Participants at the Peace Messengers training in Antigua, Guatemala. Photo: LWF
Lutheran theology and practical advocacy were at the heart of a recent Peace Messengers training in Antigua, Guatemala
(LWI) - “I come from Guatemala in Central America, a country that has gone through 36 years of civil war. When I went to the Peace Messengers training in Rwanda, I was shocked to find a country, so far away from my own region, that had a similar history of terror, distrust, bloodshed and loss of human life.”
Diego Gil is a member of the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala, where he heads a Human Development program providing seeds to promote sustainable agriculture. In December 2022, he was among a group of young participants who travelled to Rwanda to take part in a Peace Messengers training, organized annually by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Gil said the event was a life-changing moment for him: “I had the opportunity to learn and experience a different way of facing conflict, by listening to all the voices, from the elders, the leaders, the young adults and many different organizations who were all part of the story. I was so impacted that I decided to focus my studies on conflict resolution, mediation and peace building, so that I can share these tools with the leaders in my home church.”
First bilingual and first Latin American training
From 4 to 9 May this year, Gil served as co-facilitator for the most recent Peace Messengers training which was hosted by his church in the southern Guatemalan city of Antigua. It marked the first time that this event took place in the LWF’s Latin American and Caribbean region, as well as the first bilingual training, held in both English and Spanish.
The Peace Messengers program, which began in 2017, aims to equip young people with knowledge, skills and experience to strengthen their contribution towards peace building and conflict resolution in their own churches and communities. Participants learn from the local context, exploring both the theology of peace making, as well as sharing practical ways of advocating for justice, peace and reconciliation in their own contexts.
LWF Program Executive for Youth Savanna Sullivan, who co-facilitated the Guatemala training, noted that a key part of the experience is “deeply exploring theologies of peace and what our Lutheran theology teaches about peace.” Discussions focused on the fact that “peace is more than just an absence of violence; it is also about the presence of justice and well-being for all God’s creation,” she said.
We live in true peace when everyone has what she or he needs to not only survive, but really thrive
Savanna Sullivan, LWF Program Executive for Youth
At the start of the training, participants visited the Casa Milagro education center for women run by the church in Guatemala. They joined in worship with the young women from rural communities, who are learning a variety of different skills from embroidery to environmental engineering. “We live in true peace when everyone has what she or he needs to not only survive, but really thrive,” Sullivan reflected. “We know that peace is a gift from God, but it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to share this vision and to be God’s hands and feet in the world,” she said.
“I am deeply grateful for the Peace Messengers training which opened my heart and mind to many new experiences,” said Bible Omod, another participant from Ethiopia, whose family emigrated to Canada. She stressed the importance of the group discussions which reinforced the importance of listening, learning and bridge building among people from diverse backgrounds. “This experience has been transformative,” she said, “broadening my understanding, helping me think differently and giving me new ideas for building peace in my own community.”
Omod reflected on the importance of faith as an inspiration for the practical work of reconciliation and peace building. “Matthew 5:9 tells us that being peacemakers is a fundamental call for Christians,” she reflected. “I am grateful for all the stories that were shared in Guatemala, reminding us that peace begins with each one of us and that God’s love can heal even the deepest wounds.”
For Gil too, a key takeaway from the Peace Messengers trainings is that “peace starts from ourselves, from the most private part of our being to the most public spaces of which we are a part.” Churches and leaders of congregations, he believes, have a key role to play in starting conversations and processes that can lead to peace building in different areas, from politics and religion to gender or racial justice, from land rights to food security and the protection of natural resources. “Some people say that peace is a utopia, but I believe peace is something we can build together, starting from our own contexts,” he concluded.
