( I just checked on the 5-minute short of the film reviewed below - see par 1 - and it is no longer available. Mary)
From: David Zarembka
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 4:30 AM
Subject: Fw: AGLI--Report from Kenya, May 6
Dear All,
Patrick Mureithi, a film-maker from Springfield, MO, has made a film called "Icyizere-Hope" about a Healing and Rebuilding Our Community (HROC) workshop in Gisenyi, Rwanda last August. If you look at the AGLI webpage (www.aglionline.org), you can view a five-minute short by clicking on the presentation on the upper-right of the home page.
Patrick has a draft of his film which he showed in Rwanda during the commemoration of the genocide. Here is Theoneste's report:
"Icyizere-Hope: During this time of remembering the victims of the 1994 genocide the film Icyizere has been shown in different cinema centers and many times on Rwandan television. The film chronicles a HROC workshop in Rwanda. It was shot last July and August by Patrick Mureithi of Springfield, MO. The film, which is based on Rwandan culture and focuses on the inner power of healing and peacebuilding of Rwandans, has helped people to believe that there is hope, that Rwanda can become again a peaceful society where there is no hatred, fear, and mistrust between Rwandans. Even though the film is not yet entirely completed, Icyizere will be a very important tool for HROC; we will be using it to achieve our goals of healing and reconciliation in Rwanda and other countries that have had similar experiences."
As you might have guessed from his name, Patrick was born in Kenya. After his recent trip to Rwanda, he came to Kenya for a few days to visit his relatives. While here he was interviewed by the Sunday Nation, the largest paper in Kenya, for their Lifestyle insert in the Sunday edition. Patrick just called me about this. He says that the articles will talk extensively about HROC, AGLI, and the fact that we are bringing the program to western Kenya.
You will be able to read the article online by going to www.nationmedia.com on Sunday and clicking on the left where it says "Daily Magazine." (This would have been Sunday, May 11. Mary)
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
May 20, Rpt 49,
From: David Zarembka
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:51 AM
Dear All,
Yesterday for the first time since January I met the Red Cross official responsible for Lumakanda on the street here. Later I saw two Red Cross Land Rovers and then a UN vehicle racing through town. (Why are they racing through town stirring up so much dust?) I speculate that there was a meeting at the government offices of Lugari District to plan the return of the internally displaced people at Turbo to their home communities! We will see.
How is the reconciliation work going?
Yesterday, Monday, Gladys and I went to the Turbo IDP camp to settle up matters with a meeting that the Friends Church Peace Team (FCPT) had on Saturday. It was to be a Bible study meeting arranged by the 32 pastors at the camp. Before we took the food last week we were told that there would be 60 people. When we took the food, we were told that there would be 102. So we left them with funds to buy more soda and the Red Cross said that they would provide more rice. At the actual meeting on Saturday there were 170 people! The pastors themselves collected sufficient funds to buy sodas for the extra, extra people. The presentation started about 11:00 AM and went to 4:00 PM and people still wanted to continue but the presenters had to leave for home. People did not want to break for lunch. There was rapt attention as no one left. This was the first time that something like this had been done in the Turbo IDP camp since it began in January. It is amazing how such a simple thing could be so effective.
The presenters were three women, Rose Imbega, Lydia Bokassa, and Jodi Richmond and one man, Joshua Lilande. Margaret Fell, Mary Dyer, Elizabeth Frye and all the other Quaker women ride again. At our meeting yesterday, one of the pastors commented that they didn't know that women could speak so well about the Bible and its issues. Most churches in Kenya are male-dominated and many do not allow women pastors.
Last week we had two AVP workshops here in Lugari District. One was for youth from the Turbo IDP camp. Here the interesting point was one person who had fled the violence on Mt Elgon coming to Lugari District and then had to flee again during the post-election violence. There was also a workshop here in Lumakanda. One of the participants was a 27 year old Kikuyu man who had rented a room in town, but his parents were still in the IDP camp. His shop and house had been destroyed during the violence. His wife of six months had been a Luhya and they separated during the violence. This is very common; the stress of the violence destroyed many mixed ethnic marriages and their families.
Next week we will be doing two advanced AVP workshops at Lumakanda Friends Church. For each workshop we will bring ten Kikuyu youth from the IDP camp and ten Luhya youth from the community. This will be the first workshop where we will be bringing the two sides of the Kenyan conflict together as we do in Rwanda and Burundi. I think this will work out fine.
Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Gladys and I were at the Quaker Peace Network--East Africa (QPN-EA) meeting held at the Friends Peace Centre -- Lubao. This consisted of mostly Kenyans with two Tanzanians, and four people from Uganda (including Barbara Wybar, AGLI representative currently at Bududa). The most interesting point I learned was that a high percentage of the youth in Nairobi who participated in the violence and were killed by the police were Luhya. Also in certain parts of Lugari District it was the Luhya youth who did all the damage. In western Kenya there was a tendency to think that it was the other groups -- Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, etc--who were the more violent ones. Is it a natural tendency to think that "others" are more violent than your own group? We shared our activities and those from Kenya discussed how we could work together in our peacemaking and reconciliation activities.
It is the Friends Church Peace Team which has been most active here. On Thursday thirteen of the FCPT counselors held a listening session at the Turbo District office in Uasin Gisu District. This is on the Nandi (a Kalenjin group) side of the road from Lugari, which is mostly Luhya. Many government officials, local politicians, church leaders, community elders, etc., participated.
At first they were suspicious of the mostly Luhya group that they were meeting with, but in time they began to open up. They mostly complained about the Kikuyu -- some of it true, some false, some stereotyping, some bitterness, and some excuses for the violence. They were not very happy to have them back unless the Kikuyu were willing to fit into and accept their Nandi culture. There was little of that "live and let live" concept needed for diverse people to co-exist peacefully. By the end of the meeting, the decision was for the FCPT counselors to visit seven Nandi communities to meet the people at the village level. On Sunday we had a debriefing/organizing meeting at the Peace Centre and for seven weekdays, between Monday (yesterday) and Tuesday (next week), four or five person teams will visit the seven villages for grassroots listening sessions. I was most surprised to learn that in three of these villages, in the interior of the district, people may not know Swahili! We have one women counselor who is a Nandi (married to a Luhya) and knows the language of the Nandi. So she will go to the three interior meetings to translate if needed. Note that if a person does not know Swahili (or English) he or she cannot talk to a Nandi or Luhya without a translator.
