[‘amani itakuya’; Kiswahili (Kiingwana): peace will come]

In collaboration with Radio Mutaani and with the support of the United Nations, the second Amani Itakuya Essay Series is a project to create ideas, to discuss challenges and opportunities, and to engage constructive debates on peacebuilding in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its surroundings.

Bringing together a range of local and international people – academics, journalists, activists, and practitioners – Amani Itakuya aims at enlarging the spectrum of a debate which is often led in closed and/or within proximate circles among peers. This essay series will attempt at putting some of the ongoing debates and their participants onto one single platform – this website – in order to deepen existing dialogues on peace in the Congo.

Amani Itakuya is neither journalism nor an academic endeavour, although several contributions will certainly match the respective quality criteria or just be a blend of both. While contributors to a wide extents come from these areas, the focus of Amani Itakuya lies in stimulating debate and exchanging opinions.

The essay series is thus supposed to go beyond day to day journalism in terms of arguments, ideas, and thoughts while at the same time maintaining clear and easy language in order to keep the debate accessible for a large public beyond confined academic circles. For the last mentioned reason, all contributions will be in either French or English (given the non-profit nature of the project, there is unfortunately no possibility for translation or adding a third language such as Kiswahili).

For the sake of promoting a wide range of ideas, Amani Itakuya does not have topical limitations beyond the basic rule of sticking to the wider frame of peacebuilding in the DRC. Therefore, the essay series – while not (yet) covering all aspects of peacebuilding in the DRC – will provide a tour through a wealth of issues connected to the central question.

While it is impossible to claim that yet another series of writings on the Congolese conflicts may substantially contribute anything to peacebuilding, this essay series attempts at democratising and opening up existing dialogues as well as fostering discussion between locals and outsiders, but also between Congolese from different parts of the country, and Rwandans, Ugandans, Burundians alike.

Amani Itakuya is also considered to be a forum of free speech, with the only restriction that hate speech and discrimination of any kind shall not be tolerated. Responsibility and copyright of the essays lie with the respective authors and so does external photography, where provided.

The subsequent essays are listed below with hyperlinks for an overview. Note that all essays originally appeared with the Amani Itakuya series but that reprints are possible under the condition of proper referencing such as provided in the Creative Commons License. Questions relating to the project can be directed to the editor via twitter.

Introduction | Why an essay series on peace in the Great Lakes?

#1 | Esther Nsapu | Capoeira, une danse qui de-traumatise les enfants issus des groupes armés

#2 | Michael Bauma | Congolais, victimes ou irresponsables ?

#3 | Michelle Doerlemann | L’approche basée sur les droits humains

#4 | Charly Kasereka | FARDC vs FDLR : une ‘bataille’ sans ‘combat’?

#5 | Charlotte Mertens | Representing Violence in the DRC: Time for a new Narrative

#6 | Josaphat Musamba | Rétablissement de l’autorité de l’État a l’est de la RDC  

#7 | Prosper Hamuli | Un nouveau type de développement local des institutions démocratiques

#8 | Timo Mueller | How to make peace in eastern Congo? Send in Céline Dion

#9 | Dieudonné Mango | Non aux kidnappings et tueries en répétition causé par les rebelles ougandais des ADF 

#10 | Rachel Sweet | Amani Ilikuwa (peace was): Rethinking the bounds of ‘conflict’

#11 | Jules Ziringabo | La RDC piegée depuis vingt ans : 1994-2014

#12 | Chris Davey | The Congo and its rock

#13 | Bulambo Salammbo | Cohabitation artisanat minier-exploitation industrielle: enjeu de paix et sécurité

#14 | Nik Stoop, Janvier Kilosho, Marijke Verpoorten | The social minefield of gold-digging in Kamituga, South Kivu

#15 | Rodrigue Rukumbuzi | Le déplacement massif de la communauté Banyamulenge

#16 | Juvenal Twaibu | Du recours a la constitution d’une milice tribale, un moyen illicit de la protection

#17 | Mahaut de Talhouët | Why should the government of the DRC prioritise SSR over DDR programmes?

#18 | Marta Iñiguez | Re-engaging the Global: An account of the political and economic roots of conflict

#19 | Ley Uwera | Apres dix ans d’exile, Sadiki retrouve sa famille

#20 | Benson Linje | Recalling the Positives of the Congolese Army

#21 | Umbo Salama | Repenser la reinsertion des anciens combattants pour construire la paix a l’Est

#22 | Nadia Fazal | Do the Arts have a role to play in peacebuilding in eastern DRC?

#23 | Cosmas Mungazi | Nord-Kivu : Par un dialogue franc, la paix est possible a Pinga

#24 | Stephanie Perazzone | The ‘Gomenyi’ borderland: “It’s not always about war”

#25 | Baraka Kasali | The Potential of Coffee in eastern Congo

Conclusion | Jason Stearns | On the emergence of essayists

Unless otherwise indicated, all article pictures are © by http://www.christophvogel.net.

Suggested citation: Lastname, Firstname (Year): Title. Amani Itakuya #XY. Hyperlink, retrieved on Day/Month/Year.