2009 Annual Report

Burundi

Association Bonne Semence pour le Développment et la Paix (BonSem)
$38,000
To improve collaboration between citizens and authorities and to reduce abuses committed by authorities. BONSEM will reinforce the capacity of its human rights monitoring committees, organize four human rights workshops, install suggestion boxes throughout the country to gather citizen comments on ways to improve local governance, and organize three forums allowing authorities to respond to notes from the boxes.

Coalition de la Société Civile pour le Monitoring Electoral (COSOME)
$30,000
To contribute to the respect for human rights of the Burundian population and provide them with reliable news on the 2010 Burundian electoral process. COSOME will train members throughout the country to report on election-related news. It will use this information for reports, to improve its website, to organize meetings related to the elections, and to produce radio programs.

Forum pour la Conscience et le Développement (FOCODE)
$28,590
To promote civic responsibility among university students in Burundi and encourage their participation in the 2010 electoral process. FOCODE will conduct a series of six trainings, workshops, and seminars for as many as 40 university students per event on democracy, gender equality, electoral law, and election observation. It will complete three reports on the activities of these events.

Ikibiri Coalition
$30,050
To reduce the risk of violent conflict by educating citizens in vulnerable communities of methods to communicate and resolve conflict. Ikibiri Coalition will organize five-day workshops in vulnerable communities for interactive training on conflict mitigation techniques and to teach residents about the elections. It will complete evaluations assessing the perceptions of these community members.

Jeunesse pour la Culture et le Développement Humain, Ruciteme-Culture (JCDR)
$21,615
To improve understanding among Burundian citizens on the right to vote and encourage nonviolent involvement of youth in politics during the electoral period. JCDR will create and air 12 skits for radio on the nonviolent participation in the elections. Shows will be based on JCDR’s research on popular perceptions of Burundian politics.