Media for Peace

Promoting dialogue, reconciliation and the peaceful resolution of local conflicts. The programme strengthens the capacities of young people and women in mediation and negotiation. In the Great Lakes region, local conflicts over land, resources, identity or power often escalate for lack of reliable channels of dialogue. Disinformation, rumors and hate speech, amplified by radio and social media, feed mistrust and can turn a dispute into violence. Yet young people and women, often excluded from formal peace processes, are among those best placed to defuse tensions in their own surroundings. Media for Peace draws on mediation, negotiation and communication to make these actors builders of peaceful conflict resolution. Our ambition To bring forth, in every community, mediators and peace communicators capable of preventing conflicts, bringing parties together and spreading messages of reconciliation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Our areas of intervention Dialogue and reconciliation: facilitating meetings between parties in disagreement, with emphasis on listening, truth and the restoration of relationships. Peaceful resolution of local conflicts: supporting the settlement of community disputes through mediation before they escalate. Mediation and negotiation training: strengthening young people’s and women’s skills in conflict analysis, mediation techniques, negotiation and nonviolent communication. Communication and media for peace: using radio, digital tools and awareness campaigns to promote peace messages and counter disinformation and hate speech. Local mediator networks: connecting trained mediators to share experiences, support one another and act in a coordinated way. Our approach Participatory, inclusive and rooted in local realities, it values traditional dispute-resolution mechanisms while enriching them with modern methods. It places young people and women at the center, both as mediators and as voices for peace, in connection with the Baraza spaces and the Regional Peace House. Expected impact More local conflicts resolved peacefully Greater trust and reconciliation between communities Young people and women recognized as key actors in mediation Reduced disinformation and hate speech