On Friday of last week, FCPT had a listening session on the Lugari (Luhya) side at the boundary. Again the team of nineteen heard many accusations against the Kikuyu. The result from this meeting is that next week, on Thursday, the FPCT listening team will go to Mbagara, the place with the greatest violence in Lugari District, for a listening session with the community. In this case the whole team will go and hopefully the crowd will divide up into smaller groups as we did at the Turbo IDP camp. The next day, May 30, there will be an ecumenical healing service open to everyone. People from the Turbo side will come. Gladys and I talked to the pastors at the IDP camp and they plan on coming. This is what real Christianity is all about!
Unfortunately, and as much as I would like to, I have not and will not attend any of these gatherings except the ecumenical service. As an Mzungu (white person) I would be a distraction from the issues at hand. My presence might give rise to added suspicion.
At the QPN-EA meeting, Eden Grace of FUM commented that this was the most exciting thing that Quakers were doing in the world! Do you agree? Or are there wonderful other things going on around the Quaker world that are just as exciting? We are just a group of ordinary concerned Quakers trying to bring about healing and reconciliation. What is most interesting is that we don't really know what we are doing as we move forward step by step as "the way opens." We trust that God will lead us and give us the right words to use. We had to become accustomed to using the neutral words "returning community" for the Kikuyu from the IDP camps and "receiving community" for the Nandi and Luhya whom we used to call "aggressors."
Today, back at Lubao, Malesi Kinaro, Getry Agizah, and Joseph Shamala are conducting a basic Healing and Rebuilding Our Community (HROC) workshop for people from diverse communities (including the Turbo IDP camp). Next week the two-week long Healing Companion training, which had been postponed in January, will start. We will be bringing Adrien Niyongabo from Burundi, Theoneste Bizimana and Chrisostome Nshimiyimana from Rwanda, and Zawadi Nikuze from North Kivu, Congo to lead the training. We hope to have ten people from the Mt Elgon conflict, who formerly participated in the HROC basic workshop, and also the best candidates from the present training.
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:51 AM
Dear All,
Yesterday for the first time since January I met the Red Cross official responsible for Lumakanda on the street here. Later I saw two Red Cross Land Rovers and then a UN vehicle racing through town. (Why are they racing through town stirring up so much dust?) I speculate that there was a meeting at the government offices of Lugari District to plan the return of the internally displaced people at Turbo to their home communities! We will see.
How is the reconciliation work going?
Yesterday, Monday, Gladys and I went to the Turbo IDP camp to settle up matters with a meeting that the Friends Church Peace Team (FCPT) had on Saturday. It was to be a Bible study meeting arranged by the 32 pastors at the camp. Before we took the food last week we were told that there would be 60 people. When we took the food, we were told that there would be 102. So we left them with funds to buy more soda and the Red Cross said that they would provide more rice. At the actual meeting on Saturday there were 170 people! The pastors themselves collected sufficient funds to buy sodas for the extra, extra people. The presentation started about 11:00 AM and went to 4:00 PM and people still wanted to continue but the presenters had to leave for home. People did not want to break for lunch. There was rapt attention as no one left. This was the first time that something like this had been done in the Turbo IDP camp since it began in January. It is amazing how such a simple thing could be so effective.
The presenters were three women, Rose Imbega, Lydia Bokassa, and Jodi Richmond and one man, Joshua Lilande. Margaret Fell, Mary Dyer, Elizabeth Frye and all the other Quaker women ride again. At our meeting yesterday, one of the pastors commented that they didn't know that women could speak so well about the Bible and its issues. Most churches in Kenya are male-dominated and many do not allow women pastors.
Last week we had two AVP workshops here in Lugari District. One was for youth from the Turbo IDP camp. Here the interesting point was one person who had fled the violence on Mt Elgon coming to Lugari District and then had to flee again during the post-election violence. There was also a workshop here in Lumakanda. One of the participants was a 27 year old Kikuyu man who had rented a room in town, but his parents were still in the IDP camp. His shop and house had been destroyed during the violence. His wife of six months had been a Luhya and they separated during the violence. This is very common; the stress of the violence destroyed many mixed ethnic marriages and their families.
Next week we will be doing two advanced AVP workshops at Lumakanda Friends Church. For each workshop we will bring ten Kikuyu youth from the IDP camp and ten Luhya youth from the community. This will be the first workshop where we will be bringing the two sides of the Kenyan conflict together as we do in Rwanda and Burundi. I think this will work out fine.
Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Gladys and I were at the Quaker Peace Network--East Africa (QPN-EA) meeting held at the Friends Peace Centre -- Lubao. This consisted of mostly Kenyans with two Tanzanians, and four people from Uganda (including Barbara Wybar, AGLI representative currently at Bududa). The most interesting point I learned was that a high percentage of the youth in Nairobi who participated in the violence and were killed by the police were Luhya. Also in certain parts of Lugari District it was the Luhya youth who did all the damage. In western Kenya there was a tendency to think that it was the other groups -- Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, etc--who were the more violent ones. Is it a natural tendency to think that "others" are more violent than your own group? We shared our activities and those from Kenya discussed how we could work together in our peacemaking and reconciliation activities.
It is the Friends Church Peace Team which has been most active here. On Thursday thirteen of the FCPT counselors held a listening session at the Turbo District office in Uasin Gisu District. This is on the Nandi (a Kalenjin group) side of the road from Lugari, which is mostly Luhya. Many government officials, local politicians, church leaders, community elders, etc., participated.
At first they were suspicious of the mostly Luhya group that they were meeting with, but in time they began to open up. They mostly complained about the Kikuyu -- some of it true, some false, some stereotyping, some bitterness, and some excuses for the violence. They were not very happy to have them back unless the Kikuyu were willing to fit into and accept their Nandi culture. There was little of that "live and let live" concept needed for diverse people to co-exist peacefully. By the end of the meeting, the decision was for the FCPT counselors to visit seven Nandi communities to meet the people at the village level. On Sunday we had a debriefing/organizing meeting at the Peace Centre and for seven weekdays, between Monday (yesterday) and Tuesday (next week), four or five person teams will visit the seven villages for grassroots listening sessions. I was most surprised to learn that in three of these villages, in the interior of the district, people may not know Swahili! We have one women counselor who is a Nandi (married to a Luhya) and knows the language of the Nandi. So she will go to the three interior meetings to translate if needed. Note that if a person does not know Swahili (or English) he or she cannot talk to a Nandi or Luhya without a translator.
On Friday of last week, FCPT had a listening session on the Lugari (Luhya) side at the boundary. Again the team of nineteen heard many accusations against the Kikuyu. The result from this meeting is that next week, on Thursday, the FPCT listening team will go to Mbagara, the place with the greatest violence in Lugari District, for a listening session with the community. In this case the whole team will go and hopefully the crowd will divide up into smaller groups as we did at the Turbo IDP camp. The next day, May 30, there will be an ecumenical healing service open to everyone. People from the Turbo side will come. Gladys and I talked to the pastors at the IDP camp and they plan on coming. This is what real Christianity is all about!
