CCP Update Feb 22nd

The CCP Technical team had a meeting yesterday, 21st February 2008 discussing whether CCP should continue to exist (unanimous agreement on this) and if so how it should do so.

Various decisions were reached in the meeting including:

o Morning forum- meetings will now be held once a week on Friday’s from 830 a.m. to 1030 a.m. (subject to change on a need-to basis)

o Other CCP chapters have been formed and are moving to lobby and raise funds for CCP – accountability and transparency required in management of these funds

o CCP needs to engage more with the media

o CCP to strengthen its secretariat

o Engage in outreach, starting Wednesday 27th Feb

– Last Tuesday was international day of the Mother tongue. Kenyan writer spent time at Moi Forces Academy with the students, encouraged the students to appreciate their own and other people’s cultures and backgrounds.

– There is a meeting at Webuye Anglican Church targeting church leaders from Western Province (Mt Elgon, Vihiga, Emuhaya) on Tuesday 26th February 2008 at 10 a.m. Purpose of the meeting is to bring people together from different tribes to discuss peace.

– Last Wednesday, the scouts went to Kirathimo IDP camp and participated in a clean up. Plan to go to other areas but are hampered by lack of funds. Funds were raised during the meeting (Ksh. 2300/-) to enable the scouts go to Karura on Saturday and spread the spirit of hope and peace.

– The National Youth Violence Prevention week is being held from the 23rd February 2008- 1st March 2008. The goal of the week and the campaign is to support the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process by raising awareness and educating young people and the community on prevention of violence. A number of major events have been organised for this week including a ghetto-to-ghetto tour, in school dialogues, national youth forum for safer neighbourhoods, peace garden, peace run all culminating in a peace concert on the 1st March.

– LIKA: the Leadership Institute of Kenya continues to hold meetings in their offices on Kirichwa Road near Masaba Hospital. The meetings seek to show that Kenya is bigger than any single tribe and there is a need to harmonise and integrate each “nation” in order to create the feeling of Kenyan-hood. Comparisons were made with Tanzanian culture and questions raised such as has greed over-ridden Kenyan values so that we are governed by a monetary culture? There is a big challenge ahead; other areas that shall be explored in future meetings include; the language factor and marital unions. Meetings are held at 5 p.m every Tuesday.

– Women are planning to surround Serena in white to show solidarity with the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation team and the need for peace in Kenya.

– A challenge was put out to the MP’s by one of the members asking whether mass action is the only means to achieve certain aims. Is there a less expensive and less controversial means to do the same?

– Further allegations of tribalism in IDP camps have been made, member who raised it has been asked to follow this up with the relevant authorities and the Kenya Red Cross to confirm its truthfulness or otherwise and ensure something is done about it, if it is true.

– CCP has been asked to participate in peace meetings in Dandora and Huruma to avert further crisis in the area.