This January, we honored the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., but at the Congo Peace School, MLK’s teachings of peace and nonviolence are a daily part of life, and are changing lives! The six key principles of nonviolence as taught by Martin Luther King Jr. are part of the core curriculum at the Congo Peace School: The teachers and students study and learn the concepts and then come back together in a reflection meeting. In small groups the students discuss and share ideas about how the principle they focused on can be used as a compass in different everyday life contexts. “It's amazing how the students are interpreting these in their daily lives,” Amani Matabaro, our Founding Director, said. He spoke to several of the students to share what principle most affected their lives this past month.
Best friends Bulonza (age 12) & Iranga (age 11) are classmates in the first grade of secondary school. When the two girls first came to the Congo Peace School their grandparents were involved in a land conflict, and this affected the relationships between the two families.
During a reflection session in a small group sharing thoughts on the principles of nonviolence over the month of January 2022, both Bulonza and Iranga revealed that they have become great friends from the time they were in a group discussion about Principle Two: Nonviolence Seeks to Win Friendship and Understanding. The outcome of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.*
This principle means a lot to these students; it’s all about achieving a reconciled world by raising the level of relationships among people to a height where justice, love, and peace prevail and people attain their full human potential. Bulonza and Iranga are great friends, and their friendship is the result of the teaching of these principles at the Congo Peace School, Amani reports.
18 year old Samuel is in the 5th grade of secondary school. Samuel lives with his grandparents; they do not know the whereabouts of his parents, if they are even alive. Samuel was willing to share his story to illustrate the change that he has experienced by practicing peace and nonviolence through the Congo Peace School. He was born from rape and does not know his biological father. All through childhood Samuel lived with what he thought that meant about him, and the social situations it created for him.
When Samuel first began attending the Congo Peace School, he revealed he hated himself, that he was violent against himself and others. When asked what he learned this past month, Samuel shared he has fallen in love with Kingian Nonviolence Principle Five: “Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence to the spirit as well as the body.” Samuel says that for some time now, he feels there is no need to hate himself, no need to always be angry and violent against himself and others. For Samuel, the month of January 2022 is a month of determination. “Even my grandparents have discovered how peaceful I am living with them,” he said.
At 14 years old, Bayubasire is one of the older students in the 1st grade of secondary school. At his age, he would normally be in 3rd grade secondary, but because of the ongoing instability in Congo, he was forced to be out of school for two years. “Education is a right to every child in the world, but these wars in our country are the worst form of injustice imposed on people,” Amani shared.
When asked about what principle of nonviolence stands out for him right now, Bayubasire shared how he loves Principle One: “Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.” Bayubasire said, “It’s only with courage that I am going to catch up on lost time.” Over the past month, he determined to confront life with more courage.
*The Six Principles can be found at The King Center
Your investment in the lives of these students cannot truly be measured in terms of the immense impact today as well as long-term, but we can SEE real change occurring, and it is powerful.
Thank you for choosing to commit to peace, nonviolence, love, and equality for these students and our world!