STUDIO IJAMBO 

Studio Ijambo, Kirundi for “wise words,” launched in 1995 by Search for Common Ground, a non profit based in Washington DC.  Studio Ijambo is the first independent radio studio in Burundi and it produces 15 hours of current affairs programming and radio drama each week with content focusing on promoting dialogue, peace, and reconciliation.

Goals

The radio station was launched to combat hate media and reduce ethnic tensions simmering in Burundi.  In 1995, the year after Rwanda’s genocide, there was serious danger of further atrocities in the region as hate radio was still rampant and growing  in Rwanda’s neighbor Burundi, with both  Hutu and Tutsi leaders using the radio to foster hatred and violence.  The UN Special Commissioner for Human Rights described the situation in Burundi in 1995 as “Burundians are currently living in an atmosphere of mistrust, hatred, and exclusion, withdrawn into themselves and often hostile to anything unfamiliar.” Search for Common Ground's intervention, in the form of  Studio Ijambo is “aimed at creating mechanisms for ethnic reconciliation, and decreasing levels of distrust and violence.”   Studio Ijambo's goal is to reach the entire Burundian population with is radio programming, but it also recognizes the importance that young male youth have in determining the future course of action and designs programming to specifically reach this audience.

Approach

Search for Common Ground uses radio as its primary medium which fits the context since Burundi has a strong history of oral communication, literacy rates are low, and radio is the primary media source for the predominantly rural villagers. Studio Ijambo’s programs are currently featured on 7 radio stations, as well as on Internet radio.  Phones are also incorporated in the form of call in shows providing audience feedback and involvement.  Studio Ijambo gained popularity  because the existing radio programming was all government operated and was dull, biased and far removed from the audience.  This disconnect with the audience can be explained by the fact that government operated media was run by urban elite Tutsi in the military while the bulk of the audience consists of impoverished rural Hutu.  Studio Ijambo quickly established itself as a source of unbiased credible news and features a variety of shows such as roundtables and live interactive programs to present a variety of viewpoints.  Studio Ijambo has a variety of programs specifically targeted to youth, such as news and talk programming operated by youth, interviewing youth.  One of its most popular shows which has been particularly effective is the entertainment education serial drama, Umubanyi Niwe Muryango, Kirundi for Our Neighbours Ourselves.  The serial radio drama was launched in July 1997 and was intended to promote peaceful coexistence, conflict resolution, social responsibility and reconciliation using key entertainment education tactics such as Albert Bandura's social modeling to encourage strong identification with characters as well as spark changes in behavior and attitudes.  The drama evolves around two neighboring families on the rural Burundian hillside: one family is Hutu and the other is Tutsi.  The show details the hardships of these neighbors  such as drought, division in the village, and rumor-mongering neighbors, and how they overcome the problems common to both families together.  The program aims to help listeners identify with problems faced by others and to devise positive, non-violent ways of resolving conflicts.  More specifically, the show aims to foster more positive perceptions and attitudes as well as more peaceful and positive behavior and interactions between members of rival ethnic groups.  In order to accomplish this goal, the show attempts to emphasize the common ground shared between the two families, especially their shared hardships in order to prove that, by working together, these obstacles can be overcome.  The program also uses humor to discuss taboo topics such as racial hatred, which then sparks conversations among the audience about these difficult topics.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Findings

Studio Ijambo reaches an estimated 12 million people throughout the Great Lakes Region of East Africa.  In three studies conducted since 1999, it was found that 80-90% of Burundi’s population listen to Studio Ijambo regularly, with the program’s popularity spreading to Rwanda, and 82% of those surveyed believed that Studio Ijambo’s programs greatly helped reconciliation.  Several other studies have been undertaken to assess the impact of Studio Ijambo, and there has been wide agreement across the studies that Studio Ijambo has reduced violence, fought rumor mongering and educated its audience on the importance of tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflict.  One surveyee credited Studio Ijambo with “changing the language in Burundi from one of hatred and mistrust to one of dialogue and negotiation.” Many survey participants attributed Studio Ijambo with changing their views about other ethnic groups, as well as increased understanding that dialogue is a viable alternative to violence.  A 2003 survey found that Burundi’s youth trust and identify with Studio Ijambo’s programming: nearly 90% of surveyees said they identify with Studio Ijambo radio programming.

