Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya

Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya PDF Author: Kimani Njogu
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966724451
Category : Elections
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
The narratives collected by Twaweza Communications in this volume tell yet another side of the story about the violence that engulfed Kenya towards the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. The narratives are part of a Daraja Initiative involving media monitoring, reflections and documentation of the traumatic post-election violence period often associated with the contested presidential results of 2007. The goal of the project is to contribute to the protection of constitutional rights of all Kenyans and to the development of a just and democratic country. Because violent conflicts constitute ruptures and continuities and are often preceded by tensions over the uncomfortable co-existence of political, economic, social and cultural systems and relations of power as well as what is perceived as valuable, mobilisation for violence is driven by narratives of the legality and correctness of action such that notions of history, justice and memory are functions of narrative construction, power and authority. Narratives of violent conflict, such as happened in Kenya, are not absolute: they are contested, contradictory and incomplete. But they must be told so that the multiple voices from the citizens are heard.

Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya

Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya PDF Author: Kimani Njogu
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966724451
Category : Elections
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Get Book Here

Book Description
The narratives collected by Twaweza Communications in this volume tell yet another side of the story about the violence that engulfed Kenya towards the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. The narratives are part of a Daraja Initiative involving media monitoring, reflections and documentation of the traumatic post-election violence period often associated with the contested presidential results of 2007. The goal of the project is to contribute to the protection of constitutional rights of all Kenyans and to the development of a just and democratic country. Because violent conflicts constitute ruptures and continuities and are often preceded by tensions over the uncomfortable co-existence of political, economic, social and cultural systems and relations of power as well as what is perceived as valuable, mobilisation for violence is driven by narratives of the legality and correctness of action such that notions of history, justice and memory are functions of narrative construction, power and authority. Narratives of violent conflict, such as happened in Kenya, are not absolute: they are contested, contradictory and incomplete. But they must be told so that the multiple voices from the citizens are heard.

Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya

Healing the Wound. Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post-Election Violence in Kenya PDF Author: Kimani Njogu
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966028145
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
The narratives collected by Twaweza Communications in this volume tell yet another side of the story about the violence that engulfed Kenya towards the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. The narratives are part of a Daraja Initiative involving media monitoring, reflections and documentation of the traumatic post-election violence period often associated with the contested presidential results of 2007. The goal of the project is to contribute to the protection of constitutional rights of all Kenyans and to the development of a just and democratic country. Because violent conflicts constitute ruptures and continuities and are often preceded by tensions over the uncomfortable co-existence of political, economic, social and cultural systems and relations of power as well as what is perceived as valuable, mobilisation for violence is driven by narratives of the legality and correctness of action such that notions of history, justice and memory are functions of narrative construction, power and authority. Narratives of violent conflict, such as happened in Kenya, are not absolute: they are contested, contradictory and incomplete. But they must be told so that the multiple voices from the citizens are heard.

A Different Way of Being

A Different Way of Being PDF Author: David Kirwa Tarus
Publisher: Langham Publishing
ISBN: 1783685816
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 390

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Book Description
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 Kenya is a diverse nation, with many ethnic communities and cultural traditions. However, this diversity has led to deep divisions over the years, resulting in entrenched ethnopolitical tension and conflict. In this book, Dr David Kirwa Tarus advocates for a Christian theological response to the nation’s divisions by presenting various theological perspectives on anthropology, society, and politics including those of John Calvin and John Mbiti, as well as other prominent Kenyan theologians. This work traces the history of ethnopolitical conflict in Kenya and the church’s response from 1895 to 2013 and thoroughly examines how a reformed theology can provide a pathway to social cohesion in Kenya. David Tarus humbly yet boldly challenges Kenyans to pursue national unity and peace by interrogating their allegiances to their ethnic communities and political parties. This book carefully argues why it is only a Christian identity, commitment to humanity as bearing the divine image, and the triune God himself, that can heal the divisions in this land and in turn bring an end to other social evils such as corruption, intolerance, and violence. Ethnopolitical conflict is not confined to one nation, and this study will bear much fruit in other contexts where people yearn for social cohesion.

