[UgaBYTES] UCRC- Seeking Peace and Reconcialiation in Siaya District - Kenya

Thu Jan 10 09:41:12 GMT 2008

Fellow Telecentrians,

 Following the violence that has  been witnessed in virtually all provinces in Kenya following the  disputed results of the December 27th Presidential |elections, Ugunja  Community Resource Centre took initiative in trying to bring various  stakeholders within Siaya District, which has also been hit by the  violence and lawlessness, in
  search of workable solutions at the local level.

  Various comments have been made on the root cause and most are agreed  that there were allegations of serious anomalies which have also since  been expressed by authorities in the process led by none other than the  Chair of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. However, despite these  anomalies, whether real or imagined, law and order must be maintained  by all and sundry.

 Siaya district in itself has witnessed  various acts of violence and looting. Ugunja town has seen its own  share of looting and stoning of vehicles passing through the highway.  The larger Ugenya Parliamentary Constituency which is one of three  constituencies in Siaya District has
  also witnessed its share of riots and damage to property.

  The purpose of these meetings was not to allocate blame but to find a  workable solution to the conflict at our own level. The tensions at the  national level may require a political solution and high level  negotiations, but at the grass root level, where people of various
  ethno-racio-relgio backgrounds co-exist, we MUST always ensure that harmony is maintained.

  Democracy and good governance are prerequisites for peace. Good  governance is not just a duty of the leader but also a duty and  obligation of the led. Just as we expect the leaders to adhere to laws  of the land, so should we also adhere to the laws and any advocacy  thereof should only be through peaceful and non-violent action.

  In view of the above, UCRC through its Peace and Conflict Resolution  desk thus found it fit to bring stakeholders together. Several meetings  have been held in the last week and special outreach to the youth has  been ongoing especially around major trouble spots.

 On Monday  7th January 2008, a one day Consultative Leaders’ Forum was hosted by  Ugunja Community Resource Centre at Hotel Camunya in Ugunja. The  participants were drawn from civil societies, church leadership, youth,  women, teachers, business community, provincial administration
  etc.

  The meeting resolved to form three sub-committees namely Business and  security, Advocacy and Reconciliation, as well as Relief and Social  welfare: The following short term actions were recommended for the next  one month after which the mandate of this team shall be terminated,
  reviewed or extended. 

  1- Business and Security Committee– This segment is to be overseen by Business Community and the Provincial Administration.

  The short term resolution of this Sub-committee are:

  i.      To hold security meetings with all stakeholders  from the village level and these are to be facilitated by area Chiefs  and their assistants
  ii.     Police to intensify patrols around trouble spots and chiefs urged to enhance community policying.
  iii.    Politicians are urged to avoid propaganda, hate speech and incitement.
  iv.     All politicians be urged to preach peace at peace meetings and at every available opportunity

  2. Relief and Social Welfare – This subcommittee is being spearheaded by Relgious Leaders

  The short term resolutions are :
  i.      Pastors to mobilize the faithful to contribute  food and foodstuffs, clothing, and cash to assist internally displaced  persons coming at the Siaya District Police Headquarters
  ii.     An inter-faiths prayer meeting to be held in Ugunja Market in Thursday 17th, January 2008.

  3. Advocacy and Reconciliation – This sub-committee consisted mainly Civil society representatives and teachers.

  The short-term actions of this committee are:

  i.      Community mobilization and sensitization on need for peace and reconciliation.
  ii.     Outreach to communities around identified trouble spots
  iii.    Identify resources available within Ugenya  Constituency to which can be used in enhancing the healing and  rebuilding process.

  Conclusion

 We understand that  our contribution to the process is limited to the local level. This is  where we have lived for eons and have co-existed with persons of all  tribes and races. Let not one failed presidential elections make us  enemies and speed us back towards the very poverty
  that we have been striving to alleviate.

  Thanks to the entire global telecentre fraternity. Your prayers and  thoughts on the mailing list have been a source of inspiration. You are  truly our brethren.

