Mediators Beyond Borders International

“The more you know, the more you are able to change your community.” Peacebuilder Spotlight: Colins Imoh

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Colins Edozie Imoh, Nigeria-Based Mediator, was interviewed by Byron Wild, MBBI Writer, on April 22, 2018

Colins is a consultant with MBB and has contributed to projects in Nigeria, Kenya, Benin, Guyana, Sierra Leone and other parts of the world. Outside of MBB, he consulted for Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Nigeria in designing the training manual and program for Open Minds, Young Voices – Youth Activists Programme of FES Nigeria. He was the pioneer Project manager for the PIND / Chevron project Partners for Peace program in the Niger Delta. He was the advocacy consultant for the Search for Common Ground’s “Tomorrow is a New Day,” a project that support stability in the Niger Delta region by promoting a culture of nonviolence. Recently he completed a training manual on gender sensitive early warning for an EU, UNWOMEN, IPCR, UNICEF, WANEP project in Northern Nigeria.  Colins’ deep motivation to serve the people of Nigeria inspired him to embark on the journey of formal peacebuilding work.

Colins grew up in Nigeria and observed the complicated effects of the oil industry on the local communities. While there were oil jobs for some, poverty and marginalization were, and still are, rampant. He first worked as an engineer within the oil industry and saw the extreme poverty firsthand. Just a few miles from the comfortable and modernized facilities for company workers, there were communities lacking electricity, clean water, and access to work.

While as an engineer, Colins was a community activist and a youth leader. Soon later, he was invited to Cape Town for a summit of young activists from around Africa. There, he received the invitation to work for the United Nations for Youth in the Netherlands as the Africa Desk Coordinator. He left behind his short-lived career as an engineer and became a full-time peacebuilder, working in the UNOY office in Netherlands. “There’s more joy in helping communities work for peace,” he succinctly put it.

Colins took care to illustrate that at all these key junctures of his life journey it was his commitment to remain open to new experiences and his desire to learn as much as possible that propelled him forward. “The more you know, the more you are able to change your community.” Colins has traveled and supported, connected, and empowered youth across Africa in their community development efforts. 

His work revolves around the concept of conflict transformation, a dynamic and holistic approach that focuses on addressing the roots of conflict and strengthening and healing relationships within the community. Traditional conflict management techniques play a role in this, but deeper work is required to transform Nigeria, a country plagued by endemic violence, poverty, and environmental degradation. At the root is the government’s inability to intervene positively in the daily lives of its citizens. He centers his efforts on citizen empowerment and education. As part of the Center for Human Development and Social Transformation, Colins promotes citizen dialogue about peace and good governance. He coordinated and facilitated a weekly radio show that ran continuously for 6 years. Capacity-building and grassroots work to educate citizens about the rule of law and the democratic process creates the foundation for a stable and peaceful society.

It’s not easy to keep people’s spirits up in the face of the violence endemic in parts of Nigeria. Colins does not see violence as part of human nature, but as a response to circumstances. “People feel helpless, which leads to desperation and violence. If we see it from this perspective, the blame stops.”

One of the primary obstacles Colins faces in his work is convincing people that peace is the best option for immediate survival and ongoing community development. “The issue is that people in power dominate people without power: the people who are dominated look to violence as a form of leverage.”

A second obstacle is finding reliable and ongoing sources of funding. The priorities of aid organizations can change and suddenly resources evaporate.

Colins continues to work with African youth, exhorting them to see themselves as architects of the future of their communities and countries. His advice to all young peacebuilders: above all else, strive for openness.

Be open: “Each time one encounters a new experience, the openness with which one imbibes that experience affects how one sees the world. As we journey through life, being open helps us to see the world through a different lens. Our openness to see things from the other person’s perspective changes us and affects the work we do.”

Start with Yourself: “First of all, peacebuilding is an opportunity to change ourselves. We have to start with ourselves.”

Don’t take yourself so seriously: “If we can let go of ourselves and our egos just a little bit, we will appreciate people more and we can make the world a better place.”

