Jan 31, Report 25, David Zarembka

Dear All,

This morning things seemed to be calming down after the
violence from the assassination of Mugabe Were, an opposition
MP, Monday night. But today a second opposition MP, David
arap Too, was assassinated by a Kisii traffic policeman in
Eldoret. The Kisii are perceived to be allied with the Kibaki
side so now there is already great retaliation against the Kisii.
This is clearly politically motivated since now with two deaths,
ODM has lost their majority in the parliament. A second
motive is to wreck the negotiations that Kofi Annan is
facilitating. Will the Kibaki Government stop at nothing to
remain in power???

Through Malesi and Uzima Foundation staff in Kisii (which
is part of Nyanza Province), AGLI is supporting the following
dialogue between the Kisii and Kalenjin (Kipsigis): "Jared,
the Uzima field officer from Nyanza, and his deputy George
had begun the week in high hopes. He had met elders and
administrators from Borabu and Sotik districts. Meetings
were planned for today and tomorrow. Then the Kipsigis
warriors struck in the night killing many Kisiis. Jared ended up
being involved in ferrying the injured and dying to hospital. I
talked with the PC Nyanza because the Sotik DC was being
very uncooperative. Today they have been doing some shuttle
diplomacy. 6 Kisii people died from the clashes and many are
still in hospital. I am so impressed by the way my staff are
insisting on dialogue for the 2 tribes in spite of extreme
provocation. I really thank God for that."

Tomorrow we were planning to go to Kakamega for the first

meeting of the Quaker Emergency Peace Committee. Gladys
was to go on to visit her father for the day. Then we were
going to sleep in Lubao at the Peace Center where on Saturday
all the AVP facilitators were going to meet to discuss the way
forward for AVP in western Kenya. At the moment I doubt
we will be going anywhere tomorrow.

Time for many more prayers for the situation in Kenya!

Peace,
Dave

David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams

Jan 30, What is True? Report 24, David Zarembka

Dear All,

One of the major problems of life here in Kenya at this time is to
know what is true from what is rumor. I formerly reported on
the 30 Kikuyu that were reported to have been thrown into the
Kipkarren River (even though covered by AP, CNN, and Time,
it was not true). Today we got a call from Janet Ifedha (AVP
facilitator from Kakamega) if the Kipkarren River bridge was
being destroyed by youth. It is not--we just went over it.

So the events of yesterday were hard to tell truth from fiction.

We were told that Nandi (Kalenjin group across the road from
us) youth were coming up the road to attack Kikuyu and burn
Kikuyu houses up here in Lumakanda. Police were at the small
bridge coming up the hill to Lumakanda, fired shots at them,
and they fled. I didn't think this was very plausible since they
would not know where the Kikuyu lived or had lived. Then
today we went out for a short trip (5 miles) to Florence
Machayo's house for a meeting of Lugari AVP facilitators. At
the Lumankanda junction, all the signs (except the Jehovah
Witnesses) were destroyed. Two tires had been burned on
the road as we could see where the tarmac was burned and
large potholes beginning to form. So what is the truth?

Then about 2:00 PM yesterday a man was walking by our
house and talking on his cell phone. He said in Swahili, "A Luo
has been killed in Lumakanda." Wow. So Gladys went out to
find out. She was told that some Kikuyu had come to shell
their maize (corn) off the cob and that they were suspected
that they would spend the night and attack the local people.
This is not really feasible as I think it would be certain suicide
on their part. But this is what people might believe. The
violence in this region is frequently enhanced by the concept,
"You are trying to kill me, so I will kill you first." Of course the
other side thinks the same thing so preemptive violence
occurs. A crowd of local youth then collected at the house
and the police disbursed them, killing one.

Then today our electrician told me that the person had been
killed by the police when he was taking some things from his
house and the police mistakenly thought he was a looter.

I am not even certain if someone was killed.

Our electrician also told me that a person was also killed by
the police in Kipkarren River yesterday. When we passed
through Kipkarren River today, the normally very busy
town was almost deserted. Is this evidence that someone
was killed?

Then the violence has reached a member of the family. The
brother of Gladys's brother-in-law was arrested in Chavakali
(near Gladys's home area) for setting vehicles on fire. What
is difficult to understand is that he is not a youth, being
somewhere around 50 years old. I'm certain we will hear
more about this as time goes on.

There were about 12 people from Lugari District at Florence
Machayo's house. They were there to discuss the situation
and what they might do. It was quite interesting to hear the
various people's take on the local violence. Most seem to
think that they knew who the attackers were although they
said that local people were sometimes put in trucks and
taken elsewhere to do the violence and others were trucked
into Lugari area to do the violence here. If this is correct,
this means that there is significant preplanning of the
violence.

In Chekalini, the area where Florence lives, the high school is
now the internally displaced person's camp for about 1000
Luhya who have fled the violence in Nakuru and Naivasha.
Like the Kikuyu IDP's here, they have lost everything. More
are coming all the time as they are being forced out of Central
Province as being non-Kikuyu. So soon we are having another
humanitarian disaster. A man stopped me on the road during
my morning walk through town and said that it was not fair
that the Kikuyu were getting relief and the others were not.
At that time I did not understand since I did not know that so
many internal refugees had showed up in Lugari. Lugari is
the closest Luhya District on the main road through Eldoret
so I suspect that many of these people will stop here.

None of this, of course, is reported by the media since no one
has reporters of any kind in the area. Are those who have
died in Lugari District accounted for in the national total which
is now officially 850? I doubt that many of them are. There are
hundreds and hundreds of little places like Lumakanda, Turbo,
and Kipkarren River. What is the real truth of what is
happening in all these communities?