Unfortunately, and as much as I would like to, I have not and will not attend any of these gatherings except the ecumenical service. As an Mzungu (white person) I would be a distraction from the issues at hand. My presence might give rise to added suspicion.
At the QPN-EA meeting, Eden Grace of FUM commented that this was the most exciting thing that Quakers were doing in the world! Do you agree? Or are there wonderful other things going on around the Quaker world that are just as exciting? We are just a group of ordinary concerned Quakers trying to bring about healing and reconciliation. What is most interesting is that we don't really know what we are doing as we move forward step by step as "the way opens." We trust that God will lead us and give us the right words to use. We had to become accustomed to using the neutral words "returning community" for the Kikuyu from the IDP camps and "receiving community" for the Nandi and Luhya whom we used to call "aggressors."
Today, back at Lubao, Malesi Kinaro, Getry Agizah, and Joseph Shamala are conducting a basic Healing and Rebuilding Our Community (HROC) workshop for people from diverse communities (including the Turbo IDP camp). Next week the two-week long Healing Companion training, which had been postponed in January, will start. We will be bringing Adrien Niyongabo from Burundi, Theoneste Bizimana and Chrisostome Nshimiyimana from Rwanda, and Zawadi Nikuze from North Kivu, Congo to lead the training. We hope to have ten people from the Mt Elgon conflict, who formerly participated in the HROC basic workshop, and also the best candidates from the present training.
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
May 14, Rpt 48,
From: David Zarembka
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:06 AM
Dear All,
Outside of our house is a small plot of corn (maize) that our neighbor has planted. It is a luscious green, about 18 inches high, and growing like wildfire. The owner planted this corn around April 1. As we drive around the countryside, those who planted their fields about that time, likewise
have lush green fields. But many others planted much later -- some are still planting. In these fields the corn is just breaking through or only six inches high. When I used to be in agricultural development, one of the rules we tried to teach farmers was "early planting" -- as soon as the rains came. I am afraid that those who planted late will have a poor crop. Then as we drive toward Eldoret, where there are large farms growing corn, many fields have not even been plowed let alone planted. Normally Kenya is self-sufficient in corn.
Then there is another problem. The cost of fertilizer has skyrocketed to three times what it was last year. This is a worldwide problem as the price of oil used to make the fertilizer and to transport it has risen so much. The fertilizer importers say that they imported the usual amount of fertilizer, but they have large stock on hand since people did not buy it. This is the fertilizer that is put on the field when planting. A second top dressing is put on after weeding. The Government has agreed to subsidize the cost of the top dressing. Yet since the farmers have not used the recommended amount of fertilizer on their corn when planting, the yield will be depressed.
The Government has given hybrid corn seed and fertilizer to some of the internally displaced people. On the one hand some of the IDP's have sold their seed and fertilizer because they can't return to their plots to plant and on the other hand local people are complaining that the Government is showing favoritism to the IDP's. I heard that when a shipment of fertilizer was brought to Turbo for the IDP's, the local people snatched the fertilizer away and severely beat one man from the IDP camp.
Reports indicate that almost 4 million 200 pound bags of corn were destroyed during the violence--a little over 10% of the crop. The price has shot up and even though we live in the Kenyan corn belt, we are unable to buy anything but small quantities (less than a bag) of corn. The Government expects there to be a shortage of 4 million bags by August and therefore will import this amount from South Africa--at what cost I don't know since corn is now at a record world price and there will be transportation costs on top of that.
My opinion is that this is only the beginning of the food shortage. Predictions are that the harvest this year, if the weather is good, will be down by 40%. If this holds true, then another 14 million bags will have to be imported in the coming year.
This increase worldwide in food prices as already caused riots in a number of countries. Is this being reported in the American media? Then one of the major causes of this price increase is the diversion of food into making of ethanol. I think you have seen large price increases in the US in meat, poultry, and dairy products--I was amazed at the increases when I was in the US in March.
In Kenya, who is going to suffer? Naturally it is the poor who are already reported to be spending 50% of their income on food. The elite and middle class will be able t pay the increased prices. Will the plight of the poor be ignored? This will be one of those tests to see if Kenya is
changing or not. If the plight of the poor is ignored, then we are back to the same old Kenya which gave rise to the violence after the election.
In the long run there is also a possibility that the rural farmers will benefit. In the past almost all countries in the world, including Kenya, have favored the urban centers by keeping food prices low. The rural folk are then unable to make a living off their land and so, many flock to the slums of the cities to try to make a living. Will high food prices make it less advantageous to live in the city and more advantageous to live in the rural areas? Will this be enough to reverse the flow of people from the countryside to the cities? Will higher food prices lead farmers to use better production techniques that increase yields?
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:06 AM
Dear All,
Outside of our house is a small plot of corn (maize) that our neighbor has planted. It is a luscious green, about 18 inches high, and growing like wildfire. The owner planted this corn around April 1. As we drive around the countryside, those who planted their fields about that time, likewise
have lush green fields. But many others planted much later -- some are still planting. In these fields the corn is just breaking through or only six inches high. When I used to be in agricultural development, one of the rules we tried to teach farmers was "early planting" -- as soon as the rains came. I am afraid that those who planted late will have a poor crop. Then as we drive toward Eldoret, where there are large farms growing corn, many fields have not even been plowed let alone planted. Normally Kenya is self-sufficient in corn.
Then there is another problem. The cost of fertilizer has skyrocketed to three times what it was last year. This is a worldwide problem as the price of oil used to make the fertilizer and to transport it has risen so much. The fertilizer importers say that they imported the usual amount of fertilizer, but they have large stock on hand since people did not buy it. This is the fertilizer that is put on the field when planting. A second top dressing is put on after weeding. The Government has agreed to subsidize the cost of the top dressing. Yet since the farmers have not used the recommended amount of fertilizer on their corn when planting, the yield will be depressed.
The Government has given hybrid corn seed and fertilizer to some of the internally displaced people. On the one hand some of the IDP's have sold their seed and fertilizer because they can't return to their plots to plant and on the other hand local people are complaining that the Government is showing favoritism to the IDP's. I heard that when a shipment of fertilizer was brought to Turbo for the IDP's, the local people snatched the fertilizer away and severely beat one man from the IDP camp.
