Conflict prevention in Burundi

Carolyn Hayman writes about peace initiatives in Burundi

by Carolyn Hayman 30th May 2014

The Quaker Church in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, has a dazzling gospel choir in sharply dressed lime and green, and a congregation of around 200. There are the same number of Quakers in Burundi, a country a tenth the size of the UK, as in the UK, and they have ambitious plans to plant Quaker communities across the country. But coming from the silent tradition, I wondered what it was that makes the Burundi Quakers different from any other church in Burundi. Two things, I was told, link us closely together: the absence of sacraments and a commitment to building peace.