United Methodist News: Expanding peace initiatives thanks to Connexio develop
The United Methodist Church is continuing its peacemaking efforts in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thanks to funding from Connexio develop, it has been able to develop initiatives that facilitate coexistence between rival communities. UM News reports.
Conflicts over raw materials and land continue in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For decades, the east of the country has been plagued by conflicts between different population groups. Different ethnic groups have been fighting each other for decades. The result of this fighting is also an ongoing food crisis. This is why the church is now focusing on joint field work.
Working together, talking together
Ethnic groups long at odds with each other are now farming together, raising goats and sheep in the Haut-Plateau region of Uvira territory. Rose Nabintu, a peace mediator in Kivu province, said this innovative agricultural initiative allows women from different tribes to farm the land together. "This bold initiative," Nabintu said, "creates a space for dialog and cooperation and promotes mutual understanding and social cohesion. Women come together to cultivate the land, which gives them the opportunity to talk to each other and exchange ideas.
New procedure
Michel Kizibisha, who heads the project and is the contact person for Connexio develop said that the church has developed peace initiatives to achieve harmony. "In the past," Kizibisha said, "we have organized training seminars, sensitization events, evangelism and musical evenings on peace." Despite these approaches, says Kizibisha, "conflicts between communities in the region have intensified. We have changed our approach by involving women and different communities from different tribes to create a meeting place together."
Marriage as a sign of peace
Alexis Busare from the Benyamulenge community, father of six children and a farmer and arable farmer by profession, lives in the Haut Plateau region of Uvira. He said that the initiative has given him an experience that he could not have imagined just a few years ago: His son married a Bembe woman. Busare promised to continue working towards peaceful coexistence. "I want to show other communities that we must not erect borders between us, the people of God," he said.
Solving economic problems together
The communal fields and livestock farming not only facilitate peaceful coexistence, but also enable the community members to overcome economic problems. The population is facing an ongoing food crisis. Chantal Naweza is a mother of eight children, housewife and farmer in the community of Ubwari. She said the last harvest was good and helped solve some of her family's economic problems.
Tons of corn and eggplants
"We have just harvested tons of maize and eggplants," said Chantal Naweza, "so we can feed our families and raise the funds to meet our families' needs." After the harvest, some of it was set aside for seeds. Another part was sold to create microcredits. This promotes the economic empowerment of these communities. At the same time, it strengthens peace between the different communities. "It is a great satisfaction to see today the harvest of several sacks of eggplants and cabbage that we have just received, as well as the good development of goat breeding in the six locations," says Rose Nabintu.
Danka Bogdanovic, the original UM News article by Philippe Kituka Lolonga in English
Violence and hardship have prevailed in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades.
If you use this Peace initiative please note "Peacebuilding South Kivu".
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