WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:07.039 --> 00:00:09.559 Candace Dellacona: Welcome to the Sandwich Generation Survival Guide. 00:00:09.559 --> 00:00:11.839 I am your host, Candace Dellacona. 00:00:12.379 --> 00:00:16.609 This is a very special edition of the Sandwich Generation Survival Guide 00:00:16.609 --> 00:00:20.969 because we are participating in the fourth annual edition of Podcasthon, 00:00:22.429 --> 00:00:27.439 for one week, thousands of podcasts like mine are highlighting a charity 00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:35.369 of their choice, and today my choice, I am welcoming father Patrick Devine. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:37.609 Father Patrick is a friend. 00:00:38.059 --> 00:00:43.669 He is a priest, an author, a world renowned speaker on peace and conflict 00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:47.569 resolution, who's taught at the Harvard's Kennedy School, and most importantly, 00:00:48.109 --> 00:00:53.839 Father Patrick is the Executive International Chairman and Founder of the 00:00:53.839 --> 00:00:59.194 Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, which is an organization 00:00:59.464 --> 00:01:06.034 working across Eastern Africa to bring peace to communities affected by conflict. 00:01:06.664 --> 00:01:12.564 Through dialogue and mediation, grassroots peace building, educational development 00:01:12.564 --> 00:01:17.064 projects, Shalom has helped transform relationships between groups that have 00:01:17.064 --> 00:01:22.344 experienced deep and significant division and violence for hundreds of years. 00:01:22.854 --> 00:01:27.714 Father Patrick has dedicated decades for building sustainable reconciliation 00:01:27.954 --> 00:01:33.199 by training local leaders, empowering communities and creating systems 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:38.179 that help prevent conflict before it begins, such as schools and shelters. 00:01:38.179 --> 00:01:42.259 And his work has impacted hundreds of thousands of people across the region. 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:47.569 He has impacted my life and he impacts most people that he meets. 00:01:48.199 --> 00:01:51.379 He offers powerful lessons about the possibilities of dialogue and 00:01:51.499 --> 00:01:53.989 dignity, and of course blasting peace. 00:01:53.989 --> 00:01:56.269 How is that for an intro? 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:58.069 Welcome, Father Patrick. 00:01:58.684 --> 00:01:59.574 Father Partick Devine: Thank you, Candace. 00:02:00.234 --> 00:02:00.724 That is some intro. 00:02:02.374 --> 00:02:04.024 Candace Dellacona: I am sure I embarrassed you. 00:02:04.024 --> 00:02:08.919 You are a person who, is certainly not immune to flattery 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:10.329 as a human like the rest of us. 00:02:10.329 --> 00:02:15.729 But your work is such good work and you take such pride in the 00:02:15.729 --> 00:02:17.079 good work that you're doing. 00:02:17.079 --> 00:02:18.969 So I'm really happy to welcome you today. 00:02:20.009 --> 00:02:21.909 Father Partick Devine: Thank you very much and I appreciate the 00:02:21.909 --> 00:02:25.924 welcome and the invitation to be here with you and your viewers today. 00:02:27.474 --> 00:02:28.134 Candace Dellacona: Wonderful. 00:02:28.134 --> 00:02:30.084 So let's get right into it. 00:02:30.084 --> 00:02:36.114 I want to highlight Shalom, and I want for you, the founder of the organization 00:02:36.114 --> 00:02:38.814 to tell us everything we need to know about this amazing organization. 00:02:39.204 --> 00:02:40.374 So let's start at the beginning. 00:02:40.434 --> 00:02:45.444 Let's start at what inspired you to find Shalom Center for Conflict 00:02:45.444 --> 00:02:47.034 Resolution and Reconciliation. 00:02:48.839 --> 00:02:52.714 Father Partick Devine: Well, I grew up in Ireland as you can hear from my accent. 