Context
For almost three decades, eastern Congo has been plagued by armed conflict, causing acute humanitarian and political crises, particularly in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. The conflict mainly involves the country’s military and various armed groups, with neighbouring countries like Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi also playing a role. The violence claims lives every day and violence against women and girls is widespread. The region is home to millions of internally displaced people.
Despite the efforts of the international community, several peace initiatives are unable to work effectively due to a lack of expertise, inadequate financial resources and poor coordination. This primarily affects their work on the ground.
Objective
Peacebuilding initiatives in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces receive technical, financial and organisational support and are better coordinated and promote gender equality.
Approach
The project supports local and international initiatives that address stability in the conflict-affected regions. Civil society is included in managing initiatives that protect women against sexual and gender-based violence and support victims. In this context, the project also works with the Panzi Foundation led by the Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege.
In conflict-affected communities, the project supports approaches to violence prevention and conflict resolution, including measures to promote community development and public participation. To this end, it works with non-governmental organisations, community leaders and government institutions.
The project also supports peaceful conflict resolution and gender equality through peace journalism. It sets up community radio stations and trains journalists.