Vigilant and paying the price – Beyond Kenya’s party night in Frankfurt

After Philo held laudatio for Njeri Kabeberi, winner Humanity Award 2009, at Frankfurt's Paulskirche, Philo and Carsten meet for the first time in real life, after one year of collaboration at Sawubona.. BY PHILO IKONYA President, International PEN, Kenya Center ”People committed to human rights will therefore not rest just because such elementary rights are guaranteed by law: they will instead continually fight for the sustained self evident respect of these inviolable rights….” Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Lutz Simon M.A, President of the Chamber of Lawyers, Frankfurt an Main Paulskirche, or St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt Germany has just honoured Kenya in a very special way as Nejeri Kabeberi, of the Center for Multi-party Democracy, became the recipient of the first and newly founded Humanity Award from the Chamber of Lawyers in Frankfurt am Main. To stand on the podium of Paulskirche is to stand on haloed ground both for democracy and for the faith. This is not just any ordinary place; its power is written in its history and in the world’s struggle to keep justice and freedom from the fangs of those who work against the beauty of humanity. The significance of the place, I was later to learn from German singer Carsten Trotzkowski who cooperates with poets, turning their lyrics into song, is that it is only open to successful people, and only winning players are allowed to stand on the podium and speak. Carsten naturally connects and gives wings to fighters for justice through the written word and song, we met online as I contributed poems of hope that Sawubona liked. He, like a number of people from the more developed countries in the world, contributes his own bit to humanity by making music of poems on the Sawubona musicjam site set up to help move talent especially in poor settlement areas of South Africa and through Sawubona, which means “hello!” At St. Paulskirche is where Kenya bagged the first ever Humanity Award won by Njeri Kabeberi, a renown human rights activist. A glance at the history of St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt am Main reveals that this Protestant church in 1789- year of the French Revolution- was the centre of much pro-freedom activity and was later occupied by German’s first free parliament holding its sessions there. Later the ‘church’ became a place to celebrate great events and persons. I arrived in Frankfurt am Main ( built upon the river Maine) as ‘the secret’, and was whisked to a hotel where I changed quickly into my Maasai shuka dress, to be in time for the moment that over hundreds sat waiting for. I, the surprise guest who would be hidden until the moment came for me, described as a fellow Kenyan sister, to take to the stage. It had been hard to keep this as a secret in Kenya too from the time I had received an invitation to be in Frankfurt on the night Njeri Kabeberi was getting the Humanity Award 2009, so as to put an element of surprise in the event. I had been notified that my article, Letter to a Kenyan sister who received death threats during Kenya’s post poll violence had contributed to the recognition of Njeri as the winner. I was delighted to be in this great and solemn occasion for Kenya. Njeri Kabeberi had arrived in Frankfurt earlier and was treated to tour with her son and personal assistant. She was also attending the congress ‘World Religions and their contributions to legal systems’ in whose context the award was set. During Kenya’s election debacle in 2007, the violence that ensued had almost paralysed me. I could not write. But one day after as we had a meeting of the Civil Society Congress at Action Aid, and the news of the killing of David Mellitus Were newly elected filtered in, Njeri shared her own threats and fears, and somehow that night, unable to sleep, I wrote that letter. It was the saddest thing for me to see that people who held a different political opinion particularly if they were from Central Kenya and dared to differ with the trend there were under fire. What was worse is that the threats received were made sometimes through gangs apparently under the political command of those high in power. I wrote and shared my letter with Women International Perspectives (the WIP) as it was a letter that helped understand Kenya at that moment and it was published. I sent Njeri a copy, telling her although written to her heart, it expressed the pain of many Kenyans. In that letter, I was also searching for the milk of reason and faith in what is right to nurse myself, in a situation that threatened to go with my own brain and heart and not mine alone- seeing our beloved Kenya burn. The award ceremony was followed by a profound reflection on religious texts from different faiths made one that evening at St. Paul’s by their thirst for justice and the revelation that in the end, we want a healthy humanity. Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism presented texts, prayers and music. Here was an example of how to unite, heal the world, reconcile a nation that Kenya can emulate today to seal her tribal and religious chasms and to begin to find joy in diversity. Kenya was then in essence the big presence and winner in Frankfurt. It is beautiful to see that Kenya is uniquely present in the minds of many people all over the world and that they want her whole, pure, working and powerful. Her threatened stability during the post poll violence shocked the world. Kenya is loved and people ask after her enthusiastically. Kenya has become the first African country, through Njeri to receive the Humanity Award, which usually goes to an individual, who even without being a lawyer, the Chamber of Lawyers honours for keeping up and individual struggle due to a personal calling and to a certain extent for religious convictions. “The prize shall award the courage and willingness to make sacrifices …. It shall encourage them to continue to work and to point the way for others equally minded to commit self for persons in distress by physical or psychological violence. The prize shall morally support persons who are harrassed by a regime…” My role was to read the laudatio- which detailed how I knew Njeri Kabeberi to be a deserving winner- Njeri wept. In her acceptance speech, she was very clear that this was an award that recognised her as a symbol of many who suffer in Kenya as they struggle to uphold justice for all. Njeri eloquently proclaimed that she was “lucky because I am just one of the many who deserve this award…. This is why I shall take this opportunity to declare that the award ward is not mine alone…” The award was for Kenya’s undeterred focus in individuals on the prize of freedom. In the laudatio, I prayed for every Kenyan heart, I beseeched that this moment of Kenya’s pride, “be a defining moment for my beloved Kenya.” In my heart and soul, I hoped against hope that this would be a “moment of humble rebirth for you and our country… And to you dear Kenyan, I so wish to write a short letter burning with love, to your own heart because I love, hope and believe in you. “May it be the moment when we get the light to love and understand ourselves as humanity and less as this or that ethnic group without fear be here. I pray in tears that the candle Njeri lights will burn to dispel hatred of all types: whether based on colour of skin, language and the injustice of greed. I write a letter to your mind that Kenya’s new constitution will help us reorganise the nation’s resources starting with land, so that historical injustices may be blown away leaving room for us to fight against so many other injustices and pains, room for education and health for all, room for courage. I pray that you read beyond tribe in this award and reward yourself with a rebirth for ultimately you will have to do this yourself, not the constitution, not the politicians but you standing alone in the strength of whatever faith you may confess, be it traditional or modern. I pray. In Kenya, we have all the means that we need to bind us into one wonderful nation; a place where we can grow whilst treasuring and reaping a harvest we share from our diversity. Why do we go wrong? I would that those in power would hear our constant plea, if not from our simple lips and pens at least as inspiration the dew from the heavens and act; but they are impervious and so, I say to the simple who own the power and the prayer to take the lead set our people free in a change that respects freedom and democracy! The Chamber of Lawyers in Frankfurt am Main is studying the influence of world religions on law and seeking a path in the tolerance and sharing of all light in faiths in our increasingly multicultural world. As the President of the Chamber Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Lutz Simon said in the awarding ceremony, “We trust that by honouring the symbol of humanity we will be able to demonstrate how important courage is in our times. So important is the defence of ethnic values that it calls not only for the well worded speeches of politicians, statesmen or business leaders but also of the sincere, well intentioned and courageous deed of individuals in everyday life. We are not awarding globally known benefactors – whose work we do greatly value- but want to honour those people who are largely unknown internationally and to encourage them to persevere on their chosen path. Today we honour Njeri Kabeberi!” Another indefatigable woman from Kenya, Njeri in her own style has blazed a new trail. Let then all of us receive a new light in our hearts as an award we give each other. Later, beyond the award night, I heard the sound of Miriam Makeba singing pata pata and she drew us off our seats like magic, we were on the floor of an Irish Pub dancing for joy as others in this culture prepared to dress up as witches and ghosts on Halloween. The pub was already spun by spider web matting and we shared so much joy and laughter. And again, I heard in Makeba’s energy the message that Africa must set the pace for the world’s liberation also from the material prisons we have built- come join the song of freedom! Njeri, Carsten and the Chamber of lawyers dream of a free Africa. I quote Shila Keetharuth from the Gambia in her tribute to Njeri- a bon entendeur, salut! “may those who have heard and understood pay heed!” written by Philo Ikonya.