Justice and Peace
Vision
To promote and enhance a culture of Human Rights and Justice where the dignity of the Human Person is respected and upheld.
Mission Statement
To create a more just, peaceful and loving society, based on respect for human dignity, rights and proper relationships with God, oneself , our neighbours and creation itself by building structures for civic engagement with and protest against all forms of injustices.
Main Objective
To strenghthen Human Rights centred governance through peacefully building the capacity of communities to engage in policy advocacy and hold state institutions to account.
Specific Objectives
- To improve citizen participation so as to influence policy formulation,implementation and legislative reform.
- To promote peaceful sustainable management of resources by forming and strengthening peace structures among pastoralist communities.
- To promote access to justice by remote communities groups (village courts/small claims courts).
- To enhance human rights education among residents of the Diocese of Lodwar and her neighbors
- To inculcate a culture of human rights among students/children in schools
Core Values
- Equity
- Justice
- Team work
- Accountability and Transparency
- Integrity
- Dignity
Department Thematic Areas
1. Peace Building and Conflict Reduction:
This component deals with conflict issues within the diocese (internal conflict between Turkana, Pokot and Samburu, family disputes, land disputes and all disputes arising from disagreements within the community).
2. Governance and Accountability:
The component deals with enhancement of good governance in Turkana. The component focuses on community empowerment so as to hold duty bearers accountable and transparent in their service delivery and also tasks the community through public participation, to get involved in the county decision making process. The concept of social accountability is inculcated in the community.
3. Access to Justice (Small Claims Courts [SCC] & Paralegalism):
The component addresses cases of injustices suffered by the less fortunate in the community. It follows cases of human rights abuses carried out by those in authority upon the less fortunate. This is done through taking the offenders to court, following the cases to a conclusion and provision of pro bono services for the vulnerable victims of human rights abuses. This component also encourages the use of alternative conflict resolution mechanisms such as the small claims courts and community members are provided with some legal knowledge so as enable them to handle cases.
4. Human Rights Education and Advocacy:
The component advocates and promotes human rights education in schools. It aims is to inculcate the culture of human rights in schools in order to build human rights defenders among the youth who in turn will spread that culture through their community after school.
5. Pamoja kwa Haki Initiative:
The component deals with training human rights defenders in the community and organizing initiatives that are geared towards promoting human rights in the community.
6. Cross Border Peace and Evangelization
The component focuses on building peaceful co-existence between Turkana and its neighbours. It focuses on the bordering countries of Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia and the neighbouring counties of West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu and Marsabit. The aim is to end cross border conflict with the neighbours by fostering peaceful coexistence through initiating connecting projects, cross border peace dialogue, annual peace celebrations and by promoting the value of peace among the reformed warriors.
Cross border peace and evangelization was an idea born in 2012 when the diocese was celebrating 50 years of evangelization in Turkana. The bishops present at the celebration from bordering dioceses in Kenya, from Uganda, from South Sudan and from Ethiopia endorsed the idea of a cross border peace initiative in the region. The project was aimed at bringing together all the communities bordering the diocese of Lodwar in peaceful dialogue in order to realize peace in the region through evangelization
Achievements
The programme has succeeded in:
• Imparting Social Audit advocacy skills.
• Promoting the use of village/native/small claim’s courts.
• Fostering Peace in cross-border conflict.
• Promoting human rights education and advocacy.
• Helping survivors of Human Rights Violations with legal assistance.
• Entrenching paralegalism at the Lodwar GK Prison.
• Sharing examples of change/Best practices.
