Peace Circle touches Republic of Congo and Zambia in South Africa
A Creators of Peace team was invited by Coco to come to Pretoria to conduct a Peace Circle. The group consisted of three men and six women of which two of the men were Pastors. The participants were a mix of countryman from Congo, Zambia residing in South Africa and South Africans. The day started with a prayer and followed by discussions on gathering points. The group was open to learning and increasing their knowledge on how to have inner peace.
The first day we explored 'what is peace?', where a few points were made that peace is different for everyone depending on which situation you find yourself in. Some experienced war in their countries which made it difficult to define what peace is. Most of the participants came from a faith-base background which narrowe their thinking and brought spirituality into every discussion. However, to our surprise, when we discussed Qualities of a Peace maker, they realised that they needed to work more on having qualities that can build Peace in and around them. What builds peace seemed interesting for the participants because of role play that enabled them to see through the mirror of things they take for granted and blame others for. Others let go of baggage that they have been carrying.
One of the Pastors shared how listening to others helped him to learn to listen to other people's opinion. He said, “I used to argue with people to a point that I would even use some verses in the Bible to win an argument, but now I have understood what it means to listen and I have learnt that I have to be humbled so that people can reach me.” Another lady said, “When I go back I want to reconcile with my only brother that I'm left with after our parents died. I want to tell him I love him and miss him.” Another participant felt connected with his childhood through the activities and ice breakers. Another participant who hadn't been in touch with her mother over a long period realised how much she missed her and felt ready to forgive her.
Reported by: Portia Mosia and Jackie Euvrard