Reports indicate that almost 4 million 200 pound bags of corn were destroyed during the violence--a little over 10% of the crop. The price has shot up and even though we live in the Kenyan corn belt, we are unable to buy anything but small quantities (less than a bag) of corn. The Government expects there to be a shortage of 4 million bags by August and therefore will import this amount from South Africa--at what cost I don't know since corn is now at a record world price and there will be transportation costs on top of that.
My opinion is that this is only the beginning of the food shortage. Predictions are that the harvest this year, if the weather is good, will be down by 40%. If this holds true, then another 14 million bags will have to be imported in the coming year.
This increase worldwide in food prices as already caused riots in a number of countries. Is this being reported in the American media? Then one of the major causes of this price increase is the diversion of food into making of ethanol. I think you have seen large price increases in the US in meat, poultry, and dairy products--I was amazed at the increases when I was in the US in March.
In Kenya, who is going to suffer? Naturally it is the poor who are already reported to be spending 50% of their income on food. The elite and middle class will be able t pay the increased prices. Will the plight of the poor be ignored? This will be one of those tests to see if Kenya is
changing or not. If the plight of the poor is ignored, then we are back to the same old Kenya which gave rise to the violence after the election.
In the long run there is also a possibility that the rural farmers will benefit. In the past almost all countries in the world, including Kenya, have favored the urban centers by keeping food prices low. The rural folk are then unable to make a living off their land and so, many flock to the slums of the cities to try to make a living. Will high food prices make it less advantageous to live in the city and more advantageous to live in the rural areas? Will this be enough to reverse the flow of people from the countryside to the cities? Will higher food prices lead farmers to use better production techniques that increase yields?
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
Mon, May 5, Rpt 45 - Training expands
From: David Zarembka
Dear All,
Here in Western and north Rift Valley provinces, upcountry Kenya has returned to the normal pre-election bustle. The roads are full of vehicles, the matatus (mini-buses) are full, and people are scurrying about their business as usual here in Kenya.
The Government is pushing to have the remaining 150,000 internally displaces persons returned to their farms, which many of the displaced people are reluctant to do. Except for President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga visiting the camps in the Rift Valley (which
resulted in a farce about whether the Vice-President or the Prime Minister was "second" in the protocol pecking order) almost no work has been done to bring about any kind of reconciliation between the folks displaced and those who displaced them. Politically of course, if the internally displaced people (IDP) can return, then there will less need to support them, but one of the questions is how are these folks going to get back on their feet? Then, the question is, what will guarantee that this violence will not occur again during the next election as it did in 1992, 1997, and 2007? Tough issues.
One of the reasons to get the IDP's back on their farms is because the country is now looking towards a food shortage. As we drive from Lumakanda to Eldoret, we find that many farms have not been plowed. Years ago I worked in agricultural development in Tanzania and one of the rules in this part of the world is to plant as early as possible. Those who planted by April 1 now have nice green fields. But many did not plant until later and I think that their yields will suffer. While the talk in the newspaper is to return the IDP's so that they can plant, I think that
the planting season is over for this year.
Even farmers in the area who were not displaced have not plowed and planted all their fields due to the uncertainty. Fertilizer prices have tripled. This means that farmers here will put less fertilizer on the crops they have planted, which again is going to lower yields.
Let me remind you again that here in the corn (maize) belt of Kenya most of the crop is consumed by people and not by cows, pigs, and sheep as is true of the American corn belt.
Lastly, while the rains have been sufficient for Lugari District, they are below average. This means that in less well-watered areas, there is another drought coming on. This has already begun the drier parts of Kenya.
As to our AGLI work, last week we had a gathering at the Friends Peace Center--Lubao for the 36 active AVP facilitators we have in westernKenya. I texted Getry that it was a nice 2 day gathering. She texted back, "I am very excited about it too. Happy AVP life. Thanks for making it a success and the support. Pass my appreciation to Mama Gladys."
Perhaps two of the facilitators were in their 50's, 3 or 4 more in their 40's, and the rest (30 or so) in their 20's and 30's. Were they lively!!! The Lubao Center has only 20 beds. Where did the other 16 sleep? On the floor on mattresses: no complaints. Gladys and I (being old fogies)
did not spend the night there, but I was told that they stayed up until midnight doing role plays on transforming power. We have worked to expand outside of the Luhya group and here perhaps half were Luhya, a little less than half were Luo, and 4 were Kikuyu. We are still missing Nandi (Kalenjin) but we are working on this from a few different angles. Later this week we will do the first AVP workshops with the Sisters of the Assumption. They are based in Eldoret, but the workshop will be at their house in Turbo on the Kalenjin side of the border. They want AVP for their 125 nuns and then perhaps we can do AVP with the Kalenjin communities with which they are working. After the AVP Facilitators Gathering last week we did 7 AVP workshops including another one here in Lumakanda. This week we have nine workshops scheduled.
Like Getry says, "It's exciting!"
Let me end with two brief cow stories. Now that the rainy season is here the grass (and everything else) is shooting up like it does during spring in America. How do we cut our grass? We invite four local cows into the compound to chomp away for a while!
The second story concerns one of the workmen who built our house. Last year one of his cows was stolen. Five months later the cow walked back into his compound. Was he astonished!
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
Dear All,
Here in Western and north Rift Valley provinces, upcountry Kenya has returned to the normal pre-election bustle. The roads are full of vehicles, the matatus (mini-buses) are full, and people are scurrying about their business as usual here in Kenya.
The Government is pushing to have the remaining 150,000 internally displaces persons returned to their farms, which many of the displaced people are reluctant to do. Except for President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga visiting the camps in the Rift Valley (which
resulted in a farce about whether the Vice-President or the Prime Minister was "second" in the protocol pecking order) almost no work has been done to bring about any kind of reconciliation between the folks displaced and those who displaced them. Politically of course, if the internally displaced people (IDP) can return, then there will less need to support them, but one of the questions is how are these folks going to get back on their feet? Then, the question is, what will guarantee that this violence will not occur again during the next election as it did in 1992, 1997, and 2007? Tough issues.
One of the reasons to get the IDP's back on their farms is because the country is now looking towards a food shortage. As we drive from Lumakanda to Eldoret, we find that many farms have not been plowed. Years ago I worked in agricultural development in Tanzania and one of the rules in this part of the world is to plant as early as possible. Those who planted by April 1 now have nice green fields. But many did not plant until later and I think that their yields will suffer. While the talk in the newspaper is to return the IDP's so that they can plant, I think that
the planting season is over for this year.
Even farmers in the area who were not displaced have not plowed and planted all their fields due to the uncertainty. Fertilizer prices have tripled. This means that farmers here will put less fertilizer on the crops they have planted, which again is going to lower yields.
