Practical Peacebuilding in Rwanda

Instructors

Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, Ph.D. is the Resident Representative of UNDP in Rwanda. Before relocating to Rwanda, Fatmata was the Senior Economist at UNDP in Ghana and The Gambia. She was the Economics Advisor and Head of the Strategy, Policy and Capacities for Economic Management (SPACE) team at UNDP in South Sudan, and the Regional Policy Advisor on Women’s Economic Empowerment for UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office. 

Frank Kiyatare from Interpeace, an international organisation for peacebuilding. Its programme aims to contribute to the consolidation of a peaceful, resilient, and an inclusive Rwandan society that is enabled to overcome the wounds of the past, peacefully manage conflicts and diversity, collectively and inclusively strengthen livelihood resilience, and is empowered to influence policies that are responsive to citizen priorities.

Richard Mutabazi, Mayor of the Bugasera District. As a public official in Rwanda, his work is impacted by the legacy of the Genocide. In his words: "Bugasera has suffered a lot from the genocide against the Tutsi. Traumatised people have difficulties to forgive and trust each other, and to embrace development and sustainable livelihoods.”

Mupiganyi Apollinaire from Transparancy International Rwanda. Transparency International is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Its purpose is to combat global corruption with civil societal anti- corruption measures and to prevent criminal activities arising from corruption.

Gakire R. Dieudonné, alumnus of of Amsterdam University College, founder of Dusego Empowerment Hub which seeks to improve the dignity of youths, and to shift from a low-productivity, agriculture-dependent economy to a service-based knowledge economy, targeting the creation of off-farm jobs. Dusego Empowerment Hub aims to be a point for social interaction, learning, and exposure to and exchange ideas and opportunities.

Marc Gwamaka of Aegis Trust which is an international organisation working to prevent genocide. It works on building long-term peace by encouraging communities to change from mindsets of mistrust and prejudice to a position of shared responsibility for peace and stability. Aegis enables students, professionals, decision-makers and a wider public to meet survivors and learn from their experiences. Through education,

Jean Michel Habineza of iDebate Rwanda which is an educational organisation that aims to contribute to peacebuilding in Rwanda through the development of young people. They do so by training the critical thinking and communication skills of secondary students so that they become engaged and active citizens in their communities. iDebate also offers training courses for teachers and organizes exchanges with Rwandan and international students.

Dr. Anne de Graaf (Amsterdam University College and Leiden University), has a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies with a focus on the role of youth in peacebuilding, and is specialised in peacebuilding. She has been teaching courses in human rights and human security, and has taken students on extensive study trips in Kosovo and Rwanda. She has co-created the online, free-access youth peacebuilding manual www.peace-by-peace.com.

Prof Maurits Berger (Leiden University) is a professor of Islam and the West and teaches in the programmes of Religious Studies, International Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. During 2014-2020 he has established think tanks with diverse student members to address polarisation in Dutch society. In 2023, he established together with students the Peace Academy where students from Israel, Palestine and other conflict zones tried to create an academic setting for peace building.