The Silent Witness | From Survival To Governance

A young person attends a community gathering of the Shamba la Amani program led by Bahati Mubuya Gladys in Mudja, Nyiragongo Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on April 6, 2026.

Photographed from behind their face unseen, their identity protected the figure sits in half-shadow at the edge of the room, listening. The image speaks to the thousands of young people in eastern DRC who have grown up knowing only conflict, displacement, and ethnic hostility as the defining realities of their world.

Gladys' integrated peacebuilding model deliberately engages youth alongside women, understanding that sustainable social cohesion cannot be built without bringing the next generation into the circle of reconciliation not as passive witnesses to adult peace efforts, but as active participants in shaping what comes next.