RECONCILE International

Itapetinga Canon Clement Janda –

Born and raised in South Sudan, Janda moved to Kampala in 1965 to work and later joined the Bishop Tucker Theological College and later became an ordained deacon. He graduated from Makerere University with his Bachelors Degree in 1973 and recieved his Masters in Theology from Austin Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas, USA in 1974.

Janda has held a large number of leadership positions including the General Secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches , the Executive Secretary of the Commission of Churches on International Affairs in the World Council of Churches, Director of Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation in Kitwe, Zambia, General Secretary of All Africa Council of Churches and many other positions.  

He has written extensively on issues of peace and even co-authored the text book History of South Sudan, which is used in secondary schools.  Janda currently resides as the chairperson of the Political Foreign Committee in the Council of States in Juba, South Sudan. Canon Clement teaches "Conflict Analysis" this year during RPI. 

Morley Mwenedata Violette Nyirarukundo-

Since 1999, Violette has been involved in a Biblically based counseling ministry, which offers counseling and training for lay counselors from various church denominations and Christian organizations in Rwanda and in other countries. She has several years experience of facilitating the Module “Comparative Approaches to Trauma Healing and Reconciliation” at API in Zambia and RECONCILE in South Sudan. Between 1994-1997, she worked in a Medical Assistance Program (MAP) in Nairobi as the Women and Children Department Co-ordinator in the Healing and Reconciliation Program for Rwanda. She also worked for Compassion International Rwanda from 1986 to 1994 as a Project Co-ordinator. Violette graduated from Nairobi International School of Theology (NIST) with a master degree in Biblical Counseling.  Violette co-teaches "Recognizing Trauma" with RECONCILE staff member Milcah Lalam this year during RPI.

Gérakas Ignatius Kabale Mukunto -

Mukunto is a Lecturer and Head of the Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation Course at Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation, Kitwe, Zambia.  Mukunto has more than eight years of teaching, workshop design and training in the areas of the theory and practice of nonviolence; peacebuilding; gender; third party intervention; conflict analysis and conflict transformation.  He has done Peace and Conflict related studies and training in Costa Rica, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, USA and Zimbabwe.  He is a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation Zambia (FORZA), an associate of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) based in Alkmaar, The Netherlands.  He holds a Bachelors Honors degree in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies and Master’s Degree in Peace Education from the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and University for Peace in Costa Rica respectively. Mukunto teaches "People for People Peacebuilding Interventions" this year during RPI.

Rev. Abdi Tadesse -

Born in Ethiopia, Abdi enrolled in college in Addis Ababa and graduated with a Diploma in General Mechanics, after which, he was assigned to the ministry of Agriculture.  There he worked as a technician in a training center, while also working voluntarily in evangelism.   Abdi was soon called to join a Mekane Yesus Seminary in Addis Ababa and graduated with his Bachelors of Theology Degree in 1997.  Abdi worked as a government employee, synod evangelism director, and later coordinated the Youth and Children Ministry for the Ethiopian Evangelical Church at the national level.  After receiving his Masters of Art in Intercultural Studies with a concentration in Islamic studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, he returned to Ethiopia.  Now ordained in his church (Gulale Bethel Mekane Yesus Congregation), Abdi presently teaches and coordinates the Christian-Muslim Relations program at Mekane Yesus Seminary.    Rev. Abdi teaches "Non-Violence Faith Based Philosophy and Practice" this year during RPI.

Father Tony Amissah –

Born in Ghana, Father Tony is a Catholic Priest and has been working in Kenya for the past 16 years. He had his basic education and Seminary training in Ghana and did his Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology in the Philippines.

He has been practicing Counseling for the past 16 years.  He has offered services for street children, in trauma response, one-on-one counseling and also in teaching Marital and Family Counseling in Amani Couseling Centre in Kenya. He is currently the parish priest of the Divine Word Parish in Kenya.

Father Tony teaches "Journey of Trauma" this year during RPI.

