It is with deep sadness that we share our condolences to our colleagues and friends in Kenya in the aftermath of the senseless and tragic attack at Garissa University. We join with our global network around the world to hold the friends and families of the 147 who were killed and the dozens more wounded in our thoughts and prayers.
Dr. Mustafa Y. Ali of our Kenyan partner organization Arigatou International shared his thoughts with us this morning:
[quote] Many thanks for sharing with us your thoughts and condolences. The country is going through difficult moments. While we are certain we will overcome the ideology of terror, it will take a lot of effort from ourselves and the government to do so. The support we are receiving from the Goldin Institute and other partners is going a long way to build capacities to address the destructive ideology feeding into violent extremism.”[/quote]
Our colleague based in Nairobi, Dorcas Kiplagat shared her thoughts as well:
[quote] Thank you dearest for your condolences … Sometimes I am in a supermarket then I remember, suppose they attack … actually they have succeeded in creating fear but of course we just have to move on as we pray and hope that God grants us his favour… It is the totality of our society’s mindset which must shift … Thank you for standing with us and our beloved country at this time of great pain.”[/quote]
We are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners in Kenya and throughout the region as we work to build grassroots partnerships to counter the growth of violent extremism. The tragic events at Garissa University are a terrible reminder of the need and the urgency for this crucial work.
