“Your Home is your only place of Abundant Security” Prof. Yamsat tell IDPs

By Timothy Alamba

The Executive Director, Centre of Value and Attitudinal Reawakening, CVAR, Rev. Prof. Pandang Yamsat has encouraged Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs), to see their homes where they were displaced from as their place of abundant economic, religious and political security.

He said this recently at COCIN RCC Pushit during a one day seminar on ‘Rebuilding Communities Destroyed by Terrorists’ organized by CVAR for leaders of displaced communities within the region.

“The privileges of the home place or fatherland are many and even outweigh where we live, enjoy, and do business or work. The home is our place of abundant security: social, religious, political, and economic; the place of our God-given inheritance; the place of our given national and constitutional right from where we can with ease aspire to serve our nation and the world” Rev. Prof. Yamsat said.

He encouraged them to plan and prepare to return home, but charged them to first of all returned to God in total repentance and reconcile with one another. According to him their communities were not destroyed because of the absence of God or lack of strength but the absence of holiness.

“Many think our communities have been destroyed because we are weak. Some think it is because we do not have sophisticated weapons and international backing as they do. Others still think our God is weak, while others think that we must employ other spiritual powers more powerful than those of our enemies. All these are false.

“As Nehemiah recognized, they have been able to do so because we have sin as a people and as individuals… Loving God and loving our neighbours is no longer the norm in our communities. We oppress, suppress, and exploit one another in the same community and even in the same family, and talk less between villages. We sleep with each other’s wives and husbands. As such , we are not guided by the community and Christian values that are supposed to make us united and invincible” He added.

While charging them to prepare and return home, the former COCIN President said being a Christian is far more than praying and waiting for God to do it all for them. He said after prayer and fasting they must act decisively. And they must first of all survey to know the things they will need for the rebuilding and their areas of vulnerability.

Mr. Lepan Tyoden who made a presentation on ‘Identity and Self worth for Rebuilding Broken Walls’ told the IDPs that there are two walls to be rebuilt which are emotional and physical walls. He urged them to first of all know their identity and secondly, their self worth.

According to him if they don’t know who they are they will accept any identity given to them by anyone and such identity could be demeaning to their personality. He also encouraged them to undergo personal trauma healing and build personal confidence, then build that of the community.

The Country Director African Services who was represented at the Seminar by Barr. Shagaya Ayuba in his goodwill message said the issues that were discussed at the seminar are the issues they are raising and commended CVAR for the great work that they are doing. He assure they people that African Services will not give up on Mangu.

In his remarks, the Chairman RCC Pushit, Rev. John Davun appreciated the Centre of Value and Attitudinal Reawakening, CVAR and African Services for their support. He called on the people to be united, have a common language and stop the shifting of blames. He thanked Professor Yamsat for identifying with them in their plight.

The Mishkagham Pushit Da Dikyet Jiga Gupiyen in his goodwill message appreciated the organizers of the seminar and admitted that he’s the greatest beneficiary and also thanked the African Services for their support to Mangu people. He called on the people to make good use of the lessons that learn during the seminar and encouraged the youth to championed the rebuilding of the destroyed communities.

The seminar featured group discussion as well as questions and answers sessions.