A peacebuilding success story from the DRC

Action Entraide and Tearfund today

Today, Action Entraide runs a number of different programmes within the community including in the areas of peacebuilding, combatting sexual and gender-based violence, promoting water, sanitation and hygiene, environmental sustainability, creating livelihoods and health programmes.

However, the tensions and conflicts persist and the armed groups are still active, feeding on the hatred stoked by violence and recruiting young men from the villages to continue the legacy of fear.

But through the Tearfund-supported peacebuilding dialogues, people’s lives have changed for the better. Just over a year on from the project, Tearfund heard feedback from people who had taken part.

Stories of peace from Ituri

Claude, a participant in the community dialogues

‘There were different violent conflicts in this village and it was causing people to leave the village. I was very aggressive myself. I could not tolerate people who did wrong to me. If someone did something that wasn't right or that I didn't like, I was right on top of it. That's over now, and I have completely changed, just like the village.

‘During the trouble, the Hema (tribe) could not come to this village and Bira (tribe) from this village could not visit the neighbouring Hema village. But today, as a result of this project, a Bira can spend a night in a Hema village and vice versa and we can greet each other with no difficulties. It is a great step that has been made in this environment and I hope the work will continue.’

Patience, participant in community dialogues

‘I was very interested in the community dialogues. During the violent conflict between the Hema and Lendu communities, my husband and my elder brother were killed, I was left behind alone, like an orphan. I was afraid of Hema. Through the community dialogues, I was able to overcome this trauma and fear. I can now go and work within the Hema community as if I am working in my own village. My child got a high school diploma from a Hema school and he is working in the Hema community. Today, we no longer experience the tension between the two communities that we did before. We now live in peace. The teachings have set me free.’

Claudine, a female participant in community dialogue who became a peace champion

‘I started to attend the dialogues when they were introduced in my village. One of the sessions was about the journey to reconciliation and that lesson touched me deeply. I was in a major conflict with my elder brother, and we hardly spoke or met each other. During the session I realised that I had to apply the lessons I had learned on reconciliation in my own life experience. I decided to go to see my brother and we were able to forgive each other and since then there is peace between us. I therefore said, I won’t stop here. I wanted to help others change their behaviour as I have changed. I was mentored by other peace champions and requested to be among them. I attended the training and today I am facilitating the dialogues.

‘However, I am the only female champion among all the trained champions by Action Entraide, I wish there would be more female peace champions. The village of Lengabo is large, people from neighbouring villages who did not participate in the dialogues wish they can also benefit from the teachings. We would request to increase the number of peace champions so that the dialogues can be run in other villages as well and peace will be spread in the whole area.’

Roseline, participant in community dialogues 

‘Life in this village was hard, we suffered a lot. Because of the fear, we could not go outside of our village. We were afraid of being killed. Now, we can travel freely up to the village located 25 km from here. We are planning to play a football match with the neighbouring community and that was unthinkable before. Today people from the Hema communities come here to the local market for their groceries. Youth from this village can easily go to look for stones for building houses in the neighbouring community and this was not possible before. We live now as brothers and sisters.’

Zidane, participant in community dialogues

‘After I had experienced terrible violence personally, one of the peace champions asked me to attend the community dialogues. At first I did not want to join as it concerned peace. I told him if the dialogue is about peace, I won’t come but if it is about the rebel group I will come. He came the second time and encouraged me to attend. I accepted and followed the dialogues. I was touched by a session on trauma healing. After the session, I felt released and gave up the idea of joining the rebel group. Even if they force me and bring a gun, I won't join them. I realised that I am more valuable in the community rather than the bush. War will not be a solution to the issues we are facing.’

Desire, peace champion and youth leader from Vilo village

‘The community dialogues have been very helpful in contributing to peace in our village. Since the beginning of the dialogues, the village has remained peaceful and without the training, it would not have been possible. It was helpful to have Bible studies in the sessions, people were really touched by the religious content. There were intra-community conflicts and people were encouraged to meet each other and ask for forgiveness.

‘At the end of the community dialogues, we sat down with other peace champions and realised that doing this work in our area is not enough, and we thought of extending it to neighbouring villages. We wish to spread the same knowledge far into the northern territory. Most of the time, conflicts start from there and affect other communities. It would be better for them to benefit from these teachings as well.

‘We would also like to organise a big round-table meeting about peace with high level leaders, youth leaders and other village leaders so that we reflect on opportunities and challenges of peacebuilding in our communities and explore ways of collaboration.’

Jefte, peace champion 

‘Today, there is peace in this village because of the community dialogues. People were very interested in attending the sessions and they have changed a lot. Our village is considered as a role model by neighbouring villages.

‘We have realised that some people from this village, especially unemployed youth, are manipulated by politicians. The community dialogues have helped us to persuade young people to stay in the village and avoid joining armed groups.

‘I am a tailor, I use my working place to talk to people about living together peacefully. I wrote some words about peace on the wall.

‘Since most of the young people here are unemployed, I am teaching tailoring to six young people from my village. From this, I believe the young people I am supporting will be able to use the skills to build their lives and avoid joining armed groups.

‘Relationships with other community members have improved. I trust the population and especially the youth. Personally, the training has transformed me. My way of speaking has changed, my way of behaving has changed. Every time I talk to people I try to remember the contents of peacebuilding training. In community dialogues, we explored how we lost a lot in the violent conflicts in our villages, how we lost our values, our opportunities, our resources, our friendship, and realised we need to live a different experience.’

Kalongo, Action Entraide, Tearfund partner

‘It has been such an encouragement for us to see people trained [through the programme].

‘There are also changes between community members. Today, because of the teaching, people solve their conflicts peacefully.

‘We have organised many dialogues but I am very impressed by these stories. I did not know and believe that there would be such stories. I want to conclude by saying thank you and thanks be to God. I ask God from heaven with all the power to help us to maintain this peace.’

Find out more about Tearfund’s understanding of peacebuilding here.