Inspiring action for peace through education, enterprise and empowerment
by Amani K | August 20, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Ela Gandhi, Grand-daughter of Mhatama Gandhi speaking at IPI's 2005 Women's International Grass Roots Peace CongressDr. Karambu Ringera, Founder and President of International Peace Initiatives, is a visionary, an activist, a compassionate, committed, formidable force for change, and an inspiration to all who meet her. It is through her commitment as a peace, healing and reconciliation activist that International Peace Initiatives (IPI) was formed.
IPI is dedicated to promoting cultures of peace for every individual through its support of sustainable peace, prosperity, and health. We believe that only “homegrown” peace initiatives will liberate Africa from the current quagmire of persistent conflicts. Through INPEACE, we stand behind a commitment to peace building through the training of civic, social and governmental groups, and including traditional peace processes adapted to contemporary use.
Providing peace and conflict resolution training to mediators, NGO staffs, students and educators, community-based peacemakers, and the media, INPEACE also initiated and conducted successful peace dialogs to forestall 2008 post-election violence in vulnerable surrounding areas. Women’s International Grassroots Peace Congresses in 2005 and 2009 brought together over 500 grassroots activists from 19 countries, with participation from local and national organizations, international NGOs, religious and educational groups, and African governmental organizations.
Women often bear the brunt of hardship when violence rips through a community and so IPI is partnering with the Institute for Inclusive Security to provide “trainings for trainers” for women from Eastern Africa countries. By raising awareness of the suffering produced by conflicts, women are trained through a combination of human security and peace processes with skills development to help find alternatives to violence and provide them with the confidence building skills necessary for effective leadership.
INPEACE helps women reclaim a degree of authority that was once theirs and gives them the courage to speak out about the suffering armed conflicts brings on their families. Help support IPI in its mission to aid in the prevention and transformation of conflict through research, education, and training programs by donating to our programs here.
© Photos by Jan Folsom
