Had a great conversation today with a local citizen's board member with deep experience in restorative justice and alternatives to violence programming. he was pretty enthusiastic about your idea Dennis and has put me in touch with the volunteer coordinators at two prisons here in northern vermont. more to come on that.

Meanwhile, here are just a few resources:

Working within prisons:

• Art therapy in prisons
• Alternatives to violence in prisons

Prison/nonviolence art programs:

• Leave out violence
• Why prisons need art programs
• Creativity held captive

Prisoner art work:

• http://www.cellblockvisions.com/
• http://www.prisonsfoundation.org /art.html
• http://www.prisonerlife.com/pris onart/prisonart.cfm

http://www.leaveoutviolence-us.o rg/program.htm

[Edited by author: Lars Hasselblad Torres on 13 Mar 2007 10:22 PST: diddley dee]

Well in the same endevour i have just learned that the Nakuru Prisons has an industry for capentry and they produce wooden items there, and they are enthusiastic about the PT project,

Things that might be really of help to me and the troupe here now are any IEC Materioals that anyone might ahev on HIV/AIDS and violence in general, we have been given the go ahead to bring and Information materials that we might have on the same as they try and look for a room where the inmates can access this information and learn about diffrent issues in general.

Talking to about 20 inmates today, they are thinking about Human rights as there topic if we do the PT there, in cells here the basic human right laws are usually neglected and that is there main concern the leadership agreed with thsi saying that that will be away of also them learing what is happening that they dont know and try to correct the mistakes that are there at the prison.

Will be glad to answer any questions that you may have.

Dennis, amazing. Can you tell me quickly about IEC? I am not familiar with this term - if you can define it for me, I can hunt around.

The link you are exploring, between HIV/AIDS and violence is profound. I would quickly distinguish between structural violence and physical violence. There is also something to be said about psychological violence though some would argue it falls into the structure bin.

From there, the ways HIV/AIDS can be said to flow from one's status/oppression within a system that is based on violence is profound. Let me hunt around to see what I can find. It would be interesting to find out where these prisoners would place themselves along the victims-perpetrator continuum - perhaps at both ends. From there might be rich discussion territory that would empower them to move from either pole.

Perhaps also, as you say, the tiles might be a way to give voice to the prisoners who rights are in routine violation due to degrading conditions, the way "order" is enforced, etc.

Perhaps if we can make your visit to Vermont happen, we'll be able to set up an incredibly rich cross-cultural examination of violence - from within and without and prisons views of themselves as individuals justly/unjustly treated and where to go with that.

Thanks ever, Dennis!

lars

[Edited by author: Lars Hasselblad Torres on 16 Mar 2007 08:15 PST: lynx]

You may be interested in contacting Partakers (LannyKutakoff@partakers.org)

Anne Marie

Thanks for the link it looks like a great website and will follow it up and see what might transpire there.

Lars IEC is (Information Education and Communication) this are just publications, pamphlets, brochures, posters or anything that has information written on them that can be used for education and information sharing purposes. Most of the posters that we have are about stigma and discrimination.

HIV is very rampant in the prisons here with many of the inmates having stayed at the remand for more than 7 years, they believe that anal sex does not transmit HIV/AIDS.

Physical violence is also high here especially to the new inmates once they are put together with the older ones, the prisons here is very congested I think it has the capacity to hold 1500 people there but they have more that 3000 inmates there, this results into riots every now and then in the prisons. Another interesting aspect is food in the prisons where there are inmates who are in charge of cooking and serving food they are adored and treated like kings in the prison, for small favors that you grant them you get to eat good food and this as the inmates say is well organized.

Its official now that the group will spear head the Reproductive and Human Rights education through theatre at the Nakuru prison this is afetr a meeting with the prison bosses here and in Nairobi where they have agreed to let su introduce the ideas we have and share with the inmates and the wardens also. So every 3rd week of the month on teusdays we will be visitng and share with the inamtes both male and female and also the wardens there.

Peace

Dennis, I have created a DropCash campaign to raise your travel funds. I hope you will begin to circulate it within your network. Here is the text of the campaign. Please let me know if there is anything else I should add, Dennis!

Summary: Travel funds for Kenyan arts-based peer educator Dennis Kimambo to attend a summer skills-building and networking workshop in Vermont, USA this summer.

