The Organization of Young Christians in Africa for Development (OJCAD) is a key player in promoting peace and development in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region heavily affected by armed conflict. Through its many initiatives, OJCAD works to raise awareness among communities on the issues of peaceful coexistence, the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, and conflict management.
As part of its activities, OJCAD organized, on May 9, 2024, a training course for its members on Resolutions 1325 and 2250 of the United Nations Security Council.
During this training session led by the Director of OJCAD Mr Aksante Gamaliel, it was proven that these resolutions, emphasize the role of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding and were chosen for their relevance in the Congolese context. The participants were thus equipped to better understand the issues related to peace and security, and to play an active role in the implementation of these resolutions at the local level.
OJCAD uses a variety of methods to raise awareness about peace and development issues. Peace clubs, the Network of Girls and Young Women Mediators for Peace and Development, and participatory theaters are all tools that allow the organization to reach a wide audience.
The Tamara campaign, which aims to combat sexual and gender-based violence, is another example of OJCAD’s commitment to human rights.
Through this campaign, the Director of OJGAD Mr Aksante Gamaliel handed over the Tamar Campaign manual to community leaders to strengthen their knowledge and involvement in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence and above all to encourage victims to report any cases of violence experienced.
Through its actions, OJCAD has succeeded in strengthening the sense of social cohesion within communities, promoting equality between men and women, and encouraging victims of violence to denounce the perpetrators of these acts. The organization has also contributed to strengthening the capacities of community leaders, enabling them to play a more active role in conflict resolution.
For Aimée BALIBUNO, coordinator of OJCAD, all avenues are good to achieve her goal, speaking about the issue of peace in the DRC during a caravan organized on the occasion of the global week against the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons under the theme « I am committed to building my community and you? ».
The latter showed that the question of a return to peace requires everyone to make their contribution to achieving it.
Despite the progress made, OJCAD faces many challenges, including persistent armed conflict, poverty, and insecurity.
The organization must also deal with the mistrust of certain populations, who have been traumatized by past events and the persistence of armed conflicts for more than 30 years now.
It should be noted that on September 21, 2024, on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, OJCAD brought together several sections of the population in Goma, including young people, women, men and the intercommunity Barza of North Kivu, under the theme « Role of young people in promoting peace in the East of the DRC ».
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