Nairobi — The Catholic Church will this week hold a national symposium on peace building following the post-election crisis.

The 3-day event at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa will be devoted topromoting reconciliation and healing among communities torn apart by the violence, the organisers said.

"There is still a lot of hurt and division among groups and communities. We also believe that peace-building is such an important responsibility that could not be left to the President and the Prime Minister alone. All Kenyans have a role to play."

The symposium will revolve around three major themes. The first day will focus on unity in diversity, the second to demystifying peace and the third to the way forward to healing and reconciliation.

About 40 scholars from the country's universities will present papers. Other contributors will be persons working for human rights movements and justice and peace organizations.

The symposium will be conducted in the form of public lectures given simultaneously in three halls. Participants will be free to attend lectures according to their interest.

The proceedings of the symposium will be published in a book that will be available to the public.

The symposium is also intended to create an opportunity for Kenyans of different backgrounds to encounter one another. The conveners said they have identified some citizens who will share their stories.

"We want to enable people who have been faced with challenges of different ethnicity within their marriage to share how they have turned those challenges into opportunity for enrichment; those who have been victimized for their cultural differences and managed to transform themselves from victims into bridges uniting different communities, or those who have suffered gross violation of their rights or violence or other forms of injustices and have succeeded in forgiving or have initiated their own healing."

The symposium will also be an occasion to celebrate national unity. The country's noted musicians and other artistes will perform.