UP COUNTRY CONFLICT

December 4, 2012

Today, Tuesday, we leave for Kailahun to attempt reconciliation of a community conflict in the village of Dia of the Kissy Kama Chiefdom. Dia is the Headquarters Town of this Chiefdom and was divided geographically in half due to party conflict, APC VS SLPP, even before the election. We visited there in November as part of the sensitization project of Peaceful Elections. Everything was relatively peaceful but tense.

There was another conflict between the towns of Ngainda and Dia that took place on the day of the announcement of the election results. There were stones thrown, and threats made to beat one of the Section Chiefs and a Deputy to death. Fambul Tok district staff and the Peace Mothers from the two villages were able to diffuse that conflict and get an agreement for a reconciliation Football Match followed by a Peace Dance to take place in Dia.

December 5, 2012

When the Fambul Tok team arrives to pick me up at my guest house in Kailahun this morning, I get in the car and announce that we are going to exude so much peace and love that they will have to reconcile. Everyone agrees. 

At Ngainda

Our first stop is in the village of Ngainda to speak to the Section Chief to thank him for reconciling the conflict and to arrange a tentative date for the football(soccer) match and dance.  The match will not be one of competition, but one of coming together in a sport for peace. We are greeted warmly by both the Section Chief and the Town Chief. We are surrounded by children and the women come out to play the gourd and sing. An agreement for a tentative date for Friday, 7 December is reached.  This date will be confirmed at the Chiefdom meeting later in the day.

Upon arriving in Dia we learn that the Paramount Chief was called to Freetown by the President. The day before the President and his rival met and agreed to work together peacefully for Sierra Leone. They promised to instruct their supporters to follow the path of peace and unity established in their meeting. Before he left for Freetown the PC wrote a statement for the Chiefdom Speaker to read at the Chiefdom Meeting.

While we wait for the meeting time, Micheala begins to question the Mammy Queen and several women from the village.  She learns that the village division is not only about the two parties but goes much deeper than that. It started with a deep grudge over a personal matter between two women. They used to be very close friends and are even blood relatives, but have divided the town with their feud. 

The Fambul Tok district staff has tried reconciliation.  The religious leaders have tried reconciliation. The Peace Mothers have also been involved. The issue cannot be resolved thus the intervention from Fambul Tok HQ team.

Yatta, Mammy Queen & Micheala before the
meeting begins.

Chiefdom Meeting Attendees

Once the Chiefdom meeting begins, Micheala encourages both of the women to tell their side of the story. One of them is convinced the Paramount Chief (who is her father!) wants to kill her. He invited her to his house and when she arrived she found her former friend turned enemy already there. She is attacked by this woman and beaten. Because of this she has started proceedings against the chief in the courts.

Achieving Agreement & Reconciliation

After both women have spoken, Micheala gathers the women in a close conference speaking to them in private while we all look on. After some minutes have passed they turn around and declare they have come to forgiveness and reconciliation.  One is crying and declares she will withdraw her case against the Chief.  She and her “sister” will come into the police station in town tomorrow to make that happen.

Folding the arms in this culture means listening,
contrition and accepting. Unlike our culture
where it means shutting yourself off and
not listening.

Micheala then admonishes the Mammy Queen for not doing enough to support a reconciliation.  Indeed, it seems that she may have contributed to the problem between the Chief and his daughter who is her step-daughter. 

The towns people erupt in shouts of joy and begin dancing around. The football match and dance are confirmed for Friday. Everyone is beside themselves with relief and the confidence of lasting peace and unity again.

The Chiefdom Speaker thanks Fambul Tok for bringing this peace and unity. He thanks God for Micheala and her wisdom and expertise to solve this long feud and for bringing the community together again. He thanks me for coming all the way from America to witness this and he says how embarrassing it is for them to have me see them this way. He then likens Micheala to the shepherd who gathers the sheep to take them to safety and me to Moses taking the people out of Egypt to the promised land!

Talk about being blown away! I just kept thinking peace and love and shining that light. I didn’t speak in front of the group. All I did was BE myself and interact one on one with the children, the women and the men before the meeting started.  

Now I really understand what Stephanie means when she says to just BE and shine your light.  It isn’t necessary to DO anything. I’m not the doer, God, Holy Spirit, Higher Self, is the doer and I am just to BE and allow. How great does that feel to finally connect that feeling in my heart? Words cannot express.

Tomorrow, 6 December, we will go to the police station to witness the withdrawal of the case against the Chief.  The police will have to agree that the dispute is ended by interviewing both of the involved women.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara