Current party in power limiting freedoms in Burundi

Now that we're leading up to new elections in 2010 (and our project is going to work in establishing transparency measures) the current government in power is getting nervous and starting to limit freedoms.

See the page on Human Rights Watch of the jailing of parties that are trying to bring about "change".

What's behind all the running?

So I don't think I've told you yet about how Burundians exercise a lot. I've always noticed here how at certain times of day there's always people in sporty outfits running near the roads. One day I asked, why do I always see people exercising? And I got an interesting explanation that highlights the culture here is like an onion, you may observe something and think, oh people are just active, but there is deeper meaning behind it that you would never have guessed.

You may think, people joggins isn't a strange thing to see, but it's not something you normally see in Africa or in many places, Brazil, Europe, like you see in the US. So it did catch my eye.

Well part of the reason is that during the war and its continued violence, people were encouraged to be physically fit, so that at any moment they were ready to flee or fight. Additionally, many were part of the army and so they certainly are keeping up their practice of running regularly. Now this doesn't mean that everyone here is fit, but a lot of people at least take a walk in the evening. Interesting reason for a healthy benefit no?

So yesterday, when I was talking to our female civil society expert (and former minister) asking her to contact parliamentarians for their availability for our upcoming training, she told me, well they're having their afternoon fitness, I'll to contact them on Monday. So I learned a new way that people are encouraged to be physical. The government, its ministries, parliament, etc. all engage in sport activity together--as a requirement--on Friday afternoons. The work day here starts earlier, around 8-830, and so that allows for Friday afternoons off. So the motive behind the government playing games together is that after the war ended, it was a genocidal and ethnic war, there was obviously tension, mistrust, and resentment among the population. Now the government was going to be mixing the two major ethnicities, Hutu and Tutsi together and needed to build relationships.

So they required that each ministry, etc. perform required sport activity, football, running, walking, etc. so that they would work together in a fun way, have conversations during water breaks, etc. and build relationships and trust again.

I found this fascinating!!