Bintou Keita on Peacekeeping, Humanity, and Overcoming Cruelty

The Human Element in Peacekeeping

• 💡 Bintou Keita reflects on her 36 years with the UN, emphasizing that true peace begins with human connection rather than solely relying on power or protocol.
• 🎯 In the DRC, she observed that despite ongoing conflict and the normalization of violence, the will for peace fluctuates among stakeholders, often leading to frustration.
• 🔑 Keita highlights the critical role of peacekeeping missions in protecting civilians, noting that people flee to UN bases as their only hope for safety during crises.

Empowering Communities and Voices

• 💬 Keita stresses the importance of listening to communities, particularly women and young people, to understand their basic needs for peace, safety, and security.
• 🚀 She advocates for empowering individuals to use their own power, such as through elections, to influence political change, rather than solely relying on external actors.
• 🤝 The UN family, including various agencies like UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP, works collaboratively during crises, demonstrating innovation and adaptation to provide essential services and support.

Navigating Crises and Funding Challenges

• ⚠️ The Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone taught Keita the importance of taming fear and respecting cultural grieving rituals, even amidst scientific protocols.
• 💔 She expresses deep heartbreak over unprecedented funding cuts within the UN, which lead to the termination of contracts and impact the organization's ability to serve those in need.
• 🌟 Despite challenges, Keita remains proud of the mission's core mandate of protection of civilians and hopeful for the DRC's future, particularly inspired by the resilience and dreams of its young people and women.

Personal Reflections and Future

• 🧠 Keita's background in a military family led her to peacekeeping, fulfilling a different path than her father's military aspirations but still working with uniformed personnel.
• 💔 What keeps her awake at night is the cruelty she witnesses, questioning why conflicts cannot be resolved through dialogue, reconciliation, and forgiveness, inspired by figures like Mandela and Gandhi.
• ✨ Looking ahead, Keita plans to rest, remain engaged in advocating for women and children, and explore her artistic side through dancing, singing, writing, and painting, believing that true expression comes from the heart.