Sister Mercy M. Benson -

Born in Ghana, Sister Mercy was led to her profession of First Vows/First commitment as a Religious Missionary after years of religious formation.  After years of teaching in Ghana, she was sent as a foreign mission to the Philippines. She also studied at St. Louis Teacher Training College and later received her Bachelors Degree in Education at University of St. Louis, Baguio City Philippines in 2001, where she also later earned her Masters Degree in Education, specializing in Guidance and Counseling.  During her studies, Sister Mercy also enrolled in seminars in Psychodrama and another in Gestalt Therapy and took summer courses in Theology at the Institute for Religious Studies (IFRS). In addition to facilitating trainings, Sister Mercy has served as a full-time guidance counselor and lecturer. She has also spearheaded the formation of the Dynamic Peer Counselor’s group / Peer Educators Group in both Ghana and South Sudan in the hope that those trained will offer valuable counseling services in their communities and even become trainers themselves. Sister Mercy teaches "Trauma Healing with Specific Populations" this year during RPI.

Canon John Kanyikwa -

Canon has just retired from being the Principal of ECS Diocese of Yei, Yei Vocational Training College.  Previously, he was the Secretary General of COPA.  Canon Kanyikwa teaches "Leadership, Good Governance and Peacebuilding" this year during RPI and has taught with the Institute since 2010.

Elizabeth Kanini –

Kanini is the founder and Coordinator of Mbengu za Amani (Seeds of Peace) in Northern Kenya- Marsabit County and also is the Coordinator of Peace Building Cluster for the Alumnae Social Ministers in Tangaza College ( Catholic University of Eastern Africa).  She has worked as a facilitator of DELTA workshops in the institute of Social Ministry in Tangaza College and is involved in facilitating Reconciliation Workshops between warring communities in Rift valley.  She has also taught a module in Conflict Resolution to PREMISE Africa in Kenya.  Kanini is also a representative of EFrem (Energy Freedom) in Kenya.

Kanini received her BA from Tangaza College- Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Social Ministry in Mission which includes four areas: community development, research and analysis, project management, and peace and justice.  She has her diploma in Peace building and Conflict Transformation  from Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation and is a student of Child Counseling.  She has also been trained on non-violent communication.

Kanini teaches "Community Education and Mobilization for Peace" this year during RPI.

RECONCILE Staff Serving as Instructors:

He teaches “Responding to Trauma” alongside staff member Lucy Awate.

Lucy Awate – Lucy is the newest addition to our program staff and serves as our Psychosocial Counselor. Lucy is actively involved in counseling persons with psychosocial needs at all levels in the community and is currently helping to train Peer Counselors from throughout the neighboring payams and counties. Her background includes counseling hospital patients, children on the street and women who are survivors of gender-based violence.  Lucy previously worked for four years as a counselor with Trans-Psychosocial Organization (TPO) based in South Sudan. She is the first RPI graduate to co-facilitate a module at RPI and assists Rev. Khamis in teaching “Responding to Trauma.”

Bakata Peter – Bakata is currently a Program Officer in the Leadership and Governance Program at RECONCILE.  He earned his certificate in Peace Education in 2000 and now has five years of experience in Peace Education. Bakata also recieved further training when he recieved his diploma in Peace Building and Conflict Transformation from Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation in 2010.    He assists Canon Janda in teaching “Conflict Analysis.”

RECONCILE Peace Institute Staff

Rev. Shelvis Smith-Mather, RPI Principal- Shelvis is an emerging scholar and practical theologian whose passion for social justice and reconciliation drives his work in the United States and African continent. While pursuing two graduate degrees at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, he worked extensively to address racial, gender, and socio-economic inequity through the Presbyterian Church USA, National Black Presbyterian Caucus and National Council of Churches (USA).  An ordained minister and acclaimed preacher, Shelvis speaks widely about the significant role of the church in reconciling communities in places of conflict. Before joining RECONCILE, Shelvis coordinated theological peace initiatives through the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA). With FECCLAHA, he worked in partnership with the National Council of Churches of nine countries as they engage in the region’s political, gender, ethnic, religious and land conflicts.  Shelvis and his wife Nancy are serving with RECONCILE through both the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Reformed Church in American and joined RECONCILE in December 2011.

Moro Isaac, Librarian – Isaac has been working for RECONCILE since March of 2008, and has been the librarian since March, of 2009. He received his secondary schooling certificate from Koboko Modern, Uganda. In 2010 he obtained his certificate on PC Engineering Hardware support and software support from Nowegian People's Aid-Yei Vocational Training College Sudan.  Under his guidance, the RPI library has grown to more than 1,000 books.