PrintUSIP Grant Supports Innovative Film-Based Peacebuilding in Kenya
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As part of an effort to increase dialogue and prevent violence between ethnic and religious groups during Kenya’s 2013 general election, United States Institute of Peace has once again partnered with FLT Films, a UK-based non-profit organization, to make the story of Nigerians Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye more widely known among Kenyan communities. With USIP support,FLT Films is in the early stages of dubbing in Swahili and distributing An African Answer—the Kenya-focused sequel to FLT Films’widely acclaimed documentary The Imam and the Pastor. An African Answer chronicles the successful mediation efforts of Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye—former leaders of opposing militias in Nigeria —as they overcame their differences and worked together to reduce tensions in communities hardest hit by violence after the 2007 Kenyan general election.
In addition to the translation and distribution of the film, FLT Films plans to facilitate intensive training in peacebuilding and mediation techniques similar to those practiced by Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye for 24 Kenyan civil society and religious leaders.Community leaders, whose training will include a broad array of African and Western conflict resolution methodologies such as needs assessments, stakeholder analysis, trauma counseling and conflict mapping, will then design action plans to address possible post-electoral tension or violence. The implementation of these action plans will be supported by Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye, and will be also be documented in three short films. The films will premiere in Nairobi at the conclusion of the project, and together with An African Answer, will “demonstrate to policymakers and the general public that peaceful coexistence between all ethnic and religious groups in Kenya is feasible.”
This project primarily seeks to fill the shortage of training for current and potential local peace practitioners in conflict resolution methodologies. The project directors hope that demonstrating successful inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflict mediation will serve to inspire more community leaders to take steps to resolve local conflicts and will show the public that cycles of violence can be broken.
The 2007 Kenyan general election was marred by ethnic violence after a contentious outcome amidst allegations of pervasive fraud. Up to 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed and approximately 200,000 people were displaced as a result of the violence. International pressure and mediation led to the resolution of the crisis with a power-sharing deal and national unity government. The Institute of Peace is one of many organizations – both Kenyan and international – that are working to prevent a recurrence of the 2007 violence. The FLT Films project is in line with USIP’s priorities to empower local communities to resolve their own conflicts and to develop innovative tools for conflict prevention and resolution.
For questions about this USIP grant, please contact Elizabeth Murray at emurray@usip.org.