 Finally, we invite you all to join  Kenyans not only by praying for peace, but by becoming agents and  instruments of peace in your respective communities. As the national  leadership begins dialgue to find out lasting solutions to the problem,  we at the grassroots have an obligation to continue to mainatin peace  and peaceful co-existence.

  Let us live according to the prayer of St. Francis of Asisi which reads:

  “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, 
  Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
  where there is injury, pardon;
  where there is doubt, faith;
  where there is despair, hope;
  where there is darkness, light;
  where there is sadness, joy; 
  O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to
  console; 
  to be understood as to understand; 
  to be loved as to love. 
  For it is in giving that we receive; 
  it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
.............. Amen”

  The same exercise is also scheduled to cover the other two
  constituencies in Siaya District.

  Kind Regards
  Damas Ogwe
  Ugunja Community Resource Centre
  Information and Community Media

  PS. Attached please find a list of the attendance of the meeting which  included private and public sector oficials as well as politicians.

robert <rob_kib at yahoo.com> wrote:  Thanks  Dean Mulozi for your information and for such a message focussing on  non-violence conflict resolusion. Good idea and good job.

  Yah,  sure we can have a dialogue on this and we try to dig far into various  ideas to do with the conflict setting in Kenya. We might not see as  such far as we might not if we dont come together in such a  dialogue for the same cause.

  Points of my focus in coming up with the best solutions are:

  (1) What is Kenya in the world politics?

  (2) What is the political system of Kenya like?

  (3) What is the ethinic composition of Kenyan population?

  (4) What is the ethinic/ tribal composition of individuals running Kenyan government?

  (5) What is the threat of any new tribal government (not been in power before)   to the existing ethinic groups who have been at per with previous governments (Ref: Zimbabwe situation, etc)

  Anyway,  there so many such points to focus on for us to come-up with the right  judgement of the situation in Kenya not as the current one which  is not based on such hiden agenda which a lay-man cannot see with His/ Her naked eyes unless................

  Looking forward to hear from you.

  Robert

Dean Mulozi <deanmulozi at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Dear all, 
I join the rest of the group to symphasise with our
Telecenter partners in Kenya of the civil strife that
have rocked communities of the country. It is
disheartnening to witness this   kind problems in one of
the best countries that have enjoyed peace and foreign
investments in Saharan Afica. 
One can imagine the impact that have been caused by
the strife to the operations of the rural
communication centers, Telecenters. Telecenter
services and other civil society organisations
providing development activities in urban and rural
kenaya have been severely affected. 
The good, consoling news is that there seem to be
solution on cards to resolve the impasse. 

It is important to learn to resolve conflicts
peacefully. I advise our telecenter partners who have
not joined the dialogue and deliberation networking
links to join http://www.thataway.org. There are
useful resources in this site that can help us to
learn more on forstering conversation, participation
and action as well as conflcit resolution. 

I hope and trust that Kenya is coming back to peace. 

Dean   Mulozi
ZAA-ICT/SATNET, 
Lusaka, Zambia. 

peaceful resoulution on cards coming 

been admired by so am sending 
--- Nasikye Esther wrote:

> Hi Bob and all,
> The UgaBYTES online library www.ugabytes.org has
> some resources on how to
> start and manage community radio stations. There are
> publications ranging
> from how to start a community radio to how to manage
> and develop content for
> such stations.
> 
> I think it would be good that you look at these as
> well.
> 
> Also, for other people like Joseph and Burnet who
> are already involved in
> community radio work, feel free to add useful
> resources to the library.
> These could be links to useful resources or
> publications that you have used
> before
> 
> 
> Cheers
> Esther
> 
> 
> --   
> Esther Nasikye
> Community Content Facilitator
> UgaBYTES Initiative
> Plot 2218 Ggaba Road
> Kampala, Uganda
> Tel: 25641370163
> skype:esther.nasikye
> > _______________________________________________
> ugabytes mailing list
> ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
>
http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> 

Dean Mulozi, 
ZAA-ICT/SATNET Regional Facilitator, 
Private Bag 195x Ridgeway, 
Lusaka, 
Zaambia. 

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