While Eden Grace and her family have been evacuated from
Kisumu to Nairobi because of the violence in Kisumu, the
media reports that things are becoming calmer. Perhaps this
is true in Nairobi, but my step-son, Douglas, who lives in
Nairobi reported, "Some skirmishes early today. Life seems
not to be usual because most people appear worried about
their security. Leaflets were dropped warning some
communities to get out." Has the media gotten "used" to the
violence and a few people killed in Kisumu and a few more
in Eldoret and some more in Kibera is no longer "news?"
Yesterday definitely was the worst day in Lumakanda
since we returned (we were not here the first four days after
the election results).

So truth, the reality of what actually is happening around you
is difficult to grasp because all those normal markers you have
about your surroundings are suspect. It is so easy to be
"sucked in" by rumors. And yet to understand the dangers
around you, you have to listen to others.

Enjoy the Super Bowl if it hasn't happened yet!!! There you can
watch reality on TV and get instant replay from many angles
on anything dramatic or controversial. Here we live in a state
of unknowing.

Peace,
Dave

David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams

__,_._,___

Jan 29, Report 23, David Zarembka

From: David Zarembka
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 4:28 AM
Subject: AGLI--Report from Kenya--Jan. 29

Dear All,

I am feeling very discouraged.

Over the weekend (which now seems so far in the past) I was at the
Quaker Leadership Peace Conference in Kakamega. If you would
like to see the documents from the conference, please ask Dawn at
dawn@aglionline.org or by reply email.

[Note: you have received the two documents pasted into one of
these emails dated 1/27. If you would like the documents as an
attachment then contact me, Dawn.]

It was an excellent gathering. Almost every yearly meeting and
Quaker organization sent their representative(s). There is no
doubt that Quakers inKenya will now give prominence to the
Peace Testimony in this time of chaos, destruction, and death.
The participants were very concerned about the situation and
serious in their efforts to respond to Kenyans, to Christians, and
to all Quakers. They affirmed that the Quakers needed to be
neutral in the political situation. I was surprised to find that I
was appointed to the Coordinating Committee for current and
long-term actions since Gladys and I played a rather quiet role
during the conference. But AVP is on everyone's lips. Getry
Agizah, the AVP coordinator, was also put on the committee,
along with Hezron Masitsa (AVP coordinator in Nairobi). The
committee is supposed to meet in Kakamega on Friday but
who knows if we will be able to travel.

On the way to the conference those who took the bus
through Nakuru saw the Total gas station on fire. This was
the beginning of major fighting in Nakuru which later spread
to Naivasha and then on Monday to western Kenya. This
morning on the BBC news, I heard the spokesman for the
Kenya Police say that everything is calm now, while the next
report was the BBC reporter in Kisumu talking about all the
tires burning, total lack of movement, roads cut, etc. Is the
Kenyan Government in the same country that I am in?

I was going to report some news from last week when my
laptop crashed. Kaimosi (the major Quaker center in
western Kenya) has been quiet as I have reported before.
It is along the boundary between the Tiriki (a Luhya group)
and the Nandi (a Kalenjin group). But on Wednesday
someone stole a cow; the other group retaliated by burning
some houses, including the kiosks by the road leading into
Kaimosi, and everything got out of control. Six people were
killed and at least 70 houses were burnt. Kaimosi Hospital
was receiving lots of people with cuts from machetes,
arrows stuck in people's bodies, and other injuries from
the violence. There is absolutely no political explanation
for this violence since both of these groups voted
overwhelming for ODM, the opposition party.

Yesterday Gladys told me that one of her relatives was
going to Eldoret to take another relative who had a broken
leg. When they reached Turbo he was forced to show his
ID card (by name, people can tell he is not a Kikuyu). He
put his relative on the side of the road while he was forced
to dig up the road until he got tired. He was then required
to return to Lumakanda with the relative with the broken
leg rather than proceed on to Eldoret.

Only eight people out of 40 showed up at the listening
session in Kisumu yesterday and they were distracted by
the events going on around them. We have cancelled the
workshops for today. Otherwise the Sunset Hotel where
the workshops are taking place and the facilitators are
staying is quite safe and they have not experienced any
violence nearby.

We were supposed to go to Kaimosi tomorrow to talk to the
Friends Theological College students about organizing AVP
workshops in their home churches during the April vacation,
but we have put this off until next week. We have been making
a weekly delivery to the Lumakanda IDP's now living in Turbo,
but I don't see how we can do it this week. Florence Machayo
who lives only about 5 miles from us wants to have a meeting
tomorrow of all the AVP coordinators and others involved in
peace work in Lugari District, but I don't know if Gladys and
I will be able to go even that short distance!

So you can see why I am so discouraged.

Peace,
Dave

David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams

Jan 28, Bad news report from David Zarembka

Dawn, please send out to the AGLI listserve and the AGLI working group. Dave

Dear All,

On Thursday when I was going to send you an update, my laptop completely crashed. Later in the day Gladys and I went to the Quaker Leadership Peace Conference in Kakamega. Getry Agizah (AVP coordinator) has lent me her laptop and so I am back in communication. But I can't respond to the emails I got before Thursday and I don't have any names in my address book. But Dawn sends these reports out and I can remember her email address.

