Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight. I’m Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
The sound of music and laughter fills the air in the Wajir district of Northern Kenya. People talk, dance, and eat nice food! At the centre of their wedding celebrations are the new husband and wife. People from different tribes celebrate together. For a while, they almost forget the troubles and divisions of their land. In one corner, a group of women are talking about their lives. They agree that Wajir is not really a safe place. It is a place of conflict. The women discuss their concerns about their children’s future. They discuss how they wish for change. Then, they start to discuss how they could be involved in creating change. Here, in the middle of a wedding, begin the first steps towards an amazing peace process. In today’s Spotlight programme, we tell the story of the women of Wajir.
Voice 2
Wajir is in north-eastern Kenya. It is near the borders of Somalia and Ethiopia. Fighting from these countries has often spread into Wajir. Also, a lack of rainfall and natural resources has caused much fighting. In the fight to survive, people have injured and killed members of other tribes. Over time, different issues have caused the divisions - and made them deeper. In 1992, the Kenyan government declared Wajir to be in a state of emergency. It was in this situation that the women of Wajir decided to act.
Voice 1
Dekha Ibrahim was one of the key women involved in the Wajir peace process. She explained how it began:
Voice 3
‘At this time, I was in a group of women attending a local wedding. We discussed the fact that we could attend a wedding together. But we could not visit each other’s houses. This was because of the tribal conflicts. I and three other women decided to do something. We decided to work to bring peace and security back to our community.’
Voice 1
These women began by visiting the educated women in Wajir town. They visited women from all the different tribal groups. Then, they organised a meeting for ‘all women in Wajir who love peace.’ The first meeting was in July 1993. Over sixty women attended. These included women from the towns and the country areas. Dekha remembers,
Voice 3
‘This meeting was very emotional. It concentrated on the power that women had. We had the power to either make the violence continue. Or we had the power to bring peace to Wajir.’
Voice 1
The women decided to start the peace process in the market. The market was central to everyone’s survival. But it had become an unsafe place to trade. Dekha said;
Voice 3
‘Women refused to buy or sell to members of other tribes. This often included their husband’s relations. A number of fights happened. Several women were injured. And conflict increased in the market place.’
Voice 1
So, the women formed a special group. This group would watch the market. Whenever arguments started, the group would act quickly. Anyone causing trouble had to report to the group. The group chose the name 'Wajir Women for Peace', or WWP.
Voice 2
The WWP met every day for over a month with the market women. They dealt with all the issues of conflict in the market. Dekha remembers,
Voice 3
‘The market women used to say, “The men start the violence, but we and our children suffer”.’
Voice 2
Soon, many women joined the new peace group. And fighting at the market stopped. Peaceful trading began.
Voice 1
However, outside of the market, the fighting continued. The women saw that they needed to get the whole community involved. They began with the young men who were working within the community and government. The women managed to win their support. Then, together, they began a work for young people. They visited schools. And they persuaded young people to avoid violence.
Voice 2
Another important step in the peace process was to work with the elders - the older men in charge of the tribes and clans. The women knew that this would not be easy. So, they split into smaller groups. And each group went to their own tribal elders first. Then they managed to organise a meeting for elders from the different tribes. At the meeting, the elders discussed some serious questions - like 'Why really are we fighting? Who is gaining from this?’ The elders met several times. Then they formed their own group ‘Elders for Peace.’
Voice 1
After some time, all community groups became involved in the women’s peace process. In 1994, they formed ‘the Wajir Peace and Development Committee' - or WPDC. This larger group included the women from the market, the elders for peace, the youth for peace and local religious leaders!
Voice 2
Since its beginning, the Women’s Peace group has worked to stop many conflicts in Wajir. In particular, it has worked to build bridges between Muslims and Christians in the area. Today, Wajir district is not free from troubles. But the women’s peace group has succeeded where other efforts have failed. This may be because the women do not try to enforce laws from a high position. Instead, they work together at community level. Dekha said,
Voice 3
‘The peace method we have used is to heal the relationship between the victim and the offender. It is to see the pain of both. We do this through many group talks ... This is where the beauty of working for peace is. It is trying to find solutions together.’
Voice 1
The Women’s Peace group also works to make sure that people know how easily peace can be destroyed. Dekha describes peace as ‘fragile' - like an egg. The egg was a symbol of the fragile nature of peace. Dekha said,
Voice 3
‘Peace needs to be cared for. If we take care of one egg, maybe one day it will become a bird. But if you break the egg, the bird inside will die. We need to care for peace. Then it can bring results’.
Voice 2
The story of the Women of Wajir has now spread to other countries. It has encouraged and empowered other victims of violence. It has shown them that everyone has the tools for peace. They just need to learn how to use them.
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