Healing & Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC)
An initiative to heal trauma resulting from acts of genocide.
The HROC program is an outgrowth of the Alternatives to Violence Program. It is supported by the African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams. HROC began in 2002 as a way to support Burundians working to heal from trauma inflicted by years of conflict. The first HROC workshop brought together Hutu and Tutsi victims and perpetrators of violence for 3 days. Participants learned about one another's trauma, shared their stories, and worked together to build more peaceful communities.
Since then, more than 200 trauma and healing workshops have reached more than 4,000 Burundians. HROC has expanded to other African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. Recently, HROC/HIV was also established .
In 2009, As part of its conflict resolution program, the Richmond Peace Education Center presented the first HROC workshop in the United States. Seventeen members of Richmond's African Immigrant Fellowship for Peace and Reconciliation are now engaged in the 4 level Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC) training.
The Next Step
Richmond's HROC trainers, along with trainers from other participating nations are invited to assemble in Burundi in August 2011. Participating trainers will facilitate workshops in that country, while they deepen their own knowledge and skills.
Two RPEC facilitators and four members of the African Immigrant Fellowship for Peace and Reconciliation will travel to Africa to study and to do reconciliation work. Eventually, members of the African Fellowship plan to return to their own countries --Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda, Cameroon and Uganda -- as HROC trained healers.
You Can Help
The cost for six Richmond trainers to participate in this mission is $18,000. Most of this cost is airfare. This could be offset by donated frequent flyer miles. Other costs are room, board and transportation while in Africa
The experience gained by the intensive training, collaborating with international peace groups and conducting workshops in Burundi will have long-term benefits for RPEC and AIFPR.
Please help provide the support that will allow us to accept this invitation to deepen our knowledge of HROC and offer healing workshops in Burundi.
For more information contact: Santa Sorenson
santaredhawk@aol.com
804-233-2474 or 804-248-0597