Peace Studies Conference Fall 2001

"Democracy, Development and Human Rights in Kenya"

The Fourteenth Annual Peace Studies Conference

Sponsored by the Peace Studies Department
St. John's University
College of St. Benedict

Sunday, September 23rd & Monday, September 24th

College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota
Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota

The theme for this conference was inspired by the courageous life and work of Fr. John Kaiser, to whose memory it was dedicated.

Sunday, September 23rd

1:00 pm - U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone

Senator Wellstone, DFL-Minnesota, spoke on "The Globalization of Social Justice and Human Rights."
Haehn Center, Alumnae Hall, College of St. Benedict

7:30 pm - 8:45 pm British Broadcasting Corporation documentary on Fr. John Kaiser, "Death of a Priest"

Little Theater, Quad 346, SJU (co-sponsored by CSB/SJU Amnesty International)

Monday, September 24th

1:00 Welcome. Dr. Rita Knuesel, Dean of the College, CSB

1:05 Introduction. Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, Chair, Department of Peace Studies

1:10-2:20: Images of Africa (Alumni Lounge, Quad 1st Floor, SJU)

Images matter. Some politicians and scholars have written off Africa as a lost continent. What image does the word "Africa" conjure up for you? What stereotypes do we hold and how did we come to hold them? What are the realities of Africa?

* Dr. Mahmoud El Kati, Department of History, Macalester University

* Brief presentations by a panel of CSB/SJU African students and staff moderated by January Makamba

2:40-3:45: Democracy and Human Rights in Kenya (Alumni Lounge, Quad 1st Floor )

Some scholars see the recent decades as a historic "third wave" of democratization throughout much of the world. What is the situation in Kenya? What policies towards Kenya should the U.S. adopt?

* Hon. Ferdinand Obure, former Opposition Member of Parliament

* Adotei Akwei, Amnesty International USA's Legislative Advisor on Africa.

3:50-4:00: Refreshments

4:00-5:05: Workshops (Choose One):

A). Health Issues in Kenya (Quad 252)

Like much of the Global South, Kenya faces major health challenges. What are those challenges? What are some ways to address them?

* Dr. M. Kariuki Njenga, Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota.

B). Religious Communities in Kenya Working for Peace, Justice and Nonviolence (Quad 247)

There has been a growing Kenyan interfaith group movement for peace and justice. Some of the groups in the movement have adopted the philosophy and methods of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. What is the movement doing and what is it striving for?

* Fr. Carroll Houle, MM, United Nations Representative for Maryknoll Priests and Brothers; co-founder of Chemchemi Ya Ukweli (Wellspring of Truth), an interfaith group committed to Active Nonviolence.

* Greg Darr, Maryknoll Lay Associates, staff of People for Peace in Kenya, 1992-1995

C). Development in Kenya and the "Africa Rising" Campaign (Quad 254)

What is "development?" What are some major development challenges facing Kenya and what are some programs to meet those challenges? What can U.S. citizens do in solidarity?

* Chris Arthen, Global Solidarity Partnership, Catholic Relief Services.

* Eileen Emerson, Justice Education Project Coordinator,Catholic Relief Services.

6:30--7:30: Local Solidarity with Kenya: The St. Cloud-Homa Bay Partnership (Alumni Lounge)

"Think Globally, Act Locally" the saying goes and a local project is trying to do just that.  In this section of the conference, people learned about the multifaceted partnership between the Diocese of St. Cloud and the Diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya, from local participants, including some CSB/SJU students and faculty.

*Panel facilitators: Fr. William Vos and Rosanne Fischer, Diocese of St. Cloud Mission Office.

7:45 To Do the Work of Justice: Remembering Fr. John Kaiser (Alumni Lounge)

Fr. John Anthony Kaiser, a Mill Hill priest born in Perham, Minnesota, graduated from St. John's Preparatory School and attended St. John's University for two years. He spent the last 36 years of his life in Kenya, where he was a well-loved pastor and advocate for human rights. Harassed and threatened by the Kenyan government, in March 2000 Fr. Kaiser received the Law Society of Kenya's Award for Distinguished Service in the Promotion of Human Rights. On August 24th, 2000, Fr. Kaiser, 67, was found murdered from a gunshot wound, lying near a road 50 miles from Nairobi. Many Kenyans, along with many in the international human rights community, strongly believe the evidence indicates that Kenyan government officials are responsible and are calling for further investigations.

*Reflections by Fr. Carroll Houle and Hon. Ferdinand Obure.

* Prayer led by Fr. William Vos and Rosanne Fischer of the Mission Office, and Fr. Robert Pierson, OSB, CSB/SJU Campus Ministry.

For more information on this conference call 320-363-2731 or 320-363-5784