FAITH AND CONFLICT FOCUSING ON VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN AFRICA

Matthew 5:43 -44“You have heard that is has been said thou shall love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy.But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecutes you. ”

VISION “Rise up and reachout with the gospel of peace

to the oppressed, afflicted and hopeless. To bring back hope, peace, love and liberty to the captives in all nations”

MISSION STATEMENT

“To promote Spiritual, Physical, Social and Moral Rehabilitation of the society including the less privileged and offenders.”

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

1. INTRODUCTION OF THE PRESENTER AND ORGANIZATION HE LEADS

2. BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE ROLE OF FAITH AND RELIGION IN AFRICA

3. FAITH/ RELIGION AS A DRIVER OF PEACE EFFORTS IN AFRICA4. CURRENT EXTREMISM IN AFRICA5. DRIVERS OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM6. YOUTH AS PEACE BUILDERS7. ADVANTAGES OF FAITH/RELGIONS TO INFLUENCE THE PEACE

PROCESS8. WHO SHOULD BE USED TO COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM

(Recommended strategies)9. STRATEGIES LAID TO IMPLEMENT PEACE AND HARMONY IN THE

COMMUNITIES

1- INTRODUCTION

The presenter is Rev. Shalom Muwanguzi NyenjeChairman/ President/ Founder Shalom Evangelical and Prison Outreach Ministries

(SEPRIMI)

Senior Pastor – Shalom Fellowship Centre (SCF)

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering –Dusseldorf, West Germany (Germany)

Diploma in Clearing and Forwarding Institute of Business -Kampala

Diploma in Journalism UMCAT – Uganda

Centurion – Christian Worldview Transformational Teachings/ Mentorship programme

Institute of National Transformation INT (OAK SEED) - Uganda

Knowledge about Resource MobilizationInternational Workshops for

Resource Mobilization (iWRM)

Development Communication CourseMS-TCDC - (Technical Centre for

Development Cooperation) – Arusha Tanzania.

Engaged in research work at personal and Institutional level i.e Economic Policy

Research Centre (EPRC) Makerere University Kampala

Social Science Research Network i.e on Community Based Dispute Resolution byJames Coben, Empowering Students

Empowering Communities through Community-Based Learning and Civic Engagement:

The Case Study of Refugee Resettlement in Lancaster, Pa by

Susan Dicklitch - Franklin Dicklitch

Voice and Power and Humans Rights (Governance, Good service Delivery as a right MS –TCDC (Technical Centre for Development Cooperation ) – Arusha Tanzania

Diploma in Christian LeadershipWord of Faith Bible Institute

Currently, the Chairman/ President/Founder of the faith based NGO, Shalom Evangelical and Prison Outreach Ministries – SEPRIMI, registered in Uganda and operating in the Great Lakes Region areas of South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and soon DRC and Somalia. It commenced its work in February 2005

One of its objectives is to reconcile the aggrieved and offenders encouraging peace and conflict resolutions in the communities/ society.

The organization has been participating in peace and conflict resolution in the

North, Karamoja regions, which has been entangled in the civil strife and cattle rustling exercises in the region.

The conflict in Northern Uganda lasted for over 20 years and infrastructure was brought to nought as the people were displaced and placed in IDP camps (Internally Displaced Persons Camps) for safety from abduction of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) to beef up their ranks and the cross fire between UPDF and the LRA.

In the quest to reach out to the people, our organization began to carry out humanitarian assistance to suffering population in the camps by then. We also participated in the peace process in 2006 and are still engaged in the land disputes in the region as well as advocating construction of valley dams, food security and environment preservation to reduce the conflict between the pastoralists and peasants as a result of scarce resources.

2 - BREIF BACKGROUND OF THE ROLE OF FAITH AND RELIGION IN AFRICA

Africa has had enough of violent extremist acts performed in the name of Religion. Renown as a sanctuary of peace, ‘what really went wrong?’ These are some of the outstanding statements made by members of different religious organizations in an inter faith conference held in Kampala in August 2011, to respond to the increasing number of religiously motivated conflicts across Africa.

This Golden Rule Principle, was the key unifying factor at this historical conference. The adapted theme “The Role of religions to build peace, security and counter violent Extremism in Africa” was the driving force in which number of strategies were developed thereof. Our Organization which is a Faith Based NGO together with United Religious Initiative in Africa and Great lakes region strongly denounce violent extremism using religion.

3. FAITH/ RELIGION AS A DRIVER OF PEACE EFFORTS IN AFRICA

• Historically, our great grand fathers here in Africa, used various segmented Restorative Justice systems to reconcile, arbitrate, mediate and resolve conflicts in order to achieve sustainable peace for their communities. With globalization, Africa jumped on the band wagon for democratization based on mostly westernized values. Was Africa ready for this? Is Africa practicing and living these values? Or is it simply compliance without the actual gist of democracy?