Things are getting really bad. At 8:00 AM this morning, Eden texted me, "I'm hearing that they are already burning and slashing near the stage [bus station] in Kisumu." Five minutes later she texted, "Hearing gun shots now." By 10:00 AM she wrote, "They have closed all the roads and the airport. We are hearing much gun fire." Florence Machayo came by early this morning because we were going to visit one of the more hard-hit villages in Lugari District. When she got here, she said that people were already congregating in Kipkarrer River and she had been told that in Turbo the youth had dug a trench in the road stopping all traffic to and from Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond. Gladys called the leader at the IDP camp in Turbo and he said that the IDP's were fine, but that the road was closed. Later Florence called an told us that the youth in Kipkarren River had cut down a big tree and blocked the road. So we are not going anywhere!!! (Lumakanda is between Turbo and Kipkarren River.) We also heard that a Kikuyu house in Malava was being burned (this is on the way to Kakamega) and that Kakamega is "wild." Getry says that they burned a Kikuyu's house (but were able to rescue the three children in the house) right next to where she had fled, a school in town, and many other buildings.

This is all in response to rising ethnic gang fighting over the weekend, first in Nakuru and then in Naivasha. The paper says 90 people have been killed. This is mostly Kikuyu "revenge," but also included Kikuyu on Kikuyu violence in Naivasha as one gang accuses the other of voting for the wrong political party. The police are reported as just standing by as all this happens as they are unable to control the events. The army has been brought in to Nakuru to control the town. In Lugari I had heard that the army had been deployed in some areas and as soon as I was told this, I was told they were abusing people. They would accuse someone of having a looted bag of maize (corn) and then would take all that person's maize. Nobody knows where the maize goes! The army is not supposed to be involved in internal policing, but clearly as the police have become overwhelmed, the army has been brought in.

Gladys has a good friend, Jacinta, who has started an orphanage and school in Campi ya Moto, a small village near Nakuru. This is in the area where the violence is most extensive. Gladys lived there for four years while working for Jacinta's brother. She therefore knows everyone in the community. Campi ya Moto and all the houses around the orphanage have been destroyed. All the neighbors Gladys knew (and I met on our two visits last year to the orphanage) are gone to "who knows where." The orphanage which normally had 40 children now has 200. It survives only because it is being guarded by the police. They have no water and little food.

There is a glue that holds a society together. It consists of many things--customs, culture, respect for others and their property, laws and their enforcement by the police and courts, etc. The glue in Kenyan society was always weak. There was much on-going violence before the voting--for example, the clashes on Mt Elgon that AGLI had begun working on, another in Molo/Rondai, continued deadly conflicts in the pastoral areas, many violence acts including the common practice of lynching suspected thieves. The police are noted for being very corrupt--I watch them collect bribes from the matatu conductors every time I am in a matatu. The courts are also known as being corrupt. The culture also has a great jealous for any one or any group which seems to be doing better than others.

I am afraid that the little glue that Kenyan society had is disintegrating and that chaos is overtaking normalcy.

Much was made last week when Kofi Annan got Raila and Kibaki to shake hands. While this was a good, positive first step, my feeling now is that the situation is "out-of-control" of everyone. As the Open Letter to Leaders and Citizens of Kenya from the Quaker Leadership Conference I just attended states (I report more on this at another time):

"We invite you to join us in praying for deliverance from evil spirits which are at work in our country, and continue to intercede for Kenya."

Peace,

Dave

Jan 27, Biblical refs for teaching peace, from Conf.

Biblical themes for Peace and Justice

resources for preaching and teaching

Biblical themes

n Jesus’ own teaching, for example in the Sermon on Mount

n The universal love of God, not just for one community.

o John 3:16

o Ephesians 2:13-22

o Galatians 3:26-28

o 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

o Luke 4:24-30

n The prophetic vision of a world of peace and justice for all people

o Isaiah 2:2-5

o Isaiah 65:17-25

o Micah 4:3-5

n Transformation of power from worldly power to Godly power

o Exodus 14:13-14

o Kings 6:8-23

o Kings 7:3-7

o 1 Samuel 26:8-9

o Judges 7:1-24

o Ephesians 6:10-17

o 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

n Redemptive suffering, the mystery of the cross

o Isaiah 53:1-12

o Luke 9:22-27

o Philippians 2:5-11

Pathways to Peace

n Truth

o Be committed to the Truth. John 8:31-32

o Cease fire. Ephesians 4:26-32

o Use non-violent means. Matthew 5:9, 39

o Negotiate in good faith. Matthew 5:8. 37

o Accept mediation. Matthew 18:15-16

n Justice

o Fairness, lack of exploitation. Psalm 12:5

n Peace

o Biblical vision of a society with both truth and justice. Isaiah 65:17-25

o Psalm 85:10-13

Developed by the Kenyan National Quaker Peace Conference, January 2008

Jan 27, Open letter from Conf. to Leaders & People of Kenya

FRIENDS CHURCH IN KENYA REG. NO. 13113

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)

“You are my Friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14) P.O. BOX 465

KAKAMEGA

Our Ref:______________________________

Your Ref: _____________________________

27^th January 2008

OPEN LETTER

To the Leaders and Citizens of Kenya

The Quaker leadership of Kenya gathered together in Sheywe Guest House in Kakamega between 24^th and 27^th January 2008.

The Friends Church in Kenya and Friends around the world are concerned with what has befallen Kenya in the last one month. As a peace church, we are horrified by the continued wanton destruction of human life and property.

Kenyans need to learn that any violent action they take against their neighbours is an act against God’s way. Our actions and thoughts therefore must be rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In our last communiqué to the leaders, we implored upon them to uphold the principles of truth, justice peace, simplicity and humility (Psalms 85:10) and to forgive each other.