Defining Moments

Defining Moments PDF Author: Kimani Njogu
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966028315
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
There is no singular interpretation over the forces that almost brought Kenya to a standstill around the 2007 general elections. The 'truth' about what actually happened will be found in the in-between spaces of dialogue and voicing. Somewhere amidst these at times contradictory and at times reaffirming voices can be found glimpses of what the pursuit of political power can do to a people, especially in a State where accountability to citizens is of minimal value. The essays in Defining Moments capture some of the transformative moments during the crisis that rocked Kenya in 2007/2008 and in its resolution. These reflections by journalists, lawyers, political scientists and cultural workers provide additional perspectives to the relationship between elections, citizenship and violence. This book follows in the footprints of Healing the Wound: Personal Narratives about the 2007 Post Election Violence in Kenya and Re-membering Kenya Vol.1, Identity, Cultural and Freedom. We revisit some of the hotspots, the mediation process and ways of ending impunity. This is part of on-going work at Twaweza Communications to provide space so that multiple voices can be heard as we seek to build a peaceful and just society. In the process we hope to show that violent conflict can be avoided through structural and behavioural engineering: fix governance, ensure accountability, give credibility to institutions. anchor justice and rule of law.

Kenya

Kenya PDF Author: Godwin R. Murunga
Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.
ISBN: 1780323689
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
The aftermath of recent Kenyan elections has been marred by violence and an apparent crisis in democratic governance, with the negotiated settlement resulting from the 2007 election bringing into sharp focus longstanding problems of state and society. The broader reform process has involved electoral, judicial and security-sector reforms, among others, which in turn revolve around constitutional reforms. Written by a gathering of eminent specialists, this highly original volume interrogates the roots and impact of the 2010 constitution. It explains why reforms were blocked in the past but were successful this time around, and explores the scope for their implementation in the face of continued resistance by powerful groups. In doing so, the book demonstrates that the Kenyan experience carries significance well past its borders, speaking to debates surrounding social justice and national cohesion across the African continent and beyond.

Political Violence in Kenya

Political Violence in Kenya PDF Author: Kathleen Klaus
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108802648
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
Examining a key puzzle in the study of electoral violence, this study asks how elites organize violence and why ordinary citizens participate. While existing theories of electoral violence emphasize weak institutions, ethnic cleavages, and the strategic use of violence, few specify how the political incentives of elites interact with the interests of ordinary citizens. Providing a new theory of electoral violence, Kathleen F. Klaus analyzes violence as a process of mobilization that requires coordination between elites and ordinary citizens. Drawing on fifteen months of fieldwork in Kenya, including hundreds of interviews and an original survey, Political Violence in Kenya argues that where land shapes livelihood and identity, and tenure institutions are weak, land, and narratives around land, serve as a key device around which elites and citizens coordinate the use of violence. By examining local-level variation during Kenya's 2007–8 post-election violence, Klaus demonstrates how land struggles structure the dynamics of contentious politics and violence.

Kenya

Kenya PDF Author: Daniel Branch
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300180640
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 497

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Book Description
On December 12, 1963, people across Kenya joyfully celebrated independence from British colonial rule, anticipating a bright future of prosperity and social justice. As the nation approaches the fiftieth anniversary of its independence, however, the people's dream remains elusive. During its first five decades Kenya has experienced assassinations, riots, coup attempts, ethnic violence, and political corruption. The ranks of the disaffected, the unemployed, and the poor have multiplied. In this authoritative and insightful account of Kenya's history from 1963 to the present day, Daniel Branch sheds new light on the nation's struggles and the complicated causes behind them.Branch describes how Kenya constructed itself as a state and how ethnicity has proved a powerful force in national politics from the start, as have disorder and violence. He explores such divisive political issues as the needs of the landless poor, international relations with Britain and with the Cold War superpowers, and the direction of economic development. Tracing an escalation of government corruption over time, the author brings his discussion to the present, paying particular attention to the rigged election of 2007, the subsequent compromise government, and Kenya's prospects as a still-evolving independent state.

