Unveiling Women as Pillars of Peace Peace Building in ...

The militia had to be included with the elders, who may have been warlords, and the young
men, who were among the combatants. The objective was to transform their way of life and bring
them into the peace-building fold. This militia’s role in the conflicts had been enhanced by the
influx of guns following the breakdown of public order in Somalia. One strategy involved women
contacting the spouses of militia members and urging them to help convert their husbands to peace
building. One notorious gangster was among the first converts. Approached by some elders to
help fight their enemies, this young mercenary led groups of gangs that unleashed mayhem in most
of Wajir. When his wife was invited to join the women peace group, without condemnation, she
joined and advised him to leave his gangster activities. He agreed and then surrendered to the
military at a time when they were seeking to arrest him. Within a framework of amnesty, he was
pardoned and removed 46 guns from the fighting group he led.
The main explanation given for involvement in mercenary activity is simply to earn a
livelihood. Therefore, the strategy used by peace workers was to engage such persons in earning
activities to sustain decent lives. The programme started advancing credit in small amounts to exmilitias.
Starting with the amount of Kshs 2,000 (USD 45) from the District Commissioner, the
money was paid on a daily or weekly basis. After repaying the first micro-credit loan, the second
loan could be doubled to Kshs 4,000 and then Kshs 6,000. While these amounts seem small, the
loans do help people with earning a decent living. For instance, one gangster confessed that he
had made Kshs 270,000 (approximately USD 3,700) between 1992-1996 from the clashes. When
asked what he had done with the money, he replied, “Pesa haramu, imeenda (The blood money
blew away).” He went on to explain that he currently had Kshs. 12,000 in profit generated from
activities started from the micro credit facilities. These lending schemes were financed largely by
women. Women, led by the core of five pillars, collected monies and helped create a credit
scheme. The government and humanitarian NGOs such as Oxfam and the Mennonite Central
Committee contributed additional funds as part of their peace programmes. Even the mercenaries
were engaged when they responded to the administration’s declaration of a general amnesty by
surrendering their guns and other weapons.
Using Religion as a Tool for Peace Building
To prepare the ground for reconciliation, meetings and workshops were organised for
religious leaders, both Christian and Muslim. Starting with a vanguard group of women, the peace
wagon accommodated people from varied fields. By 1994, Wajir was experiencing a window of
peace. By using traditional and administrative channels, the peace movement broke the cycle of
violence and began nurturing peace. The message of peace was carried from village to village,
urging the different groups -- including chiefs, elders, police and women -- to work together.
Women had cultivated peace across the various sectors of the community and sparked off
peace activities at different levels. The challenge now lay in sustaining peace. This depended on
the extent to which it was internalised.
A Harvest of Peace in Wajir
The year 1994 will be remembered as the year of Peace in Wajir. It was a year of
workshops and engaging various sectors of the community in peace activities. However, the
question of where to hold the emerging initiatives that had so far operated in an ad-hoc basis
arose. This concern was based on the realisation that the relative peace achieved needed
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