MIPAREC is contributing significantly to society to reach the long-term goal of peacebuilding in Burundi. The years of conflict and military governments that Burundi has lived, have significantly weakened the national institutions and reduced the trust that Burundians have in the ability of their State to defend and guard their interests. Peacebuilding is a process that consists of accompanying peace work through innovative peace initiatives such as the reconciliation and peaceful coexistence of communities as well as the fight against poverty and the transformation of problems that have caused violence.
The term socio-economic recovery used in peacebuilding designates the set of grassroots community-building actions centered on community mediation and the socio-economic reintegration of different groups that exist due to conflicts (demobilized combatants, repatriated persons, displaced persons, child soldiers and those that remain in the hills). These actions aim first to strengthen social cohesion, not to begin the development process.
Women discuss their role in decision-making during a training on Peace and Democratisation.
Some principal accomplishments are:
- Effective and transformative trainings in peaceful conflict resolution
- The collection of weapons handed over voluntarily by the civilian population who possessed them illegally, which has reduced violence at the community level
- The successful transformative mediation of social and land conflicts in divided communities
- The use of restorative justice between victims and offenders, which has resulted in the reconciliation process
- Peace education: Educating the population in the culture of non-violence and citizenship in general, and raising community awareness about human rights, family management and the importance of parents sending their children to school