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By Margaret Thompson Women from several African countries are escorting a Women’s Peace Train on a multi-country journey from Rwanda to South Africa, demanding an end to wars and conflict in their countries, promoting the strong message that without peace, there can be no sustainable development. A peace torch is being passed by the women across every frontier, starting in Rwanda, continuing on through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, andh, and Zimbabwe, and arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa in time for the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), August 27-September 4, 2002. FIRE is presently covering the Women’s Peace Train via cell phone and Internet, with interviews with women from the various African countries, and will meet the women from the train in person in Johannesburg, South Africa, when it arrives there. FIRE will cover an afternoon presentation by participants in the Peace Train on Monday, August 26th from the Women's Tent at the WSSD in Johannesburg. According to Sadre Twinomugisha of NAWOU (National Association of Women’s Organizations in Uganda), which is serving as one of the focal points for the peace train, "We women look at it that with development when we don’t have peace is not development at all. Because when you develop your city and your country, and in a few years war breaks out, you go back to square one. So as women we decided that what we need is peace before you get development, because if we have a peaceful world, then development will definitely come." Listen to Litha Musyimi-Agana of Kenya as she explains via cell phone from Kampala, Uganda, the goal of the peace train and what motivates the women to lead this peace effort. Litha is Regional Director of AC-EGA (African Center for Empowerment Gender & Advocacy) of Kenya, the main organizer of the peace train, which left Kampala on August 16th and is scheduled to arrive in Johannesburg on or about August 27th. Listen to Sadre as she reports via cell phone on the ceremonies for the passage of the peace torch from the Rwandan women to the Ugandan women on August 16th at the train station in Kampala, Uganda:
According to a press release by the organizers, "The objective of the
Peace train is to pass on a strong message to the continent leaders, war
mongers, armies, guerrillas, arms traders and dealers in the African continent
that women want peace and stability for their children and future generations
and call upon the ring leaders and perpetrators of these wars to end them
forthwith. Women in Africa bear the brunt of the war burden and see the
WSSD as a good opportunity to campaign for the end of these wars and would
like to use the peace
The lead organizations for the peace train are the Llitha Labantu of South Africa and the African Center for Empowerment Gender and Advocacy (ACEGA) based in Kenya who will serve as coordinators of the train, with the assistance of 7 focal points--4 in the SADCC sub-region and 3 in the East African sub-region. The Peace Train is a key component of the Women's Tent in the WSSD and will mobilize support from men and women in all the countries it will pass through. The Train is expected to carry 3 women from each of the 53 African Countries constituting of 1 rural women, 1 NGO representative and 1 youth rep, in addition to the media, a medical team, security personnel and crew. The women representatives will carry a Peace Touch from women in the turbulent Great Lakes Region consisting of DRC Congo, Rwanda, Burundi to Johannesburg. The train will be boarded by women at the entry border of each transit country and escorted to the exit point in the next country. The entry and exit points will be marked by ceremonies depicting peace, sustainable development, poverty eradication, demilitalization, HIV/AIDS fight among other topics. For more information or to make donations or provide funding for expenses of the PeaceTrain contact: Litha Musyimi-Ogana
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