Rest in peace, Rev. James Walson
We learned with great sadness of the passing away of one of our friends and supporters, Rev. James Walson—someone who inspired many of us in our self-determination movement. He was someone who always urged us to pursue justice through non-violent means; he was a huge inspiration to many of us.
I was honored to meet Rev. Walson in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2009 when I was invited to attend an international advocacy and diplomacy training meeting at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, which was facilitated by the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). The worship lasted about two weeks. We listened to his lectures and watched several documentaries about his youth’s life’s journey and social activism along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
At the time, I was new to America and wanted to learn and absorb as much as I could the essence of ‘nonviolent resistance’. And his lectures were hugely beneficial to us because we learn from the success of non-violent struggle movements in India by Gandhi, South Africa by Nelson Mandela, and the American Civil Rights Movement by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These were nonviolent movements and political activists that inspired the leader of our West Papua Melanesian Nation, Dr. Thom Wainggai. Who led a peaceful protest against Indonesia during the darkest hours of our history. Many of their testimonies inspired our non-violent struggle that is going on in West Papua Melanesia today. And so meeting Rev. Walson was a blessing, an opportunity of a lifetime to learn from civil rights trailblazers like himself.
We met again in 2013 in Los Angeles. It was another opportunity to listen to him again, highlighting the essence of ‘nonviolent struggle’ and how it helped him in his own struggle for peace and justice. His words and approach toward peaceful protests inspired our people and instilled in our hearts the desire to stand up to injustices the way he and Dr. King stood up to injustice and won.
Rev. Walson had outlived his peers and lived on to teach many people how to stand up to injustice and win. Our world has lost one of its brightest stars. We are forever grateful for his support and mentorship.
May you rest in peace, Rev. Walson.
Our sincere condolences to his family. May our good Lord comfort you all at this painful time. May his soul rest in peace with our Lord.
Herman Wainggai
Execute Director, WPHRC
Washington, D.C.