Fr. Vincent Machozi, A.A. is an Assumptionist from the D.R.Congo (Central Africa) who is studying at Boston University's School of Theology since September 2006. In May 2011, he received a  Certificate in Religion and Conflict Transformation from the Boston Theological Institute (BTI) after fulfilling the academic requirements of the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program. Students from all over the world preparing to become peacemakers in their respective countries, churches, congregations, NGO’s, register every year in this program. Fr Vincent, who intends to be an educator and a peacemaker upon his return in the D.R.Congo, registered in this program during 2010-2011 with other students from the following countries: USA (8), Jamaica (1), Tanzania (1), Ivory Coast(1), Ghana(1), Belgium (1), South-Korea(2), Serbia (1), Zimbabwe (1), and Puerto Rico (1).

This program brings together faculty and speakers from all the BTI schools, namely Boston University, Boston College, Andover Newton Theological School, Harvard Divinity School, Episcopal Divinity School, etc. to analyze critical conflicts happening across the globe with their differences and complexities. For each one of them, the role of religious peacebuilding (peacebuilding as done by religious leaders, churches, religious institutions) is evaluated in comparison to political peacebuilding. Since World War II, religious peacebuilding has been called the missing dimension of statecraft. World Religions, including Islam, possess moral and social characteristics that equip them in unique ways to engage in efforts to promote peace.

The BTI’s approach to religious conflict transformation is “Restorative Justice” in contrast to the common adversarial and retributive approach of the courtrooms. The restorative justice approach is based on the Gospel of Jesus for whom reconciliation is unconditional and starts with the victim (Matthew 5, 24). It does not seek the death of the offender but his conversion. The eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth system has shown its limits and its danger of leaving both warring parties blind and toothless.

Fr Vincent intends to apply in the D.R.Congo this restorative approach. Hopefully, fierce fighting and violence will be stopped and give way to reconciliation between the nations of the great lakes region of Africa, namely D.R.Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola, etc.  The great challenge remaining for the D.R.Congo is to put an end to the current violence so that peacemakers may work for the healing of the Congolese population traumatized by a 15 year-old conflict, mostly triggered by the scramble for mineral resources and that has left over 6 million Congolese dead since September 1996.The United Nations has called it the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II.

In January 2010, Fr Vincent together with the Boston University School of Theology Peacemakers initiated a letter to President Barack Obama and to the US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, entitled, "How many more civilians will be killed in the D.R.Congo before the United Nations and the United States act?” (Available on internet at: http://www.benilubero.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1811:letter-to-obama-qstop-congo-invasion-and-the-massacres-of-civiliansq&catid=31:english-version&Itemid=67

Currently, Fr Vincent is working on his doctoral dissertation on the role of the Catholic Church in transforming the conflict in the D.R.Congo.