Changing lives by teaching nonviolence
In East Africa, British Quakers are supporting Kenyan peace campaigners to change the core conditions that lead to violent conflict. Kenyans are teaching others different ways of life-changing nonviolence.
Quakers have long supported peace building and peace builders, internationally. As a result of the extreme violence in the elections in Kenya in 2007/2008 Quakers in Britain and Kenya worked together to design a nonviolence programme. Together with other peace activists, they started Turning the Tide (TTT) Kenya based on the TTT Britain model, run by Quaker Peace & Social Witness. Building on success, Kenya TTT subsequently took the TTT training in nonviolence campaigning to Rwanda and Burundi, where Quakers in Britain now also support teams, through funding and advice.
Benard Agona, TTT Kenya National Coordinator describes the task. “We work with grassroots community groups to identify and analyse social injustice issues, helping them to strategise and advocate for social change."
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The establishment of AfriNov is the culmination of a dream.
- Benard Agona, TTT Kenya National Coordinator
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TTT Kenya has just reached a key milestone: the team has set up its own organisation. Partly funded by Quakers in Britain, this is called the Africa Center for Nonviolence and Sustainable Impact known as AfriNov.
Agona explains the achievement, “From the inception of Turning the Tide Programme in Kenya, the dream was to have a local organisation that will spearhead the formation of a nonviolence movement in Kenya, that will see the achievement of TTT's goal of community ownership of nonviolence approaches. The establishment of AfriNov is the culmination of that dream."
AfriNov planned a series of launch events in Kenya, but these could not take place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile AfriNov has launched a new website that highlights the way communities can be transformed by grassroots training in nonviolence. Their stories are here:
Women leading community change in Nairobi
On Tuesday 30 June, AfriNov staff members Betty and Monicah will speak about their work as part of QPSW's summer series of webinars. Follow their experiences on Twitter, using #EastAfricaTTT
- This work was partly made possible through legacy funding from Quakers in Britain. In 2019 gifts left in wills enabled the delivery of core and new work that the Quaker community want to see happen. The gifts will help Quakers take action on the key issues of tomorrow. For more information about leaving a legacy to Britain Yearly Meeting, visit www.quaker.org.uk/legacy