"Mbona Tusibonge?" in Denmark

An Action member giving a presentation to Danish Students

For one and a half weeks now, four of the Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project have been in Denmark for an exchange visit that included an exchange programme with the Danish Agents for Change, present the concept “Leadership Without Positions” to the Danish schools and exchange ideas on the possibility of coming up with an international youth volunteer programme under SustainableEnergy. The visit, which was organized by SustainableEnergy, has been one of the major stories of change witnessed in the peace initiative started in Kibera in the last two years.

The Action members, upon landing in Denmark, attended a two day seminar where both the Action members and the Danish Agents for Change were taken through steps of making a joined presentation for the benefit of their audiences. In the process of learning, the session further buttressed the role of change agents, basically out of the work the two are doing in the community. While the Danish Agents for Change work on the effects of climate change in which they advise people to produce only what is important for consumption,  the Kenyan team has been involved with a successful campaign communities co-existing peacefully in Kibera using dialogue as a tool and creating awareness in the importance of voter education.

Several schools were visited in Denmark between these times. The Kenyan Delegation took it upon them to carry out elaborate stories of change, addressing the situation as it is in the Kenyan state. The little that the peace ambassadors have pulled together in their work was evaluated as a means of consolidating changes in the society. At one time, the teachers audience in Denmark was impressed that the world has come to the realization of what it can do to itself; a fact manifested by the two different cultures and backgrounds fusing into one to form a working partnership in Denmark. The major message being that people can do something within their means to effect changes wherever they are.

Story By:

Ramogi Osewe

PMC Member

This project is funded by The European union

A New Tool for Peace Ambassadors

The Action Inter-Ethnic Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project Peace Ambassadors have managed to create and use meaningful dialogue as a tool for peace building and reconciliation in Kibera. The concept is such that there is a realization that members of the society have always had a feeling that they can offer possible solutions to their problems if given a chance. In most dialogue forums that The Action has attended, the feedback has been that the society members feel relieved and pour out their fears, aspirations and needs more freely when there is a free for all dialogue platforms. The sessions are normally structured in a way that problems are highlighted, discussed and possible solutions and points of actions drawn.

Ole giving practical training to the PMC

 In the month of July, The Action team received a boost from Hand the Ball Foundation on how handball can be used as a tool to enhance dialogue in the society. In a training of trainers organised by the Danish organisation (Hand the Ball) members of the Action were introduced to a concept so unique and fun to apply. The process emphasizes on the unique strength found in the power of group play. In a society where people find it hard to create time for play, Hand the Ball introduces activities build on insights into the positive of mental and social effects of physical group activities. The residents of Kibera sometimes get themselves warped in isolation of the mind and spirit. The practice shall see them move out of such entrapments and reach out to the other for meaningful engagement and dialogue.

Furthermore, the idea of competition for everything in the Kibera society is not new. To people living and

Hand the Ball in Practice

working in Kibera, there is always a sense of competition on whatever an individual does. Schools are no longer centres of academic enlightenment but a place to score high grades and beat the other opponent in exams. Churches operate with a sense of outdoing each other than avenues for spiritual growth. There is a massive scramble for the little resources available and people are constantly scheming against one another, a fact that has seen the rise of violence and mistrust. The peace ambassadors shall adopt the concept of non competition that is employed in Hand the Ball activities to diffuse the tension arising from the extensive competition in the society.

The most important tool to learn while using Hand the Ball activities as a tool for dialogue is that communication becomes an inherent part of interacting and the main focus is cast on fun, team dynamics and collective play.  The peace ambassadors therefore shall be called to provide an avenue of constructive play and meaningful dialogue, by first offering the community members in any forum, school, churches, seminars, with a ball to show that ownership is open to every individual in the society. The said balls will be used to initiate dialogue and preferably also be used  to offer a platform for fun and play, thereby giving a chance to learn, act and have fun.

Story By:

Ramogi Osewe

PMC Member

This project is supported by The European Union

Consolidating the Gains...

The Action members arriving for a community forum

Kibera is a place of many complexities. In the late 1990's running to the early 2000, the major issue that used to create crisis now and then was the landlord-tenant issue. A problem that was caused by misunderstanding from both parties, it at one time brought a major violence that it took the government and elders intervention to see it end. Then there was the political party youth wingers who were a law to themselves. the issue was such a big threat that some residents decided to leave Kibera and seek settlement somewhere. this was followed by the political cashes whose major impact was seen in 2008 post election violence. in the post election violence, the politically instigated violence took a shape of ethnic communities fighting one another. while peace initiatives in Kibera, The Action included, did a major work in restoring peace during the just concluded elections, Stellamaris Ndunge, a resident of Mashimoni believes there is another emerging potential threat to peace.

