High Impact Projects wishes to foster conflict resolution and reconciliation through mediation, in area that have suffered warfare and ethnic tensions.
In 2007the Quaker community in central Africa began supporting the training of community mediators to resolve disputes amongst people who have no access to the judicial system in their respective countries.To date over 300 mediators have been trained and are practicing community dispute resolution.Cases may involve land disputes, marriage problems, problems of dowry,accidental death, survivorship issues, and domestic violence.Project Congo plans including support of a trainer in 2011 who will be working with communities in the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.
A mediation class in Bujumbura, Burundi
Mediators form the Universite Libre de Kigali, Kigali Rwanda
Example of successful mediation This mediation took place in Burundi to settle a land dispute between a widow and her brother-in-law. She had sold some family land after her husband died. This was against tribal tradition, which puts such decisions in the hands of the men, and this led to a major conflict between her family and her brother-in-law's family. After broiling for three years, it was settled in three hours by the two mediators. In a society where women have few rights, mediation was able to bring about a successful outcome for the widow. Jeanne and Philipe standing in the middle of the picture. Permission was given by the family to use their picture.
