Kenya

CHAGUA AMANI ZUIA NOMA - PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE/UNDP project

Chagua Amani means choose peace in Swahili. Zuia Noma means prevent or stop violence in sheng language, a popular language among Kenyan youth.The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya and Partnership for Peace (PFP) launched the Peaceful Elections' Campaign on the UN International Day of Peace 21 September, at Kenyatta International Conference centre. The day was also dedicated to National Prayers, and was presided over by all the religious leaders of Kenya. Also present were women organisations, youth groups and the general public.

There have been a lot of incidences of violence against women aspirants and UNDP has partnered with Maendeleo ya Wanawake organization MYWO to mitigate these incidences. On 20 December, Ms Elizabeth Lwanga UNDP Kenya resident representative and Ms Rukia Subow head of MYWO, flagged off the Nairobi Peace Caravan. The purpose is to sensitize people on women aspirants during the forthcoming elections for 2007. The caravan route included Uhuru park, Haille sellassie, Eastliegh, Bahati, Jogoo Road, and slum areas such as Dandora. Rapid Response Missions have been carried out in situations where there are outbreaks of violence; Tanariver, Kuresoi, Mt Elgon

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Partnership for Peace, PFP goes to such places to establish causes of tensions and to consult with various actors in order to find short and long-term solutions for peace building during this election period and beyond. PFP brings together eminent persons, the private sector, politicians, the youth, journalists, religious leaders, faith-based organisations, women groups, international development organisations and representatives of government, in an effort to collectively and creatively seek solutions to political violence and conflict that often characterises national elections. UNDP Kenya attaches great importance on the mitigation of political violence and the promotion of peace in Kenya. UNDP is thus an active partner of PFP and continues to lend its financial and technical support for effective implementation of peace programmes including the National Peace Campaign.http://www.amaniforum.org

UNDP and Ministry of Youth affairs are promoting an initiative called Zuia Noma . This catch-phrase Zuia noma means 'stop the violence' in sheng, a language popular among Kenyan youth. Zuia noma initiative aims at educating youth on the need for peaceful elections. Nardos Bekele Thomas, Deputy Resident Representative and Moody Awori, Vice President officially launched the one week event at at Uhuru park on 12 August 2007. Each day of the Youth Week is dedicated to one of the eight challenges that form the thematic areas of the Ministry of Youth Affairs' priorities.Click for details on the event.

Developing capacity for conflict prevention and resolution

Exploratory mission to determine potential disarmament and development related interventions in the Karamoja Cluster has begun.First in North Western Kenya and North Eastern Uganda, later to be expanded to include South Eastern Sudan and South Western Ethiopia).

Focus group discussions were held with the youth, women and elders of communities in West Pokot, Turkana, Kapchorwa, Bukwa, Moroto and Nakapiripirit.The cross border project is still in its formulation stages.

A similar but non-related initiative to the above is the Conflict Prevention Project.The two are similar in the sense that they both address conflict resolution.They however differ in the geographic area of due implementation.The main objective of the national conflict prevention project is to reduce the impact of violent conflict in Kenya by promoting conflict prevention and resolution capabilities and addressing the root causes of conflict.

The activities undertaken in this programme include conflict prevention and resolution capacity building of National Security Committees (NSC) and local leaders.

The programme works in concert with local and international effort to improve security and development in the Horn of Africa, through close collaboration with the The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) secretariat.