BUILDING PEACE THROUGH HEALING.

Communities in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are committed to achieving peace through inner healing. To this end, Paix et Développement Durable (PDD), a community development organisation, is using community-based sociotherapy (CBS) with the support of an international NGO in relief and recovery—ZOA. The primary aim of CBS is to provide healing to those who are distressed. It also aims to enhance social cohesion and improve relationships among individuals in areas of conflict and post-conflict.

After more than two decades of civil war in Eastern Congo, communities have been destroyed, and the social fabric has broken down, creating mistrust among ethnic groups. To change this narrative, Paix et Développement Durable (PDD) uses the community-based sociotherapy (CBS) approach to engage communities and help individuals heal, regain confidence and trust, build dialogues, and ensure gender inclusion.

‘Today, people express themselves freely on different subjects,’ says Jonathan Hakuzwimana Kanani from Nyabibwe village. He is a CBS facilitator with PDD in the Kalehe territory of South Kivu. ‘Women have a say about their rights and occupy positions of power, which was not the case before. Communities have found a system of resilience and collaboration.’ PDD is a non-denominational, non-political and non-profit organisation that fights for the restoration of human dignity and the trust and confidence of people in post-conflict areas. Since 2014, it has been using CBS to change the narrative.

‘CBS has not only led to the strengthening of social cohesion in the communities that have been affected by conflict. It has also led to a reduction in ethnic-fuelled conflicts and the development of a culture of dialogue,’ he says. The approach is being implemented in Kalehe, Idjwi, and Walungu territories with support from various partners, including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through CBS, PDD facilitates community mobilisation and civic participation. It promotes horizontal democracy whereby community members can raise their voices and advocate for changes in their community.

Jina Bachunguye, the PDD coordinator, states: ‘It all began with training facilitators from eleven villages in three districts between 2007 and 2011. Those trained went on to support CBS groups. At the time, we were only present in the territories of Walungu Province of South Kivu. In 2017, we expanded to the territories of Kalehe, South Kivu. From three districts, we went to four. Today, we have expanded further and also support CBS groups within other projects.’ With this example, Bachunguye describes a scenario of a successful CBS approach in territories in DRC.

The country underwent a civil war from 1997 to 2003, and conflicts persist today. Communities are now rebuilding trust and livelihoods among different ethnic groups. Corita Corbijn, ZOA’s sector specialist in peacebuilding, elaborates that the CBS approach emphasises the component of working in groups. ‘It comes from the word itself, ‘socio-therapy’ where socio means group and therapy means healing. It refers to an individual’s healing through group interaction,’ she says.

Sharing Experiences

This approach aims to strengthen people’s resilience by emphasising the role of the community. The strategy leverages the power of group sharing to build upon individuals.’ With the approach, twelve to fifteen participants come together to learn from each other, share, and reflect on their behaviours and attitudes. PDD implements this method with support from the international relief and recovery organisation ZOA.

‘We often heard individuals say, I used to think I was the only one with such experiences. I was afraid to reach out to my neighbours, but now I feel connected. I visit my neighbours and feel like a part of the community,’ Corbijn explains. According to Timothee Rukundo, DRC Country Director ZOA, by partnering with PDD, ZOA was able to use the technical expertise of the PDD facilitators in the CBS approach. ‘We work with PDD because they have the expertise to implement the approach. Initially, we helped them develop institutional capacity to function as an institution rather than a group of experts without an organisation,’ he explains.

Today, he says this has borne fruit. ‘What we have seen as a result of CBS is people forgiving each other, engaging in different development activities at the community level, and gaining trust in the local leadership.’ He adds that from this forgiveness and trust, visions are shaped by participants, not only for their families but also for the communities. ‘It takes time for an impact to be sustainable. What we are witnessing today is a sustainable change with a focus on forgiveness. People are now more engaged, and gender inclusion is being practised. People have come to appreciate that CBS is about them, their families, and communities. It is about healing and stability in their minds and hearts.’

‘Since we started implementing community-based sociotherapy, we have seen results. CBS has contributed to the social cohesion of different ethnic groups and the mental well-being of traumatised people,’ affirms Bachunguye. This, he says, was the main reason CBS was extended into other territories. The second and third reasons were the demand from the participants and the local leaders. ‘There were individuals who had been destabilised, traumatised and had lost confidence. The first experience showed us that CBS renewed and reconnected individuals, even those still in conflict. So, the idea to experiment in areas where interethnic conflicts dragged on was borne.’

Corbijn concurs with this. ‘To work on peace, we must first address root causes such as land issues or governance. You also need to consider the mental well-being of people. You must also work from the bottom going up. Start at the individual, family, and community level, and help people deal with the past. This is because if they have not dealt with the past violence, they will not be ready for a peaceful future.’

Bachunguye explains that the CBS approach is based on six phases: safety, trust, care, respect, new orientation of life, and the handling of emotions. ‘It is not only about phase: this is a healing process. When a member takes part in the programme, regardless of the stage in their life they are at, they are taken through all the different phases. This allows them to get to that desired orientation and the next step and have a different perception of their lives.’

The seven principles

To build on the six phases, the approach further draws on seven principles which when applied by the participants, boost the success and the outcome. ‘Significantly, participants in the programme respect both its phases and principles,’ says Bachunguye. ‘There is the principle of interest, equality, democracy, participation, learning by doing, responsibility, and here and now. Discussion by participants and facilitators of these principles in their groups helps them realise the importance of applying them in their families and communities. This leads to positive effects that contribute to change.’

He adds: ‘The more the participants apply these principles, the better they evolve. We do not simply tell participants to have confidence and accept it to come to pass. Through CBS, participants learn by doing, which has brought about enormous change at both individual and community levels.’ Bachunguye says today, they see improvements in the mental, social, and economic well-being of the people. He further adds that women today report a reduction in Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

‘Husbands who have participated in the CBS programme now have respect within their families. The mental well-being of individuals who suffered from mental turmoil before has improved. They realise they can still contribute to the development of their families and their communities. They are hopeful and feel useful. Before CBS, there was mistrust amongst individuals, but sociotherapy has helped bring back confidence. People have started working together, which was not the case before. Relations between different ethnic groups have improved. They are working together towards economic development and peacebuilding,’ he says.

Zawadi Furaha Nteranyi, who participated in the programme, swears by its success in her community. The 50-year-old widow and mother of eight affirms that CBS has enabled individuals and communities to find peaceful solutions to conflicts and have better livelihoods. ‘Through CBS, our communities now resolve conflicts peacefully. There is more respect for women and girls, and girls and boys are treated equally. Also, local authorities are involving women in local governance, which was not the case before,’ shares Nteranyi. ‘Husbands share decision-making in the homes with their wives, which was not allowed by our culture before.’

Nteranyi, a resident of Nyabibwe village in South Kivu participated in the programme after hearing Kanani talk about it. ‘I was walking when I came across him (Kanani) sensitising people about CBS. When I heard him talking about the benefits, I decided to take part.’ Thanks to the group’s knowledge and advice, she was able to divide her husband’s inheritance equally among her children. ‘I lost my husband during the war, and since then, I had inheritance-related problems. Through CBS, I learned how to manage my inheritance. As a result, there are no more conflicts in my family.’

She also joined a community savings group, which has enabled her to gain access to credit to set up a business and gain economic independence. ‘Today, I am a cheftaine d’avenue, a local neighbourhood leader in my community because I participate in the CBS groups. I raise awareness among people in my community on hygiene and sanitation issues, the dangers of malnutrition, children’s vaccination, and women and girls’ reproductive health rights,’ she says.

Edited by Pius Okore.