Africa and the ICC

Africa and the ICC PDF Author: Kamari M. Clarke
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316790932
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 469

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Book Description
Africa and the ICC: Perceptions of Justice comprises contributions from prominent scholars of different disciplines including international law, political science, cultural anthropology, African history and media studies. This unique collection provides the reader with detailed insights into the interaction between the African Union and the International Criminal Court (ICC), but also looks further at the impact of the ICC at a societal level in African states and examines other justice mechanisms on a local and regional level in these countries. This investigation of the ICC's complicated relationship with Africa allows the reader to see that perceptions of justice are multilayered.

(Re)membering Kenya Vol 2

(Re)membering Kenya Vol 2 PDF Author: George Gona
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966028455
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Out of the first series of public lectures titled (Re) membering Kenya organised by the Volume editors together with Twaweza Communications and supported by the Goethe Institut Kenya, The Ford Foundation and the Institute for International Education, and whose key outcome was the publication of Remembering Kenya Vol.1 (2010) grew a second round of lecture series. The second series took cognisance of the fact that the problems that bedevil Kenya as a nation go far beyond questions of culture and identity that Volume 1 dealt with. Thus, the second presentations revolved mainly around issues of economics, governance and power. The awareness of the role and/or lack of equity and social justice in causing Kenyas persistent problems informed all these presentations. Issues of how to bring marginalised groups into the mainstream were discussed. This Volume, in part, arises from the second presentations. The authors of chapters attempt to provide answers to the question: what entails (re)membering in post-conflict Kenya? From their work, it is clear that there is a lot to (re)member in Kenya, and many ways in which to reconfigure project Kenya. (Re)membering is re-thinking and re organising our ways of doing things. It entails a juggling of priorities; between peace and reconciliation, peace and justice, and seeking justice and reconciliation without undermining peace, all of which are arduous exercises. Reconciling misconceptions about places, issues and people is part of this reconstitution too. New pathways require being embraced, past mistakes (individual and collective) acknowledged and giving earnest meaning to the vow never again! Yet, as observed in this Volume, Kenyans must be vigilant against individuals and groups that have often resisted change. There are also material constraints to the achievement of the various economic activities that come with reconfiguring the Kenyan nation. Worse still there exist certain cultural underpinnings that continue to have a debilitating effect on efforts to forge a sustainable peace after conflict. These aspects require deep reflection and honest work. In part, the contributors to this Volume suggest how it can be done. There is a hint in these chapters that we need to find new organizing spaces and principles on which a new Kenya can move forward. Equally, debating the very meanings of social justice and reconciliation against the background of potential conflict should be a project of this endeavor. Questioning and identifying where impunity begun is key to this process. In doing so, we begin liberating ourselves from Kenyan societys deep-rooted impunity. (Re)membering Kenya, after all, calls for a reconstruction of the journey to the conflict in order to find the right balance between the right of remembrance and the duty of forgetfulness.

Youth and Peaceful Elections in Kenya

Youth and Peaceful Elections in Kenya PDF Author: Kimani Njogu
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9966028420
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Elections provide a tremendous opportunity for national transformation and the pursuit of democratic practice. They can be a moment of national renewal. However, in most of Africa elections are often characterized by violent conflict as politicians seek to capture or maintain power through ethnic mobilization, propaganda and misrepresentation. Considering opportunities offered by information technology especially mobile phones and the discovery of extensive natural resources, Africa has an opportunity to significantly change the lives of ordinary citizens. But this transformation requires that youth are fully 'present' in the political, economic, social and cultural arenas. They will need to marshal their energies and stay focused on the things that are important for the continent of Africa. In the case of Kenya, youth should not wait to be invited to take up political leadership. Instead, they will need to invite themselves to the table and take advantage of the opportunity provided in Constitution and demand accountability and transparency in the conduct of national affairs. This book is part of ongoing work at Twaweza Communications in the pursuit of democracy, peace and justice. Themes covered include youth and leadership; elections and peace; youth as peace makers; family and global values among other topics. - See more at: http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/youth-and-peaceful-elections-in-kenya#sthash.viKqWxE2.dpuf