• Religion both indigenous and foreign have the control tenets or principles that govern and link community relationships and these are not so different from the early African traditional community life. In Biblical terms we call them the horizontal principles that we use to relate with others.

Continuation……• In the book of Exodus chapter 20. The Bible for example has

4 commandments that deal with the vertical relationships with our God and the remaining 6 out of the 10 commandments all deal with our horizontal relationships with others. This shows you the importance that God placed on horizontal relationship which are built on the four pillars or building blocks of

• Love• Trust• Honor/Respect• Knowledge of what you require in building a good relationship

• The Golden Rule which is appreciated by all religious/ faith

backgrounds, spiritual expressions and indigenous backgrounds, represents one of the key models for ensuring peace and justice in the communities.

• “It affirms treating the others the way we want to be treated. It is manifested in spiritual writings of many religious traditions, indigenous cultures and secular philosophies as a fundamental principle of the life and the foundation on which moral values and ethics is founded”

Ambassador Mussie Haillu -URI, African DirectorQuoting the Bible; Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him – Thou shall love the Lord thy God

with all thy soul and with all thy mind 38. This is the first and great commandment 39. and the second is like unto it. Thou shall love thy

neighbor as thy self”

4. CURRENT EXTREMISM IN AFRICA• The Lord’s Resistance Army of Joseph Kony in Northern Uganda, the Al

Shabab in Somalia, Boko Haram of Nigeria, the ethnic militias in Rwanda and Congo, The Allied Democratic Forces ADF in DR Congo, Mali’s Tuaregs, are just a few of the leading (extremism/ terrorists) in Africa robbing it of peace.

• No one seems to understand the reasons that fuel such violent acts. The conflict between the LRA and government forces (UPDF) claimed over 600,000 people and over 2.5 million people, were sent to Internally Displaced Persons camps (IDPs). Where they were not able to access most of the social services by destruction of infrastructure for over 20 years.

• You take the case of Somalia, where clan wars degenerated into civil conflict that led to a failed state, making the country a source of small arms distributions in the region for the lack of control, as most of the arms ended up in the hands of bandits in Turkana, Samburu i.e where 42 service men were ambushed and killed in Baragoi valley in Kenya, Karamoja cattle rustling, Pokot, Bari Mening and Toposa in South Sudan fueling cattle rustling in the region, Thank God for the AU forces intervention and UPDF disbarment exercise in Karamoja though it is a short term measure since the problem is both external and internal, lasting solutions should be found.

Continuation….

• In Uganda and other African countries, such selfish acts are built on the torn social fabric aggrieved by among others, despair, tribalism (politics of the noses; those with sharp Hamitic noses and those with big and flat bantu and Nilotic noses), exclusion, social economic frustrations, lawlessness, social injustice, marginalization, political dictatorship of colonial and post independence and current regimes and western imperialism, radical Islamism etc.

• As these social injustices continue to haunt Africa states, so are the desperate mechanism used to achieve the goals of the perpetuators of such violent extremism.

5. DRIVERS OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM

• As Africa and the rest of the globe grapple with pull and push factors underlying violent extremism, there is need for collective efforts to divulge the selfish interests of minority groups that are turning religion in as a weapon for martyrdom and political affluence strategies.

• We need to know that the drivers of violent extremism more so those linked to religion are multifaceted and need not to be taken on the surface; they should be addressed from the deeper point of view reaching the roots. i.e Recently a Nazi flag was flown at full mast in one of the police stations of the Palestinian government. What message does that send to Israel?

The recently deposed Egyptian president Morsi recently sent a message to Ethiopia warning of military action if they continued to build the dam on River Nile and he warned other down streamed nations if they did the same. Is that not extremism threat at nation level?

An existing school Structure in Okojo where our Organization is going to build Primary Secondary and

Vocational/ Technical Inst.

Current existing classroom in Northern Uganda, devasted by the LRA/UPDF war in Northern Uganda

6. YOUTH AS PEACE BUILDERS• The youth in Africa and elsewhere, are the targets in every violent

undertaking, they are forced into labour, military recruitment, used to disrupt peace and political rallies and many other conflict based acts.

• The Al Shabab which means the young or the youth, Joseph Kony’s child soldiers, NRA’s Kadogos and other related child captors are examples of how the youth energies have been exploited to advance the selfish interests of violent extremists and dictators on the continent.

• Despite the negative mentality this can cause, our organization Shalom Evangelical and Prison Outreach Ministries (SEPRIMI) and other Inter Faith Organizations do believe, that peace building initiatives should deliberately target and involve the youth as they play an important role which is unique. Physical examples are the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. These are very fresh in our minds and their neglect can result in their recruitment into extremism camps (They become vulnerable).

A youth conference at Four Square Church in 2010, hailed at Pabbo Amuru District in Northern Uganda – Spiritual Initiative to reach the youth

7. ADVANTAGES OF THE FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS/RELIGIONS

• The advantages of the faith and religious organizations are that they command a big following of those who believe in their faith. Unfortunately they have always been bypassed by governments and donors of international agencies neglecting their influence and role in changing communities.

