The Path of a Peace Activist

We all are on different journeys and paths. Often the path of the activist and peacemaker can feel lonely. We sometimes feel as though we are alone surrounded by apathy. We hear a voice that tells us that the world can be unjust and we have our part to play speaking out against these injustices but speaking out as a lone voice can be intimidating. It is very easy for a lone candle to go unnoticed as it is blown out by the winds of doubt that surround it.

What happens though when you have a group of candles all shining brightly together? A light is produced that is much harder to ignore and the candles that maybe didn’t feel brave enough to shine are given the permission they need and the candles that were burning out and growing tired are invigorated by the new light that surrounds them. For me this sums up the peacemakers weekend that I attended. I was able to share ideas and prayer with amazing people from across the UK and to be given strength and encouragement, and hopefully to offer strength to others. Imagine the relief of a lone marathon runner as they approach the water-stand and are offered water. I was that marathon runner getting tired and feeling alone and the peacemakers weekend gave me the energy I needed to keep going. The weekend was very well planned; we heard from two speakers from West Papua who were very inspirational as they told us about the horrors that were faced by the people of West Papua as they fought for their freedom, we had a simulation of a fact-finding mission for the UN, the chance to walk around the beautiful area of Hope and just as importantly the chance to reflect and pray and share together.

Nicky Melling, Called to be Peacemakers Conference participant, 2008.

An Inspiring and Rewarding Weekend

My first ‘Called to be Peacemakers’ conference was an inspiring and deeply rewarding weekend. It sparked new questions in my thinking on peace and conflict issues, which I hope to take forward in my university studies and future work. The combination of interactive sessions, speakers and discussion worked well, and the programme was greatly complemented for me by informal conversations with other participants who are working in peace-building and conflict resolution. I hope to keep in touch with many of these people in the future.

For me one of the highlights of the weekend was hearing Benny Wenda, the leader of the Free West Papua campaign in the UK, speak about his struggle for peace and justice in a largely unknown part of the world. Hearing of the efforts and sacrifices he and his movement have made in the face of violence and oppressions by the occupying Indonesian army was moving. It struck me deeply that I had never before heard of this issue being reported in the media, and that the major world powers seem to keep silent on the issue and tacitly support the status quo. What engaged me most was the reference by Benny and Suriel Mofu (another representative from the campaign) to the potential power citizens of powerful nations like the UK have in influencing political decisions and outcome in countries across the world such as theirs. This privilege seems to be largely taken for granted in our society, and their comments made me determined to act upon this position and support the campaign.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the interactive conflict scenario facilitated by Laura Gilchrist, a director of the social enterprise ‘Resolutions First’, providing training and consultancy in conflict resolution in Manchester. The session involved teams of five working out a problem regarding nuclear weapons on one of five neighbouring islands. The difficulty of the task was that each individual was given information on different aspects of the situation, which had to be pieced together in order to work out the solution. I felt it was a very useful exercise in highlighting the necessity of effective communication in conflict resolution. The location of the conference added to the experience, and being in the Peak District gave me a chance to do a bit of walking in the countryside. This was a welcome break from the hectic non-stop culture of my current university life.

I have to admit I was slightly apprehensive of the religious element of the weekend. Defining myself currently as a non-Christian Quaker, I was worried that a Christian focus might put me off. However I was refreshed by several conversations with other participants about the importance of Christianity in their own lives and in providing direction in their work for peace. This affirmed to me the importance of toleration and respect for all views, ‘religious’ and ‘non-religious’, and the necessity of cooperation between different denominations, faiths and other organisations. What has always attracted me to Quakerism is the emphasis on putting faith into practice, an idea that I believe goes beyond theological divisions, and is essential in helping to bring about peace.

The one overarching principle that I took away from the weekend was the idea that peace begins within individuals; within you and me. The concept of a ‘web of peace’ spreading out into our close relationships and then into local, national and international spheres is, I believe, a very powerful one. I hope to take some of this energy and creative ideas when contemplating how I can be involved in making peace, both now and in the future.

John Nicholls, Called to be Peacemakers Conference participant, 2008.

