From Refugee to Peacemaker: Victor Baba’s Journey Through the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship

When Victor Baba E. Aligo introduces himself, he doesn’t begin with titles or accolades. Instead, he says:

“My name is Victor Baba Emmanuel Aligo. I am an ordained minister of the gospel. I am a mediator and I am a peacemaker.”

Those words capture the heart of a journey that began in displacement, found direction through the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship and continues today in communities scarred by conflict.

A Fellowship That Transforms

In 2022, Victor traveled to San Francisco as part of the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship, a program designed to provide promising alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners with advanced training, mentorship and connection with a global network of mediators.

For Victor, the fellowship was life-changing.

“I had a transformative experience during my fellowship program in the year 2022 in San Francisco, in the United States. It’s a program that I would advise for every practitioner of peace and for mediators.”

Through the fellowship, Victor gained exposure to mediation practices across cultures, studied at leading universities and observed mediators in practice at JAMS. The experience gave him both tools and perspective, and instilled in him a deep urgency to use mediation as a means of empowering vulnerable communities.

From Training to Action in Kakuma Refugee Camp

Victor’s fellowship experience quickly moved from theory to practice. On returning to Kenya, he launched a training program in Kakuma Refugee Camp, home to more than 400,000 displaced persons from South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.

Kakuma is a community defined by displacement, where conflict often arises from scarce resources, cultural divisions and the lingering effects of war. As a refugee from South Sudan himself, Victor understood these struggles firsthand.

He designed a program to equip camp leaders with mediation skills. Out of more than 100 applicants, participants were selected to represent Kakuma’s diversity, including women, young people and ethnic minorities.

In sum, the course has now trained 56 elders, women and youth who have emerged as mediators, advocates and leaders ready to serve their communities

Before the training, many had no formal knowledge of mediation. One participant explained:

“Before enrolling into the mediation course, I was not well equipped with the skills and what it takes to be a mediator. But after engaging myself in this course, I have equipped myself with the skills that it entails to be a mediator and to handle such conflicts.”

In a place where disputes often escalate without access to courts or legal systems, these skills become essential.

Ripples of Change

The Kakuma program’s impact continues to multiply. One former child soldier who completed the training now leads his own peace and mediation program, applying the tools he learned to prevent future generations from facing the same cycle of violence.

Women participants, once seen as “the most vulnerable,” are now embracing leadership roles and driving dialogue in their communities, demonstrating that empowerment through mediation can reshape cultural expectations. Local leaders, equipped with new skills, have already de-escalated disputes that otherwise could have turned violent, proving that mediation has immediate, tangible results.

(James Konyen)                                                                                   (John Ajang)

The program’s impact also reached beyond the camp when two graduates, John Ajang and James Konyen, were appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Peace and Security Program to lead a new peace and security initiative in Kakuma—a clear demonstration of how training can create ripple effects that extend into leadership roles.

Despite barriers such as limited electricity and internet access, the program used creative methods and technology to deliver materials and sustain learning. Participants carried their skills back into homes, workplaces and neighborhoods—planting the seeds of a culture of peace that extends well beyond the training sessions themselves.

Expanding Beyond Kakuma

Victor’s work has not stopped at the camp borders. He is working with the Kenyan judiciary on pathways to accredit community mediators, creating a bridge between grassroots resolution and formal legal systems by training magistrates and deputy mediation registrars.

At the same time, discussions are underway about replicating the Kakuma model in Rwanda and other regions, illustrating how lessons from one community can inspire broader regional transformation.

In early 2025, a second iteration of the Kakuma initiative expanded into broader community outreach programs, including workshops, seminars and a culminating forum on dialogue and negotiation attended by representatives from the Kenyan government, the UNHCR, the Kakuma Law Courts and refugee-led organizations. What began as a personal journey during the fellowship has grown into a professional mission: building mediation capacity from refugee communities to the highest levels of national courts.

A Continuing Journey

Today, Victor also contributes through his involvement with the Weinstein International Foundation, where he leads mediation and peacebuilding initiatives around the globe. While distinct from the fellowship, this role is a natural extension of the skills and vision he developed as a fellow.

Whether in refugee camps or judicial chambers, Victor’s work shows how equipping individuals with conflict resolution tools can transform societies. 

Perhaps the most powerful summary of Victor’s vision comes from his own words:

“My dream is that we continue to prioritize, support and encourage those who are making a difference in the lives of others, by providing them with the skills they need to transform conflict into peace.”