.
- Find volunteers immediately among present people who will discuss on this project in details.

The meeting was interrupted at 13:15 because of the arrival of vice-president of Burundi National Assembly, Honorable Onésime NDUWIMANA.
He was welcomed by Legal Representative of Evangelical Friends Church Burundi, who introduced one of consultation organizers Gianne Broughton continue the presentation.
She gave a short overview of the QPN organization and the cause of the present consultation and invited certain member to introduce themselves in honour of our important guests.
After having met the participants, in his speech, the authority thanked the present members in the meeting, excused himself because of his lateness and improvised arrival, due to his many activities for public interest. He appreciates how great and important is the initiative made by QPN; to plant people hearts an ideology of peace and living together wisely.
He reassured the audience a determination of actual authorities to support initiatives of that kind and personally commits to be ambassador of peace craftsmen/craftswomen before high authorities of country.
Ending his speech, he wished the assembly a good stay at Gitega and to be especially very successful in peace initiatives.

Panel 4 (pacification and reconciliation’s communities)

Levy MUNYEMANA presents “JEUNES ARTISANS DE PAIX” (Youth peace craftsmen)
Two essential points to maintain

- General view on Congo
o Need to correct excess (wealth looting, violation of human rights, corruption…)
o Peace activities:
§ Training seminars in Goma and Masisi
§ CAPP training through Friends church (peace workshop which brings together women from different tribes)
§ Peace craftsmen project (seminars-workshops and community integration:

Workshop for peace sport, social home, sawmill, market garden and electoral civic education to support the electoral process, training on a good leadership
- Program in hand for demobilized (peace education for their psychosocial reintegration, joinery workshop)

Thanks to CAPP who supported most of actions.
Rachel BUGENIMANA presents “ FRIENDS PEACE HOUSE” women department, Rwanda.

Organized activities:
- Seminars in connection with conflict revolution, promotion of women, woman and HIV/AIDS
- Women dialogue initiative bringing together survivor women and those whose husbands are in prison, they gather them for mutual assistance, forgiveness, sharing and reconstruction educations,….
- BIGOGWE women initiatives: gathering displaced, survivor, and repatriated women coming to Masisi for dialogues, food sharing, common activities for agriculture and breeding.

Régine NTUNGUKA presented “MIPAREC, Women Department”, Burundi

This initiative begun because of the oppression of women, which was observed. It especially deals with rape victims, windows, abandoned women and women whose children are going into rebellious movements.

Achieved activities:

- Windows’ assistance by grants, exchanges on the experience of living as a window, self-financing projects.
- Meeting with husbands who have abandoned their wives, reconciliation of some of them, establishment of follow-up committees
- Sensitize women whose children are going into rebellious movement to help them convince the children to come back into the society.

Project: integrate repatriated women into organization repatried women

Modeste KARERWA presented “Ecole de paix de MAGARAMA” (peace scool) Evangelical Friends Church, Burundi.

Achieved Activities:

- Reinforce students’ theoretical education.
- Coordinate peace activities of Batwa Hope School at NYANUGUNGU (Gitega)
- Introduction in primary schools stop AIDS clubs. Investigation results have shown that 15% of pupils have already known intercourse.
- Elaboration in hand of a curriculum introducing peace education program in each course for public schools (special curriculum) of country.

Florence MACHAYO presented “EDUCATION CENTRE  FOR WOMEN IN DEMOCRACY”, Kenya.

- Trainer formation
- Women sensitization before electoral period
- Managerial staff and education of windows women
- Meditations in ethnic reconciliation conflicts process.
- Young ladies formation for peace action and democracy continuity in feminine environment.

The major preoccupation of this organization is the following question: “how to restore peace by using traditional methods?”

Abdul KAMARA from Sierra Léone, spoke of his experience and his analysis of the challenges for preventing violence in Africa.  He spoke of looking into the historical cultures of Africa for traditional forms of government, of justice, and of reconciliation, coming out of uncolonized cultures.

Panel 5: Alternatives to Violent Project

Jérémie NZABANITA presented “ AVP NORK KIVU”, RDC one hundred people have followed basic formation, fourty for advanced formation and…Trainers formation, especially in schools environment.

