Burundi: Sustaining positive cultural values

National LVE (Living Values Education) Coordinator, Mélance Kiruru, has brought together an organising committee of local young people dedicated to sustaining positive cultural values in Burundi society and reported to us on his activities following the exploratory visit there in December 2004. Values such as “Ubuntu” (humane-ness, generosity, sharing), Ibanga (fidelity, keeping one’s promises) and “Ubupfasoni” (honesty, having a noble heart, discretion, dignity) are still strongly adhered to, especially in rural areas, he said. To achieve the status of “Ubushingantahe” (a highly respected sage, wise man or woman, complete with all virtues, worthy to be a ruler) is the lifetime aspiration of many in Burundi, including youth. During the introductory seminar held organised by Mélance, Bernard Barandereka, former Minister for Energy, proposed that LVEP could contribute to the promotion of peace, solidarity and reconciliation in the Great Lakes region by inviting participants from neighbouring countries to each LVE training workshop. To complement this outreach, Mélance believes that radio would be an effective way of sharing ideas on values with the local population and could be an invaluable tool for transmitting values from one generation to the next through traditional story-telling, a custom that seems to be rapidly dying out.