GER-Rwanda 2022-2024 Activity Report

IN A NUTSHELL
 Author's Note
GER-Rwanda (Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation) is a Rwandan peacebuilding and development organization dedicated to fostering reconciliation, resolving conflicts, and enhancing community livelihoods. We achieve this by addressing the impacts of climate change and promoting environmental stewardship. Our vision is a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.

This post turns the spotlight on the GER-Rwanda 2022-2024 Activity Report

Click  HERE to read the Report in full

By Innocent Musore

Executive Director

Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation-GER

Kigali City, Rwanda

GER-Rwanda 2022-2024 Activity Report

Building a Peaceful and Sustainable Future

Our Core Beliefs

Holistic Transformation: We believe peacebuilding and environmental well-being are interconnected. A healthy environment fosters peaceful communities.

Empowerment and Collaboration: We empower individuals and communities through leadership training, community dialogues, and collaborative initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion: We work with diverse stakeholders, including religious leaders, Churches, women and youth groups, government institutions, and civil society organizations.

Our Approch

Trained community Facilitators: We have trained community facilitators, youth, and women's groups across five districts and refugee camps in Rwanda.

Community Learning Centers Established: These centers promote reconciliation, sustainable livelihoods, agroecology practices, and the revival of indigenous knowledge and seeds.

Support community initiatives: We facilitate community healing and reconciliation while empowering them to build a more sustainable future and becoming the agent of change.

Contact

info@globalr.org

https://www.globalr.org
 Executive Summary of GER-Rwanda 2022-2024 Report

Full Report HERE

From 2022 to 2024, Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation (GER-Rwanda), in partnership with CFOR, implemented integrated environmental conservation and social reconciliation projects across Bugesera, Musanze, and Ruhango districts. These initiatives address Rwanda’s dual challenges of environmental degradation and post-genocide healing.

Rwanda's districts. Image Source: Government of Rwanda

Key Achievements by District

Bugesera District

  • Launched the Forest of Unity and Resilience, combining climate mitigation with social cohesion.
  • Distributed 30 energy-saving stoves, empowering women as environmental stewards.
  • Implemented the FACE project, promoting organic farming and biodiversity protection.

Musanze District

  • Engaged youth in reconciliation efforts through workshops on trauma healing and environmental conservation.
  • Distributed agricultural inputs to enhance sustainability and productivity.
  • Facilitated intergenerational dialogues, preserving traditional knowledge and fostering unity.

Ruhango District

  • Organized a Healing and Resilience Conference, bringing together diverse community members.
  • Established a “Forest of Unity and Resilience” through tree planting initiatives.
  • Collaborated with URUFATIRO group to create a 50,000-tree nursery, providing employment opportunities.

Cross-Cutting Themes and Impacts

  1. Environmental Conservation: Implemented tree planting, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity awareness across all districts.
  2. Social Reconciliation: Facilitated dialogues and workshops to address historical wounds and promote unity.
  3. Women’s Empowerment: Enhanced women’s roles in environmental stewardship and community leadership.
  4. Youth Engagement: Involved young people in reconciliation and conservation efforts.
  5. Sustainable Livelihoods: Combined environmental initiatives with economic opportunities.

Recommendations

  • Increase focus on genocide widows’ specific needs in reconciliation and environmental programs.
  • Develop strategies for reintegrating prisoners into community-based initiatives.
  • Integrate reconciliation programs into all community gatherings.
  • Expand successful models to other Rwandan districts.
  • Further develop the link between environmental stewardship and peacebuilding.

GER-Rwanda’s integrated approach has fostered both ecological restoration and social healing. By empowering women, engaging youth, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating open dialogues, the organization has created a replicable model for uniting environmental health with reconciliation efforts. This model shows promise not only for Rwanda but potentially for other post-conflict regions globally.

General Conclusion

GER-Rwanda’s multifaceted approach to addressing environmental sustainability and social healing has been transformative across Bugesera, Musanze, and Ruhango districts.

The organization’s initiatives, which blend biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and reconciliation efforts, demonstrate a deep understanding of the connections between environmental health, social cohesion, and long-term resilience.

In Bugesera, GER-Rwanda’s collaboration with women leaders has created a model of healing through environmental stewardship, as seen in the creation of the Forest of Unity and Resilience and the distribution of energy-saving stoves. These activities have empowered women to lead both in the home and in the community, driving sustainable development.

In Musanze, youth engagement has been at the forefront of reconciliation efforts. GER-Rwanda’s focus on organic farming and biodiversity conservation, paired with intergenerational dialogue and healing workshops, has fostered a resilient community committed to both environmental stewardship and peacebuilding.

Across all districts, the integration of environmental conservation with reconciliation underscores GER-Rwanda’s belief that healing the land and healing the people go hand in hand. This holistic approach has equipped communities to confront environmental challenges, enhance food security, and build social cohesion, ensuring a peaceful and sustainable future for Rwanda

Click  HERE to read the Report in full

Learn More: Visit our website at https://globalr.org/ to explore our work and join us in making a difference

 

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By the same Author on PEAH

Empowering Women in Bugesera District for Climate Resilience, Rwanda 

Workshop: Engaging Women in Nature-Based Solutions to Improve Livelihood, Ecosystem Conservation; Resilience to Climate Change and Peace Building in Bugesera; Rwanda 

A Message From Global Initiative for Environment and Reconciliation – GER Rwanda 

Improving Communities’ Livelihood, Healing and Reconciliation in Rwanda