Tag: Africa

Undoing the wrongs of African colonialism

Posted on by kathiemm

Fourth and final in a series by guest author Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka

Must one conclude from my last two posts that nonviolence in Africa is a lost cause? The answer is a resounding “NO,” although the foundation is weak.

Flag map of colonial Africa
Flag map of colonial Africa, 1939. Image by DrRandomFactor, used under CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

To undo the wrongs stemming from colonialism, it is important for the developed countries, particularly the United States (known by some countries as the most war-mongering nation on earth), to lead a campaign against using force to resolve issues.

For example, the Nigerian government is currently training security personnel and setting up more counter-terrorism centers in its fight against the Boko Haram insurgent group. Americans should instead promote dialogue with the Islamic sect, especially regarding the root causes of the insurgency.

In an encouraging development, the U.S. and Europe have moved toward controlling the outbreak of crises through the promotion of conflict prevention mechanisms and the integration of civilian personnel in crisis management. While Europe has set up the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), the U.S. has established the Civilian Response Corps (CRC).

These are the kinds of policies and projects that America should be promoting in developing countries to reduce the level of violence in the world today.

If the developed countries decide to ignore the African campaign for nonviolence, Africa will be plunged into unimaginable suffering and misery. It is also highly likely that the continents surrounding her will experience a spill-over of whatever evil comes out of Africa, as when France intervened in Mali.

To make matters worse, funds and donations originally meant for development aid in Africa will end up been used as relief materials, with the global economy also being threatened.

Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka has a Masters of Science in Conflict Management and Peace Studies from University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State. He is a member of Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and works as a paralegal counsel at the Legal Aid Council for the Federal Ministry of Justice in Nigeria.

Ubuntu: Together we are one

Posted on by kathiemm

Second in a series by guest author Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka

Emmanuel
Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka

It has been argued that civil societies have been at the forefront of efforts geared toward the growth and sustenance of non-violent struggle, particularly in Africa.

The pertinent question is: how close is civil society in Africa to adopting non-violent ways of settling conflicts?

To answer this question, we must first trace back the concept of non-violent struggle to the African Dispute Resolution mechanisms of the pre-colonial era. Studies have revealed that the various indigenous African Dispute Resolution mechanisms were not only peaceful in nature but also thrived on rebuilding and sustaining relationships among disputants.

Thus, diplomatic measures like negotiation, mediation, and restorative justice were not introduced to Africa by the West, as some might claim, but were already in use in Africa before the days of colonialism. For instance, let’s consider Ubuntu, originating from the Bantu people of the lower Congo.

Ubuntu, which means “together we are one,” promotes the sacredness and sanctity of human life. The concept emphasizes that individuals can only discover their true nature through relationships and interaction with others. Ubuntu accepts all people as members of the community of the living and promotes the spirit of love, care, tolerance, empathy, and accountability.

Similar to Ubuntu is the Ujamea principle, originating in Tanzania, which also promotes freedom, unity, and equality. The Tanganyikan people believe that it is only equality that can breed cooperation, and unity that begets peace and development.

Consider for yourselves these two questions: (1) To what extent did European settlers in Africa operate on the principles of Ubuntu and Ujami either in their homelands or in Africa? (2) To what extent are people likely to achieve non-violent resolution of conflicts if they do not operate on the basis of those principles?

Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka has a Masters of Science in Conflict Management and Peace Studies from University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State. He is a member of Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and works as a paralegal counsel at the Legal Aid Council for the Federal Ministry of Justice in Nigeria.

Violence in Africa

Posted on by kathiemm

First in a series by guest author Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka

Some schools of thought maintain that force or violence can sometimes be an effective means of resolving conflicts. The reality, however, is that violence breeds violence. The perceived enemy whom you beat down today may rise up tomorrow and obliterate you.

African wars and conflicts--map
African wars and conflicts 1980-1996. Image in public domain.

In cases of civil wars and insurgencies, the warring parties may believe that violence is the only way to either maintain the status quo or protect the rights and interests of a perceived marginalized or isolated group.

The bitter truth remains that it is the ordinary men, women, and children who are plunged into unimaginable suffering. Most of these civilians become Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) or refugees in their own homelands.

Most civil wars or crises happening in Africa today are manifestations of the “greed and grievance theory”—that is, it is the corrupt practices of many government officials that give rise to conditions of poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. These conditions in turn give rise to feelings of exclusion or marginalization, both of which are recipes for disaster and potentially violent confrontations.

Governments have the bulk of the blame for the under-developed state of most African countries. Therefore, it should be their responsibility to remedy those conditions through dialogue with the aggrieved parties and developmental projects.

Unfortunately, what most African governments do to silence or discourage any form agitation or protest is to engage in indiscriminate killings, unlawful incarceration, and torture. African politicians would rather die in power than take responsibility for their failures and resign. When the government responds with violence to political/economic issues, radical groups, more often than not, equally counter with force.

Thus, the cycle of violence continues until the power elite can become convinced of the benefits of nonviolence.

Mbaezue Emmanuel Chukwuemeka has a Masters of Science in Conflict Management and Peace Studies from University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State. He is a member of Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and works as a paralegal counsel at the Legal Aid Council for the Federal Ministry of Justice in Nigeria.

Women activists and International Women’s Day

Posted on by kathiemm

Today, Thursday March 8, is International Women’s Day. It is a good day for us to be grateful to the women peace activists who contribute to this blog—for example, San’aa Sultan, Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, and Jean Gerard.International Women's Day 2012

It is also a good day to celebrate the fact that late in 2011 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three women peace activists: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.

These are impressive women indeed. In 2005, Mrs. Sirleaf was the first African woman in modern times to be elected to lead an African state; she has used that office to bring peace to Liberia after 14 years of an extremely violent civil war.

Leymah Gbowee founded the Ghana-based Women, Peace, and Security Network Africa. In 2002, she organized a sex strike in Liberia, during which women withheld sex from their husbands until hostilities ended.

Ms. Karman, the youngest candidate ever awarded the Peace Prize and the first Arab woman to receive it,  has been called the “Mother of the Revolution.” She is the founder of Women Journalists Without Chains.

Here are some links that will allow you to see and hear these proponents of peace and justice:

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1mqLRKsJQ&feature=related

Leymah Gbowee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6WptOD384

Tawakkul Karman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LFMWDFVx7E

Women of all ages, ethnicities, and religions have a long history of fighting for peace and increasingly their efforts and achievements are being recognized. Please share your own stories of efforts on behalf of peace.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology