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FOR

Burnt Forest Lights Up With Activities For Peace

SPREADING THE PEACE MESSAGE Peace-Net Kenya in collaboration with Kenya Land Alliance held several activities in Burnt Forest to mark the end of a two month project supported by both organizations in the area.

The project was initiated in January 2013 after a participatory research on land conducted by Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) in February 2012.

The Peace Day activities held in Kamuyu, Burnt Forest on February 21st - 22nd not only marked the project’s completion but also provided an opportunity to sensitize the community on conflict resolution, peaceful coexistence and land ownership rights.

A group of artists working with Sarakasi Trust in Nairobi also attended the event. They held a workshop emphasizing the need to collaborate in order to enhance peace.

KEEN FACES: participants actively follow proceedings during the event

Participants discover the secret of being fit during the physical excercise workshop.

Even elderly had fun too...

“Calm down please! Don’t fight! TThere are better ways ys of handling h ng g the th t problem...”

Arne Kohls PeaceNet leads ohls (left) eft) from f Peace Pea Peac discussions sions and activities ties to demonstrate how conflicts can an occur in the prop community and the appropriate ways of handling them.

EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY KLA’s Legal Assistant Ishmael Wanjema (above) leads participants through a session on land which included discussions on women land ownership rights, land reform process in Kenya, land acquisition process and the sanctity of land title deed.

They all gathered at Kamuyu! The youth, th the elderly, y, women, w children hildren enn - tthey thronged to the on t hhad ha ravaged aggeed th mee in 2007. Their journey too transtra str s venue for the peace day activities. Conflict their home onn ha hhad been eenn long llong. Thanks kss tto PeaceNet, P Net, Kenya ya Land Lan Alliance Allia and other non-state ac ctors orss or formation actors ng inn tthe area, they hey ey hhave now learnt rnt hhow to deal with with con co conflicts nnflic fflilicct cts w cts nce. cee working without resorting to violence.

Listen to their voices ...

I NOW know the process of acquiring land, thanks to KLA trainings. It is not about going to the chief and signing a piece of paper to conclude the deal or using illegal means like land grabbing.

Tabitha Mwangi, 33

I ALSO thank PeaceNet‘s efforts through Sauti Mashinani project in promoting peace and preventing conflict in this region. As a result of the training, I have a great relationship with my neighbors who now cordially refer to me as ‘shemeji’ (aunt).

It is now my responsibility to spread the message of peace elsewhere in the region, now that I have been empowered with necessary knowledge and skills.

WE ARE now living peaceffully ll with our Kikuyu Kiku ks to the neighbors, thanks interventions off non st statestateactors lik like PeaceNet and enya Land d Alliance.

Alliance Kenya

san Jerop Ronoh Susan

I think we need to encourage such activities that bring people together and emphasize on dialogue in solving conflicts rather than resorting to violence.

To enhan enhance long lasting asting peace pea however; PeaceNet ho PeaceN t and d other ther partners should focus on the region all the time r ime and not just during season. uring election season se sea I have personally benefitted from the initiatives. I am now a peace maker, able to actively encourage dialogue among community members for peaceful coexistence.

“It is fun to enlighten people about the importance of peace in an entertaining way. We are glad to be part of this important process. �

- Muhamed Salim

I AM now in good terms with my Kalenjin neighbors, thanks to your trainings on peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution. Unlike in the past, we are now visiting each other to share ideas on how to improve our lives.

Ru

42

Keep up the good work. In order to achieve long lasting peace in this area, we have learnt to live together as a family and overlook our ethnic differences. We should also not allow politicians to incite and divide us.

th W

h a Mait

a,

You have so far helped us a lot - it is now our responsibility to share the gained knowledge and skills with others to enhance peace in our region.

SO FAR, I ha have learnt n th that hat whenever er we allow our ourselves to fight ight ea each e other, we aree the ones who suffer most.

It is therefore peace. To encourage di dialogue and no not ore uupon us to ppreach peace ot violence in solving olving our problems. th t ou these esee trainings, t ainin ining I am a peace build ennsiti myy com I am glad thatt through builder - able to sensitize community members against engaging in violence. ncce.

John h Wandera

WHENEVER violence erupts, we all suffer regardless of our backgrounds.

Dialogue is therefore essential and should therefore be encouraged.

Cecilia Njambi, 24 (Farmer)

AS A village elder in this area, I have witnessed tremendous improvement since you started your trainings here.

You have helped a lot in binding the community together - it is now common to find Kikuyus and Kalenjins jointly wo working together. Since peace making is a continuous process, you should not only focus on this area during the ele elections season but all the time. It is also our own responsibility to preach peace everywhere in the villages, all the time.

Henry H He eenry nry K Kibe, ibe, 770 0

KENYA LAND ALLIANCE and PeaceNet Kenya would like to thank the people in Lingwai, Kamuyu, Ndungulu, Barakeiywo, Kuiyat, Rironi/Kaplelach, Rukuini and Kagongo farms in Burnt Forest for their active participation in our projects.

THE FIELD STAFF especially the CPS advisors from KLA and PeaceNet appreciated the hospitality and the warm welcome. We were asked not only to come before elections and we have understood the message and we will surely be back!

Kenya Land Alliance P.O. Box 2177 20100 Nakuru – Kenya www.kenyalandalliance.or.ke

THE PARTICIPATORY action research done by KLA and the collaborative project on conflict prevention done by KLA and PeaceNet Kenya was supported by the Civil Peace Service a program of the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit).

Peace and Development Network Trust (PeaceNet Kenya) P.O.Box 49806-00100 Nairobi, Kenya www.peacenetkenya.or.ke

Photography & Layout: Silvano Ateka / PEACENET-KENYA