Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and director of TAABCO Research and Development Consultants, is the newest member of Interpeace’s Governing Board. Dr Abuom was formally announced as member of the Board on Tuesday, 3 December 2019, during the board’s biannual meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

Matthias Stiefel, Necla Tschirgi, Monica McWilliams, Agnes Abuom, Andrew Gilmour, Martin Aked and Scott Weber. Photo credit: Interpeace

Dr Abuom is a committed peacebuilder, gender and human rights advocate. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in ecumenical, community work and peacebuilding in the Horn of Africa and other parts of the world. She was elected Moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 2013 at its General Assembly in Busan, South Korea. She is the first woman and the first African to hold the position.

Dr. Agnes Abuom has been active with WCC since 1975, including working for the organization in Switzerland, Sudan and Zimbabwe.  She served as WCC Africa president from 1999 to 2006. She has also worked for the Anglican Church of Kenya on development and civic programs and served as a member of the Advisory Committee for Peace of All Africa Conference of Churches, the African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL), Religions for Peace, and National Council of Churches of Kenya.

“I am thrilled to serve on the Governing Board of Interpeace. The work of peace requires that everyone plays a role. Interpeace’s wisdom, experience and its commitment to give a voice to and build capacities of local communities contributes to sustainable peace,” said Dr. Abuom.

She added: “Interpeace’s vision to create safe spaces for reconciliation and sustainable peace, resonates with my faith. As the President of Interpeace says, peace is a calling. This is what has inspired me to serve on this board.”

Dr. Abuom’s involvement in politics forced her into exile in 1976 to Sweden where she later studied and obtained a degree in education and a doctorate in missiology. She leads TAABCO Research and Development Consultants - a consulting firm for civil society and aid organisations - as the director.

“Agnes’s experience will greatly enrich our efforts to support home-grown solutions to conflict and to build on the resilience already present in societies,” said Scott Weber, President of Interpeace.

She has previously served as a member of the Interpeace Eastern and Central Africa Board.

The Interpeace Governing Board is the highest decision-making body of the organization and plays a key role in defining Interpeace’s overall strategy. It is the legal authority that is responsible for the organization.

The Governing Board is made up of prominent individuals from the government, international, and business sectors. There is also a seat for the host government, Switzerland, and a designated representative of the United Nations Secretary-General.