website: kaburo kobia
Signs of Genocide
Dec 2016
Opening remarks Rev Dr Sam Kobia, Senior Advisor on Peace, Conflict Resolution and Social Cohesion for President of Kenya
Report: Faith in Mangrove Restoration
September 2024
OikoDiplomatique, in collaboration with Minda Trust and Kwetu Training Centre held a workshop in Kilifi County, Kenya, to explores the significant impact faith communities can have in revitalising essential mangrove ecosystems. Mangrove forests are an important source of livelihood for many coastal communities in Kenya. They also provide protection against storm surges and coastal erosion and are a hotspots of biodiversity.
Nakuru Workshop Strengthens Kenya’s Faith-Based Land Restoration Movement
July 2025
From 27–29 July 2025, Nakuru became a meeting point for faith leaders, cultural custodians, and community restoration champions from across Kenya. The Faith-Based Land Restoration and Conservation Workshop, convened by OikoDiplomatique, brought together a diverse network committed to healing both land and livelihoods through the moral authority of faith.
Visit: Growing and protecting church forests in Ethiopia
February 2025
OikoDiplomatique, hosted by EOC-DICAC, visited Ethiopia’s Church Forests to explore how faith-based conservation is preserving biodiversity and sustaining local communities. With 35,000 Church Forests, could this be a model for Kenya and beyond?
When a child has killed...
Jan 2017
"I am a child of war. All I knew was war. We are haunted by our bitter memories of war..."
Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission Visit OikoDiplomatique
December 2025
AFrom 1–7 December 2025, OikoDiplomatique hosted the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) together with faith-based partners in Kenya for a week of mutual learning on sustainable forest stewardship.
Building on an earlier exchange in Ethiopia, the visit drew inspiration from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s ancient church forests—living landscapes where faith, culture, and conservation are deeply intertwined.
Reflections from a pre-COP30 interfaith dialogue: Empowering Faith Actors to Strengthen Climate Resilience in Kenya
October 2025
As the world prepares for COP30, faith and philosophy, science and activism converged in Nairobi to forge collaboration and to ask what moral courage looks like in the face of climate change. Held at the University of Nairobi, the hybrid dialogue drew over 80 participants from all continents; from faith leaders and academics to negotiators, scientists and youth, united by a shared conviction that ethics, equity and justice must guide climate action..
Unseen wounds most difficult to heal
Jan 2017
Gunilla Hamne explained the profound effect trauma can have in a person’s life. ‘Unseen wounds are the most difficult to heal.’
OikoDiplomatique Joins the Global EverGreening Alliance
October 2025
OikoDiplomatique is proud to announce that we have joined the Global EverGreening Alliance, a global network committed to restoring degraded agricultural, pastoral, and forest lands through nature-based approaches such as evergreening and regenerative agriculture.
Joining this Alliance strengthens our ability to advocate for restoration and sustainable environmental stewardship across Africa and beyond while bringing to the Alliance a faith-based perspective towards land and ecosystems restoration as well as a strong network of Interfaith land restoration actors.
Latest blog posts:
FMNR in Action: A Visit to Mr Lesokoyo’s 50-Acre Farm
April 2025
To enhance and ensure the success of FMNR, certain practical capacities are necessary. OikoDiplomatique therefore followed the FMNR training at IHTS with practical and technical support including a learning visit to a fully sustainable farm where FMNR, innovation and creativity are successfully employed with benefits for the household and surrounding community while increasing resilience to climate change.
Report: Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration in Isiolo
April 2025
OikoDiplomatique travelled to Isiolo County to facilitate a training on Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration. The event brought together the Holy Trinity Sisters with experts from World Vision--it was more than a workshop, it was a meaningful meeting of minds where faith and science came together to imagine new possibilities for restoring both land and community.
Empowered World View Training
in Elgeyo Marakwet
June 2022
In June 2022 OikoDiplomatique teamed up with World Vision's Empowered World View (EWV) program to train faith and community leaders as well as environmental specialists working around land restoration.
Villains or Victims?
Jan 2017
Adults affected by conflict and violence will not be able to... function well in society. Without psycho-social help and healing...
Faith, Peace, and Restoration: A Transformative Week in East Tiaty
July 2025
In East Tiaty’s Kokwototo and Orus communities, a landmark peace dialogue has taken root—the first of its kind since 1986. OikoDiplomatique, in collaboration with the leadership of the Africa Inland Church in Kokwototo, created a platform that brought together Pokot warriors, youth and elders to have a conversation around land, peace, environment and cultural values.
Climate Change a faiths, secular issue
September 2019
Although spirituality is difficult to define, it is needed to protect our struggle for social justice from disillusionment and to liberate a creation suffering under the burden of climate change and global warming.
Faith-based land restoration in Kenya
June 2022
What is the role of faith in land restoration? Can religious leaders foster regreening? Can faith communities catalyse the spread of farmer-managed natural regeneration?
Keynote: Strengthening the faith-based working group
April 2023
Keynote speaker Rev Dr Sam Kobia shared his advice and encouragement to the participants in plenary “... we have a burden of history because we know the reasons for climate change and we know that if we don’t do certain things, the earth and environment will degrade. ”.
Report: Strengthening the faith-based working group
April 2023
Faith groups have an important role to play in restoring landscapes, however there is currently a gap in both in the land restoration agenda and in the vision of faith organisations.
Kakamega Forest: a Sanctuary for People and Nature
February 2025
Kakamega Forest, Kenya’s last remaining tropical rainforest, is a vital ecosystem under threat. OikoDiplomatique recently explored this biodiversity hotspot to assess restoration opportunities. Our visit highlighted the power of faith-driven conservation, community engagement, and sustainable restoration led by groups like Tembelea Kanisa Intiative.
A hopeless population is a dangerous one
Jan 2017
"... healing and reconciling wounded memories is a vital dimension that is often missing from peacebuilding initiatives and progammes."
Regreening Africa gets a major boost
June 2018
Rev Dr Samuel Kobia pioneers links between faith and environment and sets the scene for Faith in Regreening Africa
Event: World Wetlands Day
February 2025
OikoDiplomatique proudly partnered with the County Government of Kilifi to organize and host the annual World Wetlands Day celebration on 3rd February 2025 in Mtwapa, Kilifi County. The special day has been observed globally since 1971 to bring awareness about the benefits of wetlands and encourage solutions to the challenges facing the wet soil areas that are distinct ecosystems.
World Environment Day 2025 Beat Plastic Pollution
June 2025
The 2025 World Environment Day theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” is particularly relevant for coastal areas like Kilifi where plastic pollution is clearly visible in creeks and degraded mangroves, underscoring the critical need for action. To commemorate the day, Oikodiplomatique, along with other faith based action groups, took part in cleanup initiative at a Kilifi Creek.