Eric in the first meeting of state on Convention on Cluster Munitions,Vientiane,Laos ,november 6-13

It is very impressing to talk about my participation in that meeting which is collect all stakeholders in landmine and cluster munition in Laos from 6th to 13rd november.

As chairman of the training center for development (CEDAC) ,I have been invited and supported by Mine Action Canada to participate in the Youth Leaders Forum which is is organized in parallel with the meeting of States Parties to the Convention.
The objective is to give young people campagners from differents contries of the world an extensive knowledge in the fight against cluster munitios and how to advocate for the implementation of the convention on cluster munitions

As Victim Assistance,today on monday,8th november,I was invited by ICBL in the meeting of Victim assistance focal points,survivors of cluster munitions and landmine and other stakeholders in the Cluster Munitions.
The intention of the meeting was to share information on Convention and see together what we can do in the pronotion of the implemetantion of the convention and specificaly the implementation of victim assistance in the different countries affected by cluster munitions bombs and landmines.

On friday ,12th november,CEDAC,my organisation,in collaboration with Action on Armed Violence (AOAV UK) and Seguridad Humana en Latinoamerica y el Caribe (SEHLAC),are organising an event with the theme : WHAT¹S NEXT IN HUMANITARIAN DISARMAMENT
Opportunities for civil society engagement.
We want all civilian societies present in the conference,to be informed about where we are with the rogram and what can be done in the future.
I remain convinced that this meeting will have a positive impact on countries which require assistance to victims and the fight against armed violence.

Eric from Laos Vientiane

My Trip to New York

From September 17 to 24, 2010, I undertook a mission to New York to attend several civil society events organized on the margins of the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the UN general Assembly taken in New York from 20 to 22 September 2010. I was invited and supported by Action On Armed Violence "AOAV», a UK organisation working in partnership in fight against armed violence and victim assistance.

It is not easy to describe in a few words how I found New York City but that town with the headquarters of the United Nations was interested me from the economically and socially point.
With large buildings in floor, I admired the order that reigns in the road despite a large number of vehicles that circulate New York.
Despite their different colours, languages, culture and religion, the mutual respect that characterizes people who live in New York left me feeling a good example that everyone else might follow for peaceful coexistence and a real global change.

Then, the activities began with a series of meetings organized by international organizations in which my organization CEDAC supported a pact on peace and security prepared by AOAV" Global Call to Action Again Poverty "CGAP" and "The World We Want 2015.
My statement was based mainly on the integration aspect of armed struggle against violence in the final document of the MDGs.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, by Carla De Ycaza, teacher at New York University, I had the opportunity to respond to the invitation of the university students who wanted to know a lot about my work in Burundi through CEDAC which I am a legal representative.
They have appreciated the work done by the PMRC in its effort to contribute to the fight against armed violence and promoting development.
I want to thank any one for the time he spent for meeting with me and AOAV which funded my mission in New York.


Eric Niragira

Training on Peer Support

Training on Peer Support

This Monday, March 5, 2010, CEDAC in collaboration with Survivor Corps has begun a program of training in the approach of peer support to women ex-combatants, leaders of community groups of Communes Kanyosha, Isale, and Mutimbuzi Kabezi.
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These four municipalities were chosen by the fact that they contain the majority of ex-combatants of the last province that has experienced war, Bujumbura Rural

This approach innovated by Survivor Corps is to help survivors overcome the barriers related to traumatic experiences they have experienced because of the war.


The introductory word has been uttered by Mr Pierre Claver Nsengiyumva, Country Director of Survivor Corps in Burundi, who expressed the objective of training and expectations of Survivor Corps after training.

The Chairman of CEDAC, Eric Niragira hope that this training is a beginning of a true reconciliation based on the development especially that we are in a post conflict phase in which efforts of everyone are needed.


This training will last three days begin in a unique atmosphere.

Eric Niragira

Field visit to Burundi by the Special Delegate of the Howard Buffet Foundation

Field visit to Burundi by the Special Delegate of the Howard Buffet Foundation

This Thursday, January 13, 2010, in collaboration with the Representative of Survivor Corps in Burundi, Mr Pierre Claver Nsengiyumva, Eric Niragira, Founder President and Chairman of CEDAC, representatives of Care International and the Special representative of the Howard Buffett Foundation, Mr Koffi, visited women ex-combatants, member of CEDAC in province of Bujumbura Rural, to analyze the step already taken in DUSHIGIKIRANE project funded by the Howard Buffett Foundation.

The objective of visit was also to notice progress and lessons already learned by women ex-combatants as part of this project.

This project aimed at social and economic reintegration of female ex-combatants focused on three approaches, the first is to strengthen the female ex-combatant groups in the system of micro credit. This approach is realized by Care International.
Then the second approach consists to strengthen the women ex-combatants capacity on the rice plantation where new quality more productive were developed and given to female ex-combatants for planting.
IRRI dealing with that approach, gives women ex-combatants all necessary equipment from sowing to harvest.

The third approach is to train women ex-combatants on education approach to peer support, which is to assist survivors, touched by the trauma of war and to help them go beyond past and become normal people.

All partners who were there enjoyed the project development and the meeting ended with a remarkable appreciation from the Special delegate of the Howard Buffett Foundation

Eric Niragira

Founder president of CEDAC

Dushigikirane Project

Designed by Care International in partnership with Survivor Corps, WFP and IRRI, the objective’s project is the empowerment of women’s program for development, Gender Based Violence program and Micro-credit program.
The target is the women ex-combatants from four communes of Bujumbura rural province who had been victims of civil war and very touched by war in Burundi.
All those women are organized in women ex-combatants network in CEDAC, so that we would work together and put the efforts together for implementing that project.
Last week, we were visiting the Kanyosha commune for giving more information about the project to the different commune representatives and the local community leaders. Let mention that most of them were women. It has been amazing for me when Mr Claver was presenting the program of Survivor Corps and the program of Gender Based Violence; I noticed that all women who were taking part in the meeting were interested by the program. One of the women ex-combatants said that:” Women had been used by rebels to carry munitions from the town to the mountains surrounding the town”. She also stressed that many young girls had been victims of gender based violence during combats, so that the program will be welcome in Bujumbura rural Province for implementation.

Welcome to my blog

Dear readers,

welcome to my blog which help you to have more information about Burundian people,ex-combatants in burundi and their projects especially in CEDAC organisation....

I have created the blog in order to share ideas with others around the world and invite them to join us in the initiative of rebuilding in Burundi. Please, if you are interested in our work, we would like to hear from you... so please leave comments!

I'll put on the blog the news from CEDAC and our partners, information on our campaigns, and photos and videos of activities and members. I'll put also reflections on events in Burundi and the process of peace building.

Please make yourself at home. Ce blog est un espace bilingue, donc vous pouvez meme laisser les commentaires en francais.