Local Voices: Congolese Communities and The Kivu Conflict

The project is publishing written and visual accounts of personal testimonials on the Local Voices website . The project is focussing on sensitive issues such as armed groups, the weakness of state authorities, or tensions between ethnic communities. It intends to place the reader in the daily lives of the communities most affected by armed conflict. Local Voices is designed to inform the general public as well as policy makers about the dynamics and triggers of violence in eastern Congo and put local populations at the centre of concerns, giving a voice to populations who have no opportunities to share their experiences with armed conflicts, to express their concerns, their difficulties, their frustrations, and their fears.

Local Voices describe their strategy as a crossroads between video documentary, engaged photojournalism, and a deep anthropological approach, combining long-term field presence and immersion into local communities. The idea is to focus on the human dimension that, in international news, often stays hidden behind sensationalism and headlines. This includes capitalising on human stories to break stereotypes, rumours, and hatred that divide communities, to promote accountability, good governance and inclusive citizenship, as well as social and economic wellbeing.

A second phase of the project is planned, Voices of Exiles, which will be a documentary exploring the integration and cohabitation dynamics between refugees and local populations in the Great Lakes Region.

Peacebuilding