Encouraging testimonies reach us by coming from many people. It was also been planned AVP formation with demobilized and civil population to prepare them in electoral process in hand.

Practice meetings with those who already received trainers formation are in preparation to bring them to become qualified trainers.

Georges WALUMOLI presented “AVP UGANDA”

Many trainers’ formations are done to provide in Uganda AVP trainers, which needs them very much, particularly in North of the country where conflicts persist again.
AVP formations have been provided through different people especially:
- Prison responsible and prisoners
- Non-government organization members
- Students
- Policemen/women
- Member of parliament

There is now a necessity to multiply formations with children soldiers, ex-rebellious coming back into their normal life.

Herzon MAITA presented “AVP KENYA”

18formations have been organized through the whole country and especially at Monbassa province with church members, policemen and civil population.
As result, there is already one person formed by AVP KENYA who works in prison at Mombassa for the same AVP formations.

Project in hand:

- Studies in AVP formation standards into the whole country level especially on method used and themes to debate in formations
- Adapt AVP program in local realities

Jeremy ROUTLEDGE presented “ AVP SOUTH AFRICA”

The formations done were focused on the following themes:
- Social responsibilities
- Community organization
- Individual change
Different social layers are touched.  The members of government, the churches, and the non-governmental organizations, in the goal of informing them and training them on the Alternatives to Violence, to see if the organization can benefit from the full AVP training.

The challenge to surmount is that AVP be offered in the 1254 prisons, the 3000 schools and the 10000 NGOs around us.

Talent Night

An evening rich in spectacles that saw the participation of all the delegations represented, the members of the Friends Church and of MiPaRec living in the area, and a Christian choir.  The show began with a moment of worship and continued with different presentations, notably poemes, sketches, traditional dances, interspersed with religious songs.

The marvelous night was closed three hours later with a ceremony of candles passed from hand to hand as a sign of peace and light.

Sunday

This day was completely consecrated to the visits to the local Friends churches.

The evening was given to the projection of a video, not yet in general distribution, created by the World Council of Churches , and speaking of the conflicts that trouble Africa as wel as the initiatives of peace.  But the participants were very surprised to find that the images were much more centred on the consequences of the conflicts and the disasters, and the peace initiatives did not figure much at all.  They suggested that they compose a letter to the WCC to stop the distribution of the film, unless they can insert the efforts being made by the churches to prevent and discourage all kinds of conflicts.

Monday

The day began as usual with the sharing of a passage from the bible, from 1 Samuel 2, 1-10.

Report of the visits to the Churches

Different people shared their experiences of the visits.  Some were touched by:
- The witness of the people who survived the genocide
- The animated worship
- The important role of women in the church, they sing, they preach
- The organization of the choirs, women, men, children
- The concentration of the audience on the sermon
Others noticed:

That they were fewer men attending than women
That children were involved in the worship: dancing, singing, giving witness
There was a large presence of young people.

Special interest discussion: South-South Exchange.  What is the role of a helping partner?

Panel 6: International Partners

6) Christian Peacemaker Teams (Canada and the United States)

An organization with a mission to intervene in places where there is conflict in order to
- Accompany local peace initiatives
- Support and create groups of peace actors
- Train people that they can send out
- Inform the media of the reality on the ground of the conflicts.

The organization has already done some work in Iraq, in Palestine, in Columbia, and in North America.  They live in the community of the oppressed and take their directives from them on the sort of assistance that CPT can offer.

Before any intervention, the CPT organizes a visit to enquire and identify, to see if there is a way to install a team in the selected area, and a way to work with local peace organizations, which is a basic requirement of the way CPT works.  Today, CPT is directing its inquiries towards D. R. C and Uganda.

2) CAPP (Change Agents Peace Program) Steven Collett

CAPP began in 1998 after a Friends World Committee for Consultation conference that took place in Uganda.  CAPP works with funds from the Norwegian Government, with a mandate of 5 to 10 years.  The missions that CAPP identified are:
- to increase the capacity of the Friends Churches in peace work
- to strengthen the program of peace of the church in the community.

