"The fruit of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever" (Isaiah 32:17)
The Ecumenical Service for Peace (SeP) is a Christian association that engages in interreligious dialogue for the non-violent social transformation to build peace based on justice.
SeP aims to:
- Spread the philosophy and techniques of non-violence and non-violent conflict resolution,
- Seek and examine obstacles to just peace and alternatives through mediation and the quest for reconciliation,
- Encourage and support non-violent actions,
- Encourage and support efforts for the eradication of misery and poverty,
- Promote civic, social and humanitarian education and action.
SeP has adopted the following strategies in order to attain these objectives and accomplish its mission:
- Training in non-violence and non-violent resolution of conflict; in civic rights and non-violent social transformation; in socio-political leadership;
- Organizing appropriate conferences, colloquiums, exhibitions,
- Production, publishing and circulation of posters, information sheets, cassettes, reviews or books, e.g. on the Jubilee 2000 initiative;
- Campaign against war toys and fireworks, and SeP's own periodical "Peace News".
- Documentation center on peace, non-violence and human rights
For peaceful resolution of conflict SeP offers its mediation and reconciliation services. It provides humanitarian volunteers in case of need for social and humanitarian action and collaborates with sister associations that have the same goals.
Current programs include:
1. Research
- Causes of and solutions to ethnic conflicts in Cameroon,
- External debt situation and human development in Cameroon,
- Sub-regional security and peace (and the contribution of civil society)
- Democracy in Cameroon
2.Training for Life
- Basic level: building peace-building community (initiation to non-violent conflict resolution in the community),
- Middle level: Skills and techniques of non-violent conflict resolution/transformation,
- Advanced level: In-depth approach of conflict analysis,
- Special cycle: Training of paralegals, Special sessions for clergy and religious communities
3. Peace and Reconciliation Initiatives
- Socio-Political mediation,
- Reconciliation work,
- Legal aid and community humanitarian action In a three-year program on "democratic peace-building",
SeP has given priority to sensitization, education and training in non-violent conflict resolution. A pilot program of "pilot colleges of peace" has been set up in a number of church schools with the main actors in schools and other institutions of learning.
With its head office in Yaoundé, SeP has three regional branches for the North West and West Provinces, for the Littoral and South West Provinces and for the Northern Provinces of Adamaoua, North and the far North. |
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