The Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island (URI) congratulates Amani Matabaro Tom as the winner of our Nonviolence Trainer of the Month Award for April 2022. Amani is the co-founder and executive director of Action Kivu. This organization invests in the women, children, and communities of Congo through vocational training and education, creating paths toward peace and prosperity.
Born in eastern Congo, Amani is also a victim of the nation’s war and violence. However, he did not let the violence overpower or change his core. Amani worked hard and earned a degree in Applied Pedagogy with a concentration in English Language Teaching Methodology and Translation. Despite his traumatic experiences, Amani has been an enthusiastic and exemplary teacher and activist who promotes Nonviolence and Peace to children, youth, and adults.
Amani is a certified Level III Trainer in Kingian Nonviolence and Conflict Reconciliation from the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island (URI). He successfully completed his Level 2 Advanced Leadership Training in Kingian Nonviolence in 2017 and Level 1 Training of Trainers in Kingian Nonviolence and Conflict Reconciliation in 2016 from the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals,” Amani tries to heal the trauma of Congolese generations through nonviolence education. He sincerely believes that it is vital for survivors of the wars and violence to stand up and find ways to transform their pain into power rather than letting the violence and suffering overpower them.
Congo Peace School, located in Mumosho village in Congo near Rwanda border, is a living example of how Amani tries to transform his pain into power through peaceful and philanthropic projects. Congo Peace School is a thriving elementary and secondary school that provides quality education integrated with the nonviolence principle. Amani envisioned that his school serves vulnerable children and orphans and prepares them for constructive and peaceful leadership to influence the future of Congo and the world.
Amani’s goal remains to break the senseless cycle of violence through peaceful education and entrepreneurial programs for people to thrive and achieve their highest potential. He is an inspirational role model and agent of peace for many in Congo and beyond. Again, we congratulate Amani for winning this Nonviolence Training of the Month Award. To learn more and support his projects, you may visit his organization’s website: https://www.actionkivu.org