Tuesday, March 28, 2017

NOT ENDING NOW

United Integrated Children Development Action (UNICIDA) organised a sensitization meeting on 28th March 2017 that attracted youths and village leaders of Kasitu sub county. These leaders were carefully selected from those villages that were most hit by the Post Election Violence in the district. it should be noted that Kasitu is inhabited by both the Bamba and Bakonzo who are waring tribes. the theme of the meeting was "How ethnicity has contributed to the occurance of conflicts in the area."


A poem titled “Not Ending Now” was recited by Kanyama Nikodemus a member of MUSA Youth Group during the Grassroots’ Sensitization Meeting held at Kasitu sub county headquarters. The poem gives an approach to violence that; we must not kill or hate  each other for the sake of the visitor. In this case the visitor was described as person who incites violence but is not affected at all or stays away from the scene leaving the people to suffer, and at the end takes up all the property the people have left during the struggle.

 
Participants  in the meeting cited major causes of conflict as; intimidation from people who claim to be more connected than others, erection of sign posts around markets and health centers belonging to OBB, Some members in the communities still think of revenge against their neighbors who might have done wrong against them especially those whose houses were burnt, plantations destroyed and lost loved one in the hands of certain people.

It was resolved that members should intensify internal mobilization of the people from the community. This could be done by adoption of the 10 House Mobilization Strategy used in Tanzania. under this strategy a village is clustered into 10’s houses to ensure flow/dissemination of information. This still can help in monitoring of characters that may be involved in bad act instead of leaving the security to the LCI leaders. Clustering would make it possible to identify the enemies of peace and co-existence and remedies put in place as soon as possible.