Background: As part of the Peacebuilding Practitioners Interview Series, Jason Klocek interviewed Emmanuel Dele, who joined RECONCILE International as base manager in Yei, Sudan in August 2006. In this interview, Dele shares his story and how it has led him to where he is today, specifically commenting on how his religious-based organization functions. He also discusses the role of churches in reconciliation and contemporary challenges to such efforts.
Mr. Dele, can you first speak about your background and how these experiences have brought you to your current work?
I was born in Nigeria, but grew up and completed my primary and secondary school education in Sudan—in both Juba and Yei. I then attended college in Uganda.
In 1993, I completed my schooling and began to work with the faith-based organization Across as a logistician. I was based in Kampala and did that work until August of 1994. I then moved from Across to the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), but still worked as a logistician and was still based in Kampala.
After some time I was transferred to Lokichoggio, Kenya to be the base manager there. My responsibilities included planning the logistics for the base, but also planning a few peace conferences. In 1998 I was transferred once again, this time back to Uganda. However, I did not return to Kampala, but rather worked on the Ugandan-Sudanese border. This was not too long after the SPLA had taken Yei, and there were many refugees that had crossed the border. I continued as in Lokichoggio to plan the logistics of the camp and also organize some logistics for peace conferences. These conferences were mainly about what we called then “South-South dialogue,” which meant we brought together the various leaders of the [Global] South. Most of the conferences took place in Entebbe so you can imagine there was much planning to make them a success.
In August 2006 I joined RECONCILE although I had done some planning for them as part of the NSCC. But it was in 2006 that I finally joined the team completely.
What has your work since then involved?
Well, I am mainly the logistics and base manager, but I have also been involved in facilitating a few workshops in our peace building and civic education program. This is mainly due to the fact that in 2008 I received a scholarship and attended the Summer Peace Institute at Eastern Mennonite University as a Winston Fellow (USA). There I took courses on conflict and peace studies, as well as trauma counseling. When I returned I very much wanted to put what I learned into practice, so I was able to help facilitate some of the workshops at our Reconcile Centre this past year. I feel, though, that this is just the start. I very much want to give back even more.
What role does faith play in your work?
My faith has really influenced me. I find that the role I play as logistician and base manager is recognized and appreciated here at RECONCILE, even though I am often behind the scenes. Whatever small work I am doing, I know it is also helping someone in our community. This gives me the courage and strength to continue, even though things are difficult at times.
I very much feel that God has chosen me for this work and that my life has meaning. The testimonials I have heard from people in workshops have also touched me. I have to come realize that no matter how difficult you think your life is or how bad you believe your problems to be, someone else’s life is more difficult and their problems worse. We often get stuck on ourselves and think that ours is the greatest suffering. But through sharing we understand that our trials are much less than many others. When we discover this, it is like we get a second chance to appreciate our lives. It revives you.
Can you talk about what reconciliation in southern Sudan means to you?
In general, I see reconciliation as a process the leads us to a better Sudan. Without reconciliation there will be no better Sudan. You see, we are a lost generation. Here I mean those born during the war because we only know the language of violence. But people need to be given the chance to speak a new language—that of peace and reconciliation.
What do you see as the major challenges to reconciliation efforts in southern Sudan?
As I said, I am in charge of logistics here at RECONCILE, so I see all the time how lack of funding limits our activities, as well as that of other organizations. We would like to reach everywhere, into all the communities, but this is just not a feasible with our level of funding. So for now, we try to bring a few people from different areas here to us, train them, and hope they will return and mobilize their own communities. Even this small task requires a lot of resources.
Another big challenge for us is finding ways to acquire new skills. We have a very limited knowledge of how to handle our situation so we need to develop our outlook and the skills we can use to promote peace and reconciliation. Conflicts here in southern Sudan have become so complicated we often don’t even know the root cause. In the past, most conflicts were between two clans, or tribes, over land or cattle raiding. Now politics touches everyone and our past conflicts have become political ones. And once politicians and others become involved, it is hard for our people to really understand the source of the conflict. In the end, I think a lot of people are dragged into conflicts they don’t really understand. So we need the skills to resolve these more nuanced disputes.
What do you see as the role of the churches in promoting reconciliation?
The churches are doing the best that they can, but it is limited. We have many people that are involved in the reconciliation efforts, but not everyone is well trained. They can operate at a certain level, but as our conflicts become more political, as I mentioned above, we need more qualified people.
Still there are very few other organizations doing this work in southern Sudan besides the churches. When we at RECONCILE approach a community or parish to do a workshop they receive us with both hands. They call and want us to do more, another workshop or training. But here again we come back to the need for more resources. We cannot do everything everywhere. So one thing that seems to be helping is training people to go back into their communities and mobilize their people. However, at the moment we have no good follow-up strategy, and this is a very important thing to add to our programming. At the moment, I guess I can say that church-based organizations like RECONCILE have definitely gained recognition and respect for their work, but more is needed.
Have you tried coordinating with secular NGOs in the area?