00:02:52.714 --> 00:02:57.144 And in 1979, I joined a group called The Society of African 00:02:57.144 --> 00:03:02.064 Missions, and you made a lifetime commitment to Africa and its people. 00:03:02.634 --> 00:03:07.284 And I was ordained in 1988 and assigned to Western Tanzania. 00:03:08.154 --> 00:03:13.149 Then I encountered the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 with the 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:16.419 refugees pouring into Tanzania. 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:20.739 So I got involved in pastoral care for them because over a million and a 00:03:20.739 --> 00:03:22.809 half crossed the border at that time. 00:03:22.809 --> 00:03:26.489 It was a terrible, terrible genocide as are all genocides. 00:03:26.939 --> 00:03:30.989 Then I ended up in quite a bit of administration for our missionary 00:03:30.989 --> 00:03:32.699 work in Tanzania and Kenya. 00:03:32.909 --> 00:03:37.739 Our main drive in terms of development was of course oriented around peace then 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:40.349 development schools, hospitals, and so on. 00:03:40.709 --> 00:03:47.954 And my work as my career developed in terms of administration I encountered 00:03:47.954 --> 00:03:53.384 a lot of interacting conflict going on in northern Kenya, South Sudan, 00:03:53.834 --> 00:03:58.904 Southwest Ethiopia, and there's no doubt and heavily influenced by 00:03:58.904 --> 00:04:00.744 the violence in the Eastern Congo. 00:04:00.984 --> 00:04:05.384 Since 1996 there's estimates that there's between seven and 10 million 00:04:05.384 --> 00:04:07.154 people killed alone over there. 00:04:07.154 --> 00:04:13.514 And so it was from my interaction with these environments and watching 00:04:13.804 --> 00:04:19.069 well-intentioned NGOs and church people and various other groups who 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:23.389 are very well intentioned, addressing mainly the symptoms that I thought 00:04:23.389 --> 00:04:27.229 there had to be a better way to address the underlying root causes. 00:04:27.349 --> 00:04:32.109 So I was inspired as opposed to set up a group of men and women inter-faith. 00:04:32.604 --> 00:04:36.174 And to get everybody qualified with a minimum of a master's 00:04:36.174 --> 00:04:37.434 degree in peace studies. 00:04:37.794 --> 00:04:41.874 And on top of all that, I wanted people who are willing to go behind the 00:04:41.874 --> 00:04:47.029 front line into the conflict zones and commit to live among the people there. 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:50.209 So that was the origin in terms of the idea of Shalom. 00:04:50.479 --> 00:04:55.729 So in 2009, Shalom was registered in Kenya as the Shalom Center for 00:04:55.729 --> 00:05:00.379 Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, and we began our first works in 00:05:00.799 --> 00:05:04.549 Northern Kenya, along the border with Ethiopia and South Sudan. 00:05:05.539 --> 00:05:07.009 Candace Dellacona: Which is so remarkable. 00:05:07.139 --> 00:05:14.234 Where you put faith and you're moved to action in such a beautiful way, 00:05:14.234 --> 00:05:19.454 and rallying those personally impacted by it to be part of the change. 00:05:19.454 --> 00:05:23.184 And I love the fact that you call it Shalom. 00:05:23.584 --> 00:05:28.624 As many of our listeners know, the word shalom means peace, but it also 00:05:28.624 --> 00:05:32.464 means wholeness and reconciliation. 00:05:32.464 --> 00:05:37.369 So, Father, how would you say the word shalom and those concepts of 00:05:37.369 --> 00:05:43.849 wholeness and reconciliation shape the work of the organization on a daily 00:05:43.849 --> 00:05:46.429 basis, on a day in, day out basis. 00:05:47.784 --> 00:05:50.194 Father Partick Devine: Well of course it's important to know the root meaning 00:05:50.194 --> 00:05:54.214 of shalom because some people just take it as a greeting, but shalom means 00:05:54.214 --> 00:05:58.384 peace, but it's not just a peace in the sense of the absence of violence. 