| | Women for Peace in Karamoja
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For the past two years I have been working with an interreligious group of leaders, undertaking peace initiatives. In the beginning, together with a Comboni sister, we formed groups of about ten women from each parish in the Matheniko and Bokora zones, two ethnic groups who are traditional enemies. At first, it was not easy for these women to meet and reflect on peace issues, and it was difficult to persuade their husbands and sons to stop raiding for cows. The first hours of our meetings took place in a hostile atmosphere. Little by little, we decided to meet in different locations. The group who welcomed the others also had to prepare the meetings. The walls of hostility began to collapse and we were able to have friendly meetings in which the centuries-old friendships of long ago began to revive Recently, the group of Leaders, called Monarlip (Moroto Nakapiriprit Leaders Initiative for Peace ) received approval of its statutes. This group has a protestant pastor as president. The vice-president is the leading Khadi of the Moslems of the zone, and the treasurer is a Catholic priest. There are also four women representatives of the various groups. I represent the women of the Catholic Church. The meetings of the executive are not always easy. The differences of theology make themselves felt. We try to accept these and go ahead with what unites rather than what separates us. The fact that a group such as ours goes ahead with enthusiasm and tries to collaborate is in itself a witness to harmony and peace. Now the fears of Al-Qaeda reach us, but these Moslems are simple persons, without any prejudices imported from outside the country. Before being registered with the government as a small NGO, we had done a lot of work together. Our aim is to change a hostile and violent mentality by a culture of peace. We had campaigned in the two districts of Moroto and Nakapiriripirit, going in groups of twos and threes from one zone to the other. We used large posters showing the causes of violence which need to be eradicated as teaching material. We offered formation sessions to groups of different generations, both to women and to men. Then we led a course to fifty teachers from the parishes. They chose the participants among themselves, including ten imams and men and women of other denominations, such as Anglican and Pentecostal. We ourselves, the team of Monarlip and some volunteers who also participated completed the number. It was impressive on the first day to see the whole group working together with the others who had been chosen. The work was intensive. It lasted three weeks, going from one village to the other, sharing with the people what we had prepared. Participants composed their own songs to accompany the posters, and soon everyone was singing the moral of the story along with us as a refrain. There were moments when I felt we were returning to the times of the minstrels because of the methods used, which are totally in keeping with this very simple context. At present we are preparing a radio programme with the group of women. We have been asked to make use of songs and drama (even though it is not for TV, which perhaps will come later.) Last week, we had the first meeting with all the groups together. This took place here at Naoi. It was charming to see all these women relating to one another, without fear or prejudice. The Muslims with their veils and ornaments on their noses, the Anglican women in union with them by wearing a kind of African uniform, ours, rural women, full of wisdom and enthusiasm... We made a lot of progress in putting in common what each group could contribute to the peace programme. We will spoke in depth of the rituals led by women for sending men to war, of the rejoicing that takes place when they bring home the booty. We did this through role play and songs. The message of one song is that a group of women is greater exerts a far greater influence than just on woman. We will have another session at a later date. The objective of this program is to sensitize the population about the causes of the violence which is an integral part of life in Karamoja. A clear example in this polygamous society: a father marries several wives and uses the family cows for dowry. His son has to wait his turn, until the father does not marry again. The son, frustrated, can kill his father in order to use the cows as dowry for his own marriage. During the course, four pictures showing scenes of Karimojong life were shown, explained and discussed. Every person (not only the fifty teachers but also the grass roots people who were trained by the group) was given the leaflet containing the four pictures. The idea was for them, in turn, to show the pictures and spread the word when they returned home. In the many miles I traveled, either on foot or by car, with these “peace companions”, we met the many an old man or woman with a book under the arm, going out to teach as well. One charming example was the sight of two old illiterate women going to sit in the midst of a group of men under their tree.) They had their leaflets and were “teaching” the men. I tell you, change is coming about in Karamoja! Women, some time back would never approach the men sitting under their tree. They usually gather there to plan raids! These women were showing the men how to avoid violence and become instruments of peace. Another facet of my work is the formation of women leaders from the rural areas, who in turn will teach other women what they themselves have learnt in their formation. When they have finished their work in the fields, they are going to begin teaching in the villages, in their families and in their work places. There is no doubt that we have begun a process, but it is far from finished. We are convinced that with time, little by little the mentality will change into a culture of peace. May our God of all creeds hear our plea for a change of heart in us all so that our world of violence may gradually be transformed into his reign of peace. Paulina Lopez-Ridruejo rscj
Province of Uganda-Kenya |
