Youth rally at the Cibitoke Secondary School in Burundi

Over four thousand students from primary and secondary schools participated in the “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign event which took place in the Cibitoke Secondary School compound, west of Burundi on 16 October 2009.

The event was organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of Burundi. Students from all primary and secondary schools in Cibitoke,  teachers and headmasters gathered at the school for the “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign event.

After the welcome remarks made by the Regional Director of Education in Cibitoke province, Mr. Simon Buhungu, the UNIC National Information Officer, Ms. Beatrice Nibogora, delivered a detailed presentation to the audience about the history of the “Stand Up” campaign, the Millennium Development Goals, with an emphasis on those related to the children development.

UNIC NIO, Ms. Nibogora, makes a presentation on the “Stand Up” campaign

UNIC NIO talked about the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its link with the theme of the 2009 International Day for Elimination of Poverty. 

UNIC Bujumbura and UNICEF used the opportunity of this “Stand Up” event to launch the UNICEF Report entitled, “National Report on the Child’s Poverty and disparities in Burundi”. A brief presentation of the Report was made by M. Tharcisse Ncamumikani, Counselor in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Several copies of the report’s summary were distributed to the participants. The audience was invited to stand up and raise hands for one minute to rally against extreme poverty. 

After the ceremony, the UNIC NIO provided copies of the 2009 MDGs Report to the Regional Director of Education for further distribution in the secondary schools of the region.

Participants of the event to commemorate the International Day of Peace

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura organized together with the Ministry of Human Rights and Gender, the National Commission for Civilian Disarmament and Prevention of Weapons Proliferation and the UN Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) ceremonies to mark the International Day of Peace, under the theme, “We must disarm”.

The commemoration of the above Day took place in Bubanza province, Western part of Burundi, and included a march of peace in which participated the local civil society Associations members, students and teachers from secondary and primary schools, local governmental services representatives, national and international NGOs, as well as the general public. The ceremony included a sketch by a local famous Group named “NInde” on the dangers of detaining small arms without legal authorization, and the demonstration of destruction of small arms and light weapons. 

The speeches of the day were made by the Executive Representative of the Secretary General in Burundi on behalf of the UN System in Burundi, the Minister of Human Rights and Gender representing the Head of State, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Governor of Bubanza province. The event was attended by representatives of the Government, civil society, national and international NGOs and the Diplomatic corps. Local folkloric dance troupes also performed at the event.

At the Bubanza stadium, the UNIC staff members assured the distribution of the Secretary General’s message translated into Kirundi. The event was highly covered by the local media.

Students watching a 54-minute film featuring UN Headquarters

As part of the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura organized two briefing sessions at two different high schools, in Bubanza province, west of the country, for around 1,650 students, on 24 September 2009. The UNIC National Information Officer started with a briefing on the United Nations Organization since its creation in 1945, its work and objectives, its achievements specifically in the field of International peace and security.

To support the presentation, three documentaries were screened, entitled respectively, “Au nom de la paix” (In the name of peace), a 13-minute documentary which shows how the UN started with the Peacekeeping operations, “Women in the Peacekeeping”, and “A workshop for Peace”, a 54-minute film which tells the story of how the UN Headquarters was built. After watching the films, the students expressed their viewpoints and appreciation for the work done by the UN to bring and maintain peace in the world, commending the role that played the Organization to bring peace in Burundi. Some students however expressed their wishes that the UN should be able to prevent conflicts so that there would be no more wars in the world.

Coming to the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, which is, “We must disarm”, the National Information Officer briefed the students on the history of the establishment of the above Day, and the UN efforts to halt the spreading of nuclear weapons and illicit small arms. The students were then invited to write on a sheet of paper, personal reasons why we should disarm. The answers were then posted on the wall of the room, and the school community members could visit and read what the young people think about the disarmament.

The UNIC staff distributed some UN documents including the Kirundi language version of the 60 ways the United Nations make a difference booklets and copies of the UN System in Burundi monthly bulletin entitled BINUB Info, to the students at the two secondary schools, respectively the Technical school of Bubanza and the Lycée of Bubanza.

The students appreciated very much the UNIC staff visit to their schools and invited the team to come back for other UN priority issues.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg presiding over candle lighting ceremony at UNIC Bujumbura

Luxembourg’s Grand Duchess Maria Teresa made a four day visit to Burundi, from 30 May to 3 June 2009. Acting in her capacity as the United Nations Children's Fund’s (UNICEF) Eminent Advocate for Children and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Goodwill Ambassador, she helped mark the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and International Children’s Day.

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura together with UNICEF organized the commemoration, which took place at UNIC Bujumbura’s premises on 1 June 2009. UNIC Bujumbura’s National Information Officer delivered introductory remarks to open the event.

The event featured a presentation on the situation of children in Burundi by a UNICEF staff member, as well as speeches by the UNICEF Representative, Ms. Gloria Kodzwa, the Minister of Fighting against HIV/AIDS, Mrs. Spès Baransata, and Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. The three women were also given the opportunity to answer questions from journalists regarding the situation of children in Burundi.

The Grand Duchess presided over a candle lighting ceremony commemorating the survival and development of Burundian children. Fifteen candles were lit, one for each of the fifteen children invited to attend the event. 

Approximately one hundred people participated in the ceremony, including members of the Grand Duchess’s delegation, Diplomatic Corps representatives, heads of UN Agencies, and UNICEF staff and partners. 

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited various programmes and projects in Burundi during her four day trip including re-education programmes for child soldiers, projects for young mothers who were victims of rape, as well as the Bujumbura prison, where she spoke with incarcerated mothers who had given birth to children in the prison. Young orphans, who lost their parents due to AIDS or who have contracted the illness themselves, also served as focal points of attention during the four day visit to Burundi.