00:05:58.654 --> 00:06:02.764 When we go back into Judaism and the scriptures, and it's about. 00:06:03.989 --> 00:06:07.139 Whereas the absence of violence, I consider it only negative peace. 00:06:07.529 --> 00:06:10.019 Where we're really interested in positive peace. 00:06:10.229 --> 00:06:14.099 We're all also mutually committed to the wellbeing and development 00:06:14.099 --> 00:06:16.019 and the security of each other. 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:19.619 And I'd like to say that at the outset, 'cause that is our total 00:06:19.619 --> 00:06:24.209 orientation as a group, as we encounter conflict in Eastern Africa. 00:06:24.689 --> 00:06:28.859 Shalom itself, of course means about having a rife relationship 00:06:28.859 --> 00:06:32.339 with God, with your neighbor, with yourself, and indeed with creation. 00:06:32.609 --> 00:06:37.889 It's about holistically integrating peace and truth and justice and mercy, and they 00:06:37.889 --> 00:06:40.079 are really the pillars of reconciliation. 00:06:41.204 --> 00:06:42.314 Candace Dellacona: Which is remarkable. 00:06:42.314 --> 00:06:46.114 And taking the organization to a place where it's interfaith because 00:06:46.114 --> 00:06:49.954 for those who are not familiar with the region, there are so many 00:06:49.954 --> 00:06:52.234 faiths in that particular region. 00:06:52.234 --> 00:06:57.514 So broadening the scope as you have successfully done to engage people so 00:06:57.514 --> 00:07:01.414 that everyone feels that they can be included in that process is remarkable. 00:07:01.844 --> 00:07:05.444 For the listeners who are not familiar with the region, as you point out. 00:07:06.039 --> 00:07:10.469 Father, they the residents and the citizens of those countries 00:07:10.469 --> 00:07:14.709 deal with such significant conflict and have for generations. 00:07:15.009 --> 00:07:21.739 So what does Shalom in particular deal with in terms of the type of conflict that 00:07:21.739 --> 00:07:23.959 you're hoping to resolve in the region? 00:07:25.054 --> 00:07:27.484 Father Partick Devine: Well, at the moment we're addressing inter ethnic 00:07:27.484 --> 00:07:32.704 conflict up in northern Kenya, as I said, in that area where the Kenya 00:07:32.704 --> 00:07:35.674 interfaces with South Sudan and Ethiopia. 00:07:35.819 --> 00:07:40.074 Down at the coast then you have the issues of religious ideological extremism 00:07:40.414 --> 00:07:44.494 where you have Al-Shabaab and ISIS and Al Qaeda and they're doing a lot of 00:07:44.494 --> 00:07:49.264 recruiting in the slums as well of the major urban centers in Eastern Africa. 00:07:49.624 --> 00:07:54.514 And then on the issue of the urban slums, like for example, there are 00:07:55.024 --> 00:07:57.334 two and a half million people across. 00:07:58.894 --> 00:08:01.249 I mean, it's debatable, but definitely over 2 million 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:03.109 people living in those slums. 00:08:03.109 --> 00:08:06.649 And there was a lot of violence being done to women and children. 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:10.849 So we set up the Shalom Empowerment Center to address violence 00:08:10.849 --> 00:08:11.989 against women and children. 00:08:12.169 --> 00:08:16.039 So there are two and a half thousand women at the moment being trained 00:08:16.219 --> 00:08:19.489 with conflict transformation skills and peace building techniques. 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:25.714 And it widens out into the encountering radicalization and countering human 00:08:25.714 --> 00:08:29.884 trafficking and organ trafficking and really enabling the people in all the 00:08:29.884 --> 00:08:33.884 conflict environments where we work to be the architects of their own future. 