2010: A year in numbers

In war-torn eastern Congo, children grow up in dire poverty. Many are lured into rebel groups by the promise of food or money. Local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi uses real life testimonies of children who have been rescued from the bush to tell other children what the reality of life with a rebel group is – black magic, frontline combat and sexual slavery. In 2010 Henri reached 2600 children – many through a roadshow across 15 remote villages Read more here

13,000 people died in the decade long civil war in Nepal, and though a peace agreement was signed in 2006, strikes, intimidation and political manipulation are still commonplace. Local peacebuilder Bhoraj Timilsina has set up local organisation YAPE to give local people someone to turn to when violence threatens. Bhoraj uses his contacts and impartiality to intervene and resolve conflicts without violence. In 2010 he resolved 14 conflicts. Read more about Bhoraj in action here

Burundi has suffered brutal war that has left 65 per cent of the population under the age of 20. These young people face many challenges – they are both susceptible to political extremism, and yet hungry for peace. Local peacebuilder Landry Ninteretse is working with young people – he targets the most radical students – those with a history of rebel involvement or polarised political affiliation, to openly discuss their views for the future of Burundi. Find out more.

In 2010 riots broke out in Kashmir, leaving over 100 young people dead. The riots are the legacy of over 20 years of insurgency in Kashmir and it is young people who are trapped in the center of all this. They have grown up in a fight that started before many of them were born and which has cost the lifes of 47,000 people in the last 20 years. Local peacebuilder Ashima Kaul is working with young people to give them a platform to express themsevles without violence and to get their voices heard in discussions about Kashmir’s future. In 2010 she has worked with over 50 young people. Find out more.

After a 21-year civil war that left 2 million people dead Sudan remains volatile. 2010 has seen Sudan’s first democratic elections in 25 years, and in 2011 the South will vote on whether to split from the North. In the cattle camps and desert villages of Sudan, people have never seen an election before. They’re used to power being taken by force and they don’t understand that politicians may use violence to win. The Collaborative for Peace – a member organisation that covers both North and South Sudan. They have been running election awareness trainings and have reached 15584 people – to build the foundations for a peaceful future. Find out more

There are an estimated 2.4 million people who have been forced to flee their homes in Congo. In remote areas violence is commonplace and rumours of potential attacks spread like wild fire. Many people are forced to flee at night and do not return for months or even years – forging paths through the jungle so they will not be seen or heard as gunfire sounds in the distance. Local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi has set up task forces who escort people to areas that they know are safe. They have safely escorted 14000 people. Read the story of how 14-year-old Adirodu was helped return home here

The day to day fighting in South Kivu is not between the UN nor government officials; it is between the people who live in the community and the remedy for conflict needs to come from within these communities. Local peacebuilder Flory Kazingufu has set up peace committees to intervene and peacefully resolve conflict. His committees have trained 50 people and resolved 18 local disputes. Read the story of Omari, a former rebel soldier here

In a township in Zimbabwe families of ten lived crammed in apartments built for one - broken pipes and raw sewage leaks are a daily occurrence. Local organisation Envision is building committees of local action in the township. Together they have organised clean-ups to rid their environment of sewage and waste. These committees unite people – regardless of political affiliation, and encourage people to work for the collective good. Read more about the impact these clean ups are having on the community

Five years on from a peace agreement that ended 21 years of civil war, Sudan remains volatile, weapons are everywhere in the countryside, and tribal battles occur with frightening regularity. The Collaborative for Peace has set up 4 peace committees which have resolved 38 conflicts. Read on to find out how one intervention has bought peace to over 5000 people

Children in Congo suffer extreme poverty – for many joining a rebel group is just a way to guarantee food. In 2010 local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi assisted 444 child soldiers to leave rebel militias and return to village life. He does so by offering them a better future – training to earn a living, micro-credit for a small business, or a place back at school. Read more about what these children are doing now

Burundi’s elections took place in May, and as rumours began to circulate of violence and beatings at political meetings, local peacebuilder Landry Ninteretse organised a 1000 strong peace parade through the centre of Bujumbura – read on for the full story and pictures.

Twenty-three years of civil war have fragmented Sri Lanka into separate groups divided by religion, language, ethnicity and a violent history. Local peacebuilder Dishani Jayaweera has trained 195 young people to reach out to their peers and run community development projects which overcome fear and suspicion. Read how the Young Visionaries organised a New Year celebration to bring people together

There are thousands of armed militia active across eastern Congo. Although many have signed a peace agreement, fighters remain in the bush and resort to terrorising local villagers to survive. Local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi works with these groups, to persuade them to lay down their arms. He uses radio broadcasts to reach the most remote groups, and forms coalitions with former militia so that he can safely access the most brutal commanders. Read the story of Kambale, a former commander here

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the most radical states in Pakistan. Young people are fiercely religious and militant groups prey on their beliefs to incite extremism and violence. Local peacebuilder Gulalai Ismail is working with women and young people to create real change. She has trained 25 young people to be peace activists – to grow a movement of activists against religious and political extremism. Read more here

In a village in South Kordofan a five-year-long conflict raged between tribes. Villagers could not farm for fear of cattle raids and attacks. In April the Collaborative for Peace persuaded nine local communities to lay down their weapons. Since then villagers have been able to farm their land, and a health clinic and a school has been set up. Over 5000 people live in the area, and this simple intervention has changed all of their lives. Read the full story

Civil society in Zimbabwe is governed by a chieftain system of 200 chiefs. Each chief oversees 100-200 villages and has great influence when managing disputes. But in the past some have been motivated by promises of wealth and status from politicians. By working within traditional community structures Envision is addressing some of the main drivers of conflict. Read more here