Here is the story:     

“I first attended the project activities during the Opinion Shapers Forum held at Anglican Church of Kenya Church in Makina. It was such an amazing thing to see groupings that have always been fighting each other sit at the table and talk to one another. I personally know the people who were invited for the occasion and could not believe that such hard-liners were really listening to one another. The event challenged me a lot. In Kibera, I can say that ethnic communities are now metamorphosing to class and territorial groupings. These groupings pose real danger to the community than the ethnic divides that were earlier experienced.

As such, in the past two months, and even earlier before that, I have embarked on a journey to reach out to these youth groupings and make them see that they need each other, other than creating territories that are out of bounds to those who do not belong. I see this as a significant realisation because not so many people have seen the dangers lying in these groupings. It shall be very hard in the future for Kibera to work together if people are already grouping and regrouping along class, territories, peer and villages circle.

The project activities made me realise a potential threat to community harmony. It made me realise that the emerging situation in Kibera might be harder to manage the already than existing problem of people divided along ethnic lines. Whereas people from same ethnic communities may share very little apart from the language and culture, people from the same class or religion share same beliefs, ideologies, way of life and have unseen common bond. It will be very hard to contain a situation of ideological and philosophical differences.”

The story has a silver lining though. The Kibera populace has acquired major awareness in peace building and reconciliation as tools for peaceful co-existence. the lady believes something can be done. The Kibera society would not sit back and watch as gains made are watered down by few individuals. there are ways and there is a willingness too.

Story Compiled By:

Ramogi Osewe

PMC Member

This project is supported by the European Union

On Youth and Governance

The Peace and Voter Ambassadors from the Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation took a progressive effort when they met the community youth members in Nakuru and Kisumu over the past week in round table youth to youth discussions.  The well conceived idea was an inter-county youth sharing with regards to milestones made so far in the peace and reconciliation initiatives.  The choice of the county to be visited relied most on the statistics of the year 2008, where the violence witnessed in Kibera (Nairobi County) could only be equated by the one witnessed in Ronda Slums (Nakuru County) and Kondele (Kisumu County). As a matter of fact, and at one particular time in 2008, the government had to issue a curfew in Nakuru because of the wanton destruction of property and the very senseless killings witnessed there.

In the discussions that followed, the Action members shared what can be termed as some of the best practices used to reach out to the community members in the appeal to build and maintain peace. It was very encouraging to note that some practices were widely used by the Nakuru and Kisumu youth too. For instance, members of the Action found it hard during the very beginning to make inroads in Kibera due to the presence of community “gate keepers.” These are a group of individuals who have the belief that they have the final say on what activity should happen in a certain territory of the informal settlements. The Action realized that the Nakuru and Kisumu youth too found it hard in the initial stages to maneuver around these individuals. However, it was realized that constant dialogue and forging useful partnership with the individuals is an effective way of bringing them on board and engaging them in peaceful activities.

The writer (right) and one of the frequent contributors to this blog, Caroline Chencha.

 Another big challenge that the youth across the counties experienced during their noble quest was the division of Kenyan people along ethnic communities. The rivalry between tribes is such that even in community forums, ethnic identities tend to form from the sitting arrangements to the contributions on subjects discussed. Youth living in these three counties all agreed that it was actually the most significant challenge that if were to be overcame then the peace initiatives could have been easily achieved. The Action employed a strategy of making sure that key ethnic communities living within Kibera and has always been in rivalry; either politically, socially or because of resources, were always invited in forums and be reminded in the beauty of unity in diversity. The Kisumu youth even had an inter-ethnic community theatre show, to showcase the beauty of the coming together as members of the same nation.

The climax of the exchange programme, however, was the discussions on the opportunities available for the youth in the new dispensation. Pursuant to the current constitutional dispensation process, the youth believe that devolution of power has opened a lot of potential opportunities that they can use to their advantage. Since devolution, as envisioned in the constitution, is a people’s owned process with the national objectives towards effective grass root leadership and service delivery to the people, the youth feel that it is now their time to get involved in county government structures through policy formulation and implementation. And while at it, the youth want to enhance the sense of accountability, transparency, maximum participation of the public, self-governance, fair distribution of resources and acquisition of more economic engagement activities.