This summer Peace Tiles founder Lars Hasselblad Torres will host a summer "arts and education" workshop in Cabot, Vermont. The purpose of this gathering is to share ways the Peace Tiles process has been used at the community level to promote social inclusion and education, and awareness-raising at the global level. At the same time, it will be a fun, relaxed opportunity to share and explore techniques in mixed media arts.

Among the participants will be outstanding educators and activists from across the US and Canada who have found their own ways to apply to process to different contexts. One such outstanding educator is Dennis Kimambo, a peer educator from Kenya who, among many other exciting things, is finding ways to use the Peace Tiles process in prison settings to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention.

I would very much like Dennis to be able to join us. To make this happen, we need to jointly raise about $2,300 to cover visa and airfare as well as a modest travel stipend. I hope you will join me in helping to raise the funds necessary to bring this dynamic educator to the US for our summer workshop, August 3-5, 2007. I am convinced that Dennis' presence with us will both enhance our learning and social time, as well as help to strengthen a Peace Tiles link the to grassroots in Kenya.

To make a donation online, click here: http://www.dropcash.com/campaign /lhtorres/dennis_to_cabot_peace_ tiles/

If you would prefer to send in a check, make it payable to Lars Hasselblad Torres and mail to: Box 208, Cabot, Vermont 05647.

Deepest thanks,

lars

Evonne and Christina, thanks so much for the "visible" support! Please feel positively encouraged to pass around the fundraising appeal within your networks :)

Prisons Outreach Report

Preamble

This is the report of the outreach activity held at the Nakuru G K Prisons on Tuesday 27th March 2007 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. Being the second visit to the facility the group members assembled at the Nakuru Players Theatre at 7:30 in the morning, they assembled all the items needed for the activity and left at 8:30 for the outreach. The team collected the following I E C materials from networking organizations; the I E C materials included three sets of T B booklets 100 copies each, 22 Nuru volume Five Comic books, 105 copies of positive living booklets, and National AIDS Control Council Calendar.

The team of seven group members left for the Nakuru G K Prisons and the following is the account of the outreach activity.

Arrival

When the team arrived we were received by Sammy Oduor a Prisons Uniformed staff who is also a V C T counselor at the Nakuru G K Prisons. The facility is a correctional centre so it important to pass through a security check by being allowed access to the inmates, that is very normal. We hard a short meeting with the welfare department before proceeding to the grounds, the meeting was basically to brief the team about the outreach the content and theme of the items to presented and also to hand over the I E C materials to the department. After the brief meeting the team was lead to the grounds by the welfare committee.

The outreach

On a were way to the grounds sounds of Isikuti an indigenous drumming pulled as so quickly hence reaching the grounds within a few seconds, to a were surprise it was not Isikuti but water Jeri canes and some pieces of metal bars being played, that creativity and improvisation marked the beginning of the outreach. One of the inmates who also happen to be performing artist took over as the master of ceremony.

The first team to perform was an inmate’s choir with a very thematic song on H I V and AIDS, after the choir a team of comedians lead by Chaka Chaka a famous comedian inmate, professor j j took the stage with a comedy on H I V and AIDS and its effects on the children. After the comedies Kevin Otieno and his college took the crowd with storm with there rape “ukimwi unaua watoto wanalia wamebaki mayatima” (Aids kills the children have been left orphans). Before a karate demonstration by one of the inmates Ndirangu Wahome One man guitar carried the inmates back to the roots by performing one of the local heat song by Salim Junior, the crowd joined in the dancing hence providing a powerful ice breaker.

The M C “professor” introduced the team officially; the process facilitator ODU took over the session by first introducing the team before the motorcycle a narrative by Collins Onyango Ochumbe a team member, the motorcycle is narrative about a chief who rod a motorcycle without a helmet, the narrative was so symbolic and involving that motivated the audience to sing along with the narrator.

The process facilitator officially introduced the skit of the day, a skit on stigma and discrimination:

Synopsis

Papa and Tuktuk are good friends but one day Papa found himself on the wrong side of the law, Papa was found guilty and was jailed for three years. Kothekso, Mwewee and Tuktuk are inmates and good friends, they have stayed together for the last two years, most of the time they share food, soap and other items of impotence like blankets and clothing. Two and half years down the line a new inmate is introduced in the prison Papa, after some few days in the prison Papa comes across Tuktuk with other inmates eating together, Papa is surprised to see Tuktuk. As the days went by Tuktuk become used to the prison and started marking friends, Tuktuk also told Papas best friends Kothekso and Mwewee about Papa his dead wife and two dead children and he also explained the cause of there death. This brings a problem to Papa when is friends run away from him since they know his status.