AS yet, CAPP has not produced any documents that describe the kind of training that they do, a fact that risks to be seen as a failure.

CAPP will not always be there, so they are financing activities of the churches.  The churches will continue to exist after CAPP is gone.  MiPaRec is an example of an organization that has already become sustained by other sources in addition to CAPP.

In response to a question, Steven explained that CAPP had stopped working in Uganda because of misuse of funds.

7) American Friends Service Committee AFSC: Gianne Broughton (Quaker International Affairs Representative in Central Africa) and Jessica Huber (QUNO New York).

The following list defines the components of the program for 2005 and 2006.

o Recovery to Development: Integrating reconstruction and reintegration with trauma healing and conflict transformation

o Working in Burundi, Rwanda and D. R. Congo
· With faith-based and compatible organizations
· With women, youth, community based organizations

o Co-operating with other international organizations to reach under-serviced communities and to build local capacity.

o Bringing local experience, analysis and creative problem solving to the international arena by accompanying relevant processes at the UN:

· The development of a Peacebuilding Commission
· The implementation of Small Arms Limitation
· Improving co-operation between international humanitarian assistance programs and local organizations during the transition period
· Improving the interface between peacekeeping operations and local communities
· Strengthening non-violent strategies for sustainable peace.

This last section defines the Quaker International Affairs work that will be part of the program.

The goal of QUNO (Quaker UN Office) is to strengthen the UN’s role in prevention of violent conflict

Stages of work:

1. Concern arises from a community-based observer, such as the situation in Goma of election enrolment officers not receiving salaries and asking enrollees for money.
2. If possible/ safe, go directly to local authority to request improvement or explanation
3. Inform QIAR, who will inform QUNO.  QIAR needs to clarify confidentiality needs with the observer.
4. Strategize with QUNO, who may have useful contacts both with NGOs and with the diplomatic community at the UN.
5. Verify facts and learn from other observers.  Perhaps organize forum with local NGOs/ Community-based Orgs, International NGOs and local officials and politicians
6. Be persistent.

At the national level there are three kinds of activity:

1. forums like that mentioned in 4 above
2. Quiet Diplomacy
3. Community-based Orgs: direct advocacy.

At the UN level, there are also forums and quiet diplomacy.

Strengthening the Voice of Community-based Experiences at the Policy Level.

How QPN members can have a voice at the UN through QUNO :

Information and requests for information should flow in both directions.

QPN members send reports to local AFSC staff (Bujumbura and Lusaka).  Local staff put it in context to send to QUNO.

ALSO, QPN members should send the same information to FWCC Africa Section, because they have representation on the advisory committees of QUNO Geneva and New York.

QUNO responds with reports on their activities, and responses to questions from QPN members.

QPN members can also send reports to the national and regional GPPAC contact points, and copy them to AFSC Bujumbura or Lusaka and to FWCC Africa Section (Nairobi).

Essential Qualities of the Relationship between QUNO and local organizations:

COMMUNICATION:
(Exchange of information)
What is happening in the community
What is happening at the policy level

THE FACTS:
Making sure the truth of what is happening reaches authorities and policy makers

SECURITY:
Exchanging information without compromising safety of people working in the community

RELEVANT INFORMATION
Identify common programs between organizations work at the community  and at the policy level
Finding the right place (the best policy makers) to present information to so that a change will take place.

8) Mennonite Central Committee  Josh Bazuin

MCC is an organization of the Mennonites and the Brethren in North America.

For its services and programs, MCC has a team of 500 to 1000 people, spread out in many countries of the world.

MCC gets involved in the following areas:

Humanitarian assistance
Development
Peace work

It also helps the churches to elaborate their vision and support small organization at the base to help them grow and become independent.

Today, MCC hopes to sent a team of more than 1000 international observers to help in the elections in DRC.