We cannot be blind to what is happening to this country and its citizens. During the deliberations and reflections, representatives of the Friends Church realized that the underlying causes of the current conflict have been present since long before the general elections of December 2007. We note in particular: economic injustices, youth disempowerment and frustration, and cleavages of religion, ethnicity, class, gender and age.

To our leaders:

We thank our leaders for starting a process of negotiation, and we believe and trust that they will follow up in earnest with a negotiated settlement. In this context therefore we say to our leaders:

n We do understand your anguish at this time, and we ask you to approach the situation prayerfully. We urge you to relax your “hard line” political demands and dialog more deeply for the benefit of the country, that no segment of Kenyan society emerges as “losers” but we all may “win” in a peaceful society.

n We urge you to reopen schools that have not opened, in order to allow students to continue with their education.

n We urge the leaders and elders of various communities not to incite or manipulate their youths to perpetuate terror among the citizenry, but to encourage and guide them to act responsibly.

n We denounce the instances of excessive force used by the police against the citizens.

To our fellow Kenyans:

n We appreciate the courage and passion that you, our fellow Kenyans, have shown since the beginning of the post-election violence by contributing and supporting the victims of violence, and we urge you all to continue with the same spirit.

n We appeal to you engage in reconciliation among and rehabilitation of displaced people, integrating them back into the places from which they were displaced, not sending them to other parts of the country.

n We remind you that this country and its land belongs to all of us. Let us not destroy it for by doing so, we put our own future generations in jeopardy. We need a negotiated social contract to live together as Kenyans.

n We urge you to resolve problems in a peaceful way, because we know that there is hope for peace in this country.

n We warn you to desist from rumour-mongering which increases hostility and uncertainty, and urge you to use modern means of communication for positive ends.

n We know that those most affected by this conflict and violence are women, children, disabled and the aged. We must address their suffering, and protect and care for them.

n We encourage every Kenyan to look for “that of God” in every person and to treat life as sacred.

n As Kenyans, we urge you to uphold our core national values, practice forgiveness and embrace reconciliation.

To our fellow Christians and other Religious groups:

n As people of faith, we must not engage in violence and revenge because if we do so we betray our faith in God.

n We invite you to join us in praying for deliverance from evil spirits which are at work in our country, and continue to intercede for Kenya.

As a peace church, we are involved in humanitarian, spiritual and social/economic empowerment of our people. We urge everyone to take time to assist his/her neighbour in order to bring normalcy to the affected people, affirming truth, justice, peace and reconciliation in our nation.

Signed,

Jacob Neyole

Presiding Clerk

Jan 27, Kenyan Quaker Peace Conf Action Plan

Kenyan National Quaker Peace Conference

Plan of Action

27 January 2008

Coordinating Committee

The Conference appointed the following Coordinating Committee to implement immediate measures and to put steps in place toward the longer-term actions.

Henry Mukwanja

Henry Apencha

Getry Agizah

Rose Imbega

David Zarembka

Seth Chayugah

Wesley Harun Sasita

Henry Mkutu

Joseph Mamai Makokha

Lydia Bakassa

Chrispinus Sifuna

Hezron Masitsa

Eric Lijodi

ex-officio:

John Muhanji

Eden Grace

Gladys Kangahi

Dorothy Selebwa

Jacob Neyole

Moses Musonga

Sammy Akifuma

Immediate crisis-intervention measures

Political crisis:

Issue a public statement from this Conference

Use the media to publicize messages of peace and reconciliation

Document and disseminate stories of people acting in courageous non-violent ways

Engage in non-violent direct action to stop violence and retaliation in our communities

Humanitarian crisis – internally displaced people:

Shelter, accommodation

Food, water, fuel

Clothing

Medication, first aid, health care

Security and safety

Sanitation

Trauma counseling

Bible distribution

Activities, games

Access to schooling

Inter-communal crisis:

Mediate in situations of acute conflict

Assist in reconciliation between displaced people and those who threatened them

Reintegrate displaced people into the community; rebuild trust between neighbors

Psychological and spiritual crisis:

Crisis-intervention counseling

Train primary school teachers on the effects of trauma on young children

Offer trauma counseling for IDPs

Reach the “disaffected” youth, e.g. boda boda drivers, touts, the unemployed

Scale up AVP to reach as many places as possible

Establish “listening programmes” for people to tell their stories in a safe environment

Preach the gospel of peace, educate our own people on the teachings of our church

Crisis of youth in this country:

Begin a pilot programme for civic and peace education in Quaker schools

Organize youth work camps to help with humanitarian work and rebuilding

Organizational capacity:

Establish a national coordination body for the short-term work

Address need for personnel, including placement of volunteers

Networking and communications

Guarantee integrity and transparency in use of funds, to maintain our good reputation

Possible cluster areas for longer-term work, and potential activities:

Youth Empowerment

Create a fund for youth empowerment

Youth programmes, e.g. volunteer training and action, work camps, vocational training

Seriously examine the involvement of youth in the structures of the Friends Church

Re-engage with our Quaker schools

Peer-mediation and AVP in the schools

Economic Development

Income generating activities

Teach practical business skills, entrepreneurship

Humanitarian Relief

Relief Fund for future disasters

Peace, justice and non-violence – a movement for social transformation toward a culture of peace

Peace Research Institute (at the University)

Peace Radio, other publications

Workshops, mediation, trauma healing, AVP, listening

Restorative justice movement

Peace curriculum through the Ministry of Education

Training for non-violent direct action for social change

Advocacy

Establish an organization which can organize the Friends voice on Public Policy matters

Build the capacity of Friends to be involved in the civic agenda at all levels

Use the model of QUNO “quiet diplomacy”

Spiritual development of the Peace Testimony

Review and improve the content of the membership class curricula

Strengthen the peace and justice programmes at Friends Theological College

Organizational capacity

National Management Committee – develop institutional capacity

Network with other peace organization in Kenya and around the world

Resources

Friends United Meeting and Friends World Committee for Consultation are both active in raising overseas funds for relief and reconstruction. The Conference urges all Kenyans to raise local funds and to deposit them in the account of Friends United Meeting, Barclays Bank, Kisumu Branch #2007332. All money will be used efficiently and effectively, with transparency and integrity.

