Priest walks in the footsteps of Mother Teresa by building peace

By Margaret Kanini

Kenya: His efforts to bring peace amongst warring communities in marginal areas have made him the darling of many.

Fr Patrick Devine, a Catholic priest who has been living in Kenya for over ten years, believes that no one should fight another – for whatever reason.

That is why he works hard to help conflicting communities understand the root causes of their conflicts so that they can build peace.

“This is the only way we can help the Borana, Turkana, Maasai, Samburu, Gabra, Pokot, Luos and Kipsigis communities come together,” he says.

The priest from Ireland spends most of his time with victims of violence.

He dedicated a good amount of his time to post-election violence victims in 2008, which led to the formation of an organisation named Shalom.

Fr Devine has also spent most of his time with victims of violence in Northern Kenya.

The priest says the post-election violence was the biggest challenge his colleagues and himself faced

“We were moved by the massive deaths, displacements, trauma and suffering that Kenyans went through after the disputed 2007 elections. My heart was on fire. I kept thinking there must be a way for me to console these victims,” he said.

Conflict-ridden countries

He, therefore started a religious NGO in 2009 and named it The Shalom Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (SCCRR). The organisation was to serve as a gateway of conflict resolution.

Through its work, SCCRR has been recognised by the Government, endorsed by the church and backed by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) as it serves to promote peace in South Sudan, Somali and other conflict-ridden countries in the region.

Fr Devine works with several conflict management experts to promote peace. They undertake their work at the grassroots, consolidating peace and promoting healing among different conflicting communities.

“We try our level best to change perceptions among warring communities. This is viewed as a critical step towards conflict resolution,” he says.

His team, which mostly consists of foreign Catholic priests, does in-depth research on causes of conflict in different societies of the world.

They then use case studies and experiences from various parts of the world to provide insights into Kenyan conflicts.

The 52-year-old priest says that in conflict environments, where people are killed, maimed and displaced persistently, social and religious values such as peace, truth, justice and mercy cannot take root.

“We can never experience sustained development when there is conflict. When schools, hospitals and other public institutions shut and people are displaced, it becomes difficult to rebuild societies and most importantly find peace,” he says.

His exemplary service to the country on conflict resolution earned him the 2013 International Caring Award, which was previously held by Dalai Lama.

The award was presented to the priest in October last year during the 25th annual celebrations in America.

During a recent Igad dinner held to honour him in Nairobi, Fr Devine told The Standard that he believes in the next three to four years, SCCRR would have trained enough key opinion leaders with analytical skills on causes of conflict in communities.

In touch with the world

The officials will help develop peace-building techniques for conflict prevention and resolution among communities.

His organisation has so far trained over 120 peace builders and leaders from various ethnic groups across the country.  

Eng Mahboub Maalin, Igad’s Executive Secretary, has worked with Fr Devine to promote peace in eight member states in Africa.

Maalin speaks highly of the priest. He describes Fr Devine as selfless, empathetic, engaging, charming and in touch with the world. The priest usually goes beyond conflict resolution in communities. He provides shelter, healthcare and education to people in conflict both in Kenya and neighboring countries.

His organisation has also provided solar energy to over 100 primary schools in Marsabit and Moyale.

“SCCRR officials use some of the schools to train different leaders on peace-building techniques. We also believe in promoting education in communities. With the solar energy, the children can learn with no difficulties,” he says

Fr Devine was ordained a priest in the Society of Africa Missions in 1998 and started his work in Tanzania. He has served in various top capacities at the Religious Superiors’ Conference of Kenya.

He is a conflict resolution and management lecturer at Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

The priest is also studying for a PhD at the University of Nairobi. His thesis will include an in-depth research on the root causes of conflict between the Turkanas and the Pokots.

The International Caring Institute, which promotes values of caring, integrity, and public service, sponsors the International Caring Award and celebrates individuals who devote their lives in the service of others.  

Poor and sick

Fr Devine is walking in the footsteps of pioneer winners of the award, who include Mother Teresa, China’s Dalai Lama and America’s Edward Kennedy.

Each of the leaders share the virtue of care, which won them the prestigious award.

Mother Teresa is popularly known for caring for the poor and sick.

On the other hand, Kennedy, one of the longest serving political leaders in American history, cared about democracy, education, fair governance and reforms in the health sector.