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ANGLICAN PEACE
AND JUSTICE NETWORK IN BURUNDI - 27TH SEPT- 3RD OCT 2007
The Anglican Peace and
Justice Network, under the regional leadership of Rt. Rev. Pie
Ntukamazina, Bishop of Bujumbura, brought together delegates
from 18 countries for meetings in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi.
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While in Burundi they visited the
site where Bishop Pie and members of his diocesan staff were
abducted by rebels in 2004 and the Memorial of the Martyrs of
Brotherhood at Buta, Bururi, where 40 young seminarians - Hutu
and Tutsi - were massacred in April 1997 having chosen to die
together.
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Two widows gave their testimonies,
describing the terrible atrocities witnessed during the war and
how they had received support from the widows' group organised
by Mothers' Union in Bujumbura diocese. The Rt. Rev. Martin
Nyaboho, Bishop of Makamba diocese, reminded delegates that such
stories could be reported thousands of times across the country
and region and that poverty is rampant in all communities.
A central part of the gathering
was reports from different areas of conflict, among them Sudan,
Palestine, Korea and DR Congo. The role of the Church and other
initiatives for reconciliation were shared by delegates. Bishop
Pie Ntukamazina commented, "There is a desire to develop
and deepen a theology of reconciliation in the Church both to
better understand the important ministry already going on and to
strengthen Christian approaches to pursuing peace and justice.
The Gospel of reconciliation should be preached and lived in
order to transform our communities and strengthen unity even in
diversity in the Anglican Church worldwide. The APJN is a good
tool to promote this ministry."
Pervading the event was prayer
and worship. Delegates joined members of the cathedral
congregation for an opening service of Holy Communion at which
the Rt. Rev. Sixbert Macumi, Bishop of Buye diocese, presided
and Bishop Pie preached, as well as Sunday morning worship at
which the preacher was the Rt. Rev. Micah Dawidi, Bishop of the
diocese of Juba, Sudan. There was individual prayer ministry for
those carrying the pain of the situations from which they had
come.
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A communiqué and report were agreed
by delegates. Summarising the event Rev. Canon Brian Grieves,
Secretary of APJN, said that it had produced a
"surprisingly rich communiqué and a report that will be a
helpful resource for the Anglican Communion as it identifies
models for conflict transformation."
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News and information about the EAB can now be found at
http://www.anglicanburundi.org/
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