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The greatest challenges before humanity today are conflict, violence, terrorism and war, along with their terrible consequences of poverty, disease and environmental destruction. The challenges are at all levels of human society: families, schools, communities etc. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the challenges are often extreme.
We work for PEACE in Congo - Every Day and in Every Way
"Amos Semuzima"
President and Founder
Our Mission & Vision
Our mission is to educate and mobilize the population on matters relating to national/ regional unity and reconciliation and to carry out constructive discourse relating to peace, unity and reconciliation.
Our vision is peace in Congo - every day and in every way
Education for Peace – Congo
“Education for Peace – Congo” or “Education Pour la Paix – Congo” is a legally registered organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), fully registered with the Ministry of Local Government under laws governing DRC. It is an NGO that is a non-profit Association with no political affiliation.
Scope
EFP-Congo works with all sectors of society in all provinces of DRC, regardless of religious affiliation, gender or ethnic group. However, our main current focus is Eastern Congo. EPP programs particularly target families, orphans & widows, students, teachers, schools, churches, religious leaders, government and civic leaders.
Background
Education for Peace was born to address many challenges brought by war in DRC, especially in Eastern provinces. The war has taken many lives and displaced many families: houses have been burned down, thousands of cattle (the livelihood of the people) killed or mutilated and the whole region has badly deteriorated.
Definition
“Education” stands for training people, who will in turn train their own communities in matters relating to peace.
“Peace” stands for holistic development: the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of a person, of course ultimately in the absence of war.
Aims
- A learning environment where conflict and relationships are explored and people are equipped with the tools and strategies that effectively relieve suffering and resolve conflict, whether during or after conflict events.
- A network of partners, especially students, religious and civil leaders, equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that help prevent conflict, create the social conditions conducive to peace, or resolve conflict peacefully.
- An end to violence in DRC.
Objectives
We cooperate closely with other national and international NGO`S, working together in partnership. The organization works in the field, specifically towards the following objectives:
- Delivery of peace education for communities affected by war
- The holistic support and development of persons affected by war
- Mediation in situations of conflict
- Conflict resolution
- Healing and reconciliation for individuals and communities
- Restorative justice for victims of war
- Other similar and related activities.
The organization focuses its core program on training people from different institutions to provide the structure for the development and implementation of Education for Peace initiatives, leading to healing in the region.
Roles
- The role of the government: There has been a silence on the part of the government in the face of attacks from the Mai-Mai and their Burundian rebel allies, on the Banyamulenge villages. These Burundian armed groups along with the Mai-Mai, are often denounced by the victims of their attacks, and their presence is known by the Congolese government, although there has never been any official recognition or denunciation.
- MONUSCO – the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo. This body does not help civilians at all. Rather they have been observed actually standing by and watching looting and the destruction conducted by the rebels.
- The Twirwaneho: The Twirwaneho are Banyamulenge who organized themselves to resist raids on their own cows by the Mai-Mai, even before this war. Any small islands of Banyamulenge civilian population in the Hauts Plateau exist today as a result of the action of these self-defense groups who sacrificed themselves to say ‘NO’ to ethnic cleansing. Without them the ethnic cleansing would now be complete.
- Humanitarian aid: It is most unfortunate that the Banyamulenge in the Hauts Plateau have been abandoned by humanitarian aid organizations. In most displacement camps, aid agencies such as “World Food Program” have played a big role, but not in Minembwe which has struggled for 4 years without such help. The Banyamulenge are therefore victims of war and food insecurity with little or no outside support.
- Local NGOs: Due to the difficulties caused by rebels, many people started local organizations aimed at advocating and seeking to ensure that all people in the area are able to have their voice heard, their rights supported and have security. This is part of the story of how “Education for Peace” (EFP-Congo) was born.