Marianne Ballé Moudoumbou, an activist from Cameroon who represents the Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD), reminded us that globalization is not a recent phenomenon, but began with slavery. “Today,” she stated, “we still face crucial issues regarding the connection between militarization and globalization. Refugees are the most obvious symbol and result of institutionalized racism and capitalism. So refugee emancipation has been a major priority for AAWORD, along with our work for the closing of all French military bases on the African continent.” Noting that the Western powers don’t want African people, or even the African Union, to have the power to help themselves, Moudoumbou suggested that Africans explore ways to empower themselves according to their own cultures and traditions.

As the sole African woman on the Women’s Security Council in Germany (where she currently resides), Moudoumbou emphasized the importance of ongoing work throughout Africa and amongst Africans living in Europe in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. The resolution, adopted in 2000, marked the first time the Security Council addressed the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women.
Recognizing the undervalued and under-utilized contributions women make to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and peace-building, the resolution stressed the importance of women’s equal and full participation as active agents in peace and security. “We have the power to protect our own people!,” Marianne asserted. “We’ve been taught to be Anglophone against Francophone – but we are finding ways of working together. We must unite to make a better world.”

Chesterfield Samba, the operations manager of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), helped organize a recent GALZ conference, attended by twenty-seven groups throughout Africa. Despite this achievement, differences that emerged during the conference underlined how clashing cultures, beliefs, and religious perspectives on the continent have made organizing together quite difficult. Chester also warned, “donor dependency has caused some groups to lose focus.” There are many examples of African groups adopting Western terms; even the terms gay or lesbian sometimes create difficulties where unity might have been possible.
Western corporate media coverage portray the whole of the African continent as a horrible place, when — in fact — there are many positive things going on in the continent. It is true, he added, that constitutions are sometimes just for the rich, and groups sometimes are working so hard just to survive that other organizing needs get lost. “But we now have an excellent opportunity to globalize our skills,” he concluded. “Globalizing nonviolence in Africa must mean a sharing of skills, resources, and training techniques.”

Light Wilson Agwana shared stories of the Sudanese Organization for Nonviolence and Development (SONAD), for which he serves as executive director. SONAD was founded in 1994 as a response to the marginalization of youth in the decision making process of the country. Adhering to the belief and conviction that just, peaceful, and democratic societies can be achieved by people who are conscious and aware of their political and civil rights, SONAD believes that nonviolence is the best way to resolve conflict and achieve a just and lasting peace. “SONAD is an organization with nonviolence at its center,” stated Light. “For SONAD, this means a commitment to justice without force that destroys or causes injuries to one’s enemies. We believe that the nonviolent movement should analyze injustice from a critical perspective, working to overcome injustices in ways that liberate both the oppressed and the oppressor.”

Their work is mainly done through five-day workshops on the themes of nonviolence and conflict transformation; civic and human rights education; women’s empowerment; HIV/AIDS education; and capacity/institution building at the grassroots level. The violence in the Darfur region is of special concern to the people of SONAD and all of us working for an end to war and genocide.

WRI’s Triennial concluded with remarks from European Parliament member Tobias Pfluger, an expert on EU/NATO militarization. I was honored to moderate that plenary, as Pfluger, who is also a member of the WRI Council, discussed the questionable motives of the large “peacekeeping force” in the Congo. “The EU is a neocolonial party,” Pfluger stated at a special session on the Congo, “and they have an African plan. If they can’t accomplish their goals through economic means, they’ll do so through military means.”

The WRI is united in its opposition to all war and militarism, from the production and trading of small arms to the waging of large scale wars and “ethnic cleansing.” For WRI’s African associates, globalizing nonviolence is not just a goal — it’s a necessity.