Towards peace of mind

Since the early 1990s, the Great Lakes region in Africa (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania) has been ravaged by civil wars, interstate conflicts and complex political reforms. Thousands of civilians were physically and mentally injured by armed violence and conflicts. Due to the (former and ongoing) armed conflicts, communities have been destabilised and traditional social structures have been damaged, leaving people vulnerable to various threats to their wellbeing, fundamental rights, peace and security.

For these reasons, the War Trauma Foundation chose the Great Lakes region as a priority area. There is a severe shortage of psychosocial care for the affected population, and local organisations are increasingly aware of the importance of adequate psychosocial care. Since 2005, the WTF implements narrative theatre programmes, in partnership with local organisations, in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to the realise hope, peace of mind and the achievement of the full potential of these communities that have been impacted by individual and collective trauma, as a result of war and organised violence.

Narrative theatre is a creative methodology developed within the specific local and cultural context of the Great Lake Region by Dr. Yvonne Sliep (University of KwaZulu Natal and trainer for the War Trauma Foundation). This methodology enhances dialogue and problem solving in communities where traditional methods of resolving issues have been disrupted due to conflict, and addresses emerging challenges that requires an adjusted approach to a new, post conflict reality. Through narrative theatre, opportunities are created for people to meet and explore their problems together (such as domestic/sexual abuse, theft, mistrust, poverty, etc), to exchange stories and feelings, and to share their experiences from different perspectives. They can experiment with different solutions for specific problems and decide how to move forward, collectively. This method allows for recognition and inclusion of groups who are marginalised or vulnerable, for a peaceful method of exploring very difficult issues, and helps to contribute to stability and the restoration of trust and positive, functional relationships in communities exposed to tragedy, loss and violence.

War-affected communities can develop new ways to face and resolve their complex problems, and create safe environments for youth to realise their full potential. Narrative theatre is a demonstrated, effective and popular vehicle for community members to open dialogue on taboo problems, and to find new and creative solutions to post conflict challenges. Focused on restoring social capital and trust, narrative theatre contributes to peace building and non-violent conflict resolution, thereby strengthening communities.

Burundi is one of the smallest and most densely populated countries in Africa. Through years of war, it is also one of the world's poorest countries. It is still recovering from a twelve-year civil war, in which over 300,000 people (mostly civilians) have died. Thousands of people were affected by traumatic events such as murder, rape, looting and displacement. Additionally, there is a severe shortage of psychosocial care for the affected population.

The War Trauma Foundation works closely with the Ubunte Centre in Burundi. In this project, aid workers of 12 local network organisations, spread across Burundi, have been trained to offer psychosocial support (based on the narrative theatre methodology) to the communities in their region. The main focuses were to learn how to cope with traumatic experiences, to support the reintegration of people back into the community, and to aid the pursuit for mutual reconciliation. These network organisations are spread throughout the country, have formed 300 local committees, and have trained 1500 facilitators, thereby reaching nearly every province in the country. The WTF continues, in 2012, to support these organisations by increasing their experience and knowledge.

In November 2011 War Trauma Foundation published supplementary training material on the narrative theatre methodology. The material is aimed at capacity building for the local committees that work in the local communities. With this material an important step was taken to sustain Narrative theatre and to develop knowledge in and for the Ubuntu network. Under supervision of Dr. Y. Sliep, five trainers of Centre Ubuntu developed training material as part of a capacity building process. The trainers learned to combine new material with their often long lasting field experience in training. It resulted in five training modules that are now applied in the field. 

You can download the training material free of charge: Click here.
 
 

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