The Scout Association of Burundi (ASB) is one of the oldest Burundi's oldest civil society organisations, being approved since 1964. It counts approximately 32,340 scouts divided into 588 groups and 6,000 volunteers. The Scout Association of Burundi works in all 17 provinces of Burundi.
The Association exists to support and mentor young people in becoming leaders for peace. The organisation provides the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to take charge of their future and be useful to their communities.
The association plays a dynamic role in civic education countrywide. These activities range from training in leadership, conflict resolution and peace education.
One concrete example is the Amahoro Amani Regional Project that was set up in 2007 to engage several thousand young people in combating ethnic prejudice and to inspire them to make a real contribution to social change in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It has involved seven Guide and Scout Associations from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
From 2007 to 2012, many practical activities have been carried out including setting up peace and reconciliation clubs for young people from different ethnic backgrounds, establishing community mediators and organising peace and reconciliation days in the three countries. The project has been supported by WAGGGS and WOSM.
From that experience, ASB has now embarked on a new peace project in collaboration with REJA that consists of organising workshop meetings and debates for politically engaged young people and those from civil society, to reflect on ways of preventing electoral violence on the ground. Several workshops have been conducted across the country, and the two organisations have joined a new Early Warning Early Response Network.
According to Gilbert Mussumba, Director of Amahoro Amani Regional Project, all the activities and experiences of the last four years have strengthened the community mediators. They are now strong enough to engage themselves in their local communities, with the support of their National Guide and Scout Associations.
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