The Network nonviolent communication, Darmstadt started a four weeks pilot project on Rusinga island in Lake Victoria in 2007.


 

Project owner:
Netzwerk Gewaltfreie Kommunikation Darmstadt-Südhessen e.V.

After the design of the training had proven to be effective one or two trainings were held annualy in:

10 places e.g. Mbita (3 villages), Nakuru, Eldoret, Nairobi und Mfangano, Mbuvo                        (Makueni), Karatina, Othora (Ndhiwa), Marsabit with

1200 participants (ca. 100 to 200 per year)

10 candidates for certification have been educated as trainers and coached 4 to 6 days per year.

 

Objective:

the participants are enabled to do conflict prevention and conflict reconcilation and then mediate and reconcile after two or three years in the private or public space.

 

Target groups:

Inhabitants of the islands of Rusinga and Mfangano as well as of the area from Mbita to
       Homa Bay - ca. 20.000 people

People in conflict areas: Marsabit, Nakuru, and Eldoret.

People in a slum in Nairobi and surrounding.

 

Cooporation with organisations

Kenya locally: administration police, Area Chiefs, School directors, the youth group U-turn for the slums in Nairobi, and local groups of women.

 

Kenya:  multiplicators who have a high thematic and methodic expertise in conflict prevention and have access to parts of the population at risk, Peace Ambassadors Kenya, PAK, a students´organisation and the peacegroup, Amanasie.

 

International: CNVC

The international Center for Nonviolent Communication organized two Internationale Intensive Trainings, IIT in Kenia;  2013 and 2017. This enabled the local trainers to qualify for certification and at the same time the international experts could verify that the applied training methods by us were appropriate. Meanwhile the first trainer in Kenya, Sam Odhiambo received his certification.

 

Results

The trainings received positive evaluation from the participants.

Additionally interviews are carried out during and after the trainings with participants as well as with their partners, with school directors and with the area chiefs.

 

During the reconciliation between two fighting tribes from Marsabit several participants reported that they had taken life and that they regret this: these people have not taken part in acts of violence again. Participants who suffered from violence or had lost relatives have forgiven the perpetrators in the seminars.

 

Sustainability

Our offer is aimed at the inner work of each individual leading to changes in bias and perspective: the other person is seen as a human being and not as a member of an hostile tribe. Thus the training contributes to an impact exceeding the personal level. The training is continuous and comprises separate modules.

 

Sustainability through: the networking of the Kenyan participants, repeated and intensive trainings, participation in exercise groups all through the year, by the frequent external trainings during a defined timeframe.

After the mediation and reconciliation in Marsabit an initiative of the Catholic dioceses financed cooporation among Borana and Rendille. The peace group Amanasie was founded.

 

Finances

The Network nonviolent communication, Darmstadt has private sponsors,
IBAN DE64 5085 0150 0000 7325 08.

BICHELADEF1DAS

This account pays for the premises of the trainings, sometimes for the food of the participants, and the flights of the trainers ( who donate the flights). As a rule no sitting allowances are given to the participants. The book-keeping is controlled by a tax accountant and the fiscal authorities.

 

Supporting projects: Since a sound income contributes to violence prevention we support some of our trainers and relatives by income generating measures. E.g. Well drilling, Truck drivers license, growing of mushrooms, rent out toilets etc.

Give me a fewchr, IBAN DE67 5085 0150 0042 0041 11

BIC  HELADEF1DAS

 

Identified success factors:

Offer trainings for 3 to 5 more years.

Stay in contact with the participants (we need smart phones and up to date PCs for Kenya)

Mutual support of the people locally in exercise groups.

 

Conflict prevention by social change

We want to offer advanced trainings before the national elections and use the experience of violence from people of different tribes.  We will support the participant to generate strategies to overcome these conflicts. The approaches are as diverse as:

·        Cooporation in breeding cattle

·        Drilling of wells

·        Common church service with people of different faith and confession

·        Common concerts of church choruses

·        Indication of youth from other regions into local families

·        Soccer matches for the youth

·        Peace walks