• Let us take an example of Uganda Demographic figures. Uganda currently has an estimated 34.8 million people

according to 2010/2011 (Uganda National Household Survey –UNHS based on the population secretariat. (UBoS).

Christianity constitute 86% of the total population of which;

Continuation…………..

• Catholics - 44.8%• Anglicans - 35.6%• Muslims - 12.1%• Pentecostals - 4.6%• SDA/Hindu- 1.0%• Others - 0.09%• Total - 100%

• When you look at these figures, you realize the advantages of the faith/religion, when these numbers are well mobilized and put to use positively, a lot can be achieved through them including awareness programs on other issues like;– Homosexuality/ lesbianism/ drug and substance abuse, prostitution etc– Unemployment– HIV/AIDS Awareness– Health programs– Civic education– Good governance and service delivery, transparency and accountability.– Observation of human rights and democracy.– Poverty Eradication through skills development and empowerment– Environmental protection and preservation through planting trees and

seeking alternative sources of energy from wood fuel (biomass) which is used by 90% of the population in Africa

8. WHO TO USE TO COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM

• In order to reverse and counter the violent extremists in the regions of Africa, we need man power and human resources to work with to fulfill this objective. They are;– Religious Organization FBOs– Religious leaders– Civil servants/ governments/ politicians, opinion leaders.– Security Agencies– The youth through arts and entertainment (Music Dance Drama) and sports

outreaches– Women and other members of the community.– Corporate organizations.– Social media –TV, FM Stations both in local and foreign languages, internet

and print media etc to create awareness and sensitize the people about the evil.

9. STRATEGIES LAID TO IMPLEMENT PEACE AND HARMONY IN THE COMMUNITIES a) Need to strengthen religion on the continent to work with the Africa

Union and National governments in advancing for peace, security, reconciliation, justice and countering violent extremism in Africa.

b) Need to affirm commitment to peace building through regional networks and establishments that encourage the use of religion for peaceful means and not otherwise i.e faith and religious MPs to be nominated as representatives on African Union AU, Eastern African Community etc.

c) Commitment to addressing the root causes of these conflicts their different contexts which involve tribalism, racial differences in tension Politics, Religion etc.

d) Leaders to address societal needs and grievance that hurt communities that make them susceptible to violent acts sometimes against their will.

e) Call upon governments in Africa to address youth issues with special emphasis to

skills/access to Education Unemployment Moral Decadency, working with Faith organizations to restore them

Such as homosexuality/ lesbianism, drug/substance abuse, rising crime due to poor parenting and prostitution etc

CONTINUATION…………

f. Have a cohesive approach working together as Faith Religious based in an effort to build peace in Africa.

g. Cultivate African values among our people. Doing away with the bad and retaining the good traditions. i.e female genital mutilation (FMG), domestic violence connected to tradition (treating women as slaves) and child abuse.

h. Have early warning response initiatives that deter violent extremism in their countries and on the African continent.

i. Infuse development communication strategies i.e media, both print and electronic, FM stations, to stop and avoid the wide dissemination of stereotypes and biased images and promote better understanding between different cultures and religions.

j. Encourage the communities to live in peace and harmony regardless of their different faith backgrounds as good neighbors implementing the golden principle.

k. Attend more conferences and workshops to acquire information on conflict resolution and how to avoid them.

L. Governments increase budgetary allocations in agriculture/ livelihood/ food security, water hygiene and sanitation sectors, through construction of Dams to deter nomadic movements/ pastoralism which triggers cattle rustling and clashes with other communities.

m. Increase resources for environmental protection through tree planting awareness program. Alternative sources of energy i.e biogas, mini dams , solar systems to reduce the felling of trees as the main source of energy which has brought about environmental degradation and conflict among tribes as they struggle to live on the remaining meager resources and fertile soils.

n. Another manifestation has been between man and nature for encroaching of the wetlands and forests which has resulted in floods and famines which lead to loss of lives.

o. Availability of financial resources to facilitate programmes like the Youth preventive programme, skills development, providing for scholarship and tuition for students to attend vocational training and tertiary institutions with construction of technical and vocational schools as a long term measure and supporting, agriculture, livelihoods/food security and to support small kick start loans for the youth to address unemployment.

Additional Recommendations

In a bid to enable communities in the intestate dry lands to address the above challenges, a number of frameworks, initiatives and protocols have been agreed at continental and regional levels.

These initiatives include the following• African Union Restoration Policy Framework• The East African Common Market Protocol• The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme

(CAADP)• The IGAD Drought Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRS) and• The Livestock for Livelihoods project under the auspice of the African

Union Inter –Africa Bureau of Animal Resources. This is a strategy for the pastoralists communities in the region,

looking at their complex challenges and acting as a source of instability in regions of Africa.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO MEGOD BLESS YOU ALL

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount with wings as eagles” Isaiah 40:31