Come learn about restorative justice work through visiting MCC’s work and partners in Ethiopia. The Learning Tour will also focus on an introduction to development projects in Ethiopia and to the Ethiopian culture and community.
Vengence (revenge) killings have been part of the culture of the Mehal Meda community and region (170 miles northeast of Addis Ababa) for centuries. Combined with early childhood marriage, abduction, female genital mutilation, and extravagant ritual feasts, these harmful traditional practices have affected the health and livelihood of all community members. Finding responses to address the revenge killings began with MCC partnership in 2006 as part of a restorative justice project.
Proposed itinerary (February 4-15):
February 4: Arrival in Ethiopia February 5: Orientation to ministry of MCC Ethiopia / visit to local MCC partner in Addis Ababa February 6: Meet in Addis with Meserete Kristos (Mennonite Church of Ethiopia) Church Peace Office/ Meet with Meserete Kristos Church Relief and Development Association (RDA) February 7: Travel to Mehal Meda. Lunch enroute. Dinner at guest house. February 8: Meet with local RDA staff for history of project; meet with local religious leaders February 9: Visit local prison to meet with prisoners and prison officials; visit families of prisoners February 10: Visit families of victims; meet with police and government administration February 11: Learning exchange day with Learning Tour participants and RDA staff in Mehal Meda February 12: Visit to Yangudi Rassa National Park. Stay overnight at lodge. February 13: Return to Addis. Lunch enroute. Dinner in Addis. February 14: Addis sightseeing February 15: Departure
We invite you to bring a willingness to be changed, an openness to share your story with others on the tour and the people we visit – and a desire to bring the stories that you’ve heard to your home community and churches, and allow these to continue to shape your life and work.
Cost
You may indicate your interest by submitting a registration form and a $200 deposit no later than December 1, 2012 to:Cost is $1000, which includes all in-country travel, lodging and meals. Airfare not included (approximately $1700 from US East Coast).
MCC Attn: Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz 21 South 12th St. Akron, PA 17501
The deposit is refundable if the tour is full. If for any reason you cannot fulfill your commitment to the tour after this date, you will receive a refund minus any lodging fee deposits made by our hosts in Ethiopia. No refund is available after January 1, 2013.
This Learning Tour is open to people in all regions of the US.
Detailed information, medical forms, memo of understanding and schedules will be sent once your registration has been received.
The tour is limited to 8 participants.
Learn about MCC’s partnerships in the local community to reduce harmful traditional practices
Explore the theological underpinnings of the restorative justice work and how the message of peace in the Bible affects the work of MCC in Ethiopia
Learn about the success of this project and potential for this work to expand to other communities
Hear first-hand stories from prisoners, their families and the families of victims of revenge killings
Share personal experiences in restorative justice with MCC partners
Ethiopian government awards first-place Green Award to MCC partner Migibare Senay Children and Family Support Organization for restoring degraded land through soil and water conservation activities supported by MCC.
In Ethiopia, MCC is assisting Somali refugees fleeing famine and political instability and Ethiopians affected by the ongoing drought and food crisis in East Africa.
MCC continues to expand its response to the drought and food crisis in East Africa by providing food vouchers and food-for-work programs as well as sending material resources to address practical needs of people living in refugee camps.
Through the East Africa Drought Relief Fund, the Government of Canada will complement the generosity of Canadians donating to organizations, such as MCC.
For every dollar individual Canadians contribute to registered Canadian charities responding to the East Africa drought, from July 6 until September 16, 2011, the Government of Canada will set aside one dollar for the Fund.
CIDA will allocate these funds to established Canadian and international humanitarian organizations to ensure an effective and timely response.
MCC is part of the Canadian Churches in Action which has applied for funds from CIDA.
Halima is among new arrivals in the Bur-Amino refugee camp near the town of Dollo Ado, Ethiopia. Halima and her family fled drought and violence in Mogadishu, Somalia. (MCC photo by Dan Leonard)
Somalis continue to flee food crisis, drought, conflict
Updated Jan. 20 , 2012
The population in the Dollo Ado refugee camps in southeast Ethiopia continues to grow as unprecedented numbers of Somalis flee the food crisis, drought and conflict in their own country. The moment refugees arrive in the camps, they look for water to drink. In partnership with the Lutheran World Federation in Ethiopia, MCC has launched a $1.1 million project to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene in two of the five camps in the Dollo Ado region.
About 80 per cent of the newly arrived Somali refugees in the camps are under the age of 18 and have not had the opportunity to get an education. This new MCC-supported project in the Dollo Ado camps includes income generation activities to assist Somali refugees, as well as Ethiopians living in surrounding communities.
To date, MCC has committed $5.5 million to support people affected by the drought and food crisis in East Africa. MCC is supporting people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya through emergency food assistance, services to displaced families and host communities as well as long term food security projects.
MCC's response
(Updated Jan. 20, 2012)
Ethiopia
Emergency food assistance to over 83,000 people, including emergency food rations as well as supplementary food (famix) for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children
Cash and food-for-work during the hunger season. Community work includes tree planting, terracing, seed banks, promotion of self-help groups and more
Kenya
Emergency food-for-work projects for 4,740 families in semi-arid Kenya supporting sand dam communities
Emergency food assistance for 8,400 drought-affected families, including pastoralist families in northwest Kenya
Somalia
(Internally displaced people and refugees)
1. Dhobley near the Kenya border
Food vouchers
Water and non-food items
2. The Dollo Ado camps in southeast Ethiopia
Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
Supporting income generation activities, such as gardening, poultry production, and soil conservation projects.
3. The Dadaab refugee camps in northeast Kenya
20,000 school kits, 600 blankets and 6,316 mosquito nets.
Improving quality of education and access to education.
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