There are a few limitations of Studio Ijambo that deserve mentioning.  The studio is completely dependant on the continued support of donors such as USAID , as well as the Burundian government for the radio airtime.  Another limitation is the lack of a system for audience feedback in formulating the serial radio drama. Audience research comes from the staff’s knowledge of life in Burundi, as well as feedback from friends.  There is currently no formal system of audience monitoring, which clearly could have an important impact.

HELLO PEACE! (Hello Shalom, Hello Salaam)

 Funded by the European Community, Hello Peace was founded after bereaved families of Israeli victims of Palestinian terror formed The Families Forum which called for peace and reconciliation as an alternative to vengeance. According to the story of Hello Peace, in November 2000 Natalia Wieseltier dialed a wrong number and found herself speaking instead to a Palestinian man in the Gaza Strip, thus the idea for Hello Peace was born. Officially launched in October 2002 by the 400 families of the Families Forum, the Hello Peace project utilizes the simple and widely accessible technology of telephones and mobile phones to give Israelis and Palestinians alike an opportunity to connect with each other.

Goals

The goal of the Hello Peace project respond directly to the lack of trust and empathy between Palestinians and Israelis which by many accounts, is the primary reasons that the cycle of violence continues. Hello Peace tries to give Israelis and Palestinians an opportunity to explore their curiosity of the other side in an anonymous, secure, and comfortable setting. By getting thousands of Israeli and Palestinians to talk with each other on their own terms, and by making the programs availability and success as public as possible Israelis and Palestinians are taking the first step by acknowledging one another as willing peaceful partners.

Approach

The Hello Peace Project is totally and completely dependent on ICTs, and telephones more specifically. Hello Peace was only able to succeed by partnering with a major Israeli phone company which caters both to Israelis and Palestinians to ensure that as many people on both sides have access. the use of ICTs for this program is also central to the level of comfort it provides users. A simple telephone call allows for complete anonymity - something very crucial in such a bitter conflict

From Israel, Gaza or the West Bank, callers need to dial *6364 from any mobile phone or land line operated by Israeli Telecom company Bezeq (by far the most popular in Israel). Callers will be greeted and asked to follow instructions in their native language that says, "Hello, you have reached Hello Shalom, Hello Salaam. If you wish to talk to an Israeli about reconciliation, tolerance and peace, dial 1; if you wish to talk to a Palestinian about reconciliation, tolerance and peace, dial 2." Callers will have access to hundreds of voice messages and decide whom they want to contact. They can call as often as they want and take comfort in knowing their identity is always anonymous.

The creators of Hello peace, fully aware of the controversial nature of their project, launched a very public advertisement campaign. Billboards appeared throughout Israeli and Palestinian territories, ads were printed in popular newspapers and heard on the radio. This public promotion was intentionally designed to show both sides that people on the other side not only want to talk, but already are talking.

Findings

According to the Family Forum website, in October 2002 and October 2004, more than 480,000 phone calls had been made and as of 2007 it is estimated that more than 1,000,000 calls have been made since inception. This implies tremendous success particularly in this region where no self-described Israeli or Palestinian has ever known anything but hostility toward the other.

Evaluation studies of the Hello Peace program so far believe that "its impact radiates out from the participants in three concentric circles: an inner circle that includes all those who have actively taken part in the project by talking with a person from the opposing side; a middle circle consisting of the friends and relatives of those who have used the system and who have heard about the project and its influence; and a third circle comprising those who have heard about the project either from news articles of from the media campaign." This is truly significant when one considers the "multiplier effect" and that persons are much more inclined to consider a concept or idea when it comes to them from a trustworthy source like a friend or family member.