Jan 26, 2nd day of Kenyan Q. Peace Conference

Seven themes for the Peace Conference

26 January 2008

By Eden Grace

Yesterday, the sixty delegates to the Kenyan National Quaker Peace Conference worked throughout the afternoon and evening in Sections, analyzing in depth and seeking ways in which Kenyan Friends can make an impact in their context. The seven themes that were explored encompass the many facets of Friends ministries in Kenya. As each group reported to the plenary today, Friends heard a powerful call to faithful witness in these days.

1. Peace and non-violence as central to the gospel – or as the group suggested “the Gospel as central to peace and non-violence”. This group looked at the biblical principles of peace, justice, truth and non-violence. They acknowledged that Kenyan Friends have been inadequate in their teaching and preaching, in their formation of their own members and in their public witness. The group articulated the biblical framework for our peace work, and proposed that it be circulated to all Friends pastors as a resource for preaching in the present crisis.

2. Trauma healing and post-conflict ministries. This group analyzed the meaning of trauma, its causes, symptoms, and consequences. The current crisis in Kenya will require both short-term and long-term interventions for trauma healing. Friends are fortunate that there are already “tools” in the Quaker “tool box”, namely the Alternatives to Violence Programme and its various activities. The Conference saw the need for a massive scaling-up of these programmes in order to impact on healing Kenyan society.

3. Humanitarian needs, Internally Displaced People and vulnerable populations. There is a tremendous humanitarian crisis unfolding in Kenya right now. This group collected informal data on numbers of displaced people, and discussed their various physical and psychological needs. It was clear to all Friends present that one of the calls upon the Friends Church is to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of their fellow Kenyans, regardless of political or ethnic affiliation. An essential aspect of resolving the current crisis is to mediate between those who are displaced and those who displaced them, so that people can be reintegrated into multi-ethnic cities and villages. In a longer-term perspective, Friends may want to develop pro-active capacities for addressing both natural and man-made disasters.

4. Ethnic conflict and reconciliation toward a harmonious society. This group discussed the ethnic aspects of the Kenyan political crisis, and acknowledged that it is a complex matter. Contributing factors include unjust land distribution practices, unequal development throughout the country, corruption of some leaders, excessive concentration of power, various cultural practices, and attitudes of prejudice. The group also noted that the Friends Church has traditionally had an ethnic identity, as a church for one community only. The Conference felt very strongly that our church must move beyond this exclusive identity, to see itself as a church for all people.

5. Preaching and evangelism in the present context. This group recognized that the work of preaching is essential in this time, to proclaim the message of Christ as the One who can bring change, who can bring healing, hope and peace. Where there are hopeless, hungry and angry people, the practical gospel of Christ can address their needs. Our church has not been active enough in this kind of holistic outreach.

6. The mission of our institutions of education and healthcare. The Friends Church is well known for its centers of excellence in education and healthcare, although the Conference recognized that in recent years, internal politics in the church have weakened our commitment to schools and hospitals. Considering that young people are particularly involved in the current violence, there is an urgent need to strengthen peace education in our schools.

7. Global partnership and the role of our international/ecumenical partners. This group discussed the linkages between Kenyan Friends and the global Quaker community, and also made proposals for how the many ideas from this conference could be organized and coordinated at a national level in Kenya.

Two important facets of the current Kenyan crisis were not specifically listed in the group topics, namely economic injustice/disparities of wealth and poverty, and youth disaffection/hopelessness, but they were raised by every group in their reports. Conference participants have recognized that these two factors are largely responsible for the incredible explosion of anger witnessed in Kenya since the election. In discerning long-term action toward a culture of peace in Kenya, these will inevitably form two crucial areas of focus for the work.

The Conference will spend the rest of its time together collating and organizing the recommendations of the Sections, in order to develop a coherent strategy and coordinated action plan for both the immediate and long-term witness of Kenyan Friends.

Jan 24, Kenyan National Q. Peace Conf. - day 1

Good morning,
This and the next message are in very Christian language as suits
the Kenyan Friends. I am ready to learn from their struggles
with all that the message of Jesus means in a time of violence.
Nancy

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: Eden Grace <graces@fum.org>
Subject: article on the Conference so far
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:53:28 +0000
> Dear Friends,
>
> Attached is an article on the events of the peace conference
so far, namely the two keynote addresses. Please circulate as
appropriate. I will follow up with other articles as the
conference progresses.
>
> Blessings,
> Eden
>
>
> Eden Grace, Field Officer
> Friends United Meeting/Africa Ministries
> PO Box 478 Kisumu 40100 Kenya
> phone: +254 735 479174
> email: graces@fum.org

Mary Lord and Oliver Kisaka address Kenyan National
Quaker Peace Conference

25 January 2008
By Eden Grace

Approximately sixty Friends from all Quaker organizations
and Yearly Meetings in Kenya gathered in Kakamega yesterday
for a three-day conference to focus on responses to the social
and political crisis currently unfolding in Kenya.

