Much effort is being made to ensure that Burundi does not fall back into political strife and violence as the country prepares for the five elections (communal, presidential, national assembly, senate and local) it will hold between May 21 and early September. Building off of over ten years experience in Burundi, IFES is actively supporting the Burundian National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) and Burundian civil society groups to help minimize conflict through innovative conflict prevention programming ahead of the 2010 election cycle – the first since all rebel movements laid down their arms and officially ended Burundi’s long civil war.

The centerpiece of IFES’ work in Burundi is the first-ever nationwide election violence prevention system named Amatora mu Mahoro (Elections in Peace), which results from the collaboration of over a dozen Burundian and international organizations.1 The Amatora Mu Mahoro system draws on IFES’ ongoing EVER Project (Elections Violence Education and Resolution) which has seen successful results in monitoring and preventing election violence in over a dozen countries since 2003. The system also introduces the Ushahidi web platform in Burundi (www.burundi.ushahidi.com). Ushahidi was developed by Kenyans in response to the electoral violence that shook the country in 2007/2008, and allows the rapid sharing of information on peace and violence incidents, via SMS.

One of IFES' largest EVER initiatives, Amatoro Mu Mahoro draws on a rigorous research methodology that reports verified occurrences of peace activities and election-violence incidents gathered from monitors in all of Burundi’s 129 communes. By offering comprehensive, reliable data for violence mitigation efforts, the program seeks to consolidate Burundi’s achievements in peace-building in the last decade. In essence, the EVER methodology gathers information on incidents of violence and peace activities, and includes real-time reporting on incidents. The data is transmitted through the Ushahidi platform, which allows monitors to submit reports on the incidents via SMS, email and telephone. The accrued information is compiled on an online map and shared with responders and local teams trained in election-violence mitigation so that they can respond to the incidents. The data is also used to compile in-depth pre-election reports on trends and risk areas, to enable election planners to adequately prepare. In total, Amatora mu Mahoro integrates monitoring data from over 450 trained monitors in all 129 of Burundi’s communes. The initiative was formally launched on April 23, 2010 by the President of the CENI and the Archbishop of Bujumbura in an event that attracted wide interest amongst Burundi’s political, diplomatic, journalism and human rights leaders.

In addition to violence monitoring, Amatora mu Mahoro is actively supporting civic education and peace and reconciliation activities around the country by tracking their outreach and encouraging programming in areas of heightened need. By incorporating “peace promotion” events alongside incidents of violence, Amatora Mu Mahoro seeks to affirm the positive, peace-building impact of civic and electoral education, as well as offer a practical tool for civic educators to reach the areas of greatest need.

Amatora mu Mahoro is at the center of an array of election violence-prevention activities being organized by IFES around the 2010 elections. These projects include national civic education campaigns, theatre skits, community festivals, a powerful documentary film and election mediation teams among others.
One of these impressive efforts, the theatre program, Théâtre et Réconciliation, uses humor and parody to show the Burundian population the importance of voting and maintaining the integrity of the elections process. It also shows how casting ballots to express one’s political will is more effective than resorting to violence. Under the direction of prominent theater director, Fréderique Lecomte, Théâtre et Réconciliation has drawn large crowds in rural Burundi. Their show in Rutana in early April had more than three thousand viewers and was filmed for TV broadcast.

In another initiative, IFES is organizing community festivals in eight communes around the country on the theme of “Non Violence during the Elections.” Since early February, these itinerant festivals have been showcasing 36 Burundian artists, including traditional dances, drumming exhibitions and original songs. By bringing together different factions of Burundian society for a common entertaining goal (such as members of different political parties and various ethnic groups) the festivals are fostering goodwill and commonality at the community level. These are important messages for a population that has seen much conflict derived from their differences as they go towards the elections.

Perhaps the most moving message of all from this campaign is the message expressed through the independent documentary, Iyo Menya ("If Only I Had Known," 16 min., Kirundi subtitled in French) created by IFES in partnership with New Generation and RAM.  Through firsthand narratives, the film recounts the opposing stories of Burundian youth who resisted the call to take up arms and those who chose to fight. The devastating consequences of young combatants’ choices and the inspiring message of those who stayed out of the conflict are a powerful incentive to promote peaceful elections and democratic institutions.

Burundi has been the focus of significant attention in recent years given its success in completing the post-conflict peace process, holding peaceful elections in 2005 and bolstering democratic progress in the midst of the troubled African Great Lakes region. IFES will continue to promote programs that help Burundi move towards establishing its government peacefully through the ballot.

To follow the findings of the Amatora Mu Mahoro system or to subscribe to alerts, visit Amatora Mu Mahoro at www.burundi.ushahidi.com