30 November 2023
Our extensive victim participation work shows that those most affected by human rights violations often don’t have the opportunity to participate fully in justice processes, both formal and informal. In the Muyinga province of Burundi, we are working closely with our grassroots partners to change this.
THARS (Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services) is one such organisation, which aims to provide resources for trauma healing and reconciliation in the Great Lakes region. According to THARS, painful memories of the past and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are among the main causes of trauma in Muyinga.
A community therapy centre in the province thus helps to offer individual and collective psychosocial support as fundamental elements of processes for dealing with the past and transitional justice. During a field visit of a delegation from the Dutch Embassy in Burundi on 16 November 2023, a psychologist from THARS explained the impact of mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) provided to community members, particularly the victims.
Our mental health support goes hand-in-hand with work addressing conflict narratives, which are passed down through generations.
Our partner MIPAREC (the Ministry for Peace and Reconciliation under the Cross) organised an inter-community dialogue on youth participation in transitional justice processes and memory transmission, which the delegation members also attended. According to a young woman participating in the dialogue:
“Through this project, we heard stories related to the past and the suffering of other ethnic groups, as most of us only had the version of the past our parents told us.”
Other participants in the dialogue spoke of the need to hold discussions on the violent past in order to restore the social fabric:
“These debates foster truth seeking, otherwise the transitional justice process is almost impossible.”
The multiplying effect of our work with grassroots partners
In addition to supporting individuals and communities, state actors and donors recognise such collective action as important for tackling the root causes of impunity.
The socio-cultural advisor to the Governor of Muyinga remarked: “I’m pleased with the achievements of these partners [MIPAREC and THARS], which are both well reported and highly visible in the communities.”
The Dutch Embassy delegation also noted the synergy between Impunity Watch and our partners, each providing complementary expertise.
“We have seen how important your work is, as it opens up a space for community members to express themselves and share their narratives, while focusing on mental health as a cornerstone of personal reconstruction and community development, and the participation of young people to break the cycle of violence.” –Francine Nzibarega, Political Adviser, Political Affairs, Human Rights, Justice and Rule of Law at the Embassy
Together with our grassroots partners in Burundi, we seek to strengthen the contributions and voices of grassroots experiences and expertise to transitional justice policymaking initiatives.
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A delegate from the Dutch Embassy in Burundi visited the Muyinga province in November 2023. This piece is a reflection of their engagement with our local partners around our ‘Barundi, Tuyage!’ (Let’s Talk, Burundi!) project.