00:08:34.184 --> 00:08:38.654 Now, in the threaten conflicts Candace, we go in among the various tribes 00:08:38.654 --> 00:08:43.574 and we identify the key influential opinion shapers because you really 00:08:43.574 --> 00:08:45.014 have to get them into the room. 00:08:45.254 --> 00:08:49.204 And we spend about 18 months to two years training them, first of all on the 00:08:49.204 --> 00:08:53.494 analytics, what's causing the conflict from a paradigm perspective of the role 00:08:53.494 --> 00:08:58.114 of power, of the lack of institutions, which comes under structuralism and 00:08:58.114 --> 00:09:03.309 how the society can be positively manipulated and the environment 'cause 00:09:03.309 --> 00:09:06.439 an awful lot of the time conflict is contingent on the environment, 00:09:06.439 --> 00:09:08.839 communication, leadership and so on. 00:09:09.049 --> 00:09:12.259 Then we move them to conflict transformation training. 00:09:12.499 --> 00:09:15.289 And that is dealing, first of all with the personal 'cause, you have to 00:09:15.289 --> 00:09:18.639 begin to look at yourself and that's dealing with spiritual, emotional, 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:19.779 psychological, then relational. 00:09:19.839 --> 00:09:25.989 The second phase is on the behavior stereotype and communication issues. 00:09:26.694 --> 00:09:30.924 Thirdly is to look at the lack of institutions in those environments 00:09:31.104 --> 00:09:35.034 to enable people to meet their basic human needs and to be able 00:09:35.034 --> 00:09:36.444 to actualize their potential. 00:09:36.594 --> 00:09:40.134 What institutions are lacking, such as law and order, legal 00:09:40.134 --> 00:09:42.024 redress, medical education. 00:09:42.264 --> 00:09:46.964 And fourthly, is to look at the issue of where is culture legitimizing violence? 00:09:47.144 --> 00:09:49.844 Where are human rights being undermined and so on? 00:09:49.994 --> 00:09:52.304 Where is the dignity of life not being respected? 00:09:52.724 --> 00:09:56.874 And we do that with both sides for about 18 months before we bring them together. 00:09:56.994 --> 00:10:00.659 We have them trained also on negotiation, pre negotiation, 00:10:00.659 --> 00:10:02.999 negotiation and post negotiation skills. 00:10:03.389 --> 00:10:05.849 And then we bring them together because now they're speaking 00:10:05.849 --> 00:10:07.859 the same conceptual language. 00:10:08.189 --> 00:10:12.959 And may I say, in all my time, I have never met a parent who doesn't want 00:10:12.959 --> 00:10:14.369 a better future for their children. 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:16.559 They're all interested in getting peace. 00:10:16.829 --> 00:10:20.399 But we have to remember also that these countries, there are only a hundred 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:24.809 years you can say into modernization, development as we know it in the west. 00:10:24.809 --> 00:10:30.259 And there are huge areas, yes, semi-arid desert territories that do not have enough 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:32.539 institutions developed by the governments. 00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:36.319 And it's not that the governments aren't trying, they are trying, of course, like 00:10:36.319 --> 00:10:38.839 every government, we all can do better. 00:10:38.839 --> 00:10:39.599 But that's the idea. 00:10:40.099 --> 00:10:42.619 Candace Dellacona: You know what was so great about that Father, is that 00:10:42.619 --> 00:10:49.309 you gave us the blow by blow of the architecture of the peace building process 00:10:49.309 --> 00:10:52.459 that Shalom has developed over time. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:57.409 And I think that the listeners now have a practical idea of what that 00:10:57.409 --> 00:10:59.299 looks like and the runway is long. 00:10:59.489 --> 00:11:02.220 Father Partick Devine: Yeah, Candice and I normally, just to give it a, rationale, 00:11:02.490 --> 00:11:07.160 like you don't need to be a theological genius or a sociological expert to realize 00:11:07.160 --> 00:11:11.360 that in conflict environments where people are killed, maimed and displaced 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:16.340 persistently, it's extremely difficult for social and religious values, such as 00:11:16.340 --> 00:11:21.380 peace, truth, justice and mercy to take deep communal root for people to live 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.480 normal lives and experience through peace. 