Category: Actualités

From June 20, 2023, the Commission for Justice and Peace in the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda organised a three-day training, to increase the capacity of those who will participate in the implementation of the three-year project on combating violence against women at work place and home. This project will be carried out in the dioceses of Gikongoro and Cyangugu from next year 2024.

Father Valens Niragire, the Secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission, at the beginning of this training, asked the participants to listen and follow all the lessons because it will help them to know better how to prepare this project, evaluate it and monitor it effectively and thus reach its goals.

Sister Umuyeyi Epiphanie, the coordinator of this project explained that the purpose of this training is to increase the capacity and knowledge of those working in projects in the Justice and Peace Commission and to inform those who will implement it, the priorities and goals to focus.

An expert in project planning, Sibomana Cyriaque, was the one who led this training where he explained how projects are planned, how they are implemented, how they are monitored and how reports are submitted. He reminded that these trainings are important for the smooth running of the projects.

“This kind of training helps employees to increase their capacitu and recognise their responsibilities in planning the project, evaluating, monitoring for good results of the project”, he said.

Cyriaque goes on to say that this kind of training prevents projects from being done as a routine, things that can affect the organization of the project. “This training helps to remember the principles governing projects including how the project is planned, how it is managed and how it is implemented for leaving positive transformations”, he adds.

The training was organized by the Commission for Justice and Peace (CEJP) with the support of the SCIAF and Secours Catholique.

It was attended by the staff of the Justice and Peace Commission, the chairpersons, coordinators, and those in charge of activities related to this project. It is planned that this project will start in January 2024.

From this Saturday June 3rd,2023 four delegates from SCIAF are in a working visit in Rwanda for shared projects and partnership between CEJP and SCIAF.

The delegation is composed of Sarah SWAROOP, SCIAF Marketing and communication manager; Steve MCMANUS, SCIAF Fundraising manager; James CAVE, SCIAF content production officer; Colin HATTERSLEY, freelance Photography.

The reason of their visit apart from assess shared projects with CEJP, they will work on assessing the need of on the field for raising funds for future projects.

At Kigali International Airport, this guests received a warm welcome by the Secretary of CEJP Father Valens Niragire, together with other member of CEJP. For a sign of hospitality and friendship the visitors have been given a scarf having on one side the logo of CEJP and on the other side the logo of SCIAF.

After the welcome at the airport guest have been hosted to Sainte Famille Hotel. For the second day of their stay in Kigali, SCIAF members attended a Sunday mass in Saint Michel Kigali Cathedral and after met the staff of CEJP at NOBLEZA Hotel for official welcome. After the official welcome they paid a visit to Kigali Genoside Memorial to pay tribute to the victoms of 1994 Genoside against the Tutsi.

SCIAF work with CEJP especially in a project of fighting against sexual violence’s. The SCIAF members will visit different sites where this project is based.

Thw Secretary of CEJP welcomed the visitors at the Airport

At the arrival in Sainte Famille Hotel in the city center

Official welcome at Nobleza Hotel

This issue has been raised in a workshop organized by CEJP on March 16 th, 2023 at Kimisagara Parish, where CEJP met a group of girls victim of sexual violence and early pregnancy.

Ms. Uwimana Therese, who is responsible for the implementation of the project to combat sexual violence in the Commission on Justice and Peace of Catholic Bishops in Rwanda, told Kinyamateka that this violence is one of the obstacles to the development and the welfare of the families today.

Hakizimana Jean Louis, in charge of the Commission of Justice and Peace in St Pierre Cyahafi Parish, told to Kinyamateka that Kimisagara sector is one of the most affected by the sexual violence in Kigali, where you find a big number of girls giving birth at a young age, most of them victim of rape.

Hakizimana Jean Louis said that the Parish Justice and Peace Commission took care of these girls to help them to heal from the wound caused by the violence they went through by accompanying them  and teaching them how to behave in their difficult situation.

Following a partnership to promote justice and peace between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church in Rwanda, launched in 2017, The Commission for Justice and Peace of Catholic Bishops in Rwanda(CEJP) and the Anglican Church in Rwanda have launched a campaign to combat sexual violence that will be carried out in various parishes of the Catholic and Anglican Church in Rwanda and through different media including Radio Mary Rwanda.