"A Weekend with Likeminded, Passionate Individuals with a Common Goal"

When I was asked to write some thoughts about this year’s conference and to reflect upon the weekend I was worried that my words could not do justice to the wonderful experience that I had. This was my first time at conference and hopefully will not be my last. For the first time in years I felt that I was spending the weekend with likeminded, passionate individuals with a common goal ~: peace.

The format of the weekend appealed very much to the young Quaker in me as it reminded me of happy weekends away during my teens. What doesn’t sound appealing about spending a weekend in beautiful Derbyshire, surrounded by hills, fields and fresh air? Add to that 20 + wonderful, friendly, interesting people, amazing organisers, great food and even more importantly some fantastic workshops and speakers. I was also very grateful for receiving a subsidised place which made it possible for me to take part in the weekend despite being a full-time student.

If I had to pin-point the highlight of the weekend for me then it was our session with Benny Wenda and Suriel from Western Papua New Guinea. I was shocked at my own ignorance and how I could have failed to be aware of what is going on in their homeland. How does it happen that their people have been so awfully oppressed and maltreated since the 1960’s and we are blissfully unaware of it? How many people have to die before we will take a stand and show our support? Not only is Benny a very strong, inspirational and courageous man but he is also a gifted speaker. He spoke truthfully and from the heart about his experiences and his hope for the future of his people. I was moved to tears when he told us about his uncle being tortured and the way he was treated when he attended school as a young boy and was spat at by another student simply for being a Western Papuan.

I am part of a small group of students starting up an Amnesty society here at Chester University and Benny’s words have inspired me to work hard to make our group an active and successful one. Whilst in prison he received word that Amnesty were supporting his cause and he told us that knowing there were people outside who cared for him gave him much strength in a desperate situation. Last week I gave a presentation to my peers about Western Papua New Guinea and have brought to their attention the ongoing campaign for independence.

Other happy memories of the weekend include: incredible locally sourced and home-cooked food (all vegetarian!!), copious amounts of tea at any time of day or night, space for peaceful reflection in the quiet room, walking up the hill in the howling wind and rain and feeling exhilarated when we reached the top and marvelled at the stunning views, making friends and sharing stories and experiences with other members of the conference.

Amy Greaves, Called to be Peacemakers Conference participant, 2008.

Speakers: Benny Wenda

BENNY WENDA is a tribal leader from West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea, bordering Papua New Guinea, which is located about 250km north of Australia. Nearly 40 years ago, West Papua was annexed by Indonesia following a sham referendum in which the Indonesian military hand-picked a thousand Papuan elders and forced them at gun-point to vote for Indonesia instead of independence. Ever since, thousands of West Papuans have been killed, tortured, raped and imprisoned by the Indonesian security forces.

Benny Wenda is now the leader of the West Papuan independence movement in the UK. In 2002 Benny was arrested by the Indonesian military for peaceful pro-independence campaigning, including raising the banned West Papuan flag.
If his trial had ever reached a conclusion, Benny would most likely have been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

He was detained and tortured for months before escaping and fleeing to England with his wife and daughter where they have been granted asylum. From exile in Oxford, Benny is now continuing West Papua's peaceful struggle for independence from Indonesia.

Benny talked to us about international relationships within peace campaigning, specifically looking at campaigning on a peace issue in another country, campaigning as an international in the UK, and his personal experiences of working with Indonesian nationals.

Read more about the Free West Papua Campaign here.

Laura Gilchrist

Laura Gilchrist is involved in peace work in Manchester, where she is a director of Resolutions First, a social enterprise specialising in helping people to find peaceful ways of resolving their conflicts. Their focus is on providing training and specialist support to organisations, with much of their work being based in schools with pupils and teachers.

Laura is a qualified mediator, has just completed a Masters degree in Conflict Resolution at Bradford University's Peace Studies department, and is actively involved in the year long Peace School programme. She is currently involved in setting up Peacebuilders, a conflict mediation service for the charity and community sector in Manchester, which will be officially launched in January 2009.

Laura ran a highly interactive session whereby participants were thrown into a complex and potentially high-conflict simulation situation. This was then followed by an opportunity for reflection and discussion.

Richard Dickson

Richard Dickson works for CORD which is a 41 year old £2.5 million peacebuilding charity currently working on the Darfur/ Chad border, in northern Uganda, Burundi and Cambodia.