00:11:24.063 --> 00:11:27.470 Secondly, it's extremely difficult to have any sustainable development in 00:11:27.470 --> 00:11:32.000 those environments because periodically schools, hospitals, et cetera, either 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:33.860 become inoperable or destroyed. 00:11:34.250 --> 00:11:38.840 So it's very important that we really empower the people to be the architects. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:43.460 Out of our peace processes, the first thing that they all, both sides began 00:11:43.460 --> 00:11:47.480 to agree on was the setting up of inter ethnic and interreligious schools. 00:11:47.965 --> 00:11:50.005 So Shalom has done a huge amount of school. 00:11:50.215 --> 00:11:55.225 We have implemented over 800 projects, school educational development projects 00:11:55.475 --> 00:11:59.375 in 450 plus institutions since we started. 00:11:59.645 --> 00:12:03.575 And they, these developments when we do medical as well and water 00:12:03.575 --> 00:12:07.865 projects and equip these schools with books and desks and solar energy. 00:12:08.045 --> 00:12:11.345 But these projects help to stabilize the peace process. 00:12:11.345 --> 00:12:15.385 And since we started and many students from these schools that would 00:12:15.385 --> 00:12:18.445 never have got a chance have even gone on some of them to university 00:12:18.445 --> 00:12:20.485 and become lawyers and doctors. 00:12:20.535 --> 00:12:22.275 And it's not that they forget their people. 00:12:22.965 --> 00:12:25.185 They are always there to come back and help them. 00:12:25.835 --> 00:12:28.835 Candace Dellacona: I mean if that is not an endorsement of the good work 00:12:28.895 --> 00:12:30.605 of Shalom, I don't know what is. 00:12:30.605 --> 00:12:34.835 I think you know, what is so remarkable about the organization is that you're 00:12:34.835 --> 00:12:40.305 able with your infrastructure of the organization and the training that 00:12:40.305 --> 00:12:46.725 you do that is so involved and really meticulous, bringing together groups who 00:12:46.725 --> 00:12:53.825 historically saw each other as enemies and the power of dialogue and that human 00:12:53.825 --> 00:12:59.045 connection in resolving conflict is so inspiring, especially as you point 00:12:59.045 --> 00:13:03.140 out, Father, that these are people that are doing their best to survive. 00:13:03.140 --> 00:13:09.290 So things like justice and peace and mercy have a hard time sort of seeping in 00:13:09.290 --> 00:13:11.870 when you are literally trying to survive. 00:13:11.870 --> 00:13:16.070 So I just think that's such a remarkable testament of Shalom and all of the 00:13:16.070 --> 00:13:20.740 amazing people that are committed to Shalom to make peace in the region. 00:13:21.140 --> 00:13:27.620 What I would like to know is, why do you see as someone who is from Ireland, 00:13:28.640 --> 00:13:35.710 it's so important to you that the solutions for peace come from within the 00:13:35.710 --> 00:13:38.680 community as opposed to from outside. 00:13:38.680 --> 00:13:42.340 Can you talk a little bit about why you're sort of tapping the shoulder 00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:47.740 of Tanzanians and Kenyans and Sudanese people to come up with the solutions? 00:13:48.650 --> 00:13:50.760 Father Partick Devine: Well, you see at best, outside intervention, 00:13:50.760 --> 00:13:53.010 any war can only create a ceasefire. 00:13:53.010 --> 00:13:56.850 And it's important that maybe within a, to explain that a little bit. 00:13:57.220 --> 00:13:59.890 When you have manifest direct violent conflict. 