Burundi: The power of 100: strengthening women’s capacity to prevent and manage community conflicts in Musenyi

In Musenyi, 100 women took part in a training focused on preventing and peacefully managing community conflicts. The participants included 75 refugee women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 25 women from the Burundian host community.

Organized with the financial support of the Government of Japan and the technical support of UN Women Burundi and SOPADI, the training aimed to strengthen the capacities of women leaders who are members of community peace committees, enabling them to play a greater role in preventing tensions, mediating conflicts and strengthening social cohesion.

Over two days, participants learned practical techniques in mediation, dialogue facilitation and peaceful conflict resolution. They were equipped with tools to help community members prevent tensions, promote respectful dialogue and work towards solutions that are acceptable to all parties.

The training used a participatory approach, allowing participants to share their experiences and discuss challenges encountered in their daily lives. Role plays and simulations based on real-life situations also enabled the women to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice and build confidence in their role as community mediators.

“I now feel better prepared to help my community,” sings one participant. Photo: UN Women/Alain Gashaka

For the participants, the training provided a concrete opportunity to strengthen their ability to contribute to peace within their communities.

“Before this training, we tried to resolve some problems simply by talking among ourselves. Today, we have learned mediation and listening techniques that can help us better understand different perspectives and seek peaceful solutions. I now feel better prepared to support my community.” — Refugee participant, Musenyi

For women from the host community, strengthening dialogue between communities is also an important element of social cohesion.

“We live together and sometimes face challenges. This training showed us how important it is to talk, listen and find solutions together before small problems become bigger conflicts.” — Host community participant, Musenyi

Another participant, a member of a community peace committee, highlighted the importance of putting these new skills into practice:

“We learned that peace does not depend only on authorities. As women, we also have an important role to play. I want to share what I have learned with other women and help bring families and communities closer together.” — Community peace committee member, Musenyi

Women committed to peace and social cohesion

At the end of the training, participants committed to putting their new skills into practice and contributing to their communities. They expressed their determination to prevent tensions, facilitate dialogue, strengthen relationships between refugee and host communities, and support the most vulnerable people around them.

By strengthening women’s participation in community peace mechanisms, the initiative contributes to positioning women as key actors in social cohesion, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

For these 100 women in Musenyi, the training is therefore not an end, but the beginning of a commitment to turn newly acquired knowledge into concrete action for peace in their communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.