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USAID/OTI Burundi Hot Topic

May 2006

Reconciliation Through Sports – Bringing Communities Together

The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) supports the ongoing peace process in Burundi as outlined in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement (APRA) by strengthening local capacities to benefit from and contribute to the peace process. PADCO implements OTI’s Community-based Peace and Reconciliation Initiative (CPRI) and manages CPRI’s field offices in the provinces of Gitega and Ruyigi. Through CPRI’s three components -- vocational skills training (VST), community initiatives and media -- the program strengthens local-level cooperation for conflict mitigation, helps diverse groups generate non-farm income and increases knowledge and participation in public dialogue on current issues.

Community members of all ethnicities celebrate sports achievement together.

Representatives from all seven communes of the Province of Ruyigi participated in the OTI-supported Sports Days May 27-28, 2006. The aim of Sports Days -- the first activity of its kind since the beginning of armed conflict 13 years ago -- was to promote reconciliation amongst different ethnic groups through sports. The Governor of the Province of Ruyigi, Mr. Moise Bucumi, praised the activity and expressed his desire for more community sports events in the future.

More than 1,000 spectators watched as 250 athletes from all communes competed in track and field events and volleyball and soccer matches. The occasion provided a unique opportunity for many young women and girls to compete in sports for the first time in their lives. More than 40 women participated in volleyball and sprinting competitions.

Sports uniforms and equipment were awarded to winners and all participating communal teams, encouraging continued participation among the different groups in various sporting activities. Governor Bucumi stated, “These games are a great way for people of diverse backgrounds to come together in an effort to reconcile their differences.”

For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Karen Kaplan, Program Manager at 202-712-1478 or kkaplan@usaid.gov