00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:03.390 The first thing of course you want to do, and usually international 00:14:03.390 --> 00:14:08.010 intervention lead to creating a ceasefire, but a ceasefire can easily 00:14:08.010 --> 00:14:12.370 revert back into violence again, into manifest violence unless you 00:14:12.370 --> 00:14:16.610 really understand the root causes what's causing the and address them. 00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:21.755 And you have to move that ceasefire through interventions, development 00:14:21.755 --> 00:14:25.415 interventions, further conflict transformation, you have to begin to 00:14:25.415 --> 00:14:27.695 move it through towards positive peace. 00:14:27.725 --> 00:14:31.575 And if you're going to get the positive peace you really have to have the people 00:14:31.575 --> 00:14:33.705 on board and they have to commit to it. 00:14:33.765 --> 00:14:37.260 And so often around the world to today, we see interventions 00:14:37.260 --> 00:14:39.000 in major conflicts, right? 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:40.295 I'm talking about international conflicts. 00:14:40.900 --> 00:14:43.420 And the peace is there and it can easily revert back. 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:46.570 But from once the people own the piece on the ground and are 00:14:46.570 --> 00:14:48.520 committed, both sides are committed. 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:53.020 And I think to add here as well, what I have found working among the people, 00:14:53.230 --> 00:14:57.010 they want to create environments to where they can experience the divine 00:14:57.010 --> 00:15:02.080 spirit because everybody is yearning to experience that spirit as well. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:05.410 And where people are killed and maimed in this place, that's nearly impossible. 00:15:05.890 --> 00:15:09.845 I would say like Candice, that, in terms of addressing the issue of religious 00:15:09.845 --> 00:15:15.095 ideological extremism, it's very important that people are aware of the 00:15:15.095 --> 00:15:20.525 terminology and that along a continuim from radicalization to fundamentalism, 00:15:20.525 --> 00:15:25.895 then on to nonviolent extremism, and then further on to manifest violent extremism 00:15:26.065 --> 00:15:28.765 operationalized in terroristic acts. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.700 And I use that term, nonviolent extremism. 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:35.565 I remember giving a lecture in in Chicago and the people, what do 00:15:35.565 --> 00:15:37.605 you mean by nonviolent extremism? 00:15:37.605 --> 00:15:41.085 And I said, you could even have it in a western democracy where 00:15:41.085 --> 00:15:43.485 you have side, so polarized. 00:15:43.865 --> 00:15:48.635 So polarized, whether it be in politics or the media or some other form that 00:15:48.635 --> 00:15:52.745 they don't even want to listen to each other, talk to each other, and they don't 00:15:52.745 --> 00:15:54.485 want the other side to be heard even. 00:15:54.665 --> 00:15:57.845 And they want to try and wipe them off the social political narrative. 00:15:57.935 --> 00:16:01.115 So I don't think I need to explain that to too many people. 00:16:01.265 --> 00:16:02.400 Candace Dellacona: No, I don't think you do. 00:16:02.400 --> 00:16:04.405 Not this day and age here in the United States. 00:16:05.205 --> 00:16:08.085 Father Partick Devine: It's bringing all that awareness to the people that 00:16:08.085 --> 00:16:12.345 you're empowering them, really empowering them with the analytical skills and 00:16:12.345 --> 00:16:15.530 the conflict transformation peace building techniques that are needed. 00:16:16.835 --> 00:16:20.345 Candace Dellacona: It's really remarkable and I love the term 00:16:20.345 --> 00:16:22.475 that you use, owning the peace. 00:16:22.845 --> 00:16:27.895 Because when you have people that have a vested interest in the peace and they 00:16:27.925 --> 00:16:34.240 see the possibility of living a life without pain of war and conflict, it 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:39.340 really does provide an alternative that perhaps didn't exist for them before. 