Help 450 Rwandan Prisoners to Become Peacebuilders

On Wednesday 27^th October 2021 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Friends Peace House mediators gathered to reflect on the impact of the pandemic and the way forward. The meeting brought together 11 mediators and two interns.

The agenda of the day highlighted the following points;

1. Opening remarks
2. The lessons learned during the pandemic
3. The challenges of mediation work and the current context of conflicts
4. Way forward 

The meeting began with Silas Rwenyaguza's prayer at 10 am. After the prayer, the Friends Peace House coordinator welcomed the participants and thanked them for their commitment in the mediation work done during the difficult times of Covid-19.

The participants shared what they learned during the pandemic;

1. Conflict mediation and transformation are among the most important skills needed in the community.
2. They faced unfamiliar conflicts that led them to seek out other acquaintances that have helped them solve unusual conflicts.
3. The pandemic has made people skeptical to come together and taught mediators how to use technology to resolve conflicts.
4. Due to the use of technology, a budget was needed to mediate people, this taught mediators to manage their time well and they got to learn how to use the appropriate technology while mediating.
5. The mediators saw the importance of having a communication platform because they contacted each other for different types of conflicts.

Challenges;

1. Limited skills to use technology for virtual mediation.
2. Lack of internet connection, airtime or internet bundles for virtual mediation.
3. The poverty resulted from the pandemic has led to a high rate of conflicts which outnumbered mediators who were few in the communities where they were located.
4. The conflicts and crime rates increased in the communities, which challenged the mediators.
5. The full lockdown disrupted the mediation work because where technology was impossible, mediators would have to wait until the lockdown is over.

Way forward;

1. The FPH mediators found that they had worked but did not provide reports, so they decided to have a mediation form that must be completed at each mediation to report their actions and submit their report to FPH.
2. The mediators found it necessary to refresh their mediation skills.
3. The participants also found it necessary to resume the domestic violence programme.
4. The participants requested to integrate the released inmates in the mediation work in their communities.
5. The participants agreed to use the existing social media platforms to shape the mediation programme.
6. To think about innovations and initiatives that can bring more partners.