Rwanda

I just came home from Rwanda, Liberia, Romania and Ukraine. What do these countries have in common you ask and why is IREX focusing on them right now? Each one of these countries is in transition from a difficult past to a hoped-for brighter future. Each one of these countries is in a better position now than in over a generation to make genuine progress toward the goals they’ve set for themselves. Each has its own unique set of challenges, naturally.

In honor of Conflict Resolution Day 2010 this Thursday, IREX is launching a new conflict mitigation program! This month, IREX is beginning the USAID/IREX Youth for Change: Building Peace in Rwandan Communities (Y4C) project. I met with Shannon Bruder, who will be managing the project, to get more information about the project’s goals and the current situation in Rwanda.
 

I’m writing this week from Rwanda, where I’m working on our Civil Society Strengthening Project. Although the project is not specifically focused on conflict, working with our staff and meeting with many Rwandans has given me the opportunity to think about the different ways we describe conflict programming – and how all of them are insufficient.