Democratic Republic of Congo

Social Cohesion in DRC & Region

A youth reporter interviews her peer.

Years of war and displacement have left deep divides between communities in DRC and within the region. These divides play themselves out along ethnic, tribal and national lines. They also become evident between polarized groups such as demobilized soldiers, returned refugees, and between military and civilians.

SFCG aims to repair these relationships through joint activities using media, culture, sports, conflict transformation trainings, festivals and communal projects:

• Bringing together former enemies and perceived enemies to play, eat, and spend time together in friendship;

• Enabling inter-ethnic collaboration to be viewed in public by a large number of people;

• Creating a large number of "informal messengers," who will recount the event's activities and outcomes to wider audiences.

Through these cultural exchanges and sharing, SFCG programs aim to reduce violence and increase cohabitation among communities divided by the wars and to increase positive interaction among residents, repatriated refugees, and returnees.

SFCG also produces radio programming to complement these on the ground peacebuilding efforts:

Sisi Watoto ("We the Children: Giving Voice to Congolese Youth"), produced for and by children under 18 years of age, highlights children's rights and the challenges they face. The weekly program pays particular attention to the experiences of children associated with warring groups who are reintegrating into civilian life through interviews with children, local authorities and child protection associations.

Jirani ni Ndugu ("My Neighbor Is My Brother") is a radio drama in Swahili that focuses on conflict in the day to day lives of Congolese. Using a sitcom format, the program revolves around a central group of characters who live through a particular problem in each episode, and find ways to resolve the conflict without violence.