The opening session was devoted to listening to personal
stories of how the violence has touched conference participants,
and to praying together. Recognizing that Kenyan society is on
the brink of chaos, it was movingly stated by one participant --
“We are praying that this cup may pass us by, may pass Kenya
by. Yet even Jesus bore the cup and went to the cross, but in a
way that broke the cycle of violence and transformed all creation.”
Another Friend reminded the conference of II Corinthians 4:8-10
-- “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck
down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death
of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our
bodies.”

The Conference heard inspiring and informative keynote
messages from Mary Lord, recently-retired Assistant General
Secretary for Peace and Conflict Resolution at American Friends
Service Committee, and Oliver Kisaka, Deputy General Secretary
of the National Council of Churches of Kenya.

Mary Lord spoke about the Biblical Basis and Practical
Application of the Friends Peace Testimony. She emphasized
that the Peace Testimony arises from the direct experience of God
in each person’s life, as an expression of faith rather than as a rule
to follow. Early Friends considered that Jesus meant what he said
in the Sermon on the Mount. Mary reflected on her early years
among Friends, when she felt that the ethic of the Sermon on the
Mount was unrealistic and not likely to result in successful movements
for social change. She eventually realized that she had been assuming
that she herself understood human nature better than Jesus did, and
was able to embrace the teachings of Jesus as a matter of faith. She
decided that “Jesus wouldn’t have told us to live in a way that wasn’t
possible.”

Implied in the affirmation of Peace as a matter of faith, is the
realization that it is not by our own power or knowledge that we
make peace. It is the power of the love of God, of Jesus, of the Holy
Spirit. Mary stated that if we do not begin from faith, our peace
work will not be effective. If we do begin from a life-changing faith,
then we have no other option but to be peace-makers.

In living this Testimony over more than 300 years, Mary said
that Friends have become “researchers” of peace, experimenting
and finding effective ways to witness in various contexts. She then
gave several examples of ways Friends have given expression to
the Peace Testimony.

During the 20th century wars in Europe, Friends provided
humanitarian relief to victims on all sides of the conflicts – a move
which was highly controversial at the time. Mary remarked on the
fact that the Friends most directly involved in this work felt that
their efforts were inadequate, and struggled with fatigue and
despair, but that the world community recognized their work by
awarding them the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948. Their seemingly-
inadequate effort became a beacon to others about the way to
make peace.

Mary mentioned instances in which Friends have served as
mediators and negotiators. She shared how Friends have
established safe-havens for dialogue in the midst of violent
contexts, and have offered leadership to various movements
for social justice. Friends have increasingly been taking the
role of supporting and training, and of lifting up voices and
truths which need to be heard in the public discourse. Mary
closed by remarking that, although we often despair that we
are not making a difference, the reality is that the world is a
more peaceful place because of the work of Friends.

In the discussion which followed, Friends used Mary’s
historical examples as a way of approaching the current
crisis in Kenya. Participants spoke of reaching out to the
youth, offering meaningful activities to counteract the
temptation to violence. They spoke of reintegration of
displaced people, and of creating centers for dialogue
without fear. They urged Friends to take action “on the
ground” and to persist in prayer that the power of Jesus
may overcome the “demons” of violence in Kenya right now.

In his message, Oliver Kisaka gave an analysis of the post-
election disturbances and their root causes, and helped to
put them in a Christian perspective. He started by recalling
Romans 8:28 -- “We know that all things work together for
good, for those who love God, who are called according to
his purpose” -- and challenged us to believe that this is true,
that now is an opportunity for God to do a powerful work for
the good of Kenya.

Oliver spoke movingly about the breakdown in the electoral
process and the seeming betrayal by the Electoral Commission
of the trust placed in them by Kenyans. According to both
domestic and international observer bodies, the voting itself,
and the initial counting at the constituency level, were conducted
according to the highest democratic ideals. However, the process
then broke down such that the country is left in a situation in which
there is no public confidence in the legitimacy of the government.
After working for years on civic education, and seeing the positive
results of such efforts, Oliver felt deeply disappointed by the
performance of the Electoral Commission. He also reflected that
many young people who engaged in the election with enthusiasm,
now feel bitter and disillusioned.

Oliver remarked that, at a deeper level, Kenyans do not have a
healthy relationship to their political institutions and personalities,
and that this is reflected in a flawed Constitution and a “winner
takes all” mentality toward governance. He felt that many Kenyans
went to the polls looking for a “saviour” rather than a president.
Kenyans put all their hopes and aspirations into one political figure,
and began to believe that life would not be tolerable if that leader
were deprived of victory. The rhetoric of the campaign period was
so exaggerated, it would have been impossible for any government
to fulfill the expectations of the people.

Oliver noted that the heightened aspirations of the people were
further manipulated during the campaign period when candidates
encouraged voters to believe that they are poor because someone
else is rich, that they are disenfranchised because someone else
has consolidated power in their own community. The reality is that
the gap between wealth and poverty exists in every community,
and the benefits of power always accrue to the powerful themselves,
not to the average citizen. In this way, the political elites of Kenya
have seriously abused and manipulated voters, and created the
situation which is upon us now.

Oliver went on to address other causes of the current crisis,
besides the specifics of the election itself. He noted particular
historical injustices which have not been resolved and which
contribute to the situation today. For instance, the distribution
of settler-owned land at the time of independence created deep
resentment on the part of some communities. The unequal
investment of development resources throughout the country
has led to a feeling that the home region of the president will receive preferential treatment. Oliver remarked most powerfully that class
issues play a large role in the current anger in the country.

