Leadership Conference in Goma

16-18 October 2008

The second and third day the team from Watermark trained local pastors, lawyers and civil servants of Goma about communication and forgiveness at a leadership conferences held at the ______Hotel. A few of the Watermark team members found out members of ALARM Congo strategically selected each participant because there were many divisions within the group present along various lines. After the presentation, time was allowed to the audience to ask questions. The comments and questions given were very telling about what issues and challenges the community of Goma faces: Disputes over land rights, conflict between Muslim and Christian neighbors, arguments between local pastors.

After all the questions were heard or collected on paper, the team from Texas got together and wisely reformatted the questions to fit 10 groups of five men and women. The delegates were to solve the problems they came up with between themselves and then reconvene together again at lunchtime to present their findings until the end of the day.
In the end, each group came up with well Biblically based, well thought out solutions to their community’s problems. I believe the true issue Goma’s leaders face is whether or not they will overcome their personal differences to help their community as a united front or whether they will choose to continue bickering amongst themselves and act alone to solve the insurmountable odds.