The youth believe that to take the task ahead, they need the necessary skills for mobilization and advocacy. Currently, a good number of youth are still affected by poverty, unemployment, inadequacy of knowledge and drug and substance abuse, factors which in their final output result to a calibre of youth who are insensitive to the surrounding environment and may so often are committed to engage in disastrous, unlawful and meaningless activities. To this end, the youth need to be reminded to believe that they are energetic hence may be in a position to offer better positive services to their respective communities rather than engage in such vices. The youth need to take education as a serious tool for sustainable development. Information imparted on the youth should be relevant so as to promote their capabilities to be geared towards a more improved approach in giving attention to concerted and coordinated economic, social and political activities.

Story By

Ramogi Osewe

PMC Member

This project is funded by the European Union

Democracy and the Emerging Culture

There we were, and now here we are thinking that things have changed to better if not the best! Leadership, which some people refer to as governance, is a crucial issue. A Kibera society where people have got different versions to its meaning is regularly occupied with lots of activities as pertains, and is majorly political. It is then, and from the background, that we should ask ourselves the significance of major leadership decisions. Some tag it the epicentre of Kenya’s political development, but it’s so challenging to summarily report whether this perception is consummate with the people’s level of empowerment on political reforms.

In the past regimes, there was very minimal tolerance of citizen’s freedom or any mode of expression in whichever manner and direction; the more you tried championing an agenda focused on the public’s interest the faster you risked your life. In this time where Kenya is celebrating the year of Jubilee, it is paramount to note that this has been accompanied with the opportunity of the Kenya’s Supreme document-“the constitution”- which is protective to all.  I have a strong belief that we, the people, may champion the reform courses from the lowest level so far to the top most. This is because a number of progressive steps have been made right from the struggle for multi party to the current spirit of devolution of power using individual commitment and contribution.

However, some of these gains have been reversed because of emerging factors in every Kenyan election year. While the factors vary, money has constantly played a crucial role in our decision making. While I believe that money is a valuable and convenient material it is also a mysterious disaster if prioritized for auxiliary purposes. In leadership, the citizenry should consider more the people’s integrity and competence to manage our resources and enhance effective service delivery aimed at a sustainable development momentum, contrary to salivating for short term handouts then start unnecessary complains just a while after elections. This is a primary concern which, if not addressed, may stop achieving sustainable peace. The electorates’ thirst for immediate gains rather than well structured enduring systems is a perfect recipe for chaos.

Yes, we all understand that planning for leadership positions to a greater extent requires some resources. My worry, however, is that  if money is the in thing,  should it be the  same resource one has to use in facilitating the planning or bribing the electorates’ sober mind of clear decision making? Again, if all who pocket much are always perceived as winners even before elections, then why can’t the electorates do advise the election governing body to pre-declare them earlier instead of letting others waste the little resources into the process? Voters still value pennies instead of the holistic understanding of what better leadership and governance mean for their lives. Can the real and natural Kibera youth stand up?

Written by:

Mr. Sigar James Agumba

PMC Member                   

This Was My Feeling....

There is a story which was collected in March by the project members that shows that a small incidence in elections, that saw a candidate lose, can wash away all the good work done by the PMC. It also showed that celebrations of election victory can make people forget the need for good neighbourliness. However, the flipside of the story also shows that there is an awareness of people taking a responsibility to desist from violence and engage in relative calm. From this stand point it is encouraging that individuals in Kibera had come to believe in the country systems which should provide dispute resolution mechanisms as witnessed with the acceptance of the Kenyan Supreme Court ruling on elections. It shows also that celebrations of election victory can make people forget the need for good neighbourliness.

The question it left begging for answers is whether there is a better platform where these issues can be addressed so as to unite people of different feelings living in Kibera. Below is the account as collected by Erick Owuor, a member of PMC, and told by John Kavoi, A Kambi Muru resident in Kibera people’s settlement:

“I have been having very positive thoughts about other ethnic communities especially after attending voter seminars organised by the “Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project.”  I first got involved as a participant in this voter education seminar at Kambi Muru where the main issues revolved around voting processes and peaceful co-existence. The most striking thing I had come to cultivate in this process is that I was developing very positive impression about other ethnic communities other than mine. I was convinced that Kenyan people had come to age especially when I saw an assembly of youth from different entities preaching one Kenya and united for a common cause.

