Lightening Talk at Peace Connect, Nairobi, October 2025

I’m introduced here as a director of Conducive Space for Peace, but I’m here as a fellow peacebuilder - and at heart, a social justice advocate.

What drives me is the belief that ordinary people, when connected, hold extraordinary power. I’ve seen that power awaken in communities that refuse to give up on peace and dignity, and it’s what continues to give me hope - even when systems and structures seem to be failing us. 

On Wednesday, I found myself unexpectedly caught in the middle of a demonstration here in Nairobi. Streets were blocked. Crowds were moving quickly. And within a few moments, I was right in the middle of running groups of people and convoys. 

What stayed with me was not the fear, but the kindness. Complete strangers stepped in to help me find my way, a young woman who was demonstrating broke a green branch in half, handed me one part, and said, “Hold this and you’ll be safe. You are one of us”.  Others opened their shop doors and gave me shelter until it was calm again. 

In that moment, I was reminded of something simple but powerful: even in unrest and uncertainty, people find ways to protect and guide one another. That instinct to care, to connect, and to act collectively. That is the heart of peacebuilding and civic life. 

The shared reality we face

Over these past few days, we’ve listened to stories that moved and challenged us. Stories of people working in restrictive environments. Stories of courage and resilience. We’ve also heard about community philanthropy, about resourcing ourselves, building autonomy, and shifting power.

Yet we know how difficult this work can be. The international peace and development systems meant to foster cooperation are struggling.  Democracy is eroding, and civic space is not just closing, in many places it is crushed. And while people everywhere are organising and rising up, our efforts often remain fragmented, dependent, and disconnected. 

The challenge is not a lack of courage or creativity. We have plenty of that.  It is the absence of connection, the civic fabric that allows us to collectively deliberate, coordinate, and act together at scale. 

What we’ve learned together

Throughout our time here, one truth has stood out for me: we cannot wait for systems to fix themselves. We are already building something new: through how we collaborate, share stories, and imagine together. 

This is what it means to reclaim our civic power. To act not as isolated actors, but as part of a living ecosystem of peacebuilders, movements, and communities learning from and strengthening one another. 

A new civic infrastructure

Imagine if we could connect all this courage and creativity across borders. Imagine citizens in Cape Town mapping public land, farmers in India organising across divides, young people in Kenya mobilising for justice, communities in Berlin reclaiming housing - all linked, learning, and acting together. 

What we need are democratic processes carried by citizens and civil society themselves, spaces for deliberation, shared understanding, and collective decision-making.  We need the coordination and communication capacity to act in concert, to share resources and solidarity - independent of donors, states, or dare I say multilateral systems. 

What I am suggesting is not a blueprint. It is a shared journey. A practice of learning, co-creation, and imagination for the kind of civic systems that can sustain peace and democracy in our time. 

Why now

We already have extraordinary movements and alliances. We have them in this room!
But they are too often siloed by geography or theme, unable to speak with a common voice. 

What we need is the connective tissue: a civic interface that allows for shared consciousness, coordination, and legitimacy, especially where institutional voices have grown quiet. 

When governments are constrained and multilateral systems are paralysed, it is civil society that must lead. Not to replace them, but to reimagine how collaboration and accountability can work. 

A collective call

If these ideas resonate with you. If you recognise the urgency of this moment and the need for deeper connection, then this is an invitation.

Let us build, together, the civic infrastructures that can hold our shared hope and turn it into action.

We don’t have to agree on everything to begin. We only need to agree that the future must be built by us - collectively, courageously, and now. 

This is my invitation to you. 

Thank you.

Postscript: When originally shared, this reflection referred to the events in Nairobi as a “demonstration.” In fact, the gathering was part of a national moment of mourning and celebration following the passing of Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister and a deeply respected national leader. The experience reflected the collective expressions of grief and solidarity that marked this historic moment for the Kenyan people.