Don’t be neutral: “As mediators, our role is to be neutral, but we can’t be neutral in the face of injustice because we want peace.”

A Message from Ruby Khalifa, ITI Southeast Asia

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We, The Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN), emphasize that the suicide bombings that occurred in several churches in Surabaya are NOT part of Islamic teachings. Damaging places of worship is clearly forbidden in Islamic teachings, as described in Surah Al-Hajj verse 40, to protect places of worship of any religion from violent and irresponsible acts. Because this is not part of Islamic teachings, it is important for all Muslims to strongly voice their disapproval of terrorism in various forms of publicly accessible media. As the majority population of Indonesia, we cannot sit still and tolerate the development of terrorism in Indonesia. 
 
AMAN Indonesia strongly condemns the instrumentalization  of the female body for suicide bombings, especially for reasons of empowerment. The terrorist’s female empowerment propaganda is spreading a false sense of awareness and clearly violates women’s right to life.
 
AMAN Indonesia fully supports the Indonesian National Police to take necessary security measures, and to take firm action against the perpetrators who are clearly involved in this terrorist act.
 
AMAN Indonesia appreciates the work of the ministries and networks in providing help to the bomb victims, and supporting them economically and socially in the long-term. It is important for the state to provide justice for the victims of terrorism. 
 
AMAN Indonesia calls for all users of social media to trust in formal news sources that are reliable, and to avoid controversial debates that are unnecessary and could potentially divide us. This act of terror has clearly taken innocent victims. They were men, women and children that were in the act of worship. Stop spreading photos of victims or information that is not clear, this spreads the sense of fear that is desired by the terrorist groups.
 
AMAN Indonesia encourages civil society and interfaith organizations to cooperate against all forms of terror acts, including all efforts to purposely develop terrorism in Indonesian. We encourage society to empathize with the victims of the bombs and their families for a thorough and long-term recovery. 
 
Ruby Kholifah, Country Representative of AMAN Indonesia

Scaling-Up the Peace Building Work: MBBI-NY

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Brad Roth, Chair of Mediators Beyond Borders International-New York, was interviewed by Byron Wild, MBBI Writer, on March 5, 2018

MBBI-NY is one of Mediators Beyond Borders International’s most stalwart and active Regional Groups. Founded in 2011 by Brad Roth and Patricia Araujo, MBBI-NY has been a model of consistency, innovation, and dedication to building local skills for peace and promoting mediation worldwide. Brad is the current Chair of MBBI-NY and has been leading the it’s events in partnership with Professor Maria Volpe of John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  

On the first Tuesday of nearly every month since 2011, MBBI-NY has hosted meetings that are open to the public at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Hundreds of lawyers, students, and other professionals interested in learning more about mediation-related initiatives, both domestic and abroad, have attended MBBI-NY’s meetings. In those meetings, MBBI-NY provides updates on MBBI’s international projects and helps those who are interested in becoming involved take the next steps and join MBBI’s work.

Being a conduit for New York and New Jersey residents to connect with MBBI’s international work is only one focus of MBBI-NY. Over the years since its founding MBBI-NY has capitalized on the international diversity of New York City to develop two unique initiatives. Their goal was to find ways for residents of New York and New Jersey to engage in rewarding, local projects with international ramifications.

The first initiative helped strengthen MBBI’s presence and advocacy at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.  The group attended meetings and conducted research related to MBBI’s special consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council. As a result, members have a greater access, influence, and involvement in the council’s work to advance sustainable development worldwide. As well, those affiliated with MBBI-NY became involved with the Commission on the Status of Women. You can find out more about MBBI’s work at the UN here.

MBBI-NY’s second initiative is with diaspora communities in New York City, specifically the Liberian Diaspora project. At the invitation of the Liberian diaspora community, MBBI-NY has partnered with John Jay College of Criminal Justice to offer free mediation training and workshops to Liberian community members in New York City. These training and workshops have helped build mediation capacity in the diaspora community on US soil as well as inform how members of that community engage in their home country.

