Sept 23 '08 - AVP International Gathering

From: David Zarembka
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:55 PM
Subject: AGLI--Report from Kenya--"AVP-International Gathering."--Sept 23, 2008

Dear All,

Last week was the AVP International Gathering here in western Kenya and the AVP group from the Friends Peace Centre Lubao--Malesi Kinaro, Janet Ifedha, Joseph Shamala, Getry Agizah, Peter Serete, Dorcas Nyambura, Eunice Okwemba, and Bernard Onjala, and myself--worked very hard to make it successful. Nancy Shippen (who previously did an AVP tour in western Kenya with AGLI) did a tremendous job on the agenda and flow of the contents of the Gathering. 115 people from 23 nations attended. Bob Barns who introduced AVP in western Kenya and Nairobi and Teresa Tyson who was also on an AGLI AVP tour both attended. AVP-Western Kenya also has done/will do about 15 AVP and HROC workshops with those attending the Gathering and AVP-Nairobi will do about another 8.

Florence Ntakarutimana and Theoneste Bizimana came from Burundi and Rwanda to lead the first four HROC workshops with the Kenyan apprentice facilitators. These four workshops were on the top of Mt Elgon (in two locations) right in the heart of the conflict on that mountain. On the whole the apprentices did well. After the Gathering Florence stayed on for one more apprentice workshop at a place called Rongai in the Rift Valley Province where there was much fighting. Zawadi Nikuze from North Kivu, Congo, is also staying on to do two apprentice HROC workshops. We expect that the eight apprentices will then be able to lead workshops on their own.

Update: I just received this text message from Malesi about the first HROC workshop in Rongai: "Peace. Florence has a good kind of trouble. They expected 20 to 25 people. They have 38. She said the Masai walked one to two hours so she could not send them away and that they have great healing moments."

Nancy Shippen wanted to make sure that HROC was properly introduced at the AVP Gathering. Adrien was unable to come (he was in Indonesia for a conference supported by the Mennonite Central Committee) and Theoneste had to return to Rwanda, so only Florence and Zawadi remained to promote HROC. They had a one and a half hour plenary where they introduced the program followed by two 5 hour mini-workshops on Tuesday and Thursday. Perhaps 60 to 70 of the participants attended one or the other of these workshops. They commented that this is a really powerful Workshop.

I spent most of my time in the office answering 2,441 questions so I was not too involved with the Gathering itself. Miriam Were, Malesi's sister, and the head of the AIDS council here in Kenya, gave an inspirational presentation. Joseph Mamai, the Clerk of the Friends Church Peace Teams in Kenya, gave an overview of their work after the violence in January and February.

Joseph also showed a graphic film on the violence in Kenya. This was the kind of thing that is never shown in America because it showed burnt bodies and dead people in their gruesome detail. I have wondered if the custom not to show the gruesome details of the violence that the US promotes around the world is one of the reasons there is not more opposition to US policies. People believe what they see on TV but if they aren't shown the most gruesome reality are they not being cheated of the truth?

Everyone I spoke with appreciated the Gathering since they were able to share their experiences while also hearing the reports from others which gave them new ideas and, more importantly, inspiration to forge ahead with their AVP programs. Some participants, like the US, had very established programs, while Nepal had just conducted their first workshops. The next AVP International Gathering will be held in Nepal in 2010.

At the opening of the Gathering here in Kakamega, Kenya, a time of remembrance was held for Linda Heacock. Linda had come to Kenya three times, in 2005, 2006, and 2007, to facilitate AVP workshops when the program was just getting off the ground. In 2006 she attended the previous AVP International Gathering in South Africa. Linda died from lymphoma the Friday before the Gathering began. Nancy Shippen found a picture of Linda from the last International Gathering and projected it on the wall. Malesi Kinaro gave a eulogy and there was a time of silence.

Later, after the Gathering was finished, a memorial service was held, organized mostly by folks from AVP in Western Kenya. It was conducted much in the manner of unprogrammed Friends in the United States. Malesi introduced Linda's passing. There was then silent worship with people giving testimonies. Malesi, Janet Ifedha, Gladys Kamonya (my wife), Caleb Amunya, Margaret Wanyoni, Eunice Okwemba (my sister-in-law), and I all spoke. We are now the people who are currently the most involved with AVP in western Kenya. Two spoke of having their first basic workshop with Linda; one spoke of doing her first apprentice workshop under her. There were reports of various adventures with Linda--such as the time when late in the afternoon they were offered a ride in the back of a truck full of goats and sheep (which was declined), being stuffed into mini-buses, etc. Earlier in the year, when Linda had been feeling better, she had written that she hoped to return to Kenya again in 2009. Eunice talked of spending the last night in western Kenya with Linda in the bedroom where she vomited numerous times and they decided to send her by airplane to Nairobi. Several people spoke of how easily she had fit into Kenyan culture so that people considered her one of the family, a sister or auntie. The worship concluded with Malesi reading the 46th Psalm after which we sang a song that Linda would have liked and held hands with a closing prayer for her soul. It was a very moving memorial service.

May Linda rest in peace as the fruits of her labors ripen here in western Kenya.

Peace,
Dave

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

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