This is why peace is priceless

Hellen Keller once said, “I do not want the peace that passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace”. I have read this quote several times, but really, didn’t understand its true depth and meaning until I found it myself around the lives of refugees in one of the refugee camps here in Tanzania. In late January 2019, I embarked on a trip to volunteering at Mtendeli Refugee Camp in Kigoma and little did I know that this trip would humble me and yet lead me to learn that understanding that comes before peace.

Even with so many unanswered questions, I chose to believe one thing; that I was finally going to get the chance of learning about the practical life and experience of refugees in the refugee’s camps that are in my country and this is all that mattered. When I finally arrived at the location of the refugee camp, I met with my supervisors and they gave me the ideal situation of what I would be doing there.

Specifically, I was placed on legal aid provision and this covered conflict resolution as in; mediation and reconciliation; legal and civic education regarding their rights as refugees, among other activities.

I remember having a compendium- a book with various legal instruments such as, the Refugee Convention of 1951 and Cartagena Convention among others. After a week of listening to the “clients” I learned one thing. That “I will not need most of the legal instruments” but what I needed most was the art of listening and counselling, giving and reviving hope and eventually the power of persuading an individual with well-founded fear that “everything will be okay and “I am working on it so do not worry”. Three weeks later I learned one more thing; that I was getting used to hearing some of the problems and issues related to refugees. Thought of it for a couple of nights and learned that maybe this is why we so easily lose humanity over something because of hearing about the problems every day.

For Instance, we are not surprised about gender-based violence anymore, we are not so afraid when we hear suicide anymore, when a husband or wife wants a divorce then sometimes we think it is fair and we cannot force them to live together forever, when we hear a kid has been raped we register sympathy, concerns and solidarity through social media showing how the events violate the code of humanity, but after a couple of days we forget about it.

After digesting all these, one afternoon I decided to ask one of the incentives in the office at the camp about the situation in his country before he left. To my surprise I learned that he had very little to tell me. In fact he once lived here in Tanzania as a refugee and then went back home for a short while and then he came back as a refugee in 2015. I learned that this man’s right of living in his country was somehow taken from him in ways that he could not really understand or explain.

Yet again I got another opportunity to talk to another incentive in the office. He actually was able to tell his good memories about his home. Although I may not narrate all the details he told me, the smile in his face said it all.

When I asked him about repatriating back home, he told me that two years previously he heard the famous rumour that “they are still looking for you” and for that reason he couldn’t think of going home even though he missed his country and still wants to make changes he dreamt of for his beautiful country. Despite of the sadness in the face of refugees who came in office for consultations, I still managed to see smiles when their problems were solved. I still managed to see some individuals who wanted to lead their lives through the tough times of being refugees and I interpreted that as a beacon of hope, saw children in the backs of their mothers in the long lines of receiving the monthly food rations and the joy of children walking from schools at the camp.

Some days at the office, I would hear of how my colleagues in the office had struggled in the interest of helping the refugees who were incompatible with the laws of Tanzania. Some of the refugees were appreciative while the rest could not notice their help but yet in the next morning or next week, they still had the energy of going back to the camp and help the needy individuals. Somewhere in the middle of all this it beceme a routine but every once in a while, their conscious reminded them that humanity comes first and their cases over different matters proved that to me.

My last day in the office left me with a question. “What have you learned from all these?” After a lot of contemplations, I arrived at one conclusion as I was in the bus heading back home…... “Peace is Priceless.” It has no price tag and we cannot buy it. We may take peace for granted but once it’s gone and turmoil begins we flee from our homes, never thinking of returning, and if we do then we may still have the thought that someday we may have to leave again.

When we reach that stage we will not be at peace because peace is priceless and there is no right amount that we can pay to bring it back. Maybe Hellen Keller was not just giving us a quote but a call to action, that before want to say there is peace, let us first make sure that we have an understanding amongst one and another that brings that peace.

My voyage has given me a bigger reason to uphold and fight for the sustainable development goal number 16 which speaks for ensuring peace and justice in all institutions. After this voyage I decided one thing and that is I will not only become an advocate of Justice but an advocate of Peace and Justice in the world.

Ken Edwin is an independent legal expert based in Dar es Salaam