Key questions

• What does the action taken by Papas fiends called?
• Do you think it was right for Tuktuk to tell Papas friends about is condition?
• Is it a good thing to run a way from Papa?
• What could Papas friends have done?
• What can happen to Papa?
• What can Papa do to avoid the above situation?

The theatre session was interactive and participatory, with the members of the audience contributing different opinions and views about the all dramatic situation posed during the performance. An inmate who is also a pastor contributed his opinion and even went to extend of taking a role in the skit. The audience said that stigma is a common occurrence in the prisons. The lead facilitator finished by inviting two members of the group to finish by doing a special entertainment known as ‘wakadigo’ which really entertained the inmates to the point that some had to ask them to stop. After that the session was closed with a word of prayer from one of the inmates. We left for a meeting in the welfare office with the welfare team.

During the meeting, there was introduction for the sake of those that were not there during the first visit. The introductions were conducted by Mr. Christopher Kosgey. There was also the presence of Mrs. Betty Kinyua a V.C.T counselor in the prison. During the meeting important issues were discussed such as what could be covered during the next visit. It was agreed that during the next visit the issues of drugs and STIs should be given a major emphasis. We also agreed that we shall do a video show on STIs and use it to enhance the message being passed across. There was a specific interest by Sammy that we organize small peer groups during the facilitation within the inmates.

From the meeting some major issues come up; the team was requested to come with long term proposal for outreaches addressing the following issues;

• Reproductive health
• Family life education
• Drugs and substances abuse
• Basic counseling
• V.C.T counseling
• Coming up with a resource centre for the inmates
• I E C materials development

Apart from the above issues we also come to an agreement that the organization should come up with trainings on the above topical issues, and should also spear head the formation of peer youth education clubs among the inmates and the staff. The organization took the responsibility of designing a three month pilot program that will act as a check and balance for the future outreach activity.

From there we proceeded on to the female section where they were enthusiastic to see us since they had really waited for us. The lead facilitator introduced the group to the inmates for the sake of those that were not there during the first visit. We immediately started the skit after the introduction. The skit was appreciated by the inmates who until some were rolling down with laughter. After the skit the lead facilitator asked the inmates to ask the characters (question in role or hot seating) questions about the roles and their characters in the drama. They responded well by asking them a lot of questions. The skit was talking about partners being faithful to each other, two characters Kothekso and Mumunyu are two great friends. Mumunyu is married but kothekso is not married. Mumunyu had sexual relationship with a neighbor; the neighbor goes to V C T and finds that is H I V positive. The neighbor breaks the news to Mumunyu, While Mumunyu is cryingabout the issue kothekso is laughing while listening to mumunyu lamenting.

Imedieatly after mumunyu has lamented Kothekso starts crying also and then he breaks the bad news that he has been having sexual intercourse with Mumunyu’s wife the process facilitator stops and brings up a theatre technique called hot sitting the character, the audience asked the following questions:

• Was it a must to have sex with your neighbour?
• Why did you have sex with your neighbour’s wife?
• One member of the audience advised the character that he should have used a condom.
• The reason why the wife agreed to have sex with the other is because that she was not satisfied.

The session was followed by a special entertainment by two group members which really thrilled the inmates and they did a simple but entertaining short skit. We concluded by them asking us if we could add the hours of the visit to four. We ended our visit at that juncture.

From this last visit i would like to ask that if you ahve followed the 1st report and this one please tell us what we need to do to improve from the two lars i have sent you some pictures that we took while there if you can edit this and upload them here iw ill be very happy.

[Edited by group owner: Lars Hasselblad Torres on 28 Mar 2007 10:24 PST: Formatting]

Dennis, terrific report - I like the descriptions of inmates being "taken by storm" and the positive vibe of the whole situation. How did the inmates respond to the discussion questions? I can imagine these being powerful sources of reflection on which inmates' tiles could be created.

i will look for the pictures and get them up here. thanks so much, and thinking positive about our efforts to raise funds for your trip to the US.

Very best,

lars

From there responces we had very fruitfull discussions about HIV/AIDS and human rights issues Lars i have just introduced Collins Dennis Oduor to the network and he was the lead facilitattor of the day and will be helping me to make PT at the prison.