From a Christian perspective, Oliver stated that the spiritual life of
Kenyans is too compartmentalized, too divorced from economic
and civic engagement. He praised Friends for gathering in this
conference to ask what is our responsibility, and encouraged us
that “the Quaker light should shine!” He reflected that Friends
have strengths to offer at this time. Our Testimonies are a strength
to guide us. We have strong capacities in non-violence training,
and we should broaden these to look also at training for business
and entrepreneurial participation. Finally, he challenged Friends
to engage in advocacy on behalf of those who are suffering and
oppressed.

Oliver concluded his message by remarking on the deep cleavages
in Kenyan society which underlie the current crisis – cleavages of
religion, ethnicity, class, gender and age. These divisions threaten
the unity and peace of Kenya, and directly contradict the Christian
ethic of love of neighbor. He remarked that if you put your hope in
anything less than God, you are going to differ with other human
beings. “People will kill people over something like football teams,
if that’s where they focus their attention. We will be divided as long
as we focus our eyes on men rather than God. To stay in unity with
other people, we must look to the God who created us all, rather
than the differences between us.”

“None of our leaders and politicians are saviours. We have one
Saviour, Jesus Christ. If this is true, we will forgive each other
unconditionally. If Christ is Lord, then the things he taught are
practical -- we can turn the other cheek, forgive, and love our
enemies. These are not suggestions, they are requirements. In all
things, God works together for good, even if we don’t see and
understand it. If we have faith in God, there is no alternative.”

Having heard these two inspiring speakers, the conference
participants broke into seven working groups. The conference
will conclude on Sunday 27th January.

__,_._,___

Jan 21, Emergency Relief Fund

From: the Board of Friends of Kakamega

Dear friends,

Greetings and thank you for your all prayers and encouragement over these past troubled weeks. We just spoke with Dorothy Saturday morning and she says that having us all behind her has been keeping her strong at this time. Like everyone else in Kenya her life has been turned upside down by the political crisis and violence. She says she never expected that Kenyans could do this to one another.

EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

The Friends of Kakamega Board has decided that we would like to help in the effort to assist the tens of thousands of people who have had to run to refugee centers for safety, like those holed up in the police compound in Kakamega town.

Friends of Kakamega is creating an Emergency Relief Fund for this purpose. We are beginning this by immediately sending $3000 that a donor has released for us to help people in the refugee centers. ?Many of you have asked how you might help. And so we are making it possible for you to send money to Friends of Kakamega specifically for the purpose of emergency relief; ?the funds will go to the Friends United Meeting (FUM) Quaker office in Kisumu where they will oversee the distribution of aid.

Dorothy has already had success in bringing blankets and mattresses to the refugee centre in Kakamega Town. She has also gone to the Lugari refugee centre which has swelled to 18,000 people!

Lugari is northeast of Kakamega, near Eldoret where the church was burned with people in it. Kalinjin tribal men have been attacking Luhya (Dorothy's tribe) as well as Luo (Odinga's tribe) and Kikuyu people (Kibaki's tribe). There have been terrible massacres around there. Dorothy and her husband Evans brought blankets, food, soap and medicines. She says blankets are still available for purchase. And some food stuffs are becoming available (grains, not vegetables) but the price has doubled and tripled. She says the people at Lugari need so much prayer and encouragement as they despair of how they will ever put their lives back together with nothing to start over with. And they fear the violence and retributions will not end.

United Society of Friends Women (USFW)

As you know, the Kakamega Orphan Project and Care Centre is run by Quaker (Friends) Women. The USFW is a highly organized and decentralized organization run by women with an excellent reputation for their honesty and ethic of trying to do God's work. It is the USFW women who will purchase the blankets/food, etc and distribute the aid to refugee centres. One-third of the money we send over will be for refugee centers in and near Kakamega; two-thirds will be used by USFW groups in other parts of Kenya that are in desperate need. All will be carefully overseen by the FUM Quaker office in Kisumu . The Kenyan and American staff working at that office will have fiscal responsibility for funds coming in.

A shop burned out in Kakamega, down the street from the bank.

Later this week a conference for all the Kenyan Quaker groups in westernKenya will be held in Kakamega to consider what their political and humanitarianresponse to the crisis should be and how they can work best together. This is a timefor them to really lead with the Friends Peace Testimony and find ways to carry that Testimony out.

A Kikuyu owned maize mill and shop in Kakamega.

Please help them bring a little relief and hope. ? You can send money to:

Friends of Kakamega

51 Hunter Road

Freeport, ME ?04032

All donations are fully tax-deductible. ? No administrative overhead costs will

be taken from the donations.

We thank you for whatever help you can give. It will be sent over immediately. We are happy to answer any questions you might have about this. I'm also happy to send you a more detailed information/understanding of the situation.I just don't want to flood everyone with more emails than I've already been sending.

Please continue to hold the Kenyan people in the Light, that there may bea political settlement that begins to unfold and that there be a reduction inthe extreme levels of inequity, corruption, frustration and violence.

Thank you for being our friends,

The Board of Friends of Kakamega?

