www.shalomconflictcenter.org
Introduction
We all know what conflict can do if it is not prevented, settled or resolved. With Shalom-SCCRR, we, as a team, contribute to incredibly life-transforming work for countries, communities, families, vulnerable women and children, and others, needing sustainable livelihood security. Our interventions are evident in research, conflict transformation, peacebuilding, school-educational developments and other infrastructural projects, enabling basic fulfillment of human and ontological needs, while ever empowering the actualization of potential during the course of their life.
During 2023, Shalom-SCCRR has enabled and empowered the completion of the following projects:
- 186 Workshops on Conflict Transformation analytical skill and Peacebuilding techniques (including 56 for women suffering acute violence) in 36 Conflict Zones;
- 64 Schools/Educational Development interventions, benefiting 15,844 students in 51 institutions;
- 3,753 influential opinion shapers trained with Conflict Transformation Skills-Peacebuilding Techniques, transforming Inter-Tribal Conflict and Religious Ideological Extremism (Terrorism);
- 2,239 Women from Urban Informal Settlements (Slums) trained with Conflict Transformation skills and Peace Building techniques addressing Violence against Women and Children;
- 1,873 Women experiencing acute violence living in informal urban settlements (slums), supported with Holistic Livelihood Resilience Capacity through 56 training workshops;
- The Shalom-SCCRR Prof. W.K. Omoka, Research Library, in memory of our late Director of Research, continues to develop into a good resource for our research and practitioner engagements. He is always remembered with great respect.
Immense thanks to so many dedicated generous supporters, workers, volunteers, and participants from conflict environments, whose solidarity and commitment underpin these accomplishments. Our charitable donations are treated with utmost respect and integrity, providing exceptional return and satisfaction. Together we are truly making an enormous meaningful difference. Numerous renowned International Universities in Eastern Africa and worldwide have benefited from modules-lectures addressing conflict transformation and countering religious ideological extremism, not forgetting Shalom-SCCRR’s accreditation to the United Nations (UN) for its integrity, methodology and foresight.
The Shalom vision: “A society where peace, social justice and reconciliation prevails throughout Africa” inspires our mission: “To work for a society free of physical violence and unjust social structures in Africa.” The core objective of Shalom-SCCRR is to attain conflict transformation and reconciliation for the people of Africa, evidenced by sustainable peace and integral human development.
Shalom Empowerment Center Addressing Violence against Women and Children, and the Mary and Joseph Life Center
During 2023 these two centers went from strength to strength in realizing their vision and objectives. Violent environments generate enormous suffering with women and children disproportionately bearing the brunt more often than not. The social conditions and challenges that women and children face on a daily basis in impoverished urban settlements and other marginalized remote locations, are extremely arduous and protracted. We actively train and engage hundreds of women influential opinion shapers in working towards breaking the vicious cycle of conflict in these locations. Since its founding, Shalom-SCCRR has focused on addressing issues of women and children (born and unborn) right to their dignity, safety and livelihood security.
Shalom-SCCRR Objectives Operationalised
In line with the overall policy directions from the Shalom-SCCRR Board of Directors in Africa, our objectives were operationalised in 36 conflict zones where manifest and structural violence, religious ideological extremism, and violence against women and children needed to be transformed. Shalom-SCCRR’s humanitarian/peace/development/health interventions concentrated mainly on inter-ethnic and inter-religious communities in Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Marsabit, Nakuru, Kisumu, Isiolo, Nandi, Uasin Gishu- Eldoret, Garissa, Mombasa and Nairobi informal urban settlements (slums). Many of these conflict environments are straddle borders where Kenya’s northern regions interface with Ethiopia, the Ilemi Triangle, Uganda, South Sudan and Somalia. We made our first intervention into the conflict zones of DRC Congo during the course of the year.
In Nairobi’s poor urban settlement areas, we consistently engaged substantively with the residents. One cannot over appreciate the generosity, planning, logistics, professionalism and hard work that were applied in these intervention processes on the frontlines of manifest and structural violence. The connectivity between our conflict transformation-peacebuilding interventions and infrastructural development activities, including attention to ongoing threats from Covid-19, continued to be of critical importance.
Governance and Fundraising
The board of Shalom-SCCRR (Africa) were dedicated and thorough in providing governance leadership, oversight expertise and wisdom during the year. This strong structure and leadership underpin our performance, growth, authenticity and collaborations in delivering on the organization’s vision, mission, methodology and core values. As always, our accounts were audited in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (1SAs) and International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (IESBA code). The independently audited accounts are a core instrument in demonstrating the quality of Shalom-SCCRR’s governance, administration and project product delivery.
External fundraising, in collaboration with the contributions of local communities, to facilitate the realization of our vision and mission is critically important for success. The enlightenment of the Shalom-SCCRR board members and management in Kenya is ever requested. During 2023, we continued our close relationship and support to the fundraising efforts of our affiliate branches around the world. We welcome the ever-increasing number of individual donors to our support units. The gratitude of Shalom-SCCRR in Africa and that of our beneficiary communities is immense.