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:45.110 You're doing such amazing work in Eastern Africa and spreading the 00:16:45.170 --> 00:16:47.030 sort of good work that you're doing. 00:16:47.510 --> 00:16:51.230 Obviously we're in a place of conflict here in the world right now. 00:16:51.230 --> 00:16:57.570 We know what's going on, places like Iran and Gaza and Ukraine, and I think 00:16:57.570 --> 00:17:02.442 a lot of us as families, we worry about conflict even in our own lives. 00:17:02.832 --> 00:17:07.502 So what are the lessons, Father, that you could impart upon us 00:17:07.922 --> 00:17:12.962 about conflict resolution even more locally, even within our own homes? 00:17:12.962 --> 00:17:14.552 Do you have any advice for our listeners? 00:17:15.797 --> 00:17:17.987 Father Partick Devine: Well, like conflict everywhere around the 00:17:17.987 --> 00:17:21.077 world, and I think this is something we can bring to our homes as well. 00:17:21.077 --> 00:17:24.087 We should all be aware on issues of conflict. 00:17:24.087 --> 00:17:29.577 That conflict has a memory it's very robust and it's resilient. 00:17:30.237 --> 00:17:31.707 It's more than culture. 00:17:32.127 --> 00:17:33.747 It can be transgenerational. 00:17:33.747 --> 00:17:34.707 It usually is. 00:17:35.157 --> 00:17:40.267 Unfortunately it's frequently distorted by erroneous historical narratives 00:17:40.267 --> 00:17:42.457 and false media reporting at times. 00:17:42.457 --> 00:17:46.957 So that even comes down into our local conflicts at home among people. 00:17:46.957 --> 00:17:50.967 And I mean, communication is so vital to have, and whether it be among family 00:17:50.967 --> 00:17:55.317 members in marriage or whatever, and sometimes to reach out and to find help 00:17:55.587 --> 00:17:59.997 and to find people who are interested because this conflict world we are in 00:17:59.997 --> 00:18:04.767 as well, in terms of NGOs and so on, it can often be abused and used by 00:18:04.767 --> 00:18:09.447 organizations who use the cause just to feed their own management needs. 00:18:09.627 --> 00:18:13.457 So you really need authenticity among people who are engaging with you. 00:18:13.817 --> 00:18:18.817 To people in family homes, communication is the key and to really begin to 00:18:18.847 --> 00:18:22.777 get some help so that you do the analytics on yourself as an individual 00:18:23.077 --> 00:18:27.607 on the relationships in terms of communication, stereotyping, and so on. 00:18:27.847 --> 00:18:29.227 And look at your home life. 00:18:29.227 --> 00:18:32.587 Look at your community life, whether it be a parish or a village. 00:18:32.767 --> 00:18:36.097 Look at what institutions can be improved, and look at the overall 00:18:36.097 --> 00:18:39.127 culture that's been fed into the minds and hearts of people. 00:18:40.257 --> 00:18:40.887 Candace Dellacona: I love that. 00:18:40.887 --> 00:18:43.467 That is really a perfect answer, Father Patrick. 00:18:44.417 --> 00:18:48.857 After all of your many decades now in Africa, and the conflict that 00:18:48.857 --> 00:18:53.757 you've witnessed, the heartache, the heartbreak and also a lot of positives, 00:18:53.757 --> 00:18:57.777 the incredible network that Shalom has been able to put together piece 00:18:57.777 --> 00:19:00.837 by piece, what still gives you hope? 00:19:01.197 --> 00:19:04.377 Father Patrick, what gives you hope day to day? 00:19:05.982 --> 00:19:08.142 Father Partick Devine: I have great hope because of the human spirit. 00:19:08.232 --> 00:19:11.622 'Cause I believe in the goodness of the human spirit and I believe in the 00:19:11.622 --> 00:19:15.942 goodness of the divine spirit, which touches on the entity of life of all of 00:19:15.942 --> 00:19:17.907 us, regardless of which faith you are. 00:19:18.382 --> 00:19:21.682 So that's why we're even inter-religious and to always give 00:19:21.682 --> 00:19:25.162 scope to experience that divine spirit and let it move us for good. 00:19:25.462 --> 00:19:29.272 And there are other spirits that move us into negative territory and to do 00:19:29.272 --> 00:19:33.472 things that we shouldn't be doing, but to have great respect for human rights 00:19:33.472 --> 00:19:39.947 and the dignity of life and whatever we do, do not close dialogue or shut people 00:19:39.947 --> 00:19:44.807 out, keep the dialogue going and see how can we make life better as a community? 