change language
you are in: home - news newslettercontact uslink

Support the Community

  
November 12 2014 | NAIROBI, KENYA

The campaign against the death penalty reaches Kenya: "No Justice without Life" in Nairobi

Together with the delegation of the Community of Sant'Egidio, also representatives of the Kenyan Ministry of Justice, of the European Union, of the emabassies, and the American association Journey of Hope.

 
printable version

The conference "There is no justice without life, for a peaceful Kenyan society” took place this morning in Nairobi.

It was attended by the representatives of the embassies of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, a representative of the European Union and more than two hundred people, mostly young people. The viewing of the video messages of Pope Francis and Desmond Tutu (whose name was given to the conference room) preceded the presentations.

The conference lasted over two and a half hours during which the speakers raised the issue of the death penalty, after talking about the death penalty had recently begun in response to 5 sentences imposed by a court of Nairobi in connection with the murder of mons. Luigi Locati, apostolic vicar of the Diocese of Isiolo, killed in 2005.

In the end many questions from the audience and a lively debate.

Francis Waithaka, of the Community of Sant'Egidio in Kenya, pointed out that the law in Kenya justifies a violent mentality, with the example of the lynchings of old women considered witches.

First secretary of the Italian embassy Andrea Marino, thanking the Community of Sant'Egidio for his ceaseless work defending life, explained at length the role of Italy and the EU in the fight against the death penalty and in the defence of human rights.
Bill Pelke, of the association Journey of Hope, told about his experience and the great suffering endured by his family, focusing on the experience of those family members of victims that chose the path of Christian forgiveness, explaining why no relief is felt from revenge.
Martha Karua, former Minister of Justice, who attended the conferences of the Ministers of Justice organised by Sant'Egidio in Rome, said that the death penalty is not effective and contradicts in the facts the respect for the rights promoted by the new constitution.

A few years ago, when there was the debate on the new constitution (and the minister was then among the settlers) the courage lacked to remove it from the Constitution, making a bold gesture that today would have brought fruits of peace and non-violence. She then added that the State does not want and can not deal with raising public awareness as it would be necessary, this is better achieved by NGOs such as the Community of Sant'Egidio. The former minister finally ended her speech by expressing the hope that the Community of Sant'Egidio may cooperate with the government and the Kenyan Parliament to spread a new culture on this issue.

Andrea Trentini, part of a delegation of Sant'Egidio from Rome, explained the work of Sant'Egidio and the reasons for being against capital punishment and how this results in a lowering of morale of the whole society and of the dream that the death penalty becomes for our children a thing of a barbarian past as was slavery or racial discrimination.

Tutah raised the matter of extrajudicial killings by the police and the legal modalities of reacting to violence.
Waweru, an expert of Nakuru County Public Service Board and Security of Kenya, spoke of the defence of human dignity and the fact that, as Christians, only God can take life.

The debate touched on different topics: what living is like on death row, how to convince a victim to forgive, how to change the law, lynchings and how to fight against them, the inequality as a cause of violence, terrorism and the ineffectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent, injustice to the poor and, finally, the question of being able to engage against the death penalty.


 ALSO READ
• NEWS
October 19 2017

THANKS to all those who signed the appeal for Anthony Shore: his execution was stopped tonight. Let's keep signing the appeal

IT | EN | DE
October 10 2017

On 15th World Day Against the Death Penalty let us visit the poorest convicts in Africa

IT | EN | DE | ID
June 20 2017
ROME, ITALY

Central African Republic: an agreement for immediate cease-fire and a road map to peace was signed at Sant'Egidio

IT | EN | ES | DE | FR | PT | CA | NL | RU | HU
June 3 2017
ROME, ITALY

South Sudan humanitarian crisis in the meeting between Sant'Egidio and an international delegation of special envoys

IT | EN
April 25 2017
BERLIN, GERMANY

Youth, Africa and interreligious dialogue at the centre of the meeting between Andrea Riccardi and Angela Merkel

IT | EN | ES | DE | FR | PT
April 4 2017

Let's ask to stop the 8 executions planned in Arkansas by April. Sign the Appeal!

IT | EN | DE
all the news
• PRESS
February 24 2018
Avvenire

A spasso per Milano aiutando l'Africa

February 19 2018
Vaticannews

Appello della Chiesa Usa per salvare la vita di due condannati a morte

January 24 2018
Avvenire

Sviluppo. Alfano: «La Cooperazione è tornata al centro dell'agenda politica»

January 19 2018
Famiglia Cristiana

Europa e Africa, un destino comune

January 8 2018
OnuItalia

Alfano chiude missione in Africa al centro ‘Dream’ di Conakry (sant’Egidio)

December 30 2017
Notizie Italia News

La politica estera italiana nell'ultima legislatura. Un breve bilancio

the entire press review
• NO DEATH PENALTY
September 24 2015

Pope Francis calls on Congress to end the death penalty. "Every life is sacred", he said

March 12 2015
Associated Press

Death penalty: a look at how some US states handle execution drug shortage

March 5 2015
Associated Press

Nitrogen gas executions approved by Oklahoma House

February 28 2015
Reuters

Australian PM strikes conciliatory note over Indonesia executions

February 28 2015
AP

US Supreme Court won't lift stay in Florida execution

February 25 2015
Reuters

Saudi court gives death penalty to man who renounced his Muslim faith

February 21 2015
AP

New Oregon governor will continue death penalty moratorium

February 15 2015

Archbishop Chaput applauds Penn. governor for halt to death penalty

go to no death penalty
• DOCUMENTS

''Entente de Sant'Egidio'': Political Agreement for Peace in the Central African Republic

all documents

PHOTO

1508 visits

1410 visits

1519 visits

1535 visits

1543 visits
all the related media