Great Lakes region - Promoting lasting peace
The Great Lakes is a vast region in the heart of Africa linking Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo through a common past and future even though they have different traditions, languages and destinies. Amahoro Amani is a project targeted at young people from these three countries, and over the next two years, aims to help them play an essential role in re-establishing peace in the region.
The project, which began in December 2005, is the result of the initiative of the Dialogue of Scouts of the Great Lakes2, and is being carried out in collaboration between the seven Guide and Scout associations3 of the region, supported by WAGGGS and WOSM. As a result of all the experience that these young people will have, by 2007, 420 community mediators aged between 15 and 25 will have been trained in how to take action in their communities to prevent, mediate, and resolve conflicts peacefully. Eventually, not less than 21,000 young people will have been trained as "peacemakers", through peer-to-peer training.
These community mediators will be called upon to organise awareness campaigns about peaceful cohabitation and rejection of ethnic prejudices through various activities such as plays, debates, cultural events and sports meetings, supported by a network of trainers throughout the territory.
The field experience gained by these community mediators will be evaluated during the Caravans of Peace, which is scheduled for July 2007 and during the international peace gathering, which will take place in Gitega (Burundi) from 30th July to 6th August 2007 as part of Scouting’s centenary events. For the community mediators, these two events will provide an opportunity to share views about their activities and experiences over the previous two years. In addition, groups of foreign Guides and Scouts will be invited to share their intercultural experiences.
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