00:19:44.807 --> 00:19:48.227 Because if we just turn in on ourselves, whether it be about our 00:19:48.227 --> 00:19:51.887 own, just human needs or about faith I think we have missed the joy of 00:19:51.887 --> 00:19:53.537 life and the richness of each other. 00:19:53.687 --> 00:19:56.017 It's like you and I here, sitting here talking. 00:19:56.067 --> 00:19:57.477 We're all part of the mosaic. 00:19:57.537 --> 00:19:59.037 No one is above or below. 00:19:59.247 --> 00:20:03.167 And I think that's what makes it work, and we appreciate and care for each other. 00:20:03.417 --> 00:20:07.397 Of course, Candace we are registered in in Ireland as well. 00:20:07.397 --> 00:20:12.747 The Shalom is, and we are in the Northern Ireland, UK and here in the USA. 00:20:13.137 --> 00:20:17.037 And I want to say this because your country gave us a great honor and Colin 00:20:17.467 --> 00:20:21.817 Powell was the guest in the event down in Washington back a number of years ago. 00:20:22.057 --> 00:20:26.622 And he had a good impact on me as well, when in terms of speaking 00:20:26.622 --> 00:20:31.512 about government interference and for peace and for bringing about 00:20:31.512 --> 00:20:33.372 reconciliation can only do so much. 00:20:33.372 --> 00:20:37.692 But he said, ultimately the people at the grassroots too have to be really trained, 00:20:37.722 --> 00:20:42.162 as I said, to be their own architects and to reach and to attain the type 00:20:42.162 --> 00:20:44.052 of environment that which to live in. 00:20:45.147 --> 00:20:47.757 Candace Dellacona: And you know, Father Patrick, that really is a 00:20:47.757 --> 00:20:53.307 perfect way to end my highlight of the amazing Shalom Institute and 00:20:53.637 --> 00:20:59.037 to of course, remind our listeners that Shalom does such amazing work. 00:20:59.187 --> 00:21:04.347 You just heard a fraction of what Shalom has done for the region and as 00:21:04.347 --> 00:21:10.474 Father Patrick rightly pointed out, you have obtained certification as to 00:21:10.564 --> 00:21:15.334 charitable status here in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and in 00:21:15.334 --> 00:21:20.074 Ireland to support all of the work that you're doing in Africa, and donations 00:21:20.074 --> 00:21:23.959 that you have made to the satellites in the United States, The United 00:21:23.959 --> 00:21:26.614 Kingdom and Ireland are tax deductible. 00:21:27.231 --> 00:21:31.821 If you are moved to make a donation, and I hope you have been, we will have all 00:21:31.821 --> 00:21:33.201 of that information in our show notes. 00:21:34.261 --> 00:21:37.581 Father Partick Devine: Candace, I'd just like to say that I want to remember all 00:21:37.581 --> 00:21:42.321 our people on the front line and all the progress that's being made to thank them 00:21:42.381 --> 00:21:44.771 and to thank all our donors as well. 00:21:45.011 --> 00:21:49.661 And just to say this, that of every dollar that's donated from 00:21:49.811 --> 00:21:55.031 USA out to us in Africa, 95 cents goes directly into the project. 00:21:55.571 --> 00:21:56.501 Candace Dellacona: That is remarkable. 00:21:56.651 --> 00:21:59.651 I wanted to thank Father Patrick Devine from the bottom of my 00:21:59.651 --> 00:22:04.441 heart for taking part in this special episode of the Podcasthon. 00:22:05.541 --> 00:22:09.391 And if you've enjoyed it, I would really hope that you'd visit www.postcasthon.org 00:22:10.401 --> 00:22:14.481 to learn about so many other charities through the voices and 00:22:14.481 --> 00:22:17.001 the talents of my fellow podcasters. 00:22:17.661 --> 00:22:18.831 Thank you, Father Patrick.