In an interview with Kinyamateka on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Ms. Uwimana Therese, who is responsible for the implementation of the project to combat sexual violence in the Commission on Justice and Peace of Catholic Bishops in Rwanda, said that after observing the issue of sexual violence in the world and in Rwanda and the way it is inadequately handled, they decided to work with the Anglican Church, and developed a broader approach to reach many places and many people to teach how this violence can be eradicated.

In this campaign, which began in March 2023 and will end in December 2023, a variety of topics will be discussed and experts will invited to discuss different issues according to the schedule set into place.

The topics to be discussed in this campaign are as follows:

The role of the Church in combating sexual violence, will be highlighted by what the Bible says about sexual violence, religious activities aimed at promoting gender equality, and the role of believers in combating sexual violence.

Family: Sexual violence will be born out of the family, its causes and causes to create a family that comes to sexual violence, a well-being and safe society.

Youth: There will be talk of sexual violence among young people, the causes of youth violence, where this sexual violence in young people is taking place, and how to deal with it and punish those who do.

Victims: There will be talk of the way the victim goes through to identify sexual violence, the types of violence that are common, and the effects of this health abuse.

Society: There will be talk of sexual violence in the wider community, a form of violence that is often seen, and what can be done to prevent this violence from leaving the wider community.

Schools: Discussions will be held on school activities in the fight against sexual violence, form of  sexual violence in schools, and the education of students in order to eradicate sexual violence.

Gender: There will be an overview of the true meaning of the word gender, how people understand it, the wrong interpretation that can be the root cause of sexual violence in the family.

Culture: Cultural issues are sometimes referred to as one of the reasons of sexual violence. Examples of words and cultural activities that are characterized by sexual violence, what can be done to ensure that culture is not the root cause of this violence, and the role of cultural institutions in combating sexual violence.

The legal dispositions for the crime of sexual violence will also be discussed and highlighted.

Mss. Uwimana Therese Encourage everyone to participate in this campaign and using it as an opportunity to come out of the issue of sexual violence.

MANIRAGABA Emmanuel

Ce vendredi 27 mai 2022 dans le district de Rubavu, la Commission Episcopale Justice et Paix Rwanda, à travers le projet MUPAKA SHAMBA LETU, a organisé une compétition   artistique, musicale, poétiques et théâtrale pour les Jeunes petits entrepreneurs, basée sur la paix qui vise à éradiquer les conflits mais en même temps  à la promotion des pratiques d’initiative de Business for Peace.

L’activité a été organisée afin d’atteindre l’objectif du projet “Dans les zones frontières visées, les acteurs économiques – incluant les commerçantes transfrontalières et les petites et moyennes entreprises – interagissent davantage à travers le réseautage et plus de coopération, et travaillent ensemble afin de promouvoir une plus grande cohésion sociale, la coopération régionale et la paix dans la région”

Parmi les talents qui y ont concouru figurent des chants de paix, des poèmes, des dessins, des danses traditionnelles et modernes, des théâtres, etc. où tous montraient comment le commerce  transfrontalier et les pratiques de paix doivent être interdépendants pour construire une cohésion sociale et une relation multiculturelle. . Dans son propos, le Père Valens NIRAGIRE, le secrétaire national de la Commission Episcopale Justice et Paix Rwanda a exhorté les jeunes concourants à être des entrepreneurs plus réalistes et à croire aux opportunités que le pays crée pour eux au quotidien. Il a notéː “vous avez besoin de penser d’une façon plus poussée et élargie si vous avez besoin de vous responsabiliser positivement, pensant que cela vous poussera toujours à être plus réaliste et à faire confiance aux opportunités que le pays crée toujours pour vous.”  Le père Valens est revenu sur l’importance de soutenir les pratiques de paix comme l’un des moyens de construire une nation sûre et de bonne réputation où, en tant que chrétiens, nous devons tous respecter les lois.

Le projet MSL se propose d’appuyer les initiatives des jeunes porteurs du programme Business for Peace par la mise en place des opportunités à travers lesquelles ils participent activement aux efforts de consolidation de la paix et de résolution des conflits. Dans cette optique, MSL organise des compétitions pour des jeunes membres du club  à Rubavu pour promouvoir les talents des uns des autres tout en les mettant au service de la formulation de messages de paix pertinents aux communautés transfrontalières