Hello Peace has also been able to transcend ICT borders and venture into the realm of radio. The BBC Radio airs a half hour program on Sundays called "Calls Across the Wall" which the BBC describes as "the story of Hello Peace, a phone line which has facilitated nearly a million conversations between Israelis and Palestinians...who have rejected the path of hatred and revenge to reach out to each other." This verifies the significance and excitement generated by this project as real progress toward peace and reconciliation. By connecting at an individual level, the relationships become much more intimate and trust and hope for both sides is more easily fostered. A song has also been written in honor of the project called "Hello Peace" by Graham Dixon from TROUBLE at' MILL

There are of course a number of challenges, namely how to increase the number of users, and how to turn this dialogue into mainstream attitudes reflected in the daily lives of Israelis and Palestinians.  

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Videoletters

In 2000, documentary filmmakers Eric van den Broek and Katarina Rejger created "Videoletters," an ICT project intended to further reconciliation among people from the former Yugoslavia who had once been friends and who had been separated and even alienated by violent conflict. Videoletters uses new media technologies to have people record a message to a friend or neighbor from a different ethnic group whom they have lost touch with and attempt to rebuild lost relationships.

Goals:

Videoletters aims at promoting reconciliation amongst people from post ethnic conflict and war-torn countries. Videoletters is also used as a preventative instrument for ethnic tension. It is a simple information and communication technology (ICT) using personal videos to tell people’s stories and inform friends from their past of their current status. "By reconnecting former enemies, videoletters contributes to open communication and makes reconciliation possible" - www.videoletters.net. The creators of videoletters are Eric van den Broek and Katarina Rejger, from the Netherlands. Broek and Rejger are independent film makers who filmed the V*TV Series and are the authors of the Videoletters project.

Approach:
   
The target audience of videoletters includes any individual from a post war-torn region. Since the project has a wide target audience range, the V*Project depicted different people with varying backgrounds and stories. When the project first started, it operated by driving a V*Caravan bus equipped with webcams and internet connections through countries of the Former Yugoslavia in order to allow people to record their own videoletter and post them on www.videoletters.net. In each city, various people have recorded videoletters while inviting schools to join in similar projects. For countries with more internet connectivity, permanent internet counters are placed where people can record and retrieve videoletters free of charge. Since this is a free service run by the V*Caravan, it makes creating, loading, and accessing a videoletter extremely simple and available to any individual.

There are multiple ways for people to connect. Either they can connect to locations from their hometowns and find more people in their neighborhoods, or they can connect back to the places they lived before they emigrated, and reconnect with their former friends living in their country of origin. This is made possible because the website has a database with the GPS coordinates of locations throughout former Yugoslavia, which allows the user to both find others in her/his own personal town, and find friends in neighboring villages. Because of its cost effectiveness and accessibility, videoletters proves to be a very effective and successful ICT in promoting conflict resolution among ethnically stratified societies. Since videoletters proved such a success in the Balkans, videoletters became accessible to every country free of charge. Anyone can create a videoletter and post it online for people to see. Most recently, the videoletters TV pilot project launched in Rwanda and Rwandan panelists agreed that it would serve as a strong mechanism to promoting peace amongst the Hutus and Tutsis.

Videoletters filmed from 1999-2004 and was finally broadcast on April 7,2005 in countries comprising the former Yugoslavia as a TV series consisting of twenty 25 minute episodes. In each episode, colleagues, neighbors, or former friends separated by the war in the Former Yugoslavia exchange videoletters. As each participant received and films a videoletter, their relationship is re-built as they become aware of the other's story. The unique thing about videoletters is it allows some of these individuals to meet again for the first time since the war. The first videoletters project began in the Balkans. It became a 20 part TV series shown on 7 public TV stations in Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Monte Negro, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Serbia.   
   
 
Findings:

The domestic and international response to videoletters has been immensely positive. International news sources such as the New York Times,  Reuters, Le Monde, the BBC, ABC, CNN, Taipei Times, Marie-Claire, Parool , AFP , Elle, and La Stampa have commented on the impact of videoletters. Other independent internet sources and blogs have also commented on the effectiveness of videoletters as a source of reconciliation. Also, as mentioned before, the panel who viewed the V*Pilot in Rwanda unanimously agreed that it could potentially play a large role in reconciliation amongst Hutus and Tutsis.
 
