In the African Great Lakes region, the past is deeply present.
In Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, histories of colonial rule, political violence and regional conflict continue to shape power relations, public debates, and everyday life.
These legacies affect how societies and communities understand themselves — and how stories about conflict, identity, memory, and belonging are told.
Colonialism did not end with independence. Its effects live on through unequal power structures, dominant narratives, and ways of thinking that still influence politics, institutions, and the media.
Journalists and communicators often work within these inherited frameworks, sometimes reproducing silences, stereotypes, or simplified explanations of complex realities.
Our work on Dealing with the Past (DwP) asks a simple but urgent question: How can communication help societies move forward instead of repeating the same cycles of violence?
We aspire to foster emerging discourses, nurture diverse voices, and encourage a plurality of perspectives on the colonial legacy.
We focus on fostering critical thinking, encouraging diverse voices, and opening space for plural perspectives on history, memory, reconciliation, and responsibility.
We engage journalists, media practitioners, civil society, and social and faith-based actors in rethinking how the past is discussed and lived in the present.
We see communication as a space for transformation. Stories, images, and public conversations do not just reflect reality — they actively shape it.
By supporting inclusive and reflective media practices, we aim to strengthen communities, promote the right to information and encourage dialogue across divides.
This approach is rooted in a decolonial perspective that values local knowledge, lived experiences and locally grounded narratives.
Our strategy focuses on three pillars:
The project will contribute to the development of conflict-sensitive journalism and communication, and to the acknowledgment of the impact of the colonial past on current conflict situations.
DwP is not only about remembering harm. It is about creating fairer societies today and preventing violence tomorrow.
Media can play a key role in this process by making room for honest conversation, shared understanding, and new ways of imagining the future.
While our work is rooted in the tri-border Great Lakes region – Ruana, Burundi, eastern DR Congo –, it connects to global efforts to address historical injustice, colonial legacies, memory and reconciliation through responsible and dignifying communication.
Concrete actions:
- Research and study the complex perspectives at play.
- Map stakeholders and potential actors (including media), Justice & Peace Commissions working on the ground. Build networks.
- Advise / coordinate production of Audio/ podcast with local media.
- Build a digital archive on communication, colonial legacy and DwP as a special section of the “Commbox”.
- Support in the concept development of the practical manual on journalism/ communication and DwP.
- Uphold a series of training with local journalists/ communicators.
- Promote dialogue with civil society organisations in Europe and the Great Lakes countries. Collaboration with Justice & Peace Commissions.
- Monitor the implementation & evaluate the results.