Members of the Project Management Committee in a function

All these hopes came to change after the general election. After the elections I felt that my effort towards inter-ethnic tolerance was wasted since immediately after the announcement of the presidential results, most of those I reached out to were the one who were bragging on how that some ethnic communities in Kenya will never lead. The said people even went a step further and confirmed that even if the supreme court favour my favourite party, they will go on and fight it in the name of ethnicity! Sincerely, for the first time in my contact with the project, I vowed and took a commitment not to vote in a Kenyan election; Never!

My bitterness with certain ethnic communities is not likely to change any time soon. I wanted to restore it until others felt just too superior. I thought people would engage others in meaningful discussions after the elections but now it is about our ethnic community winning and you loosing. My only hope now is that the court ruling address the real issues of what happened during the election because as much as we try to work towards tolerance and peace building, tribalism and the feeling of “this is ours” is a burden we have not accepted to offload. My fear is that the same manifests every five years and the worse of it all is that some communities are more than certain that it is only them who can lead; only because of ethnicity.

As much as I appreciate the work of the project team, the Kenyan situation needs to go much more than elections made in boardrooms. Political players still call upon their tribes to destroy any change in elections. My fear is that people are resorting back to the old order. This may in essence end up destroying the spirit of people like us on democracy and fair elections. So many people will not vote in the next elections; this I can confirm to you if you want.”

The story has shown that the calmness experienced in Kibera after the elections cannot be equated to peace. Sustainable peace can only come when people feel justice has been achieved. The Kibera people have been given awareness and they believed that the Kenyan electoral system would work this time round. However, the failure of the electronic voter register which saw people revert back to the black book saw members of the society lose interest and believed their voting rights has been violated once again.

On the other side, those perceived to be winners celebrated and even asked rhetorical questions on why the other side could not steal votes. The essence is that there are two divides living together in Kibera and so many underlying issues left untouched. Kibera needs to be cohesive enough for meaningful development. This means that a platform of dialogue should be encouraged and meaningful reconciliation instituted.

Edited by Ramogi Osewe-PMC Member

Project is Funded by The European Union

Is Tolerance Enough?

“What do you do when someone steals your dream?” This was question posed by one Moses from Soweto West during the Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project held at Mashimoni Environmental Centre. To most Kenyans who supported the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy in the just concluded elections, the feeling is that their dreams were stolen. Another participant in the same forum added: “It is easy to see people resorting to violence because there is a gap that cannot be filled by anyone. True reconciliation only starts by solving the main problem.  There can never be peace if the bitter seed that was planted still exists”

It is now evident that the Kenyan election period passed but there are people who still hold grudges while others feel hurt, robbed and victimized. If you consider the way people express themselves on social media insulting and degrading each other, the truth is that we are yet to accept in full the outcome of the elections. People have even gone to the extent of not buying goods from shops of business owners belonging to specific tribes. Whereas it is normal to have feelings when one has lost or won, how one expresses these feelings is very important.

For starters, a dream that is broken can be likened to a river that meets an obstacle on its course. In the circumstances, the river never stops but circumvents the obstacle. This takes time, resilience and tact. For the people thinking their dream was stolen, it doesn't mean the end of life. Progress, in many a case, may only be delayed but not stopped. One may be angry at the person who has broken their dream and when that person is not there, this anger is likely to be taken out on another person. It is therefore important to be careful not to eliminate the person who has in no way been involved. One should maneuver the obstacles and find new opportunities along the way.

The end result is that in life you have to tolerate others. Give people a chance to air their opinion. It is a fact 

hat Kenya cannot move on without the people appointed in power, however, everyone should ensure that peace prevails. People should not shy off from saying which candidates they voted for. That does not mean that we all have to agree with each other’s choices but we should respect each other’s choice and opinion. This is summed up very aptly by one participant who added: “I think we should stop pointing our fingers on everybody else apart from ourselves. We can change right from the daily relations we have with people. For example, when we were asked to mingle here, this lady told me that I should not seat next to her if I support Uhuru. Though she said it jokingly it shows the extent to which tribalism has taken root in our lives.” That is the work on the hands of all residents in Kibera.

Story by: Ramogi Osewe

This project is sponsored by The European Union