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The story of
Rev. David Thabo Dondashe
Conflict arose within a circuit of six
churches in the Eastern Cape about their moderator. For two years the relationship within the six churches
and their moderator became sour, efforts to settle the matter were not helpful.
At the worst, the churches split into two groups with one group supporting
the moderator and the other going against him.
At the annual conference of all churches it was noted that the conflict
was far from being resolved but at the same time it was noted that Rev. Dondashe
was training in mediation and conflict resolution at the Quaker Peace Centre.
He was then tasked to lead a team of mediators to go to the Eastern Cape and try to
settle the matter. Rev. Dondashe came to tell us about the issue, and we encouraged
and urged him to take up the challenge.
Initially, he was not easy about it himself fearing that it might be too big
for him to handle, control and resolve the problem. Nonetheless he went to
the Eastern Cape with his team.
He came back after a week feeling excited and happy that he had resolved
the conflict which had worried and scared many members of the churches. Rev.
Dondashe will now receive an Honorary Major Diploma in Theology by his senior
church members. He feels that mediation training and the successful resolution of
church conflict in the Eastern Cape also played an important role in his nomination. He
has gone back to the Eastern Cape three times to check and monitor the
relationship between the churches and their
moderator and at all times he says, he has been
happy about the progress, the conflict now appears to have been resolved.
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Martin Gomez
former gang leader, prisoner
and graduate
community mediator
The most important thing in the
mediation course was the human factor. Even though it wasn't on
the agenda every week, you were there — drawing strength from
your colleagues and your friends. It feels like a family, a happy family
that you come to every Tuesday.
And what I've learnt there has helped me to cope. Sometimes
you come across a kid that is freaked out on dope (drug
smoking). Usually I would have just taken a stone in a sock and beat the
hell out of him. But through my mediation skills I've learnt I
can handle it better because I was now taught a creative way of handling a kid.
What is so rewarding is the fulfilment after helping a person, a mother
or anyone for that matter to solve a problem. And you see the relief in that person's
face and that person comes up to you and says thank you.
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There
is a saying:
If somebody is hungry, he or she cannot think well.
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Raymond Nombakuse
Communications Officer at Kraaifontein police station
and graduate community mediator
I have now been equipped with skills
on how to mediate.
Poverty is the only problem that
we have in our area because most of the crimes are related to poverty. For
example the crimes like shoplifting and fighting
in a house because the mother and the father are not working. If there is no food on
the table they tend to quarrel a lot. There is a saying: If somebody is hungry, he or
she cannot think well.
As a policemen who has been trained to mediate, I tell my colleagues that if
a person has been found shoplifting _ for example, a child stealing a ruler or
pencil in a shop _ then they need to negotiate with the owner of the shop, and ask
why the child is stealing. It can happen that the mother or the father at home don't
have money to buy the pencil. These are the things that can be negotiated or
mediated so that a child will not end up in prison for stealing a ruler.
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Marlene Russo of Manenberg
I am very happy about the mediation
training. We serve a large
population with gross socio-economic problems. There is thus a need for many
more mediators to be trained, four is far too little. We would appreciate it to have
more people trained in mediation, especially from the squatter areas.
Thank you Quaker Peace Centre for including Manenberg on your list
of mediation training. Problems are plentiful but the labourers are few. Thank you for sending
in messages of peace. I am also assured that I can
rely on you to initiate more projects for peace. I
make a commitment to work together with you to
bring about the peace that we all desire. I will work as
long as I have the ability to do so because I want to
help my people and South Africa.
Thank you once again, you wonderful people.
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