EAC: THE 2ND EAC PEACE AND SECURITY CONFERENCE OPENS IN BUJUMBURA

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affair Burundi Ambassador Jean Rigi addresses the media as EAC Principal Information and Public Relations Officer Mr Richard Owora looks on

Group photo opportunity: Participants of the EAC-GIZ Journalists training.

The First Vice-President of Republic of Burundi His Excellency Bernard Busokoza is expected to officially open 13th November, 2013  the second three-day EAC Peace and Security conference in Bujumbura.

More than 150 delegates from the East African Community (EAC) Partner States have confirmed to attend the event, according to Ambassador Jean Rigi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs in Burundi.

‘’We are ready to host the meeting and to ensure that the delegates will have very fruitful deliberations,’’ he said when briefing journalists on the meeting’s preparations 12 November, 2013 at the Royal Palace Hotel, the venue of the conference.

He said the conference is the best opportunity to reflect not only threats and challenges the region faces, but also opportunities.‘’Peace and security is the mother of social development...it creates favourable environment  for harmonious living and the economy to grow. We want a stable and prosperous East Africa’’ Amb. Rigi added.

Dialogue,respect and tolerance, he said, are necessary for the region’s forward march towards an integrated and united East Africa.The theme for this year’s conference is: ‘’Promoting a culture of dialogue and tolerance for conflict prevention and peaceful co-existence’’.

 The meeting will be attended by peace and security experts, civil society, religious leaders, ministers, Non-governmental organisations, politicians, youth, women, media, relevant EAC ministries, among others. The participants are expected to generate and exchange knowledge to inform and improve conflict prevention and resolution capacities as well as help define potential future activities for the region.

The delegates are expected to assess peace and security challenges facing their communities, past experiences, best practices and identify operational steps that can be taken to promote dialogue, tolerance and peaceful co-existence.

 The Treaty establishing the East African Community stipulates promotion of peace, security and stability within, and good neighbourliness among EAC Partner States (Article 5 of Treaty) as one of its core objectives. The founders of the Community agreed that peace and security are prerequisites to social and economic development and vital to the achievement of the objectives of the Community.

 The EAC is, therefore, endeavouring to build capacities and to establish policies and instruments for peace keeping, crisis prevention, early warning mechanisms and conflict transformation.

Meanwhile, the five-day training on conflict sensitive reporting for  selected  25 journalists and editors (five from each country) from the EAC Partner States ended  12 November, 2013.

The EAC-GIZ training focused on genesis of conflicts, hate speech, ethics and journalists in war zones and as victims, gender and inequality, truth in conflict sensitive reporting, challenges and way forward for journalists and photography and images in conflict sensitive reporting, among others.

The journalists will also have an opportunity to attend the 2nd EAC Peace and Security Conference and give wide coverage in their respective countries on the proceedings.

The EAC Secretariat since 2011 has been organizing a series of trainings for media practitioners in the Partner States on the regional integration process. Another training opportunity is set for Kampala between 25 and 27 November, 2013.