Our Correspondent
Aolijen, June 4
Understanding the need for churches to take part in peace-making, conflict-resolution and reconciliation, about ninety pastors from the various churches in the eastern region of Nagaland were imparted skills and discourse about peace-making.
Chief Editor of The Morung Express, Dr Akum Longchari, imparted the discourse in the multipurpose hall of Clark Theological College of Aolijen in Mokokchung on Thursday, June 4.
Pastors and other church leaders are participating in an eight-day long program, of which the discourse on peacemaking is a part. The event is organized by the Baptist Church Associations of the eastern regions of Nagaland comprising the Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Sangtam and Yimchunger communities. The event also comes as collaboration with Clark Theological College, and hosted by it as well.Dr Akum Longchari was the resource person for session for the fourth day of the program. The session was on the topic of conflicts, peace-building, and reconciliation. During the discourse, he highlighted the importance of peace in communities, how to address conflicts and counter them, with resolutions.
Longchari maintained that conflict and violence were two different entities that need careful differentiation. He said that the world as one used to can be understood and interpreted differently according to different persons. “We all understand and interpret differently, so sharing is important,’ he said while underscoring the need for dialogue to resolving any kind of conflict.
He said that in various scenarios everyone claims their own brands of truth as the ultimate truth and annihilating other claims of truth. In such junctures, ‘We need dialogue to share their interpretation. We understand the world differently, so it is very important to talk another,” he said.
Referring to chaos at the international platform, including the present Naga context he said, ‘In conflict and real game, it becomes more sophisticated. We forget our humanity. In reality, this happens everywhere in the world.’ He argued that if society was not founded on the principles of truth, mercy, justice and peace, what kind of a society the people could be building. “The place where truth, mercy, justice and peace meet, that meeting place is call reconciliation,” he said.
