Intamenwa! Les Indivisibles: Mobilization of Burundian Youth for Political Reconciliation

As part of the multi-country Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) program funded by UKAID, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in Burundi implemented a three month project from June until September 2011 in support of its overall programmatic goal: to promote inclusive, effective and responsible participation in a process of social transformation toward a fair and equal society in Burundi.

The goal was supported by the following key objective:

• Promote constructive exchange and dialogue between and among Burundian youth from different political parties and political leaders about governance issues, particularly political manipulation of youth and its resulting violence, with a view to encouraging peaceful cohabitation.

As part of the multi-country Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) program funded by UKAID, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in Burundi implemented a three month project from June until September 2011 in support of its overall programmatic goal: to promote inclusive, effective and responsible participation in a process of social transformation toward a fair and equal society in Burundi.

The goal was supported by the following key objective:

• Promote constructive exchange and dialogue between and among Burundian youth from different political parties and political leaders about governance issues, particularly political manipulation of youth and its resulting violence, with a view to encouraging peaceful cohabitation.

In support of this objective SFCG implemented the three month L’Equipe campaign, drawing on The Team/L’Equipe concept which has been successfully used in more than sixteen African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The Team/L’Equipe is an international SFCG project that unites the worldwide popularity of football and the soap opera format to help transform social attitudes and to reduce violent behaviour in countries dealing with deeply entrenched conflicts. Every production of The Team/L’Equipe follows the members of a football team who have to overcome their differences, whether they are cultural, ethnic, religious, tribal, racial or socio-economical, to work together to win the match.

In Burundi, the idea of using sport to unify and overcome obstacles took a particular focus on fighting political manipulation of youth in order to reduce violence. The campaign was carried out under the slogan: Rwaruka, murashaka Uburundi burangwamwo amahoro? Irinde ibibacanishamwo! Youth, do you want a peaceful Burundi? Avoid manipulations!.

Burundi’s series of The Team is called Intamenwa! (“The Indivisibles!”). The production of the radio drama Intamenwa! disseminated many of the campaign’s key messages, which were reinforced by additional radio and television programming as well as community outreach in the form of a music competition and a peace music festival for youth.

Through the L’Equipe campaign’s radio broadcasts and related activities, SFCG-Burundi aimed to increase the understanding and the ability of youth to interact constructively (through their actions vis-à-vis political leaders) and to reinforce the capacities of civil society organisations (including NGOs, associations, radio/TV producers) to comprehend issues linked to political manipulation and take action while working with political leaders. Furthermore, the project aimed to raise the awareness of political leaders, making them more respectful of human rights, transparency mechanisms and non-manipulation, thus contributing to a restoration of citizens’ trust in their leaders, and in particular, the trust of Burundian youth in their leaders.

Through the combined impact of project activities SFCG aimed to achieve following results:

• Burundian youth of different political affiliations have a better understanding of and attitude towards their responsibilities in maintaining the peace in their respective communities.
• The respect of human rights and the rule of law by political leaders having followed the L’Equipe project has increased.
• Burundian youth perceive their political leaders to be more respectful of human rights and the rule of law.
• The capacity of partners (civil society organisations and media) to comprehend and deal with governance issues in an innovative way has increased.
• Citizens, in particular Burundian youth, collaborate with local authorities and political leaders on issues addressed by L’Equipe.

In the framework of this project SFCG-Burundi implemented several different activities: 32 bi-weekly radio soap opera episodes were produced, 4 messages of peace from politicians belonging to different political parties were recorded and broadcast 63 times, 2 television spots were produced and were broadcast 32 times each, and a music competition was organised in 3 provinces, followed by a final music competition and festival held in the capital Bujumbura.