Quaker Peace Network

This past week I attended the Quaker Peace Network (QPN) Central Africa gathering, which took place in a conference center here in Bujumbura. This brought together Friends working in Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to discuss challenges and opportunities in their work and possible areas of collaboration. Among these was election observation in the 2010 Burundian elections. QPN has successfully observed elections in the DRC, Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi, and is beginning to build a reputation for quality. Successful elections could play a crucial role in helping Burundi consolidate peace, so this work is extremely topical. Overall the gathering was warm, congenial, and each participant brought a unique perspective.

Fascinating discussion took place about the church’s role in politics—why should we even be involved in these initiatives, asked one participant. People ultimately agreed that the church had a role in supporting the wellbeing of the whole person, which meant working for spiritual as well as physical health. We are called to be peacemakers, and we must remember that peace comprises many things. Yet getting to that sense took a long and thoughtful engagement among participants. What also struck me was how similar the tone was to the way American or more liberal Friends would describe their work: These Quakers might invoke the Bible to make a point, but I could easily imagine Quakers back home in my meeting making the same point.

Given the large presence of people working in DRC, the conflict there was a frequent topic of conversation. Ultimately, a statement will be released about the violence there, and Friends’ perspectives on the way to confront it. Yet it wasn’t easy to come to agreement on the emphasis: should the statement emphasize North Kivu? Should it be mostly about Friends work, or mostly about the crisis and their perspectives? Who should it go out to? The outcome was quite interesting, as was the process. When the statement is approved, I’ll share it on this blog.

Hearing these stories of those working for peace in the DRC made me feel unsettled—why was I in Burundi when the needs are so much greater just across the lake? Compared with DRC, Burundi is stable and prospering. But while holding that thought, I recalled the truism that jumping from emergency to emergency mentality is precisely what allows countries like Burundi to fall back into conflict. The “CNN moment” ends, the international community packs its bags, and the country is left with a half-finished job. Burundi is at a crucial and difficult stage right now, and needs resources and support, even as the needs are great in other countries in the region.

As with many gatherings I’ve attended here, there was song, dance, and play. Andrew, the other American, and I were pressured into doing a “traditional dance”, which was comprised of a do-si-do, promenade and much partner swinging, which the Burundians seem to especially enjoy.

I was glad to get other perspectives on peacebuilding work going on in the region. Our colleagues were facing quite different challenges, but in sharing and being in solidarity with one another, we said goodbye feeling fortified and ready to jump back in.