In November 2010, Kenya had the privilege of hosting the Global Peace Convention, one of the key programs of the Global Peace Festival Foundation (GPFF) that focuses on bringing together a preeminent assembly of leaders from the government, civil society, and faith-based organizations. The Convention convened in Nairobi last year was the first following a significant series of regional Global Peace Festivals held around the world. The festivals are another key program of GPFF that promotes an innovative approach to peace building through multi-cultural celebrations and service initiatives that engage volunteers from every background and has managed to bring together more than a million peace-minded people in nations on every continent. Each of these initiatives aim to generate local and regional ownership in addition to collaborative action.

This year (2011), the Global Peace Convention will be held in Seoul, Korea under the theme of “Peace building in East Asia and the Unification of the Korean Peninsula” starting November 28-30, 2011. A key aim for this year’s Convention being to bring a new focus to the significant issues related to the reunification of the Korean peninsula, with consideration of innovative civil society approaches that promote mutual understanding and cooperation.

One of the significant aspects of the Convention being that it provides a world-level platform to share best practices and develop collaborative strategies in addressing key areas within each of the regions that the Global Peace Festival Foundation initiates these programs. Also of significance is the opportunity the Convention provides to initiate new partnerships, develop new programs and strengthen existing ones. I wanted to draw some perspective on the significance of the Convention focusing on the developments in Kenya both prior to the Convention in November 2010 and thereafter.

Prior to the Global Peace Convention held in November 2011, there were a number of initiatives that the Global Peace Festival Foundation (GPFF) had launched; first was the initial effort to bring together key stakeholders in mobilizing youth and communities in a major clean effort along the Nairobi River as part of the first Global Peace Festival held in 2008. Thereafter, GPFF initiated the Character Competency Initiative (CCI) that was being implemented within high schools in Kenya. Of significance to note is that the CCI is one of the programs that has greatly benefited from partnerships established during the Global Peace Convention held last year. The Initiative was able to draw partners from Government such as the Ministry of Education and from the private sector such as Brand Kenya, Oxford University Press and institutions such as the Africa Nazarene University. The CCI program has since grown tremendously having started with five pilot schools and working with over thirty more schools nationwide. The CCI has managed to build a locally driven process through character competency committees comprised of school principals, teachers, parents and student, providing a great example of school based community driven development.

Similarly for Global Peace Connect (GP Connect!), a recently emerged unit that performs the critical role of providing the needed research, analysis, reporting, reviewing, and long-term planning that is an essential part of community driven development, the Convention was of much significance. First was the invitation to various key speakers to participate during the community driven development sessions held at the convention. Not only did this provide a platform to discuss the significance of the community driven development process but also sought to provide an enriching perspective on the topic, experiences and challenges faced, and provided an initial network of stakeholders that GP Connect! was able to engage after the end of the Convention.

Following the convention, GP Connect! has since undertaken comprehensive community mapping initiatives within two key communities, one an urban slum and the other a semi-urban community of Nairobi. The community mapping process has proved to be a vital tool in providing useful information on the needs within the community but more importantly in identifying existing community resources and assets. Through a comprehensive data analysis and a process that enables the community to prioritize its needs, this will be useful in shaping ongoing programs in Kenya.

And now as the Global Peace Convention moves to Korea, this will be yet another opportunity to share some of the emerging best practices and lessons from the field. In addition, the Global Peace Convention provides the platform to connect with practitioners from a different region.

By Becky Gitonga