December 2011 Conference

December 17-18, 2011 Peace Conference - Total, Kenya

Total seminar planning committee: From Left: pastor Mutai, Clement, Langat, Ann, Mwangi, Joyce, Karanja, Gathungu

Beginnings and Planning

The Peace, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation Initiative (PRARI) is reaping from the mustard seed of peace that was sown by Kenya Peace Initiative in June 2011. After the successful launch of the peace initiative conference which was sponsored by Central Baptist Theological Seminary as an educational project on ‘peace and justice making’, KPI formed 15 community based peace forums with the purpose of educating the communities on peace building and reconciliation on a grass roots level. A thorough follow-up was necessary for the sustainability of the proposed educational peace initiative. Three months after the one-week conference, PRARI coordinator, Mr. Wilson Gathungu created a network of peace agents across the greater Molo district for the purpose of sustaining, monitoring and evaluating of the educational peace progress on the ground.

With the support of the 54 peace agents that were trained in Elburgon last June, the first evaluation meeting was held on September 10, 2011 in Molo town in which all 15 community based peace forums were represented. Each group of representatives submitted a progress report from their respective villages. Most of the reports indicated that there has been great enthusiasm in preaching the peace message and that it has being accorded a warm reception by all ethnic groups in the area. If the ethnic diversity represented in the composition of those in the village peace forums are any indication, we can boldly predict and hope that these communities will hold together through the upcoming general election and beyond as ‘one people one nation’, the motto of PRARI.

One representative from Kuresoi, Rev. Metet, could not hide his joy in recalling the mood that defied ethnic groupings at the launching of the Kenya Peace Initiative when the peace agents from all communities constructed two houses for Internally Displaced Persons. This construction exercise showed the beginning of an inner transformation marked by remorsefulness when Kikuyus, Kalenjins, Kissiis and Luyhas came together to build up what had been destroyed in what has come to be known as the post -election-violence ( PEV).

However, what exhibited an even more remarkable trust and cohesion between the communities was the sharing of food that was prepared by the communities after founding a peace garden at Kamwaura Secondary

Group discussion on peace building strategies

School. At this gathering all communities covenanted together, saying ‘never again’ to violence. “I will never forget that event and I would like to see it happen in our day to day interactions” said Rev. Metet as he emphasized the need to continue with the educational peace endeavors.

Mr. Peter Mbae conducting a training session

The meeting resolved to hold an end-year seminar/ convention in one the divisions where tension was still high and where the PEV destruction was devastating. After a thorough assessment, Total Township, which is on the great north highway that connects Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan and Congo, was identified as the venue of the end-year seminar, and a planning committee of ten people was formed to organize the event.

Having the experience of strategic management from the June peace conference, the committee did not waste time in planning the event. They immediately started recruiting seminar participants, identifying the facilities where the seminar will take place and developing effective communication methods to assure that even those in remote areas would receive their

invitation letters in good time. For the purpose of networking and linking all village peace forums, we invited 14 representatives from the village forums that KPI created last year in addition to 35 Kamara residents who were selected from all demographic groups, such as youth, women, church leaders, local administration officials, civil society officials and transport agents (Makanga).

The Conference

Mr. Gathungu highlighting the goals and objectives of PRARI

On December 17, 2011 participants started registering at St. Timothy Catholic Church at 8 am, with the seminar starting at 9 am. The seminar was opened with a word of prayer by Pastor Peter Warui, followed by an introduction of individuals and the goal of the seminar.

Using the same format that Rev. Dr. Daniel Buttry used last June, the first session conducted by Wilson Gathungu took the participants through a peace game simulation that pitted teams against another one. Together the two opposing teams were identified as one economy even if they were individually identified as villages. The goal was to sensitize the participants to the truth that when their opponents lose, the overall outcome affects the whole economy, thereby pulling the 'winning' team down in the hole as well.

We went into groups and together explored and brainstormed possibilities of win-win formulas and concurred that win-win solutions can achieved through dialogue, negotiation and creating mutual trust between the opposing teams. After the lesson, participants identified some attitudes that made them react negatively in the PEV.

ToTs pick peace building resource materials

The next session looked at conflicts from global, village, family and personal perspectives and was conducted by Peter Mbae. The participants admitted that at one time or another they had solved a kind of conflict, be it familial, business, school, church, or with neighbors. After sharing some stories of personal conflict resolutions, we all concurred that we had the capacity to solve conflicts. Because conflict resolution enhances the wellbeing of all, there is a need to be equipped with these tools and knowledge so they can be handed down to future generations so they will not have to experience the post election violence that the current youth have witnessed.

We closed the seminar by reflecting on the Rizpah story in 2 Sam 21: 1-14 in an effort to learn how to break the cycle of violence. This moving story of genocide carried out by Saul against the Gebionites left many wondering about the connections some Biblical stories have to contemporary situations. The nonviolence and bold action of Rizpah is a call for people to stand for their rights by exposing evil in a nonviolent yet powerful way which reclaims one’s humanity. When asked what they thought David would have done had he been told that Benjaminites were coming together with a militia to counter attack his army, most of the conference participants concurred that he would have ordered for a fully fledged annihilation of Gebionites. However, the nonviolent action of a weak widow who stood up to expose evil overwhelmed David’s heart and brought the end of enmity between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

In encouraging PRARI to continue with peace building education, Mr. Mutugi vouched that PRARI is helping the government to achieve its goals of holding a peaceful general elections in 2012. He also praised PRARI's nonpartisan approach in educating the communities from a biblical perspective.

In his speech the coordinator urged the communities to take advantage of the many gifts that they possess for having come from different cultures and urged them to reject anyone who incites them to violence.

In conclusion, we all concurred that an effective peace builder requires self sacrifice, empathy, boldness, resolve, conviction and knowledge along with other virtues such as love, patience, humility, and endurance.

The organization has been getting enormous support from the surrounding communities. “We appreciate the organization’s approach and methodologies in peace building”, said Kamara District Officer, Mr. Douglas Mutugi, who attended thepeace and reconciliation seminar at Total township in Molo which ran on 17th and 18th of December, 2011.

More photos from the December conference can be found in the Photos tab of the website.

Kamara D. O, Mr. Douglas Mutugi addressing the seminar participants