Let me remind you again that here in the corn (maize) belt of Kenya most of the crop is consumed by people and not by cows, pigs, and sheep as is true of the American corn belt.
Lastly, while the rains have been sufficient for Lugari District, they are below average. This means that in less well-watered areas, there is another drought coming on. This has already begun the drier parts of Kenya.
As to our AGLI work, last week we had a gathering at the Friends Peace Center--Lubao for the 36 active AVP facilitators we have in westernKenya. I texted Getry that it was a nice 2 day gathering. She texted back, "I am very excited about it too. Happy AVP life. Thanks for making it a success and the support. Pass my appreciation to Mama Gladys."
Perhaps two of the facilitators were in their 50's, 3 or 4 more in their 40's, and the rest (30 or so) in their 20's and 30's. Were they lively!!! The Lubao Center has only 20 beds. Where did the other 16 sleep? On the floor on mattresses: no complaints. Gladys and I (being old fogies)
did not spend the night there, but I was told that they stayed up until midnight doing role plays on transforming power. We have worked to expand outside of the Luhya group and here perhaps half were Luhya, a little less than half were Luo, and 4 were Kikuyu. We are still missing Nandi (Kalenjin) but we are working on this from a few different angles. Later this week we will do the first AVP workshops with the Sisters of the Assumption. They are based in Eldoret, but the workshop will be at their house in Turbo on the Kalenjin side of the border. They want AVP for their 125 nuns and then perhaps we can do AVP with the Kalenjin communities with which they are working. After the AVP Facilitators Gathering last week we did 7 AVP workshops including another one here in Lumakanda. This week we have nine workshops scheduled.
Like Getry says, "It's exciting!"
Let me end with two brief cow stories. Now that the rainy season is here the grass (and everything else) is shooting up like it does during spring in America. How do we cut our grass? We invite four local cows into the compound to chomp away for a while!
The second story concerns one of the workmen who built our house. Last year one of his cows was stolen. Five months later the cow walked back into his compound. Was he astonished!
Peace,
Dave
David Zarembka, Coordinator
African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams
May 1, Rpt. 44, Update, + "releasing" a Friend
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 09:26:00 -0400
Subject: Kenya Peace and Reconciliation work update - Malesi Kinaro
Dear all of you,
It's long since I wrote. I love writing and reading from people so the fact that I have not written means I have really been kind of overwhelmed. As our leaders, Kibaki and Raila, and their teams engaged Koffi Annan we in the peace world were busy in the communities because we know that peace agreed up there does not always bring changes down in the grassroots.
The demand for reconciliation work is immense. Because I am in three places at the same time, yaani no fixed abode, I have an overview of what peace work is being done in my cycles and sometimes I just smile because the demand on everybody is immense. I have been mainly concentrating on Uzima work. We have carried out several one-day workshops in Kibera for Uzima youth. This is a curriculum we developed that combines trauma healing; a look at violence; then a way forward for healing by the participants. It is based on the AVP model and uses a number of exercises from AVP. We find this useful because the demand on us is high and this particular workshop really challenges the participants.
In Kibera we have come face to face with the youth who battled police; whose friends were gunned down as they ran or while uprooting the railway line, or when they had gone "shopping without money", as they call looting there. We have come face to face with intense mistrust and hatred as we have put Kikuyu and other tribes together. In Western Kenya we began with two 2-day mediation workshops for chiefs, divisional officers, youth leaders and a few pastors. Participants from the Kipsigis tribe had to share experiences with those from the Kisii tribe. This was intense. These are people right on the front line of great hostilities that have not yet erupted. Chiefs shared how they felt so pressured. The government was pressuring them to ensure that violence did not happen in their areas. Their people were running to them for shelter or for advice on what to do. Their own lives were in danger with 9 of them losing all they had when their homes were burned by angry youth who perceived them to be government supporters. They were surprised to realize that they faced similar challenges. One chief shared how he had cried when he saw 8 year old kids going to battle with arrows .
We then started a series of one-day workshops for the 120 youth leaders that form the border committees. Here we heard about participants having seen people dying with arrows lodged in their bodies, those who burned tires to block roads, those who made arrows, those who purchased, those who threw arrows at others, those who stoned, those who killed, just name it. Picture a situation where people are screaming and running, others are throwing stones and arrows, whistles and trumpets are blowing, gun shots and tear gas everywhere, dead bodies lying about with heads cut off, cows running all over, people singing war songs; etc.
Our aim is to let these young adults talk with no fear of victimization. Then we look at trauma, its causes, effects and consequences. We look at violence and how we can react nonviolently to violence situations. We look at cycles of violence and how the graph moves up every time root issues are not addressed. We look at the AVP themes of Affirmation, Communication, Cooperation, and Community based on trust and Creative Conflict resolution. We challenge ourselves: can we build a different society where we affirm each other, rather than think of Kikuyus as thieves, Luos as arrogant and violent, Luhya as cooks and watchmen, Kalenjin
as cattle rustlers and Kisii as violent? This is normally a very interesting time because it is towards the end. People get to hear what others say about them (their group) and the whole issue of stereotypes.
In all these workshops the difference at the end of the day has been tremendous. In Kibera, which began with Kikuyu youth walking alone and Luos and Luhyas alone, they were going for lunch together. In one workshop with Kisii/Kipsigis, the Kipsigis youth had to be escorted by the chief, 2 assistant chiefs and one armed policeman. This was a tough one and it really made us very tired. But my joy is that by the end of the day we were being asked to come back, this time to hold the workshop on the Kipsigis side. My fellow facilitators (the youthful Uzima staff - 3 Kisii and one Kipsigis) tell me that during this workshop I was not the person they knew as I threw one challenge after another. I was just so deeply hurt looking at these young people perceiving each other as enemies.
At the end of this particular workshop we heard exchanges like" I am so glad we came. Now we can come to your market to buy maize. We are starving." Or, " Now we can bring our maize and beans over at your market. Our people buy then at such throw-away prices". We are asked over and over to help the youth to form joint groups where they will carry out joint income generating activities, sports, etc.
But I know that one such workshop cannot really heal the deep mistrust and hatred that exists in Kenya. All participants want peace, as shown by their expectations at the start of the workshop. Most do not know how to do this. The need for sustained interaction is so very very crucial. So if you have anybody who can give us funds please don't hesitate. The need for income generating activities is SO HIGH. In Kibera our youth lost their businesses and need to reactivate them. Indeed the harvest is great but the harvesters are few.
