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BEYOND THE RHETORIC: THE REALITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS' IMPACT ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PEACEBUILDING IN BURUNDI
Abstract
Burundi's history is marked by persistent political instability and violence. Despite significant peacebuilding efforts, including the Arusha Agreement, the country continues to grapple with conflicts that weaken its institutions and economy (Nkurunziza, 2018). This paper examines the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in navigating this complex landscape and fostering peace. It delves into their strategies, challenges, and successes and highlights CSOs' contributions in promoting peace and managing conflict.
This study investigates how Burundian CSOs employ advocacy, capacity building, and community engagement to foster peace. A quantitative survey of 840 individuals nationwide revealed widespread skepticism about CSOs’ effectiveness in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Key obstacles include financial limitations, inadequate legal recognition and protection, limited access to information, public distrust, partisan biases, and restricted influence on decision-making processes. The study found that Burundians perceive CSOs as ineffective. CSOs should be better equipped with resources and skills to enhance their impact. Additionally, the government and other stakeholders must address the underlying challenges identified in the study. We used Python, R, and Excel to analyze and validate our data. Data collection and processing were carried out using CSPro, Excel, and SPSS. To communicate our findings effectively, we visualized the data through interactive dashboards.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpss.v9i2.2227
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