WITH less than three weeks to go before general elections in Zimbabwe on 30 July, The Salvation Army is stepping up its peace-building initiatives. In the past, Zimbabwe has often suffered from the outbreak of election-related violence for political, tribal or regional reasons. Inspired by peace-building efforts by The Salvation Army in Kenya, Salvationists in Zimbabwe are seeking to promote and build peace in the country in the lead-up to the elections.
There is genuine hope in Zimbabwe that these elections will be, in the words of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, ‘free, fair and transparent’. Even so, a grenade attack on an election rally in June demonstrated that nothing can be taken for granted.
Zimbabwe, My Home
One of the main initiatives is the production and sharing of ‘Zimbabwe, My Home’, a song written by children across Zimbabwe with a message of peace. The children were assisted by Community Albums (www.communityalbums.com), a UK-based charity that uses music and media to give communities a voice. With input from different tribes, towns and cities, the song and accompanying video capture the essence of what it means to be peaceful. In the words of the song, ‘everyone is somebody’, ‘Zimbabwe is home’ and, therefore, people can live together as ‘one family, united and free’.
The song has already been played on national TV in Zimbabwe and is available to view on YouTube. Salvationists and friends the world over are encouraged to like it, share it, be inspired and promote peace:
