From November 11 to 23, 2025, CEMEACO led an official mission to Brussels, representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo before Belgian and European institutions. Four strategic meetings, four doors opened—a turning point for the organization.

Against a backdrop of ongoing human rights violations in the provinces of North and South Kivu, CEMEACO decided to take its advocacy to where decisions are made. Led by Mr. Emmanuel Kazadi Tshishiku, Vice President and spokesperson for the organization, and facilitated by Ms. Laetitia Mudoy, CEO of CINTERAD and focal point in Brussels, the delegation carried out a dense and ambitious institutional agenda over thirteen days.

At the DRC Embassy — November 12

The mission began with a meeting with His Excellency Mr. Christian Ndongala Nkuku, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the DRC to the Kingdom of Belgium. CEMEACO’s advocacy report on human rights violations in the Kivu provinces was officially presented. The Ambassador commended the seriousness of the initiative and the professionalism of the delegation—noting in particular that the mission was organized without any financial request. He expressed interest in inviting Mr. Kazadi to give an academic presentation at the University of Leuven and mentioned a desired presence of CEMEACO in Strasbourg, at the European Commission.

At the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region — November 12

That same afternoon, the delegation was received by Mr. Bertin Mampaka, President of the Brussels Parliament, in the presence of Ms. Aurélie Lopes, CEMEACO’s focal point in Brussels. Discussions focused on citizen diplomacy, the role of elected officials of Congolese origin in European institutions, and prospects for cooperation between the Brussels Parliament and Congolese civil society. The President proposed circulating the advocacy document among the 89 Brussels deputies, 72 of whom are French-speaking, and mentioned the resolution he himself had presented in 2004 regarding the situation in the DRC—a resolution whose possible update was discussed.

At FICEMEA — November 13

The following day, the delegation met with Ms. Yvette Le Comte, President of FICEMEA, and Mr. Godfroid, Financial Director, at the Federation’s headquarters in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. This meeting helped strengthen the synergy between the two organizations around the themes of peace education and citizenship. FICEMEA committed to facilitating contacts with Amnesty International Belgium and other key Belgian stakeholders, and initiated discussions on a transcontinental DRC–Belgium educational program for the 2026–2028 period, particularly drawing inspiration from the model of Niger’s nomadic schools.

At Broederlijk Delen & Pax Christi Vlaanderen — November 20

The latest strategic meeting brought the delegation together with two of Belgium’s most influential NGOs on international peace issues. Broederlijk Delen, which is seeking a credible on-the-ground partner in the DRC for its next programming cycle (2028–2032), invited CEMEACO to apply for the January 2026 pre-selection process. Pax Christi Vlaanderen, for its part, offered media support—connecting with Belgian journalists and helping to amplify a Congolese citizen’s voice in European media.

What This Mission Means for CEMEACO

In thirteen days, CEMEACO has crossed several milestones: diplomatic recognition, parliamentary dialogue, and an operational partnership with leading European NGOs. The organization returns from Brussels with doors open, concrete commitments from both sides, and a busy roadmap for 2026—presentations in Leuven and Strasbourg, an application dossier for Broederlijk Delen, and a post-conflict educational program to be developed jointly with FICEMEA.

The voice of the Congo has been heard in Brussels. The work continues.

The Biennale is a global forum dedicated to educational reflection and experimentation. It is structured around practical sessions (workshops), conference-debates, and forums where activists discuss their on-the-ground practices.

Among the themes explored at the Nantes Biennial: the right to education for all, secularism and citizenship, ecology and sustainable development in educational practices, and social transformation through schools and summer camps.

The General Assembly, the sovereign body of FICEMEA, defined the global policy directions for the next four years and elected the new Executive Committee.

PRESENTATIONS FOR CEMEACO

The Importance of Unlearning to Re-learn: Adapting Active Learning Methods to the Congolese Sociocultural Context

Strengthening the Educator’s Role as a Facilitator Rather Than an “Absolute Authority”

International Solidarity and the Exchange of Best Practices with Members from Five Continents

In the first half of 2024, CEMEACO organized three rounds of intensive agribusiness training in Kinshasa. A look back at an initiative that is restoring Congolese youth’s confidence in the potential of entrepreneurial agriculture.

In response to urban unemployment in Kinshasa and the need to diversify the national economy, CEMEACO launched its agribusiness training program for young people in February 2024. The goal: to challenge the outdated image of agriculture and present it as a profitable and well-structured business.

Three training sessions were organized (February, April, and June 2024), each welcoming 30 participants selected based on their motivation and desire to start a business in the agricultural sector. Gender balance was a priority in the selection of applicants.

The methodology adopted was “learning by doing”: sessions alternated between classroom-based theoretical lectures and technical demonstrations at pilot sites. Participants were provided with simplified training manuals and digital tools for financial management simulations.

RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

• Growing interest: Young people in Kinshasa are showing strong interest in the agricultural sector, provided they receive quality training
• Need for support: Technical training alone is not enough—access to startup capital is a critical factor
• Next steps: Incorporating a module on access to land and strengthening partnerships with microcredit institutions

CEMEACO has published its citizen monitoring report documenting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by RDF-M23/AFC coalition troops in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between January and August 2025.

This report is the result of rigorous data collection, analysis, and verification conducted by 55 data collection agents (ARCDs) deployed in the cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as in the territories of Nyiragongo, Masisi, Rutshuru, Lubero, Walikale, Walungu, Kalehe, and Kabare.

The documented incidents include: extrajudicial executions, abductions and acts of persecution, arbitrary arrests and torture, widespread sexual violence (particularly in camps for displaced persons), looting and destruction of educational, health, and administrative infrastructure, and the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

The crisis has also severely disrupted the education sector: many schools have been closed or destroyed, and teachers and students have been displaced, seriously compromising access to education for children and youth in the affected areas.

ADVOCACY ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN

• Publication of an advocacy note for peace addressed to parliamentary, diplomatic, and governmental bodies (February 1, 2025)
• Official support from FICEMEA: message from the President following the Board of Directors meeting on March 7, 2025, in Brussels
• Submission of the report to national authorities and international human rights organizations