Jan 24, events in Kaimosi, Teresa Johna

From Friend's Theological college Kaimosi, Kenya
-
------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: TERESA JOHNS <teresajohns@verizon.net>
To: richmond-newsletter@lists.fum.org
Subject: [Richmond Newsletter] January 24 Newsletter from Ben and Jody
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:50:09 +0000
> Thursday, 24 January, 2008
> Friends Theological College
> Kaimosi, Kenya
> Dear Friends,
> Since our last newsletter, a lot has happened, so we are writing again to update
> you and to ask you to redouble your prayers for Friends in Kenya.
> FTC opened this week (as you will remember, we delayed opening for a week due in
> hope that the situation would normalize). Today, about half of our students are
> back on campus.
> We last wrote that Kaimosi remained an island of peace. Shortly after sending
> out that newsletter, clashes began in our area. Houses have been burned just
> the other side of Cheptulu, our nearby market. Quite a few have been injured
> with arrow and panga (long, sword-like knives) wounds, and are being treated at
> the Kaimosi hospital just down our road. Some of the kiosks at the junction
> were burned the other night. (Those of you who know Alex, will be glad to know
> that his kiosk is okay.) Two people have been killed in the area: one, the
> uncle of a recent graduate. One of our groundsmen is “sleeping out” meaning
> that he and his wife are sleeping in the forest because homes near their home
> have been burned. Other staff members are caring for relatives who have had to
> leave their homes.
> We should reassure you that the college and the mission compound in general have
> remained safe. Last night, according to reports, things were calm in our area.
> Perhaps, this is a good reaction to the Kofi Annan mediation efforts, and the
> response of the opposition leadership which called off plans for mass
> demonstrations today.
> Tuesday was scheduled to be our first day of classes. Instead, the faculty
> decided to cancel classes and devote the day to sharing our stories and praying
> for one another and the general situation. Those students who had been able to
> travel to the college, together with faculty and staff, gathered in the Dining
> Hall, and for three hours recounted the impact of the clashes in personal
> stories. Some had experienced terrifying moments at roadblocks. Others told of
> neighbor’s houses burned, or people killed. Several pastors recounted how they
> had given refuge to members of targeted tribes. Others recounted how family
> members had had to flee from their homes in the face of threats. One mentioned
> that gunshots in his vicinity became so common that they almost began to seem
> normal. Others reported that calm prevailed in their areas, but all were
> affected by seeing “a Kenya they had never seen before in their lives.”
> Jody led that session, with Pamela Igesa, the College chaplain. Ben preached
> from Luke 4 and Isaiah 61 about the healing power of the spirit and contrasted
> the heresy of a “gospel” that pretends God’s love is only for “our community”
> with Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom of God that embraces all communities. One
> member of our staff shared an incident of this lived out, when a vehicle
> carrying refugees from violence-torn areas came through his village in the first
> few days after troubles began. He was amazed and touched to witness a number of
> market vendors gave food to them freely, never asking for any money. We’ll
> remember the image of street vendors tossing avocados into a truck full of their
> hungry “enemies”!
> Ben preached again the next morning, at our regular daily worship, carrying
> forward the story in the Gospel of Luke to the sermon on the plain in chapter 6.
> He drew on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1957 sermon on loving your enemies, in
> which he said, “So this morning, as I look into your eyes, and into the eyes of
> all of my brothers in Alabama and all over America and over the world, I say to
> you, ‘I love you. I would rather die than hate you.’” Later in the day, we held
> a convocation at which Mary Lord, a Friend from Baltimore Yearly Meeting with
> vast experience in peacemaking work, spoke. She rooted the Friends’ peace
> testimony in our experience of the power and love of God, and Jesus’ Sermon on
> the Mount. She then recounted stories to illustrate many ways in which Quakers
> have lived out the peace witness to demonstrate what a vast toolbox is available
> to peacemakers. In the question and answer period, one of the teachers asked
> Mary to
> talk about the biggest obstacles she has faced and overcome. Mary responded
> from her own experience the need to forgive violence she experienced as a child;
> and then told about how God had, unknown to her, used a conference she had
> organized in the 1980s about the effects of nuclear weapons, to impact Ronald
> Reagan and start the beginning of Reagan’s pulling back from nuclear
> brinksmanship. Today, Mary spoke to Jody’s class on Peace and Conflict
> Transformation about the cycle of violence. Students and faculty have been
> deeply engaged.
> In Quaker Theology, we have modified the syllabus to begin from an experiential
> basis to ask what theological questions rise out of our experience. Ben and
> Jody have invited the students to think over the last weeks and ask what mental
> images come to mind, and then share why they are important. Some of the images:
> “people being slashed in nearby homestead; young kids, displaced from their
> homes in Eldoret walking by my place to find refuge; people burning down houses
> and looting; members of parliament on TV pouring out their anger, seeking power;
> a young child in the hospital with an arrow sticking in him; a member of the
> church, home from Mombasa, asking for prayer because he was being sacked from
> his work in a hotel, and facing an unknown future; women being fallen on by
> soldiers, and young men and even old men (“wazee”) and being raped.” One image
> was of “a man being slaughtered, the way one would slaughter a hen.”
> Even if the Annan peace efforts succeed today, and peace returns to the land,
> and all the hundreds of thousands of displaced were able to go back to their
> homes (many of which are, of course, burned), there would still be a tremendous
> need for trauma healing. There is fear, distrust, and deep uncertainty because
> people who seemed to be friends so easily became enemies. What theological
> questions does all this raise?
> This is a testing time for the church in Kenya. Will we be able to be bearers
> of Good News that is deep enough to bring healing and hope to those who have
> been traumatized, and reconciliation to those who have experienced the reality
> of enmity? Will you pray for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
> In the midst of these extraordinary circumstances, normal life also continues.
> We are making progress on the design of a new administration building, and
> wrapping up final details on the new Meetinghouse. To continue to pursue
> “normalcy” is a part of living the Kingdom of God in these times—proclaiming
> hope that God plans for a good future for Kenya.
> Thank you for your prayers, and support.
> Jody and Ben Richmond

__._,_.___

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