When confronted with unjust urban conditions in South Africa, Jude Nnorom answers with the most powerful tools he knows: a humble faith, and the stories of people he’s met on Tshwane’s streets.
From our friends at Street Psalms: Onics Bukenya models the dignity and wholeheartedness that shape a creative peacebuilder.
The first thing I noticed about Dong Jin Kim was his smile. It’s a generous smile, and quiet. He doesn’t look like a person formed by one of the most dangerous places on earth…
“Creative peacebuilders” sometimes sounds like a contradiction. If we imagine peacebuilders doing dangerous and grueling work, we imagine artists differently: a painter, safe in a studio, studying a canvas and waiting for inspiration. So why call those committed to justice and peace “artisans?”
“These stories are tiny but amazing,” Julijana says. “They radiate potential. But it all starts by recognizing the wounds of the other, by not being oblivious to the victims on the other side.”
It is Joel Aguilar’s fervent hope that a nonviolent “human catechism” might transform the streets of Guatemala City–because, as he says, “beauty deserves to live here”.