| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Bishop Dominic Kimengich |
The diocese of Lodwar has started experiencing the impact of Inter-Diocesan Peace and Cross-Border Evangelization, an initiative of seven dioceses that aimed at enhancing the Gospel way of promoting peace, co-existence and integral human development among the people in the Turkana and Karamajong region.
Speaking to AMECEA Online News this week,Bishop Dominic Kimengich of Lodwar said that so far, the impact of the initiative, though coming in a small way is being felt and appreciated by the local communities. “Even the people who are not Christians or Catholics are appreciating the Church for being proactive in mediating for peace and doing something that has been lacking for so many years,” he said.
The seven dioceses involved in the Inter-Diocesan Peace and Cross-Border Evangelization, include Kitale, Nakuru, Lodwar (Kenya), Kotido, Moroto (Uganda), Torit (South Sudan) and Jimma-Bonga (Ethiopia) border each other geographically and; despite the fact that the inhabitants share a lot in common in terms of culture, they have not lived in peace with each other.
“These are tribes that have lived together for many years and have experienced lots of tribal animosities and conflicts which have been there for many years,” the bishop said adding that “From Ethiopia, the Merile tribe occasionally crossed over and attack the Turkana community in Kenya, which also in a spirit of retaliation, would cross over to revenge and the results were massive loss of lives and living in constant fear of attacks.
“The issue of peace is very important and as a diocese we felt that we could no longer just sit and watch as people kill each other; we needed to do something and that is where the idea of Inter-Diocesan Peace and Cross Border Evangelizations was initiated,” Bishop explained.
The diocese of Lodwar took the initiative to invite the neighboring dioceses from across the borders so that they could sit together and see how together they can bring peace in their region.
“Right at the moment we have a department in the diocese of Lodwar dedicated to the issues of peace promotion and we are trying as much as possible to reach out to the neighboring parishes and dioceses to see how we can work together because, without peace there is no evangelization,” he said.
Bishop Kimengich said that so far a lot of positive things are happening. “First it is the contacts that we have established with the people from neighboring dioceses through which we are able to interact, to share and to visit one another and we encourage this among Christians from across the borders,” he said.
He praised the Bishop of Eldoret Rt. Rev. Cornelius Korir for doing a great job in mediating the warring communities of Pokot and Turkana whom from time to time engaged in cattle rustling and fighting. “Since the whole of last year he has been very active trying to bring the two communities together; something that was not there before,” he said.
Bishop Kimengich who is also the chairman of Inter-Diocesan Peace and Cross-Border Evangelization added that the Church seems to be the only institution the communities are putting their trust on; “This is because they know we are not there to gain anything, we are not there for politics but for the good of the community by ensuring that people are leaving at peace and harmony with each other as brothers and sisters,” he said.
He said that through their established networks they are now able to know at times if an attack has been planned and therefore they are able to liaise with the relevant authorities who in turn take necessary measures to prevent the attacks.
The bishop said that the kind of harmony that is being witnessed in Lodwar is also being experienced in other dioceses from neighboring countries of Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
SOURCE: Pamela Adinda; AMECEA Social Communications Office, Nairobi