Blessed are the Peacemakers

Centre for the Resolution of Conflicts (Centre Resolution Conflits) wins UNESCO award.

The CRC was founded in 1993 by Ben and Kongosi Mussanzi, much loved members of St Augustine’s. They have been working steadily, internationally and at great cost, to make peace in the Congo, having had to flee for their lives 19 years ago and only being able to revisit for the first time last year.

The international Jury of the Prize recommended the CRC in recognition of its work for the defence of human rights, its “tireless [commitment to the] rescue of child soldiers from militia groups, and their rehabilitation and reintegration into their home communities. [CRC] also brings together communities from different tribes to live together in peace by conducting special training for this purpose.”

CRC negotiates and builds trust with militia leaders and builds trust with them over time while collaborating with child protection agencies. Thanks to the NGO, nearly 1,000 ex-child soldiers returned to peaceful life in their communities since 2011 resuming school or professional trainings. CRC also provides them with psychosocial support to help them overcome trauma.

CRC trains agricultural co-operatives to promote tolerance and build mutual understanding between different communities. It has provided 40 agricultural communities with training in new agricultural techniques, financial management and peaceful conflict resolution between 2014 and 2018, helping almost 2,000 people increase their income and learn to trust ex-combatants.

The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence is awarded every two years to individuals or institutions for their exceptional contributions to the promotion of tolerance and non-violence through the arts, education, culture, science and communication. The laureate will receive US$ 100,000. (https://en.unesco.org/prizes/madanjeet_singh)

The Prize is named after its benefactor, former Indian artist, writer and diplomat, Madanjeet Singh (1924-2013), who was also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.