I sometimes join the Nairobi AVP for their workshops here. The demand here is also overwhelming. Next week I will be in Western Province. I will join the team there for one-day workshops with the vulnerable youth, then attend a gathering that brings Quaker peacemakers from East Africa together. After this I go to a very exciting and very different program. My sister, Professor Miriam Were, who is also the co-founder of Uzima Foundation, was given an award by the Japanese government for her involvement in Public health programs in Africa. This is a very prestigious award and it includes cash to the tune of 1 million US dollars. She has received many prestigious awards but none with cash. The Japanese cited her work with Uzima Foundation as part of the award so Uzima is sending me to accompany her. I think AMREF
[African Medical & Research Foundation] is picking up the bill since they too will be going. So we leave Kenya on the 25th of May (my birthday) and come back on 2nd June. The Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs will put up a big celebration when she comes back so I will be carried on the wave and I look forward to dancing my legs off that day.
For me this is a wonderful way to end my journey with Uzima as it Executive Director. I will continue to work with Uzima but in a different capacity.
What a long letter! Did I tell you that I will travel business class to Tokyo? Just imagine; and in our journeys among the Kisii/Kipsigis we have been climbing on top of a FULL matatu where sometimes it drizzles and drenches us!! God is good and His mercies endure forever. Does anybody have an old car they can ship to us? Or sell it and bring the cash? Climbing on top of a built-up pickup that is fully packed and twisting round those many Kisii bends is like playing with your life in the driver's hands!!
Malesi
>From Dave Z:
Upon consideration of Malesi's leadership and creativity in this time of crisis in Kenya, the Working Group of the African Great Lakes Initiative decided it was appropriate for her to become a released Friend. This concept had not been introduced among Quakers in Kenya previously but it clearly seemed to fit the situation. Malesi feels called to pursue peacemaking activities during 2008 and has been released to do so. A Support Committee has been appointed in Kakamega to help her with her activities.
Part of the support given to a "Released Friend" is the provision of financial resources to enable them to undertake the ministry to which they have been called. AGLI is committed to raising $5,000 for this calendar year to support Malesi. I hope that you will become part of this effort by sending a check made out to "Friends Peace Teams/AGLI" with a memo line of "Malesi Kinaro's Release."
Subject: Kenya Peace and Reconciliation work update - Malesi Kinaro
Dear all of you,
It's long since I wrote. I love writing and reading from people so the fact that I have not written means I have really been kind of overwhelmed. As our leaders, Kibaki and Raila, and their teams engaged Koffi Annan we in the peace world were busy in the communities because we know that peace agreed up there does not always bring changes down in the grassroots.
The demand for reconciliation work is immense. Because I am in three places at the same time, yaani no fixed abode, I have an overview of what peace work is being done in my cycles and sometimes I just smile because the demand on everybody is immense. I have been mainly concentrating on Uzima work. We have carried out several one-day workshops in Kibera for Uzima youth. This is a curriculum we developed that combines trauma healing; a look at violence; then a way forward for healing by the participants. It is based on the AVP model and uses a number of exercises from AVP. We find this useful because the demand on us is high and this particular workshop really challenges the participants.
In Kibera we have come face to face with the youth who battled police; whose friends were gunned down as they ran or while uprooting the railway line, or when they had gone "shopping without money", as they call looting there. We have come face to face with intense mistrust and hatred as we have put Kikuyu and other tribes together. In Western Kenya we began with two 2-day mediation workshops for chiefs, divisional officers, youth leaders and a few pastors. Participants from the Kipsigis tribe had to share experiences with those from the Kisii tribe. This was intense. These are people right on the front line of great hostilities that have not yet erupted. Chiefs shared how they felt so pressured. The government was pressuring them to ensure that violence did not happen in their areas. Their people were running to them for shelter or for advice on what to do. Their own lives were in danger with 9 of them losing all they had when their homes were burned by angry youth who perceived them to be government supporters. They were surprised to realize that they faced similar challenges. One chief shared how he had cried when he saw 8 year old kids going to battle with arrows .
We then started a series of one-day workshops for the 120 youth leaders that form the border committees. Here we heard about participants having seen people dying with arrows lodged in their bodies, those who burned tires to block roads, those who made arrows, those who purchased, those who threw arrows at others, those who stoned, those who killed, just name it. Picture a situation where people are screaming and running, others are throwing stones and arrows, whistles and trumpets are blowing, gun shots and tear gas everywhere, dead bodies lying about with heads cut off, cows running all over, people singing war songs; etc.
Our aim is to let these young adults talk with no fear of victimization. Then we look at trauma, its causes, effects and consequences. We look at violence and how we can react nonviolently to violence situations. We look at cycles of violence and how the graph moves up every time root issues are not addressed. We look at the AVP themes of Affirmation, Communication, Cooperation, and Community based on trust and Creative Conflict resolution. We challenge ourselves: can we build a different society where we affirm each other, rather than think of Kikuyus as thieves, Luos as arrogant and violent, Luhya as cooks and watchmen, Kalenjin
as cattle rustlers and Kisii as violent? This is normally a very interesting time because it is towards the end. People get to hear what others say about them (their group) and the whole issue of stereotypes.
In all these workshops the difference at the end of the day has been tremendous. In Kibera, which began with Kikuyu youth walking alone and Luos and Luhyas alone, they were going for lunch together. In one workshop with Kisii/Kipsigis, the Kipsigis youth had to be escorted by the chief, 2 assistant chiefs and one armed policeman. This was a tough one and it really made us very tired. But my joy is that by the end of the day we were being asked to come back, this time to hold the workshop on the Kipsigis side. My fellow facilitators (the youthful Uzima staff - 3 Kisii and one Kipsigis) tell me that during this workshop I was not the person they knew as I threw one challenge after another. I was just so deeply hurt looking at these young people perceiving each other as enemies.
At the end of this particular workshop we heard exchanges like" I am so glad we came. Now we can come to your market to buy maize. We are starving." Or, " Now we can bring our maize and beans over at your market. Our people buy then at such throw-away prices". We are asked over and over to help the youth to form joint groups where they will carry out joint income generating activities, sports, etc.
But I know that one such workshop cannot really heal the deep mistrust and hatred that exists in Kenya. All participants want peace, as shown by their expectations at the start of the workshop. Most do not know how to do this. The need for sustained interaction is so very very crucial. So if you have anybody who can give us funds please don't hesitate. The need for income generating activities is SO HIGH. In Kibera our youth lost their businesses and need to reactivate them. Indeed the harvest is great but the harvesters are few.