This project is the fruition of several years of work and Brad emphasized the importance of taking enough time for relationship-building: “We want our work to be authentic. Rather than coming in and saying what we think should happen, we want to see what the needs and interests of the diaspora community are and if they match with what MBBI-NY could offer.”

Brad is currently co-authoring with Maria Volpe an article on the Liberian Diaspora Initiative for publication in the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. “We think this project is ripe for duplication,” he said. “It’s about scaling up and finding the people power we need to do this work with other communities.” Through this kind of collaboration and equal partnership with diaspora communities, Brad feels MBBI-NY can have a significant impact and provide opportunities for locals to engage in meaningful work.

We’re a growing and evolving initiative seeking to co-create with those who are also interested in effecting local and international change.

In addition to continuing diaspora community work, UN advocacy, and hosting public meetings, MBBI-NY leadership hopes to connect with like-minded organizations to provide a platform to amplify their message. A recent example of this kind of collaboration: MBBI-NY and John Jay College of Criminal Justice co-sponsored several CitizenDEMOS events. You can find out more about CitizenDEMOS’ mission to revitalize democratic citizenship through publicly offering facilitated dialogues and mediation practices and training here.

“We Turn The Pages On Many Conflicts” Peacebuilder Spotlight: Richard Tanto

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Richard Tanto, Mediator and Consultant with  MBB Consulting, was interviewed by Kayla Elson, MBBI Writer, on March 20, 2018

Very early in my life, I lived in a community where there was a certain church conflict in which my own parents were involved, and which directly affected my performance in school.  Teachers were terminated as a result and students were abandoned.  I began to wonder how to manage relations so that we don’t get really negative consequences on the children.

Richard Tanto is an ardent advocate of mediation.  With over 20 years of rich peacebuilding experience, his passion for mediation and dreams for his home country, Cameroon, shine through his words. Motivated by his personal experience, Richard dedicated his academic pursuits to improving responses to conflict.  Attaining a PhD in History from the University of Yaounde in Cameroon, his dissertation analyzed conflict within the Cameroon Baptist Convention – the same conflict that impaired his education as a child.

Upon graduating, Richard was recruited by Ecumenical Service for Peace in Cameroon and has worked at the organization ever since.  Upon employment, he received conflict management training.  He also seized opportunities for advanced training in Norway and in South Africa.  With this training, Richard emphasizes, “As a mediator, you approach things differently and people will begin to wonder what is happening to your life.”

With this transformative perspective, Richard equips communities to build peace: “The problem is not just solving the conflict, it is also giving the means to live without getting back into the conflict.”  As a lead coordinator of programs in the Northwest and West regions of Cameroon, Richard trains community leaders to resolve intercommunal problems. He and his team also work alongside communities to develop action plans around land conflicts.  Through these interventions, he affirms, “We turned the page on many conflicts and opened the page for collaboration.”

Richard marvels at the compelling testimonies he hears of how conflict management trainings have restored relationships.  Marriages have been repaired.  Communal trust has been built.  Such positive feedback emboldens Richard continually. After two decades as a practitioner, Richard reflects on some of the hardships:  

When I look back, at first, we were told that we would not be able to do it.  But eventually, the community leaders we trained helped traditional leaders understand that what we were bringing was good for them.  From a position where they didn’t want to see me, some traditional leaders started inviting us to come and talk to them.”

Amidst both, the hardships of skeptical or exploitative actors and the joys of touching lives, Richard finds a deep love for his work. “The greatest motivation is the fact that you are able to meet people at their point of need,” He reflects. He Continues: “You restore, and you see how communities become vibrant.  There is nothing to pay you for that kind of service.”

Joining MBB Consulting in 2016, Richard has actively shared his expertise towards situations in South Sudan and Nigeria.  He is also involved in designing strategies to address exploitative conflicts in the mining sector and foster partnership between communities and private companies.  To him, the power of mediation lies in taking conflict as an opportunity. He explains: “Mediation empowers you to make your own decisions… mediation supports a more sustainable resolution of a conflict… And it is not confined by any law.  It is creative.”

