AMECEA: Sustainable Peace Requires Stronger Church Structures, Says AMECEA PHID Coordinator
AMECEA PIHD Department with the youths leaders of Kisumu metropolitan
By Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The Catholic Church needs to enhance her institutional frameworks and deepen collaboration among its various structures to effectively promote lasting peace and stability across Eastern Africa, the coordinator for the department of Promoting Integral Human Development (PIHD) for the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) said at a youth conference in Kenya’s Kisumu Archdiocese.
Giving remarks during a two-day meeting of diocesan Justice and Peace coordinators and youth held in Kisumu from November 25-28, Fr. Paul Igweta Mung’athia stressed that strengthening Church coordination and fostering partnerships with civic actors and community stakeholders are essential for ensuring the Church remains reliable in advancing peace, justice, and integral human development throughout the region.
The meeting was organized by AMECEA PIHD in collaboration with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (KCCB) Justice and Peace Department under the theme: “Arresting Culture of Violence through Structured Constructive Engagements: The Church Advancing the Mission of Christ of Dialogue and Conflict Prevention.”
The meeting that brought together participants from eight dioceses of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu aimed to address the escalating culture of violence among young people, strengthen constructive dialogue, and reinforce the Church’s mission in promoting peace, justice, and conflict prevention.
In his presentation, Fr. Igweta highlighted Africa’s current situation, which he described as a “battlefield of recurrent and evolving conflicts.”
These conflicts, he said, manifest in various forms, including political instability, inter-ethnic violence, resource struggles, youth radicalization, and governance breakdowns.
This reality, he emphasized, underscores the urgent need for a coordinated and faith-driven approach to peacebuilding across the region.
Pointing out the mandate of AMECEA in peacebuilding in the region, the cleric revealed that the association is privileged to have a unified voice in addressing the social, political, and economic challenges facing the region.
To mitigate violence in the eastern Africa region, Fr. Igweta emphasized the need for interventions through constructive dialogue, peacebuilding initiatives, and structured youth engagement. Furthermore, he added, young people are key in shaping a more stable and just society.
This, he said, empowering and involving the youth in peaceful civic processes is essential for disrupting cycles of violence and fostering long-term societal resilience.
On his part, the Catholic Justice and Peace Department (CJPD) in the Archdiocese of Kisumu, Fr. Francis Onyach, pointed out that citizens belonging to Generation Z, commonly referred to as Gen Z, possess a strong urge to shape the nation and hold the capacity to grow into transformative leaders.