As lead facilitator at an outreach held in nakuru yestertday in think is going step head in my country by going beyond the the walls of prison.Theatre is proving to be an effective tool but not a stool.Community theatre should not be seen as a tool of exploiting talent but a tool of employing talents. Wacth for more from ODU

Odu, welcome and terrific to have you here! I remain very impressed with the work you and Dennis and the members of Repacted and others are doing to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS through popular education. Can you say more about "a tool not a stool"? What kinds of situations seem to be "exploitative" of talent?

Cheers,

lars

Dennis, I formatted your post to include the images and some heading stuff. Hope that's okay. Also, I am meeting with a fellow who works in prisons here tomorrow morning for breakfast. Did you speak any further with your team of inmates about the idea of creating peacetiles to exchange experiences?

cheers,

lars

Lars

Yes we have managed to talk futher with the inmates through there warden who is coodinating the whole thing and they are willing to do a PT workshop anytime the ball now is on our hands to tell them when we want to do the workshop i will start with a small group and the if it works we will move to a larger group the next visit we are being allowed to interact with the hardcore criminals who we have never met and are never visited by people from outside, we are extited and scared at the same time,

Dennis, good to hear from you - and congratulations on building up such a strong relationship so quickly. its great that your programs are successful enough that you will be able to work with more "hard core" inmates. I hope you can take it slow, to develop some real ties with the long-term population - would it be great if you could manage to "train the trainer" so that some of the longer-term inmates could develop this skill-set that you use? kind of a peer-to-peer process you could train them for...?

Anyway, glad to have the ball in my hands. I had a good meeting yesterday with a state-wide non-violence training program that works with the prison population. we sketched out a plan that looks like this:

• Basic introduction, discussion, peace tile creation workshop
• After a period of reflection, some time to re-evaluate their tile, add to it, change it, and add a note to an inmate in Kenya
• Receive tiles from Kenyan's, discuss, etc
• Reflection and training to build inmate capacity to run the program

My task now is to flesh this out into a two-page description of proposed activities to give to the St Johnsbury correctional facility program staff. I will also send it to you, and perhaps it can be useful for what you are doing there.

Can you give me a sense of the cost for doing such a program at your end? For me, at the present, since I have no way of writing a grant by the time this goes down, it will be volunteer and I will eat the costs. Perhaps however I can WU you some modest funds for supplies, I don't know. Send me some figures.

Thanks! I am also aware that I owe you a letter of invitation for the visa. We have $230 collected for you so far without my contribution, so I think we almost have enough to cover your visa application, which we should do sooner rather than later, do you agree?

Best,

lars

lars, great you are supporting our son (kenyan)to meeting his expenses to USA.i have admired all the conversations. Dennis how are u?I will afford your sodas to your one way .KES 500($7).denis i am at nakuru,any time you have an action/presentation to those prisons i would like to hear.Tell me. all the best brother dennis. lars great!!

charity-kenya

Hello and i think this is moving on well and i have and i think the ealier i apply the better will be able to get intouch with you shortly let me seevif a can book for an interview with the embassya nd will let you know how it progresses Charity good to see you here i will give you a call and we can do some of the projects together, we visit the prison next month and will let you know when i have your number i believe. Well lets keep this one going on, we have just today introduced PT to 15 country directors of FHI, who ahd come to Nakuru for visit and they like the idea, i see this going far.

charity, thank you for joining us here! and thank you for keeping sure dennis has the 'pep' he needs in sodas :) i'll care of the rest once our brother has made in over!

dennis, you are a champion. more soon!

Dennis, I am going to begin working out your ConsularyLetter in a workspace. Please feel free to help me add the language that you think will most secure your travel visa. When we agree on language and tone, I will both fax a copy where you tell me, as well as send a signed .pdf version.

Cheers!

Ok Lars and thanks you for your help on this one

Lars

Today me Odu and the welfareoficer at the prison met and discussed futther the PT workshop and we have agreed that we will do it the next time we go there if it will be possible, we come to a ound figure of 350$ for the workshop and they will meet the cost of 100$ while REPACTEd will cover 50$ from the members contribution that we have monthly, a figure that i would give you is 200$ for the activity and with hope that we might be able to fundraise this side too.

Dennis, that is terrific! When is the next workshop? I need to see if I can scrape the funds together - I am also scraping up for you travel :) But we'll see: if the timing is right, perhaps things can work out. Thanks also for your feedback on the letter. I will make the change you suggested.

Cheers,

lars

hi dennis

great work,like to join you guys in kenya.please give me detail so i see if i can fit in

cheers

njoki