As a member of the Board of Directors for Ecumenical Service for Peace, Richard envisions making mediation a legal alternative to the traditional justice system in Cameroon.  For his country – where violent conflict still obstructs children’s education – Richard devotedly instills hope and inspires Cameroonians to choose peace.

Without Forgiveness, Wounds Cannot Heal – Part 2 – April 20, 2018 10:00 AM EST

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Forgiveness is a complex matter. Often people ask: Why should I forgive? How can I forgive? What is the relevance of forgiveness in a situation of on-going conflict? What is the relationship between forgiveness and justice? If I forgive, surely I am condoning wrongful actions and allowing them to continue? In this webinar, Mary Noble will continue her discussion on the role of forgiveness in the context of her trauma healing work in Kenya.

Register here

for reconciliation have always called for an understanding of the role of forgiveness in dealing with the cycle of violence and revenge. Yet there is often a perception that forgiveness is not really necessary or up to the task of helping to fix the underlying, complex geopolitical and economic problems which are responsible for violence, and more than one person has observed that when ‘preached from the pulpit’, forcing forgiveness on people can do more harm than good. But forgiveness is not a new idea, or purely the provenance of Christianity. The role of forgiveness in many traditional societies was a tried and tested method of restoring peace. It was a means of preventing the injuries between individuals from becoming hostilities between their families and prevented family hostilities from becoming wars between their clans. Forgiveness prevented the spread of hatred.

Many conflicts are characterised by the manipulation of deep-rooted animosities, reinforced by high levels of violence and direct experiences of atrocities. Psychological and cultural features often drive and sustain the conflict more than substantive issues. Here, learning about the process of forgiveness can really help: it is about managing, and deliberately choosing to amend one’s attitudes. One needs to be able to distinguish the people from the acts they have committed: and then ‘cease to cultivate a sense of grievance and victimhood with regards to those acts and those people… Stem the flow of vitriolic rhetoric… Take initiatives towards decent collaborative relationships’. This programme teaches how to move away from the cycle of violence, by ‘re-humanizing the other’. It fosters empathy and mutual understanding, building trust. In the longer term, it helps to build lasting relationships between the participants, and their communities.

Mary Noble

and CEO of Feminenza International Trained and qualified in social anthropology and archaeology, conflict transformation and peace studies, and a veteran director of academic studies, Mary has worked for decades to promote the development of women, building a progressive partnership between the genders, and the work of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace building, focusing on the long term development of women as peacemakers. She runs programmes on transformative leadership, and international practitioner training courses in Understanding and Managing Fear, Forgiveness and trauma healing. Mary has held workshops and seminars all over the world, including Europe, Kenya, Israel, the West Bank, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. In 2010-2011 Mary and her team completed a pilot UNSCR 1325 programme funded by UN Women for training grassroots women as Forgiveness and Reconciliation Counsellors in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Her focus now is on training new practitioners from around the world. In 2015, Mary ran a 5 day trauma healing workshop in partnership with Global Communities, for 60 Christian and Muslim community leaders from the informal settlements of Nairobi to help build resilience against the radicalization of youth. In 2016 this workshop was conducted for 30 vulnerable adolescent girls and young women in Nairobi who had experienced severe GBV and in June 2017 for 25 community Elders from the Nakuru Peace Building Consortium.

Feminenza is an international charity. Established in the UK in 2000, it seeks to promote and sustain the long-term development of women, their understanding of themselves and their roles in leadership and society, as well as a regenerative partnership between the genders. It champions values such as forgiveness, humanity and tolerance. It has a network in 14 countries around the world, including Kenya. Feminenza North America is registered as a 501 c3.  Feminenza Kenya and Feminenza Stichting, in the Netherlands, have Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC, for the Advancement of Women. Feminenza Publications include: The Seven Pillars of Forgiveness (2007); Humanity and Gender: Speeches from the 2006 UN Conference, Nairobi (2012). Rebuilding Lives, (2012). www.feminenza.org

Please note that the deadline to register is Thursday, April 19 at 12:00 PM EST. A Zoom link to the webinar will be sent to the registrants a day in advance. For further information, please contact Kathleen Ibarra, MBBI’s Webinar Coordinator.