Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) Peace Coordinator Josephine Ekiru, 34, is this year’s winner of United States Institute for Peace (USIP) Women Peace Building Award.
The award bestows with the aim of highlighting the role of individual women who are working every day in pursuit of peace in fragile or conflict-affected countries or regions.
The peace builder’s efforts must be substantial and practical contribution to peace as an inspiration for future women peace builders.
Ekiru’s efforts to nurture peace in Northern Kenya are peace building milestones and interventions that NRT’s member conservancies continue to achieve, to mitigate and resolve conflict in the fragile ecosystem while developing resilient communities through the community conservation model.
“I never knew that one day I would be recognized, all my peace efforts were for the future generations. I always desired to have my community and our neighbors co-exist in peace instead of causing pain to each other,” said Ms Ekiru adding, “This award is a call to women, youth and men to embrace peace and do what is right. It is an inspiration not only to peace champions but to our decision makers.”
Northern Kenya’s conflict is caused by scarce resources due to the impact of climate change to pastoral communities. The interconnected challenges include intensity of inter-community rivalries, the depth of pain of losing lives, property and communities struggle to support their livelihoods in harsh environments.
According to NRT’s CEO Tom Lalampaa, the organization’s relationship with local communities creates a neutral platform to bring people together offering dispute resolution to violence.
“Effective and strategic community peace building is built on a foundation of inclusive community consultations. Through support from different partners, we work with local and national governments, conservancy management, elders, women, men and youths to facilitate peace meetings and act as peace ambassadors,” says Mr Lalampaa.
Ms Ekiru leads a team of 80 peace ambassadors across the region with whom 25 are women.
“Ms Ekiru is a heroin, her work to build peace in Northern Kenya is a model for all of us,” said the honorary chair of the Women Building Peace Council Ms Nancy Lindborg during the virtual awarding ceremony held on October 20, 2021.