Appreciation to our Donors and Supporters
We are ever grateful to all donors, partners and stakeholders all over the world who continue supporting the work of Shalom-SCCRR. Since the organisation’s founding in Eastern Africa, its registered units, and committees, in the USA, Republic of Ireland, N. Ireland and Britain have provided over 90% of our funding. This support further strengthened Shalom-SCCRR’s resolve and commitment to its vision and mission during 2022. We also continued the consolidation and updating of our organizational governance and range of policies to ensure good practice, accountability, effectiveness, transparency, and integrity. Institutional strength is critically important because it impacts directly the work we do in conflict environments. The whole work-ethic process within the organization is constantly appraised in respect to governance, performance, authenticity, growth and collaboration.
The Shalom-SCCRR team is ever diligent in maintaining the organization’s high operational standards that are recognized nationally, regionally, and globally as evident in its prestigious accreditation by the UN and invitational attention from universities and other relevant institutions around the world. The approach, with its emphasis on community leadership, stakeholder participation, high technical competency, logic models, results frameworks, stories of change and advocacy linkages has received international profile acknowledgement in the context of current best practice within both the peacebuilding and development sectors.
Appreciation to our Management and Team Members
Our gratitude goes to Shalom-SCCRR’s management and team members for their accountability and dedication to high standards during the year. The board again offers its deep appreciation to Rev. Oliver Noonan MA, (PhD Candidate) Executive Director, for his professionalism in stewardship, project oversight and administration. The board also wishes to thank the Senior Project Officer, Godfrey Okoth MA, (PhD Candidate), Mrs. Judith Akedi Otsieno MA and Esther Kibe (MA), lead project officers at the Shalom Empowerment Center (SEC) and the Mary and Joseph Life Center (MJLC), the whole Shalom-SCCRR team and all organizational partners, for their conflict transformation/peacebuilding research, fieldwork, school-educational development projects supervision, monitoring-evaluation-recording-learning, communication, and the quality of progress accomplished during the year. Our appreciation extends to our finance department and accountant Kipkoech Kipruto ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), (B. Com candidate), his assistant accountant Remy Ndiema CPA (Certified Public Accountants), B.BM, and all involved in auditing our accounts, for their integrity, professionalism and rigour.
As a result of the past 14 years work, the lives of hundreds of thousands of men, women, children and families, living previously in dire conflict and underdeveloped circumstances, have been constructively transformed. You have had an enormous positive influence on the livelihood resilience of present and future generations providing human security and joyful hope. Because of the work of Shalom-SCCRR, it is innumerable the number of individuals, families, and communities who are alive and well today, experiencing the fulfilment of living in more just and stable societies. They are increasingly able to meet their basic human and ontological needs, actualize their potential, interact with the ‘Divine’, and the environment in a wholesome, tolerant, inclusive and reconciled manner.
Engaging the Future with Optimism, Judiciousness and Dynamism
As a process, ‘Shalom’ is about achieving integral human security and development among and between people. All of us, together, can bring about deep-rooted transformation and resolution of conflict-generating factors and structures-institutions, through rigorous research, conflict management training, peace education, problem-solving workshops, developing inter-ethnic and inter-religious infrastructural projects – especially educational institutions and other ‘human rights’ edifying initiatives.
The Shalom-SCCRR vision points to adherence to the right long-term policies in our approach to conflict resolution and reconciliation, resisting to settle for ‘short term political quick fixes’ or the transient gains of myopic insular partisanship. Many people in remote, violent and poverty-stricken environments are waiting to experience ‘Shalom’. Right long-term policies should always take precedence over the lure of myopic short-term political agendas.
We should never forget that all that is needed for evil to triumph, whether in the form of violence, injustices, deceit, maliciousness or envy, is for good people to do nothing. From a short and a long-term perspective, being an armchair general or parasitically sitting on the fence while millions suffer from manifest conflict and marginalization is an appalling indictment. In thanking our donors again and those who offer prayers and well-wishers, let me assure all that Shalom-SCCRR will continue to be diligent in fulfilling our objectives to the highest standards in the years ahead.
There are no limits to the positive interventions that can be made to bring about sustainable peace, development and reconciliation. We all need continual assistance, education and formation in order to know what makes for peace! The road to peace is not easy but the quest is essential so as to ensure human dignity and survival, environmental security, and the opportunity to experience the ‘Divine Spirit’ in all its vitality. As the Man from Nazareth once said, ‘if this day you only knew what makes for peace’.
Our conflict transformation, peacebuilding and integral human development interventions going forward will center on acknowledging the past, reframing the present, and envisioning a future built on the authentic realization of Shalom-SCCRR’s vision and mission.
SHALOM, SALAAM, SALAMU, SALEM,
Rev. Patrick Devine PhD
Chairman, Shalom-SCCRR, Kenya
