Episcopal News Service, NY
Sept 29 2007
Anglican Peace and Justice Network meets in Rwanda, Burundi
Conflict transformation focus of nine-day gathering
September 29, 2007
[Episcopal News Service] Hosted by the Anglican Provinces of Rwanda
and Burundi, the Anglican Peace and Justice Network (APJN) began its
triennial meeting September 25 in Kigali, Rwanda, with a welcome from
Rwandese Archbishop Emmanuel Mbona Kolini, who greeted the
representatives from 17 provinces (list below) of the Anglican
Communion, many of them from conflict regions.
The meeting, which concludes October 3 in Bujumbura, Burundi, is
focusing on conflict transformation and exploring the role of
violence in societies throughout the world. Bishop Pie Ntukamazina of
the Diocese of Bujumbura is host to the Network and a leader of its
steering committee. Dr. Jenny Te Paa of Aotearoa, New Zealand and
Polynesia is the Network’s convener.
In his welcome address, Kolini told the APJN members that their
gathering "is a sacramental moment," noting that such a group of
international visitors recalls memories of "Rwanda of 1994, a time
when the world abandoned us." From April-June of that year more than
800,000 Rwandans were slaughtered in what was later acknowledged as a
genocide. Citing Genesis 12:2-3, Kolini read of God’s call to Abraham
to be a blessing to the nations, and asked how the Church and
individuals can now be a blessing to the earth in the wake horrific
acts against humanity by other human beings.
He noted that Rwanda is 90 percent Christian, and that the genocide
occurred amidst a failure of the Church to prevent it. "How could
this genocide have happened?" he asked. "It is easy to be religious,
but very difficult to be the people of God. What went wrong was a
problem of the soul. The Lord is calling us to be a blessing." The
Archbishop then offered a blessing over the APJN participants.
The members visited the Rwandan genocide museum with its graphic
depictions of the 1994 massacres. The museum also features reminders
of other genocides, including the Holocaust, Armenian, Balkan and
Namibian tragedies from the 20th century. The group visited a
Catholic Church where 5,000 people were slaughtered after taking
refuge. The site now serves as a sober memorial to the dead.
The Network also met with a group from the International Anglican
Women’s Network, made up primarily of women from the Great Lakes
region of Africa under the leadership of Priscilla Julie of the
Seychelles. Two women survivors of the genocide shared moving
accounts of their experiences. One woman recounted being hacked by a
machete and lying amidst bodies all night only to be kicked by her
victimizers the next day to make sure she was dead. Assistant Bishop
Micah Dawidi of Juba, Sudan, led a prayer for the two women before
Kolini offered a spontaneous reflection.
"For justice to be done in Rwanda, two things are required:
repentance and forgiveness," said Kolini. "There must be both, but,
up to now, there has not been enough repentance. We have a long way
to go." He also returned to the failure of the Church as well as the
United Nations, the colonial history of the country and Rwandans
themselves. "The Church must confess its sins first," he said. "Hope
begins there."
The Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of Peace and Justice
Ministries for the Episcopal Church, and long-time APJN secretary,
said: "Archbishop Kolini could not have been more gracious and
welcoming. He guided us through a very difficult experience in his
country with sensitivity and compassion."
Te Paa also expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the APJN to
Kolini and his diocesan staff for their "abundant hospitality." She
noted the importance of the two networks working cooperatively "on
the critical issues of God’s mission in the world" and joined her
voice with the women present giving thanks to those church leaders
"who are giving urgent and justified priority at this time in the
life of the Communion to the needs of those who are suffering so
disproprotionately in God’s world."
Provinces represented at the APJN gathering include: Aotearoa, New
Zealand & Polynesia, Burundi, Canada, Central America, Congo,
England, Japan, Korea, Malawi, North India, Philippines, Rwanda,
Scotland, Southern Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and the U.S.-based
Episcopal Church.