MONUSCO supports community organizations in the pursuit of peace

The project includes training workshops, inclusive exchange sessions, and networking among local organizations committed to peace.

With financial and technical support from MONUSCO's Civil Affairs Section, the NGO Africa Reconciled organized a training session in Goma aimed at strengthening the skills of around thirty local actors engaged in peacebuilding. From November 17 to 19, participants followed a program focused on formal and informal approaches to conflict resolution. Ultimately, the project plans to equip 300 actors, both men and women from Goma and the Nyiragongo territory, with tools for mediation, advocacy, conflict-sensitive project management, and psychosocial support.

This area of North Kivu faces recurring tensions fueled by disinformation, hate speech, and identity-based stereotypes, which weaken social cohesion and maintain a climate of mistrust among communities. "The goal of this project is to help peace actors in Goma harmonize their interventions so that communities can be engaged in prevention. And when conflicts arise, they can be resolved peacefully," explains Ruffine Zihindula of Africa Reconciled.

Strengthening Knowledge to Prevent Tensions

The project includes training workshops, inclusive discussion sessions, and networking among local organizations engaged in peace. These activities aim to improve coordination of interventions and promote a community-based approach to conflict prevention.

"We brought together actors working in the pursuit of peace in Goma to equip them with formal and informal conflict resolution approaches, but also to encourage social cohesion and peaceful coexistence in Goma and Nyiragongo," Ms. Zihindula specifies.

According to a survey conducted in July 2025, despite the dynamism of the associative fabric, local organizations still lack appropriate tools to effectively respond to community crises. "The persistence of community conflicts drives us to organize this workshop. It is important to support organizations engaged in the pursuit of peace in Goma and in Nyiragongo territory," says Askofu Katindi of Africa Reconciled.

This workshop falls within international frameworks for peace, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), Agenda 2250, and Agenda 2030. Participants also integrated gender and social inclusion dimensions into their local initiatives.

Actors Engaged on the Ground

"This training comes at the right time. It supports the commitment of organizations in building peace in Goma. The session focuses on prevention and resolution of conflicts at the community level. This is real added value that we will put into practice," observes Jospin Amani of the National Network of Youth and Children's Organizations for Peace Consolidation.

"The themes addressed are essential because we work in fragile contexts where community members often live in permanent tension," notes Gladys Mukongya of the Collective of Women's Organizations for Development.

Despite the gains from the training, Africa Reconciled highlights a lack of funding dedicated to peacebuilding. "There is little funding for the pursuit of peace. Several partners focus on humanitarian aid, development, or emergency response, and much less on peace consolidation," regrets Askofu Katindi.

The organization wishes to continue these efforts with support from the United Nations system, particularly through new workshops dedicated to combating hate speech, conflict-sensitive management, and experience-sharing among local actors.