Mabwe Lucien - Fizi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: City of Peace

By Fred Arment with quotes from Mabwe Lucien

Mabwe Lucien is a man of peace... and action. He has organized seminars on non-violence and peace in fifty-two cities and villages in Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Tanzania. He has led sessions for reconciliation between warring tribes, including the Babuyu and Bembe; the Bafuliru and Bembe; the Banyamulenge and Bembe; as well as the Bafuliro and Banyamulenge tribes.

Today he is leading a project very close to his heart. Lucien is organizing the building of a school for poor child victims of war at Kazimia in D.R. Congo. Kazimia is a peasant center of 20,000 inhabitants in Fizi , South Kivu, which was greatly affected by the world’s deadliest war, killing over 5.4 million in the D.R. Congo since 1996.

Fifty-eight year old Mabwe Lucien lives in Fizi in eastern DR Congo with his wife and five children. He holds a degree in History and graduate in Theology. In 2009 he was Ordained as a Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Congregations, which has forty-eight parishes in the Eastern part of the country. He is also founder and coordinator of the NGO Mleci, which means in the region’s language of kibembe spoken at Fizi, “a nursing mother caring for a child with love.” Mleci has the main task of "Global nonviolence for the well-being of the people." Lucien is also Chairman of the consortium of twenty-one organizations throughout Burundim, D.R. Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania for peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

The war in DR Congo has devastated families. Half of the population of Kazimia took refuge in Tanzania. Nearly all infrastructure and homes were demolished. When people returned, conditions were very difficult. Kazimia had only two schools. Eighty percent of children were doomed to failure for lack of education. As the war continues, many children are forced to join armed groups at a young age.

That is why Mleci initiated a Free School (nursery and primary school) for children in 2006. Every year more than 250 poor children attend traditional courses and a course on nonviolence and peace from the book of the American Glenn Paige "Global Nonkilling political science," which Lucien translated into Kiswahili. “We provide them with meals -- for most this is the only meal they have for 24 hours -- medical and school supplies.”

Lucien held the position Director, High Authority Policy of Fizi with 1.5 million inhabitants (2002 - 2003). He was heavily influenced by the ideas on nonkilling by Professor Glenn D. Page, translating Page’s book, “Nonkilling Global Political Science " into Kiswahili and was instrumental in its distribution within the Great Lakes Countries in Africa, including Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Tanzania.

To learn more about Fizi, D.R. Congo, City of Peace: click here.

Mabwe Lucien was born in Kazimia, D.R. Congo in 1956. He holds a degree in History and graduated in Theology. Mabwe is married with 5 children. He is a former Administrator of the Territory of Fizi (High Authority Policy) and was ordained Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God churches in Congo in 2009.