Future Generations Master’s Degree Student from Burundi Wins $10,000 Davis Project for Peace Award
Rene-Claude
Future Generations Master's Degree student, Rene-Claude Niyonkuru, received a $10,000 Davis Project for Peace award to build relationships and trust for peaceful elections and cohabitation in his home country of Burundi. Rene-Claudes proposal surfaces at an important time as recent elections were marked with violence. This follows 12 years of civil war in Burundi fueled by ethnic divides between the Hutu and the Tutsi. Rene-Claude’s project seeks to foster dialogue among communities to promote peace.
Although Burundi’s situation has improved since the 2005 elections, civilians and the opposing political parties share distrust with a long history of deep-seated fears and violence along ethnic lines. Tensions have flared this summer, as five opposition candidates withdrew from the elections leaving the incumbent as the only candidate.
This summer, Rene-Claude coordinated and was involved in activities that trained community members in conflict resolution, organized dialogue sessions, signed a pact for non-violence, and used the local media to share their commitment to peace during the summer elections. This project facilitated dialogue between leaders of two districts in Busiga, an area that has seen peace during wartime, and Mwumba, deeply affected by the 1993 civil war, in order to draw lessons about methods and strategies that work in resisting violence and political manipulation. Both of these districts are located in the Province of Ngozi, Northern Burundi. Project implementation was based upon partnerships and community involvement and closely collaborated with the Association for Peace and Human Rights and the local community councils.
Each year Davis Projects for Peace awards 100 college students from 90 campuses worldwide with funds to implement grassroots peace projects. The prize, established by Kathryn Davis, a 103-year-old philanthropist, motivates college students to create and implement their ideas for building peace. Executive Director of the Davis United World College Scholars Program Philip O. Geier, says that, “Kathryn Davis was motivated to establish Davis Projects for Peace because she felt a great sense of urgency about an elusive goal: peace in the world. She felt frustrated that older generations had failed in that great quest. Kathryn’s vision has motivated young people, and they have drawn inspiration from Kathryn.”
Visit davisprojectsforpeace.org to see participating schools, other award winners, and a 2006 video interview with Davis.
The last Future Generations graduate school student winner, Joy Bongyereire, won in 2009 for her project to promote peacebuilding and natural resource management in southwest Uganda.