I sometimes join the Nairobi AVP for their workshops here. The demand here is also overwhelming. Next week I will be in Western Province. I will join the team there for one-day workshops with the vulnerable youth, then attend a gathering that brings Quaker peacemakers from East Africa together. After this I go to a very exciting and very different program. My sister, Professor Miriam Were, who is also the co-founder of Uzima Foundation, was given an award by the Japanese government for her involvement in Public health programs in Africa. This is a very prestigious award and it includes cash to the tune of 1 million US dollars. She has received many prestigious awards but none with cash. The Japanese cited her work with Uzima Foundation as part of the award so Uzima is sending me to accompany her. I think AMREF
[African Medical & Research Foundation] is picking up the bill since they too will be going. So we leave Kenya on the 25th of May (my birthday) and come back on 2nd June. The Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs will put up a big celebration when she comes back so I will be carried on the wave and I look forward to dancing my legs off that day.
For me this is a wonderful way to end my journey with Uzima as it Executive Director. I will continue to work with Uzima but in a different capacity.
What a long letter! Did I tell you that I will travel business class to Tokyo? Just imagine; and in our journeys among the Kisii/Kipsigis we have been climbing on top of a FULL matatu where sometimes it drizzles and drenches us!! God is good and His mercies endure forever. Does anybody have an old car they can ship to us? Or sell it and bring the cash? Climbing on top of a built-up pickup that is fully packed and twisting round those many Kisii bends is like playing with your life in the driver's hands!!
Malesi
>From Dave Z:
Upon consideration of Malesi's leadership and creativity in this time of crisis in Kenya, the Working Group of the African Great Lakes Initiative decided it was appropriate for her to become a released Friend. This concept had not been introduced among Quakers in Kenya previously but it clearly seemed to fit the situation. Malesi feels called to pursue peacemaking activities during 2008 and has been released to do so. A Support Committee has been appointed in Kakamega to help her with her activities.
Part of the support given to a "Released Friend" is the provision of financial resources to enable them to undertake the ministry to which they have been called. AGLI is committed to raising $5,000 for this calendar year to support Malesi. I hope that you will become part of this effort by sending a check made out to "Friends Peace Teams/AGLI" with a memo line of "Malesi Kinaro's Release."
11 May, Rept. 47, AGLI written up in newspaper
From: David Zarembka
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008
Dear All,
Below is an article from today's Sunday Nation, the largest paper in Kenya. The first part is about three PM's from the Rift Valley talking about reconciliation, then the last part -- which I have put in red -- is about AGLI!!!! There are a few small mistakes (we are doing up to 20 rather than up to 2 workshops in each place).
[Note from Dawn: When this is sent our using our listserv the color will probably disappear. The section about AGLI begins with the 9th paragraph after the heading "Conflict Resolution." There are also misspellings of Gladys Kamonya's name and Kipkarren River.]
Since he did not put our website address in the article, I don't see how people can contact me since I doubt that folks will drive to Lumakanda to look me up.
[Note from Dawn: Well Dave, maybe they will "google" your name!]
Peace,
Dave
----------------------
Leaders accuse state of hurrying settlement drive to please the US
Story by STEPHEN MBURU
Publication Date: 5/11/2008
The home-bound internal refugees have had mixed fortunes.
While many had a warm reception in places such as Molo, the same cannot be said of other areas in the Rift Valley.
The icy relations that sparked the flight from their homes in the aftermath of the election dispute last year are still manifest in some areas.
Many say they fear returning home to live with their "enemies". Indeed, some have told the government to resettle them elsewhere.
Largely unplanned
Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaaban, who is playing a key role in the settlement drive, has assured the displaced families that no one will be forced to return home.
But some MPs from Rift Valley Province, which was mostly affected by the violence, argue that the programme is being implemented in a hurry, and is largely unplanned. They say that although they embrace the return of the IDPs, there is need for reconciliation first before settlement.
The MPs, Franklin Bett (Buret), Julius Kones (Konoin) and Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) want the government and other groups to be involved in a reconciliation programme that will help people live in peace.
The leaders argue that the most important thing now is to reconcile the people instead of using the provincial administration to force the IDPs' neighbours to welcome them back home. They say armed police escorts and more police stations in the violence-hit areas will not help reconcile the people.
Mr Bett says he is for planned and not "false" resettlement of IDPs. "Resettlement," he says, "must be in a manner that will give us a permanent solution. That solution is first through reconciliation, development of forgiveness between communities and reawakening of the spirit of love among the people. That will make resettlement meaningful." "I will not be party to false resettlement," he told the Sunday Nation on telephone.
Mr Ruto accuses the government of hurrying the programme to please the international community, especially the United States.
"The government is in a hurry to remove an eyesore so the international community can give it accolades. It is what we call in Parliament playing to the gallery. "The government wants to be in good books with the international community," he says.
The MP says the government should involve local political, religious and civic leaders in the province. It should also respect the wishes of the IDPs.
"We MPs from the region are ready and willing to provide leadership for reconciliation," he told the Sunday Nation at Parliament Buildings. "The IDPs," he says, "are in anguish. They are scared to go back home. It takes two to tango. They should feel happy and safe. There is need for reconciliation.
Conflict resolution
"The provincial administration should not be involved in reconciliation. They are very poor in conflict resolution. To them, reconciliation is force. " He suggests that sociologists be involved in any programme to help heal the wounds among the affected people.
"University of Nairobi should provide experts to address the issue. This should be done after a proper census to identify genuine IDPs. We may be dealing with professional IDPs." He also wants a solution to unemployment among the youth "to avoid a new cycle of violence."
Mr Kones says settlement needs proper planning. "People need to be resettled, but there is no proper planning. Let there be a process. Let people get to know why they are going to live together," he says.
"The reconciliation process should have started first, where we bring together elders from different communities. This looks like a forced resettlement. I feel most (IDPs) were caught off-guard," he says.
The MP says the underlying emotive issues, including land, should be addressed to find a lasting solution to ethnic conflicts. The land problem, he says, was compounded by the high rate of unemployment among the youth.
The government and the other organisations involved in the programme may need to borrow a leaf from the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams, a non-governmental organisation which organises reconciliation workshops in Rwanda to help heal the wounds among the perpetrators and survivors of the genocide in the country in 1994.
The workshops, dubbed "Healing and Rebuilding our Communities (HROC)" have helped reconcile Rwanda's main ethnic groups, Hutu and Tutsi, following the genocide that left nearly one million people dead.
AGLI was founded by David Zarembka, an American. Its main office is in St Louis, Missouri. However, Mr Zarembka operates from Lumakanda in Lugari District where he lives with his wife Gladys Kimunya. Mr Zarembka is also AGLI's coordinator and the organisation has started reconciliation programmes in Western and Rift Valley provinces.