Challenges the program faced included creating enough network and internet accessibility in remote regions of the Balkans. Fortunately, they came up with a solution found in the V* Caravan bus equipped with internet. Another limitation is tracking down recipients of the Videoletters due to the dire conditions and consequences of war. However, that problem was combated by making videoletters available and free of charge on the internet and setting up internet kiosks in those countries.

NON-ICT BASED RECONCILIATION PROGRAMS
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SEEDS OF PEACE

Established in 1993, Seeds of Peace is a program that recruits young leaders from various regions of conflict and provides them with the skills required in advancing reconciliation and coexistence.  The program started with 46 Palestinian and Egyptian youth and has now expanded to over 3,500 youth who have participated in the program from over 25 countries. 

Goals:

The goal of Seeds of Peace is to bring young people from backgrounds that are often hostile toward one another, to an international camp in the United States where they can build trust with one another, deconstruct stereotypes and promote understanding between young people in conflict regions.

Approach:

Seeds of Peace targets young people because they understand that this group is most susceptible to influence, both good and bad. By bringing young men and women together at such an early age, Seeds of Peace is able to get to them before prejudice and mistrust are really ingrained in them and instead tries to plant seeds of peace by creating friendships and trust between people in conflict zones, such as Palestinians and Israelis, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, among others.  The camp setting serves as a fun, neutral space where Seeds of Peace can promote cooperation and understanding through fun, trust-building activities such as rope courses and dialogue sessions.

ICTs:

Seeds of Peace, a traditionally non-ICT reconciliation program, has recently begun incorporating ICTs as a way to sustain the relationships it has built through traditional means. Two particular examples of this are the SeedsNet online forum and the bi-monthly online publication, "The Olive Branch". SeedsNet serves as a safe space for Seeds of Peace Alumni to keep in touch with one another and continue bonding, sometimes over the difficulties of returning to their old, hateful environments. Alternately, "The Olive Branch" magazine which is researched, written, edited and produced by Seeds of Peace alumni, serves as a credible news magazine that gives former participants an alternative view from the often biased media coverage they are exposed to at home and encourages them to react to current events. Furthermore, Seeds of Peace is working on the development of a video conferencing site to enhance the connection and maintain dialogue between members after they finish the program.
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Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

Generally, truth commissions are bodies established to research and report on human rights abuses over a certain period of time in a particular country or in relation to a particular conflict, as a way to begin the process of reconciliation. TRCs have been established around the world including South Africa, Sierra Leone, Chile, and Haiti, among many others.

Goals:

The ultimate goal of any Truth and Reconciliation Commission is to promote reconciliation through healing. Most TRCs try to bring together victims with those they believe victimized them and seek to create a genuine environment of remorse and forgiveness.

Approach:

Truth Commissions allow victims, their relatives and perpetrators to give evidence of human rights abuses, providing an official forum for their personal stories. In most instances, truth commissions are also required by their mandate to provide recommendations on steps to prevent a recurrence of such abuses. They are created, vested with authority, sponsored, and funded by governments, international organizations, or a combination of the two. Truth Commissions exist for a limited period of time, have a specific mandate, and adopt a variety of methods after which they produce a final report, highlighting conclusions and recommendations for effective reconciliation.

ICTs:

Over the last few years, Truth Commissions are increasingly using ICTs to both document their progress and raise awareness of a country's particular conflict and their ability to begin a process of reconciliation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in Sierra Leone partnered with an organization called "Witness to Truth" which uses video and online technologies to raise awareness of global human rights abuses, to visually document the key findings and recommendations of the TRC  to accompany their written report. Additionally, the United States Institute of Peace has created on online Truth Commissions Digital Collection, which constantly updates information on different TRC's world-wide, and publishes progress reports online.