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Exchange visit to Lari for community peace museums curators

Promoting peace through dialogue

On 12 September 2009, 30 staff and volunteers from community peace museums indifferent areas of Kenya travelled to Lari Memorial Peace Museum (MPM), near Nairobi, for the first of a series of exchange visits. The theme for the day, chosen by Lari MPM staff, was 'Embracing Modernity in our Peace Museum Activities'.

The idea behind the visits is to foster and facilitate inter-ethnic dialogue and understanding on peace and heritage issues, to enable people to visit each others' community museums, to promote networking, and to strengthen the role of these small museums in national peace and reconciliation. Six different ethnic groups were represented at this first event: Gikuyu, Aembu, Maasai, 'Dorobo', Suba and Yaaku.

Artefacts associated with peace museum

 The initiative is funded by the British Academy through its UK-Africa Partnership Scheme Award to Dr Lotte Hughes (Open University) and Prof Karega-Munene (United States International University, Nairobi), who organised the event.

Lari beaded peace tree, Lari Community Peace Museum

Lari is the site of a traumatic double massacre in spring 1953, during the Mau Mau struggle and British-imposed State of Emergency. The legacy of these events is still painful in this small Central Kenya town, since Mau Mau supporters fought against Home Guards (so-called Loyalists who ostensibly sided with the British), and atrocities were committed by both sides. Lari MPM was founded to help reconcile the two sides, and preach a message of peace. The museum committee is made up of former Home Guards and Mau Mau supporters, who have come together to commemorate the historical events that once divided them, and educate people about the lessons learned.

More recently, the post-electoral crisis of 2007/8 divided the nation; the effects of the violence are still being felt. The causes of the crisis were wrongly called 'tribal' by much of the international media, and ethnic differences were exploited by local politicians. Kenyans are now Maasai elder Koimarish Ole Mulostriving to ensure this does not happen again; therefore efforts of this kind are vitally necessary, both at grassroots and national level.

Before the visit, most of the visitors didn't know anything about the massacres or the museum's reconciliation work. In the morning they had an opportunity to visit the museum, and learn about its activities. The artefacts on display include body adornments, gourds and other objects that symbolize peace in different communities. Also on show was the Beaded Peace Tree, centrepiece of a project that aims to promote peace between different communities. As the small 'tree' travelled around to different districts, people have beaded a branch using colours that signify peace in their ethnic group.

The afternoon was devoted to discussion and speeches. Kabooro wa Tumbo, chair of the Lari MPM Board, electrified the audience with stories about his experiences during the Mau Mau struggle. "British colonialism took away our property and wealth - land, cattle, sheep and goats. It also terrorized and abused us, and had us beaten by its agents, the Home Guards. This is why we decided to fight for our property and freedom". In his address, Lari MPM curator Waihenya Njoroge said: "We (Africans) have lost our identity and cultures. We do not seem to know who we are. Yet there is a Kiswahili saying, ' mwacha mila ni mtumwa, a person who has lost their culture is a slave'. Lari MPM exhibits traditional artefacts to remind us about our cultures. The aim here is to encourage the African to be proud of their cultures and African-ness."

He spoke about Lari MPM's peace education programme in schools, adding: "We are also aware that people outside schools need peace education." Citizens will be able to use the library that is being developed as a community education resource centre.

The discussion that followed was wide-ranging. It included agreement on the urgent need to help and encourage unemployed youth, and involve them in peace museum activities. People shared ideas about how to spread peace messages through new technology such as mobile phones, emails and the internet.

Maasai elder Koimarish Ole Mulo, from Kajiado District, noted: "There is a need for us to see ourselves as Kenyans, not as members of thAudience at Lari exchange visitis or that ethnic group. Politics is divisive, therefore we must be careful." He urged participants to take the ideas they had shared about peace to other Kenyans, in order to benefit Kenya as a whole.

Njiru Njeru, curator of Aembu Community Peace Museum, near Embu town, welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences. "Ethnic differences have torn apart our lovely nation. Deliberation of elders and youth from different ethnic groups, sharing with one voice, was an indication that peace is possible. We built trust and shared deep insights on the way forward."

A second visit has since taken place in February 2010, to Kyansazu Community Peace Museum near Machakos.

Photographs taken at the exchange visit