AGLI says on its website that it plans to conduct more than 100 basic and advanced workshops in various communities, many of which will involve young people who were involved in much of the violence. They will cover Bondo in Nyanza Province; Takatifu Gardens in Shinyalu, Lumakanda, Kakamega, Lugari District, and Vihiga District in Western Province; and Ndalu in Rift Valley Province.
"Each site will have up to two workshops so that each area can be adequately impacted." AGLI is reportedly supporting reconciliation efforts on the border between the Kipsigis (Rift Valley Province) and the Kisii (Nyanza Province) where more than 30 people were killed and where hundreds of homes, a school, and numerous businesses were burnt down.
Mr Zarembaka seems to be doing what Bett, Kones and Ruto are agreed on: making efforts to reconcile communities.
"I have been at a meeting since Thursday with the Friends Church Peace Team determining how we are going to meet with the IDPs-Luhya and the Nandi in Turbo, Mwamba and Kipkappen River near where I live in Lumakanda. These were all hard hit. There are still 4,000 unhappy IDPs at the Turbo Police Station," he told the Sunday Nation via email on Saturday.
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008
Dear All,
Below is an article from today's Sunday Nation, the largest paper in Kenya. The first part is about three PM's from the Rift Valley talking about reconciliation, then the last part -- which I have put in red -- is about AGLI!!!! There are a few small mistakes (we are doing up to 20 rather than up to 2 workshops in each place).
[Note from Dawn: When this is sent our using our listserv the color will probably disappear. The section about AGLI begins with the 9th paragraph after the heading "Conflict Resolution." There are also misspellings of Gladys Kamonya's name and Kipkarren River.]
Since he did not put our website address in the article, I don't see how people can contact me since I doubt that folks will drive to Lumakanda to look me up.
[Note from Dawn: Well Dave, maybe they will "google" your name!]
Peace,
Dave
----------------------
Leaders accuse state of hurrying settlement drive to please the US
Story by STEPHEN MBURU
Publication Date: 5/11/2008
The home-bound internal refugees have had mixed fortunes.
While many had a warm reception in places such as Molo, the same cannot be said of other areas in the Rift Valley.
The icy relations that sparked the flight from their homes in the aftermath of the election dispute last year are still manifest in some areas.
Many say they fear returning home to live with their "enemies". Indeed, some have told the government to resettle them elsewhere.
Largely unplanned
Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaaban, who is playing a key role in the settlement drive, has assured the displaced families that no one will be forced to return home.
But some MPs from Rift Valley Province, which was mostly affected by the violence, argue that the programme is being implemented in a hurry, and is largely unplanned. They say that although they embrace the return of the IDPs, there is need for reconciliation first before settlement.
The MPs, Franklin Bett (Buret), Julius Kones (Konoin) and Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) want the government and other groups to be involved in a reconciliation programme that will help people live in peace.
The leaders argue that the most important thing now is to reconcile the people instead of using the provincial administration to force the IDPs' neighbours to welcome them back home. They say armed police escorts and more police stations in the violence-hit areas will not help reconcile the people.
Mr Bett says he is for planned and not "false" resettlement of IDPs. "Resettlement," he says, "must be in a manner that will give us a permanent solution. That solution is first through reconciliation, development of forgiveness between communities and reawakening of the spirit of love among the people. That will make resettlement meaningful." "I will not be party to false resettlement," he told the Sunday Nation on telephone.
Mr Ruto accuses the government of hurrying the programme to please the international community, especially the United States.
"The government is in a hurry to remove an eyesore so the international community can give it accolades. It is what we call in Parliament playing to the gallery. "The government wants to be in good books with the international community," he says.
The MP says the government should involve local political, religious and civic leaders in the province. It should also respect the wishes of the IDPs.
"We MPs from the region are ready and willing to provide leadership for reconciliation," he told the Sunday Nation at Parliament Buildings. "The IDPs," he says, "are in anguish. They are scared to go back home. It takes two to tango. They should feel happy and safe. There is need for reconciliation.
Conflict resolution
"The provincial administration should not be involved in reconciliation. They are very poor in conflict resolution. To them, reconciliation is force. " He suggests that sociologists be involved in any programme to help heal the wounds among the affected people.
"University of Nairobi should provide experts to address the issue. This should be done after a proper census to identify genuine IDPs. We may be dealing with professional IDPs." He also wants a solution to unemployment among the youth "to avoid a new cycle of violence."
Mr Kones says settlement needs proper planning. "People need to be resettled, but there is no proper planning. Let there be a process. Let people get to know why they are going to live together," he says.
"The reconciliation process should have started first, where we bring together elders from different communities. This looks like a forced resettlement. I feel most (IDPs) were caught off-guard," he says.
The MP says the underlying emotive issues, including land, should be addressed to find a lasting solution to ethnic conflicts. The land problem, he says, was compounded by the high rate of unemployment among the youth.
The government and the other organisations involved in the programme may need to borrow a leaf from the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams, a non-governmental organisation which organises reconciliation workshops in Rwanda to help heal the wounds among the perpetrators and survivors of the genocide in the country in 1994.
The workshops, dubbed "Healing and Rebuilding our Communities (HROC)" have helped reconcile Rwanda's main ethnic groups, Hutu and Tutsi, following the genocide that left nearly one million people dead.
AGLI was founded by David Zarembka, an American. Its main office is in St Louis, Missouri. However, Mr Zarembka operates from Lumakanda in Lugari District where he lives with his wife Gladys Kimunya. Mr Zarembka is also AGLI's coordinator and the organisation has started reconciliation programmes in Western and Rift Valley provinces.
AGLI says on its website that it plans to conduct more than 100 basic and advanced workshops in various communities, many of which will involve young people who were involved in much of the violence. They will cover Bondo in Nyanza Province; Takatifu Gardens in Shinyalu, Lumakanda, Kakamega, Lugari District, and Vihiga District in Western Province; and Ndalu in Rift Valley Province.
"Each site will have up to two workshops so that each area can be adequately impacted." AGLI is reportedly supporting reconciliation efforts on the border between the Kipsigis (Rift Valley Province) and the Kisii (Nyanza Province) where more than 30 people were killed and where hundreds of homes, a school, and numerous businesses were burnt down.
Mr Zarembaka seems to be doing what Bett, Kones and Ruto are agreed on: making efforts to reconcile communities.
"I have been at a meeting since Thursday with the Friends Church Peace Team determining how we are going to meet with the IDPs-Luhya and the Nandi in Turbo, Mwamba and Kipkappen River near where I live in Lumakanda. These were all hard hit. There are still 4,000 unhappy IDPs at the Turbo Police Station," he told the Sunday Nation via email on Saturday.
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