Revd Clive R Fowle
This profile of Clive Fowle is based upon the tribute published at www.rdmethodist.org.uk/about/cliveaward.htm
Methodist Minister Revd Clive R Fowle, Conflict Resolution Practitioner and Coordinator of Touch of Hope, has been awarded the KRUNOSLAV SUKIC AWARD for the Promotion of Nonviolence, Peacebuilding and Human Rights by the Centre for Peace,Nonviolence and Human Rights in Osijek Croatia.
Revd Clive works in the Rugby and Daventry Methodist circuit and has pastoral care of Long Lawford and Lutterworth churches. He also works as Coordinator of Touch of Hope whose mission is the long term healing of the hurts of war in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia.
The project has three units of training in conflict resolution, Healing and Reconciliation and Facilitation skills in leading workshops. We work with war veterans, community leaders, teachers, NGO’s (Non governmental Organisations) and any individuals committed to reconciliation. We work with all people regardless of ethnicity.
CFR FOOTPRINTS (The Community for Reconciliation),based at Barnes Close near Bromsgrove is the charity supporting the work and Revd Clive receives financial support from the Methodist Church Fund for World Mission, European Fund for Mission in Europe plus individual donations from supporters of the work.
Revd Clive received the award at a very moving ceremony on December 9th 2014 held at the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek, a building which dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire days in the nineteenth century.
The citation read out was as follows.
With this award we express our gratitude to Clive Fowle for his long lasting support to the healing and reconciliation processes, to recovery of the war-injured people and war-torn communities in Eastern Croatia (Osijek,Vukovar and other small communities in Slavonia and Baranja).
Since his youth, Clive has been committed to engaging in dialogue between Western and Eastern Europe working to strengthen peacemaking and peaceful mission of a united (reconciled ) Europe. Before the fall of the ‘Iron Curtain’ he used to travel to East Germany to work with people to form links with the west. Since 1994,he has been working with people and communities in war-torn Eastern Croatia. He has done that from the place where he stands- as a minster of the Methodist Church in Britain, encouraging understanding and including his members and friends in the Churches in this process. In 2011 Clive became part time in the Circuit and devotes the other half of his time to Touch of Hope. Methodist members and others have been gathering funds for his work in Croatia for almost two decades, as well as organising visits and hosting groups from Croatia.
Clive is an honest person, almost inconspicuous, but diligent and ethical, who develops and constantly deepens his understanding and empathy towards people affected by the war. It is on this basis and with the help of the Community for Reconciliation, Mediation and Community Support and drawing on his long experience of being involved in healing work, that he created workshops with a meaningful and holistic approach in order to make a long-lasting mark on the participants and to reduce negative effects of the war on future generations. The workshops, carried out 6-8 times a year created a safe space for people to express their wounds and to recognise and accept the wounds of others. Pain and anger are transferred into understanding, compassion and hope. The experiences of some of the attendees of Clive’s workshops were published in a book of personal stories.What they share is contained in the title of the book ‘Wounded by war- Touched with hope’.
These individual hopes have already been transformed into many new life and family stories and social change.To quote just one: ‘I have gained more confidence, peace and begun my own spiritual development for the possibility of reconciliation and forgiveness that I’m trying to share now with the loved ones in my family,organisation and in my community’.
Although the award was made specifically for the work in Croatia, the work now extends to Serbia and recently a workshop was held in Macedonia. It is hoped to start work in Bosnia.
The KRUNOSLAV SUKIC AWARD is given in memory of Kruno who was the co-founder of the Centre for Peace, Non -Violence and Human Rights. Kruno died tragically in a traffic accident six years ago.
The award was shared with two others Stasa Zajovic and the ‘Women in Black’ in recognition of their longstanding, consistent and recognisable public anti-war and Peacebuilding commitment. The third recipient was Bojan Glavasevic in appreciation of his readiness to practice and embody his life choice- I DO NOT HATE, I CARE INSTEAD- in a time of growing conflict, intolerance and lack of understanding.
Revd Clive expresses his profound thanks to his family,churches, organisations and to a countless number of individuals who have supported him without whom he would not have been able to receive this great award. The award is a magnificent affirmation and acknowledgement of the value and importance of the work of reconciliation.
Revd Clive is available to give presentations of the work to interested groups and individuals and to lead workshops on Reconciliation themes. To contact him email clive.fowle@sky.com
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