4) Friends World Committee for Consultation   Moses MUSONGA

FWCC began its activities in 1937, and during the second world war, a period when peace was almost non-existent in the world.  In face of this situation, the Quakers from Germany sent a call to the rest of the world to ask them for help to plead for peace in the whole world.  That is how, during the first international gathering  of Quakers, the FWCC was born. With a mission to coordinate the ideas of peace and to serve as spokesperson for all the Quakers.  It is to be a forum for communication.  FWCC is subdivided into four sections, that is,

- The Americas Section
- The Europe and Middle East Section
- The Asia and Pacific section
- The Africa Section

The coordinating office is in London.

The FWCC is recognized by the UN with the status of Observer and is represented thus at the international level.  In Geneva, they do advocacy and diplomacy for peace and struggle against the infiltration of small arms, child soldiers, women in prison and their children, and other topics.

Nominating Committee Report

The nominations committee was composed of 8 people who met on Sunday at Kibimba while others were visiting the site.  They nominated members of the QPN/A to take the roles that had been designed in the strategic planning discussions.  The following report is bilingual.

Nominations :

Coordinateurs de l’ Observation des élections/ Election Monitoring Coordinators
- Uganda : Georges Walumoli, avec un autre de son choix
- Burundi : Levy NDIKUMANA
- Nord-Kivu : Levy MUNYEMANA
- Sud-Kivu : Justine ELAKANO
- Kinshasa : Bakamana MOUANA
- Kenya : Nairobi/Mombasa : Herzon MASITSA
 Western Kenya : Rose IMBEGA
- Rwanda : Marcelin SIZELI, il a la charge de choisir une autre personne
- Sierra Leone : Abdul KAMARA
- Afrique Australe : Jeremy ROUTLEDGE
- Congo Brazzaville : SITA Dubois Merveilleux

Administrateur du site web/ Web site Administrator : Martin STRUTHMANN

Comité de recherche de financement/ Fundraising Committee :

- Afrique australe : Colin GLEN
- Afrique de l’Ouest : Abdul KAMARA
- Etats Unis : David ZAREMBKA
- Afrique de l’Est : Moses MUSONGA
- Afrique Australe : Jeremy Routledge
- Afrique Centrale : Elie NAHIMANA

Comité de soutien/ Advisors to Fundraising Committee

- Jessica Huber (QUNO NY)
- Gianne Broughton (AFSC/ CFSC)
- Bridget Moix (FCNL)
- Lori Hernninger – a Friend in New York!
- Joanna Wright (QPSW)
- Michael Bartlett (QPSW)
- Martina Weitsch (QCEA)
- Debby Tedder (QPSW)

Membres du Comités Régionals/ Members of Regional Committees

Afrique Centrale/ Central Africa
- Burundi : Adrien NIYONGABO
- RDC : KASIGE M.
- Thérèse MUTOPA
- Congo Brazzaville : SITA Dubois
- Rwanda : Cecile NYIRAMANA

Afrique de l’est /East Africa

Kenya : Malesi Kinaro ; Florence Machayo
Tanzania: Emmanuel Haraka
Uganda: George Walumoli; Vicky Nakuti

Afrique de l’Ouest/ West Africa

Abdul Kamara – to organize a conference where the rest of the members of the regional committee will be selected.

Le Sud de l’Afrique/ Southern Africa

Martin Struthmann – to organize a conference where the rest of the members of the regional committee will be selected.

Représentants Regionals/ Regional Representatives:

Afrique de l’est /East Africa : Malesi Kinaro
Afrique Centrale/ Central Africa : Adrien NIYONGABO
Afrique de l’Ouest/ West Africa : Abdul Kamara
Le Sud de l’Afrique/ Southern Africa :  Martin Struthmann

Représentant Continentale/ Continental Representative :

Colin Glen

Commité pour Planifier la Prochaine Consultation/ Consultation Planning Committee

Zawadi Nikuze
Mkoko Boseka
Josh Bazuin

Tasks for the above entities :

Member organizations of QPN/A: Provide budget planning information to the fundraising committee.

National Election Monitoring Coordinators:
 
Epitre
 

Remerciements
 

Evaluation

Commencée le 06/10/2005, la consultation se termine le 10/10/2005 vers 17h30.
 
 


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