Mobilizing Faith for Womenof depleted uranium munitions during the assault onher city, creating over half of the already high infantmortality in Fallujah. The result, she said, is “thedream of being a mother turning into a nightmare.”Incredulous that her country hasearned the label “rape capitalof the world,” Nfundiko relatedthat the beautiful culture anddiversity of the Congolesepeople are being manipulatedto fuel the war instead ofbeing valued for its richness.Claudia Furaha Nfundiko declared that in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, “Sexual violenceis being used as a weapon of war, and the bodies ofwomen are considered open for use and abuse.” Sheshared that rape has touched entire communities,targeting men and boys also, but mostly women, whorisk pregnancy and ostracism for both themselvesand their “children of the enemy.” Incredulous thather country has earned the label “rape capital ofthe world,” she related that the beautiful cultureand diversity of the Congolese people are beingmanipulated to fuel the war instead of being valuedfor its richness. Untapped by the Congolese peopledue to lack of infrastructure and functioning governance,the natural abundance of the Congo is beingexploited by corrupt officials, militias backed by U.S.allies — including neighboring Rwanda and othernations — as well as by foreign corporations, some ofwhich have become complicit in financing the wareconomy. Nfundiko called on faith leaders to act,citing how women from different faiths and religiousorganizations have come together to appeal for peace.While the Catholic Church, the largest religiousinstitution in the country, has initiated programs toassist victims of sexual violence in three of the provinces,much more is needed. She asserted, “It is timefor religious leadership to take a stand and advocatefor justice and peace.”Truth TellingFrances Greaves, founder of Voice of the Voiceless,detailed the role women played in bringing an end tothe Liberian civil war and the work of her organizationand others to ensure the inclusion of women inthe peace-building process. Greaves emphasized theimportance of their participation in the Truth andReconciliation Commission for changing attitudesabout sexual violence. The truth is often uncomfortable,she suggested, but “to consolidate peace, youand your society must face reality,” she insisted. InLiberia, Greaves worked to raise the voices of womenso that they could testify about the gruesome actsof violence that were perpetrated against them andother members of Liberian society.“To consolidate peace, you andyour society must face reality.”— Frances GreavesWe must empower people to tell their own truths,for as Pewee Flomoku of the Carter Center’s Liberiaprogram remarked, “We who speak on their behalfwill not always be around to speak for them. Theymust have the opportunity and platform to speakfor themselves so their voices are heard forever.”The institutional incorporation of gender justice,so vital to the healing of Liberian society — fromhealth provisions for survivors of sexual abuse to legalreform on issues like rape and inheritance to politicalparticipation — was possible only because womensuccessfully rewrote a narrative that had excused andnormalized sexual violence in society by sharing theirown stories. It is an incomplete victory in that muchthat Liberian women have worked to change has yet40 The Carter Center
Mobilizing Faith for Womento be set into law, but it is an example of what can beachieved through inclusive peacebuilding.Calling for transparency, Al-Alaani exemplifiedthe strength of individuals who speak truth to power,whatever their position may be: “On behalf of thewomen of Fallujah, I call on the U.S. and U.K.governments to disclose information regarding alltypes of weapons used during the occupation and totake the necessary measures to protect the right to lifeand health of the Iraqi people if an environmentalcontamination is found.”Tom EnglandPalwasha Kakar, a women’s rights activist fromAfghanistan, responded by revealing they arewitnessing similar systemic health problems in hercountry. Al-Alaani’s response was to say that logicallythe same impacts of war would be experiencedin Iraq and Afghanistan because these two warswere conducted by the same nations. Sister SimoneCampbell, whose organization brought a delegationof Iraqi women to speak before the U.S. Congress,articulated that space for women’s voices to be heardis vital, “because too often those who control policynever have to deal with the consequences of theirchoices, but women do.” John 8:32 says: “You shallknow the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Weneed to hear the truth about the violence perpetratedby, and in, our own societies.”Normalizing Peace: BuildingTrust with HumilityIn times of war and conflict, as many scholars haveexamined, outsiders are often considered enemies, andsocieties tend to hold on to conservative traditionsTom EnglandDr. Samira Al-Alaani Abdulghani, a pediatrician at FallujahGeneral Hospital, details the rise in congenital birth defectsfollowing the Iraq War.Jeremy Courtney, a founder of the Preemptive LoveCoalition, asserts that humility is neccesary for thenormalization of peace, calling on religious leaders to guideus in the absence of moral leadership by our politicians.The Carter Center 41
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