Ubutaka Bwacu (Our Land) Radio Programme

According to the SFCG, the programme builds on the success of SFCG's two other programmes in the country, Generation Grands Lacs and Urungano. The approach to Ubutaka Bwacu involved a training period based in SFCG's studio, where the journalists were able to improve their production skills and produce a variety of programmes incorporating SFCG's approach to reporting on sensitive issues.

During the Ubutaka Bwacu programme, listeners ask their land-related questions to a panel of human rights and law experts. Broadcast in Kinyarwanda, the show reaches out to some of Rwanda’s poorest residents, giving them the opportunity to share their own experiences of the national land reform process. This has included programmes on topics ranging from expropriation, land law, land registration, and specific land conflicts related to marriage and divorce. The show also features positive examples of land conflict resolution, highlighting existing interventions by the National Land Centre, non-governmental organisations, and associations offering legal aid and community mediation.

Conflict, Land Reform

SFCG Rwanda conducted a baseline study to obtain a detailed view of the public’s participation in and knowledge of new land laws and land policy. With the influx of returnees following conflict in the country, SFCG believes the dissemination of information on these issues and the training of Abunzi, local mediators, are essential to avoiding conflict during this transformative time. SFCG's baseline study revealed that fewer than half of all interviewed were satisfied with the information they could get from the media on land reform, and a mere 2% were able to identify three issues regarding land rights, the National Land Policy and/or the Land Law. SFCG plans to work with local radio stations using programmes such as Ubutaka Bwacu to raise awareness of new policies and citizens’ rights regarding land. More than half of the reported disputes involved women, and fewer than half of the youth interviewed were aware of their rights regarding land.

Government officials interviewed said that they were using radio, newspaper, and other forms of media to share information with Rwandans. SFCG says that this suggests that additional channels can be adopted to complement the work being done currently by civil society, government, and the media, perhaps by focusing more on radio programming with feedback mechanisms, newspapers with high readership and credibility, and by using other approaches such as training, workshops, and interactive theatre.

Other findings indicated that the Abunzi are trusted sources of conflict resolution in general and, although the number of land conflict cases resolved by Abunzi cited in the survey was small, over 75% of respondents have faith in the ability of the Abunzi to find unique and effective ways to help resolve land disputes. With further trainings organised by SFCG, they hope that Rwandans will increasingly bring land disputes to the Abunzi to avoid conflict and seek peaceful solutions.