We have had a few successes in that area, but they mostly involve the NGOs, like Pact Sudan for example, providing the funding and then we serve as the facilitators. We have also tried to build partnerships with the local government, but this will take time to secure funding from them. They seem open, though, at the moment to talking. Again I think all of this shows that people recognize the quality work we are doing here at RECONCILE.
Mr. Dele, thank you very much for your time today.
I was born in Nigeria, but grew up and completed my primary and secondary school education in Sudan—in both Juba and Yei. I then attended college in Uganda.
In 1993, I completed my schooling and began to work with the faith-based organization Across as a logistician. I was based in Kampala and did that work until August of 1994. I then moved from Across to the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), but still worked as a logistician and was still based in Kampala.
After some time I was transferred to Lokichoggio, Kenya to be the base manager there. My responsibilities included planning the logistics for the base, but also planning a few peace conferences. In 1998 I was transferred once again, this time back to Uganda. However, I did not return to Kampala, but rather worked on the Ugandan-Sudanese border. This was not too long after the SPLA had taken Yei, and there were many refugees that had crossed the border. I continued as in Lokichoggio to plan the logistics of the camp and also organize some logistics for peace conferences. These conferences were mainly about what we called then “South-South dialogue,” which meant we brought together the various leaders of the [Global] South. Most of the conferences took place in Entebbe so you can imagine there was much planning to make them a success.
In August 2006 I joined RECONCILE although I had done some planning for them as part of the NSCC. But it was in 2006 that I finally joined the team completely.
What has your work since then involved?
Well, I am mainly the logistics and base manager, but I have also been involved in facilitating a few workshops in our peace building and civic education program. This is mainly due to the fact that in 2008 I received a scholarship and attended the Summer Peace Institute at Eastern Mennonite University as a Winston Fellow (USA). There I took courses on conflict and peace studies, as well as trauma counseling. When I returned I very much wanted to put what I learned into practice, so I was able to help facilitate some of the workshops at our Reconcile Centre this past year. I feel, though, that this is just the start. I very much want to give back even more.
What role does faith play in your work?
My faith has really influenced me. I find that the role I play as logistician and base manager is recognized and appreciated here at RECONCILE, even though I am often behind the scenes. Whatever small work I am doing, I know it is also helping someone in our community. This gives me the courage and strength to continue, even though things are difficult at times.
I very much feel that God has chosen me for this work and that my life has meaning. The testimonials I have heard from people in workshops have also touched me. I have to come realize that no matter how difficult you think your life is or how bad you believe your problems to be, someone else’s life is more difficult and their problems worse. We often get stuck on ourselves and think that ours is the greatest suffering. But through sharing we understand that our trials are much less than many others. When we discover this, it is like we get a second chance to appreciate our lives. It revives you.
Can you talk about what reconciliation in southern Sudan means to you?
In general, I see reconciliation as a process the leads us to a better Sudan. Without reconciliation there will be no better Sudan. You see, we are a lost generation. Here I mean those born during the war because we only know the language of violence. But people need to be given the chance to speak a new language—that of peace and reconciliation.
What do you see as the major challenges to reconciliation efforts in southern Sudan?
As I said, I am in charge of logistics here at RECONCILE, so I see all the time how lack of funding limits our activities, as well as that of other organizations. We would like to reach everywhere, into all the communities, but this is just not a feasible with our level of funding. So for now, we try to bring a few people from different areas here to us, train them, and hope they will return and mobilize their own communities. Even this small task requires a lot of resources.
Another big challenge for us is finding ways to acquire new skills. We have a very limited knowledge of how to handle our situation so we need to develop our outlook and the skills we can use to promote peace and reconciliation. Conflicts here in southern Sudan have become so complicated we often don’t even know the root cause. In the past, most conflicts were between two clans, or tribes, over land or cattle raiding. Now politics touches everyone and our past conflicts have become political ones. And once politicians and others become involved, it is hard for our people to really understand the source of the conflict. In the end, I think a lot of people are dragged into conflicts they don’t really understand. So we need the skills to resolve these more nuanced disputes.
What do you see as the role of the churches in promoting reconciliation?
The churches are doing the best that they can, but it is limited. We have many people that are involved in the reconciliation efforts, but not everyone is well trained. They can operate at a certain level, but as our conflicts become more political, as I mentioned above, we need more qualified people.
Still there are very few other organizations doing this work in southern Sudan besides the churches. When we at RECONCILE approach a community or parish to do a workshop they receive us with both hands. They call and want us to do more, another workshop or training. But here again we come back to the need for more resources. We cannot do everything everywhere. So one thing that seems to be helping is training people to go back into their communities and mobilize their people. However, at the moment we have no good follow-up strategy, and this is a very important thing to add to our programming. At the moment, I guess I can say that church-based organizations like RECONCILE have definitely gained recognition and respect for their work, but more is needed.
Have you tried coordinating with secular NGOs in the area?
We have had a few successes in that area, but they mostly involve the NGOs, like Pact Sudan for example, providing the funding and then we serve as the facilitators. We have also tried to build partnerships with the local government, but this will take time to secure funding from them. They seem open, though, at the moment to talking. Again I think all of this shows that people recognize the quality work we are doing here at RECONCILE.
Mr. Dele, thank you very much for your time today.
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