Welcome & Enjoy

Hi, I live and work in Burundi. I will, from time to time, write about Burundi and its peacebuilding process as well as about my work and life experiences here.

“We live in the age of written papers”, one of my favourite Romanian poets goes. And the age of speed, to the extent that some peace educators speak about the traumas the young – and not only they - are developing because of this constant race through complexity. Most of us are running against the clock most of the time, doing too many things too fast, interacting with too many people and wanting more of them in our lives, living with one foot in many different worlds and being totally overwhelmed sometimes. As an obsessive knowledge searcher and a born activist for many good causes - I have always loved being engaged in many life and work realities as well as become drained by them.

Who wants to read more when there is so much out there anyway and less and less people take time to enter one another’s reality?
This insight in itself is one of the greatest obstacles to my investing more time into writing – academic or more personal, though this is something I also love doing.

My list of readings and things to do fills the next 70 years, busy most of the time by making choice too. And yet I want to resist busy-ness that leaves no way for reflecting on the meaning of work and life. I want to be able to choose to relate more with people I work with but also I feel deeply connected to, find time for me and others to enjoy and create. And I want to achieve more in terms of work, always.

The way I see it, writing is a way of stopping – a difficult art – and reflecting. I start posting ideas on this blog in order to clarify for me insights, perspectives, and contradictions I am struggling with all around life and work and play. I could put it all in my drawer, of course, but why not share with others who may feel similarly or seek solutions to similar challenges? Third, it’s not all about myself. I want to tell you something about Burundi – as unknown as interesting!

I hereby invite you to be challenged, make your own thoughts come out and dialogue. For peace and development, which is what our online community is about, right?

Amahoro,

(the word for peace in Kirundi, Burundi's language, and a daily greeting here)

Ina