Nov. 19, 2007 - Together with many other believers from across Nigeria, two Christian Reformed Church workers are taking part in an unprecedented, 10-day peace walk. The walk, which began today, commemorates the first anniversary of the Takum Peace Agreement.
The agreement, signed almost exactly one year ago, ended a violent land dispute that destabilized communities in Nigeria, displacing families and causing starvation and death throughout parts of the West African country. If this walk is successful, supporters hope to walk again next year as well as encourage similar walks to take place all over Africa and beyond.
Bulus Ali and Chinyere Nwachukwu, both of whom work for Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) in Nigeria, are among those making the trek in a show of solidarity for peace and in memory of those who lost their lives in the dispute.
"By the time the papers were signed, this crisis had already claimed dozens of lives," says Ali, Nigeria partner contact for the CRWRC. "But since the peace agreement was enacted ... the guns have been silent. Displaced persons have returned to their communities. Life is returning to normal."
Besides highlighting peace coming to their communities, walkers have undertaken the journey as a way to raise money to rebuild a school in Taraba state that was razed during the unrest. The Nigerian churches aim to raise five million naira ($42,371 US) for rebuilding Mbiya School.
Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM) played a part in building and supporting the Mbiya School. Ron Geerlings, CRWM's West Africa regional leader who just returned from Africa, said he hopes that the school can be a symbol of the peace and unity of the churches at work in that part of Nigeria.
Before it was burned down, Mbiya School educated and housed more than 1,000 primary and secondary students. Money raised through the three organizations spearheading the walk will support a joint 10-year rebuilding project. The school is also supported in North America by five funding organizations: Worldwide Christian Schools, the Reformed Ecumenical Synod, CRWM, CRWRC, and the Christian Reformed Church's Office of Social Justice.
Peace Walk participants, many from Taraba and Benue states, gathered on Sunday in Takum to begin the walk on Monday. Walkers will travel from church to church each of the 10 days, stopping to preach messages of peace to each town in the evenings and resting at churches along the way. They will return to Takum on Nov. 29.
"I have been quite involved in planning a solidarity walk here in Jos," says Nwachukwu, a CRWRC staff person. "A route has been mapped out that includes all of the churches, the seminary, and the Government House where walkers will meet with the governor of Plateau State."
Walk organizers, led by the Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation Committee (PJRC) of the Reformed Ecumenical Council of Nigeria (RECON), include the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria (CRCN), and the Nongo Kristu u hun Sudan Ken Tiv (NKST). The Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria has a more than 100-year history since being organized in 1904.
The organizers were crucial in bringing about last year's peace agreement. During the peace process, local pastors brought together Kuteb and Tiv tribal leaders with law enforcement representatives and members of state and local governments for a series of discussions that resulted in the peace agreement.
For more information, see the Bulus Ali February news link on the Nigeria pages of www.crwrc.org. Call CRWRC media contact Beth DeGraff at 1-800-55-CRWRC for information on the peace walk. To learn more about Mbiya School, call Dale Dieleman at Worldwide Christian Schools at 1-800-866-9000.
For more information about CRWRC, visit www.crwrc.org or call 1-800-55-CRWRC. For information about CRWM, visit www.crwm.org <http://www.crwm.org/> or call 1-800-346-0075.
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Henry Hess
Director of Communication
Christian Reformed Church
To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church visit us at www.crcna.org <http://www.crcna.org
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