A group of family, friends and others moved by the life and sacrifice of murdered United Nations armed group expert and peacebuilder Michael J. Sharp ’05 plan to summit Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on the second anniversary of his death.
The popular hike was 鈥渙n MJ鈥檚 bucket list,鈥� said his father, John Sharp, who during the 8-day journey will carry ashes to scatter on Uhuru Peak, 19,341 feet above sea level.
The March 4-15 expedition will raise funds for the Michael J. Sharp Endowed Peace and Justice Scholarship at 91短视频, his alma mater. Trekkers each hope to raise 聽$10,000 for the scholarship.
The scholarship, started by friends and family shortly after Sharp鈥檚 death, is currently supporting its first recipient. David M. Nyiringabo, a peacebuilder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), began studies this fall in the two-year MA in Conflict Transformation program at 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP). The scholarship is specially designated to support Congolese peacebuilders.
A United Nations armed group expert, Sharp was on his way to meet with leaders of a militia group in central DRC when he was ambushed in March 2017. He and a 聽colleague Zaida Catal谩n were seeking to better understand the militia鈥檚 structure, support networks, recruitment and use of child soldiers, and use of magic. The two were murdered by unknown assailants, and the investigation into their deaths continues today. Their three Congolese drivers 鈥� Isaac Kabuayi and two unnamed others 鈥� are missing, as is Congolese interpreter Betu Tshintela, .
Prior to this work, Sharp, a 2005 graduate of 91短视频, was with a repatriation program in the DRC that returned more than 1,600 combatants and 23,000 civilians to Rwanda. The program also helped facilitate four public disarmaments of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda fighters.
Commemoration of his life and legacy
With the participation of a dozen or more 聽trekkers 鈥� several spots are still open 鈥� Sharp and trek co-leader Wilmer Otto ’73 hope the event will raise more than $200,000.
鈥淥ur goals are to commemorate MJ鈥檚 life and to breathe more life into his inspiring story of nonviolent conflict resolution,鈥� Otto said. 鈥淭his trek will enable MJ鈥檚 dream for a peaceful Congo to continue through the training and support of Congolese people. We also hope it brings more attention to what is happening in the Congo, where the greed of industrial countries for natural resources is helping to fuel long-term conflict and human rights abuses.鈥�
Otto, a businessman and global entrepreneur based in Arcola, Illinois, says his friendship with John Sharp goes back to their days at Rosedale Bible College. Sharp, a retired history professor at Hesston College and his wife, Michele Miller Sharp, reside in Hesston, Kansas. The men were together in Illinois where Sharp was conducting historical research when the news came of the disappearance. Otto continued to support the family as the tragedy unfolded and through the ongoing investigations into the murders by the United Nations, the Swedish police, the FBI and investigative reporters.
The goal of climbing the mountain in honor of MJ emerged in late 2017 as Otto traveled back and forth on business trips to Tanzania, where he is involved in financing agribusiness aid efforts.
鈥淢any of my friends were asking me about Tanzania and whether I had climbed Kilimanjaro yet, and I was talking about it with John and he said that was one of MJ鈥檚 dreams, that MJ had wanted to do it,鈥� Otto said. 鈥淪o then it was, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go, and let鈥檚 bring others who loved MJ and are inspired by him 鈥� and let鈥檚 raise some money for the scholarship.鈥欌��
Supporting DRC peacebuilders
Childhood friend and scholarship fund instigator Keith Grubaugh, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is an enthusiastic supporter of the trek. While visiting 91短视频 during the October 2017 Homecoming and Family Weekend to be with Sharp鈥檚 parents as they accepted the on their son’s behalf, Grubaugh met students and faculty at CJP.
鈥淢eeting these students and learning about this program is what has motivated me to give as I can, as often as I can,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 believe we are all called to do our part in making a difference in the lives of those around us and I believe that is exactly what we are doing when we support this scholarship. We are helping to prepare a new wave of peacemakers that will come to 91短视频 to learn the skills they need to go back out into the world and pick up the torch that my dear friend was carrying in his own special way.鈥�
Among the trekkers are others who never met Sharp but are inspired by his life and legacy such as Fred Kniss ’79, 91短视频鈥檚 provost. Kniss has a personal connection to East Africa, having spent five years in Kenya coordinating Mennonite Central Committee and Eastern Mennonite Missions volunteers. But it was the similarities between Sharp and his own son, also named Michael, that touched his heart. The two Michaels were one year apart in age and both classmates and history majors at 91短视频.
鈥淢y son went on to study political violence and conduct fieldwork in Rwanda and Kenya and I at times feared for his safety,鈥� Kniss said. 鈥淚 have an enormous empathy for MJ’s parents and what they鈥檝e gone through.鈥�
‘The power of MJ’s story’
As word gets out and inquiries have increased about the trek, John Sharp says he has 鈥渃eased to be surprised by the power of MJ鈥檚 story to move and inspire people.鈥�
But he says this trek is about much more than that. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a story about peacebuilding and the need for nonviolent resolution in the DRC. We hope it will be a small step toward 聽bringing healing and shalom to the people of Congo.鈥�
Sharp says the group plans to document the journey via Facebook posts 鈥� two 91短视频 students, Christy Kauffman and Riley Swartzendruber, will be along to take photos and film 鈥� and 鈥渢o share stories, laughter and tears along the way as we remember MJ.鈥�
At the summit, Sharp said, the group will hold a small ceremony and 鈥渢hank God for MJ鈥檚 life and ministry and the 34 years we had with him.鈥�
Interested in joining the trek? Click here.