how does african traditional religion promote peace

Men, women, youth, and children convened along the border on the covenant day. In practice, promoting social solidarity means confronting corruption and promoting power sharing, inclusive governance and the equitable distribution of resources among all members of society. An estimated ten million proverbs circulate orally, of which a small portion is available in written form. In an important sense, peace is not just the absence of violence but the presence of social solidarity. (Cameroon), It is peace, not food provisions, that you always carry with you. Alone, humans cannot generate lasting peace. the importance of referring constantly to the essential unity and interdependence of humanity, as expressed through ubuntu, and living out the principles which this unity suggests, namely; empathy for others, the sharing of our common resources, and working with a spirit of cooperation in our efforts to resolve our common problems (Collin Marks 2000). The contribution that religion can make to peacemaking--as the flip side of religious conflict--is only beginning to be explored and explicated. 3 And similar to this was the dialogue that took place between Edwin Smith, who had gone out as a missionary to Africa, and Emil Ludwig, an eminent biographer. This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. It will also examine how these approaches emphasise the importance of promoting social solidarity. RELIGION AS A PERCENTAGE OF WORLD POPULATION: 1.3 percent OVERVIEW. Maphisa, S. 1994. In particular, members of the society had the right to put questions to the victims, perpetrators and witnesses as well as to put suggestions to the Council of Elders on possible ways forward. We need to consider that, broadly defined, there are two ways to understand the nature of peace. When there is peace, there is plenty of what is necessary for life. In this way a combination of tradition and modernity can enable Africans to reconstruct their continent by drawing upon their cultural heritage (Wa Thiong’o 1993, Salih 2001). The effects of conflicts in terms of refugee flows into neighbouring countries and the emergence of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have demonstrated that no African country is an island unto itself. The interesting lesson to learn from this gacaca system is that it is largely organised on the basis of local community involvement. And as the children who had been "conscripted" into Kony's criminal army emerged from the bush and tried to come home, the scarred communities they left struggled to absorb them. The Mato Oput process therefore allows members of the public to share their views and to generally make their opinions known. Sources: Annetta Miller, compiler: African Wisdom on War and Peace, Pauline Publications Africa, Nairobi 2004; J. Obi Oguejiofor, “Resources for Peace in African Proverbs and Myths,” Article on the Internet Website: http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/obioguejiofor.htm; Kofi Asare Opoku, essay contribution: “African Perspectives on Peace,” in a forthcoming book, in personal communication (April 2010); and Private collection. 45-75, for further and detailed discussion on covenants in African Religion. In some instances forgiveness could be withheld, in which case the process could be held up in an impasse, with consequences for the relations between members of the community. The Acholi place a high value on communal life. (Kenya), Those who refuse to forgive, break a bridge on which they must pass. The petitioner asks that the spirits of his or her father and grandfather would “Leave me to live here in success.” That means he or she wants to live with the spirit world in peace. 2. African Traditional Religions. As a ‘human being through other human beings’, it follows that what we do to others feeds through the interwoven fabric of social, economic and political relationships to eventually impact upon us as well. The Council of Elders, in its capacity as an intermediary, had an investigative function and it also played an advisory role to the Chief. The local community is involved in encouraging the perpetrators to acknowledge what they have done and the victims are involved in determining what reparations need to be made so that the perpetrator can be re-integrated into the community. The participants pronounced anathemas on any one who ever crossed that fence to do evil. Likewise, peace comes upon the community of human beings and nature first and foremost. The paper will then look at the role that indigenous approaches are playing in promoting peace. Abu-Nimer, Mohamed 2000. First, as it is addressed to God even without mentioning that word, it assumes that God is the author of peace. A dispute between fellow members of a society is perceived not merely as a matter of curiosity with regard to the affairs of one’s neighbour; but in a very real sense an emerging conflict is seen to belong to the whole community. Amnesty could thus be granted, but not with impunity. Peace has dimensions that stretch into the visible and the invisible worlds. How then were the principles of ubuntu traditionally articulated and translated into practical peacebuilding processes? ... African Traditional Religion . In the 60-year period between1950 and 2010, all African countries gained back their political independence and (part of) their cultural dignity. We belong in a bundle of life. In the case of a murder, or warring situation, there is the ‘bending of the spears’ ceremony done by the two parties to symbolise the total end to the conflict and the disposal of the instruments of its execution. Graybill, Lyn 1998. Elsanousi joined the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers 2014, and today Dr. Elsanousi works on themes including mediation and peacebuilding in Central African Republic, promoting religious freedom in Muslim majority countries and preventing violent radicalization, especially in the Middle East and North America. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by one’s ethnic identity i.e. Let her who is sick, O God; receive from thee health and peace, and her village and her children and her husband. ... nations and promote peace. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. [2]. In the same way, victims would not always find it easy to forgive. Peace with the invisible world is necessary for peace on the visible level. the importance of public participation in the peacemaking process, since social solidarity is strengthened if members of the society take part in building the peace; the utility of supporting victims and encouraging perpetrators as they go through the difficult process of making peace; the value of acknowledging guilt and remorse and the granting of forgiveness as a way to achieve reconciliation; and. It was the result of painful struggles, with words and weapons. In his book No Future Without Forgiveness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu suggests that these principles helped to guide the thoughts and actions of some of the perpetrators and victims who came before the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to confess and forgive (Mani 2002, Villa-Vicencio & Verwoerd 2000, Graybill 1998). At present, there is an urgent need to disseminate this knowledge on indigenous approaches to building peace and social solidarity. This paper gives a brief outline of concepts and practices on that theme, from the perspectives of African Religion. The process of ascertaining wrong-doing and finding a resolution included family members related to the victims and perpetrators, including women and the young. Nomonde, Masina 2000. This, in effect, means emphasising the importance of reviving progressive cultural attitudes and values that can foster a climate within which peace can flourish. It is necessary to examine whether there are other peacebuilding strategies that can be adopted to complement existing efforts to promote peace on the continent. Depending on the nature of the disagreement or dispute, the conflict resolution process could take place at the level of the family, at the village level, between members of an ethnic group, or even between different ethnic nations situated in the same region. Negative peace is the condition that most people refer to when they are discussing issues to do with peace and conflict: it is the condition in which peace is based on the absence of violence. Peace must have ramifications for the whole country. It does not preach, foster, or justify war between communities or nations. (Somalia), If you trample on another person’s property in looking for your own, you will never find your own. African Traditional Religions In African Traditional Religions (ATR), people have deep and firm faith in the existence of a creator God who is unseen and is the nodal point of peace, social justice, and harmony. Fifth, there is ‘common’ sharing of food. Life and peace go hand in hand. Fifth: as in the previous prayer, peace is grounded in a spiritual dimension. To disseminate and operationalise educational and training programmes on indigenous approaches to building peace. The guiding principle of ubuntu was based on the notion that parties need to be reconciled in order to re-build and maintain social trust and social cohesion, with a view to preventing a culture of vendetta or retribution from developing and escalating between individuals and families, or in the society as a whole. The work for justice and peace must be the agenda for all of us; it must be our joint work for justice and peace. Only ‘the God of peace’ can help us to deepen our practice and experience of peace every day, individually, collectively, and universally. An African proverb describes this well: “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers most.” It is generally the ‘ill word’ which destroys peace, in the family, in the community, in the nation, in the world. Sierra Leone is on the road to recovery after ten years of brutal conflict. People are interdependent, and real peace must be comprehensive enough to cover the peoples of the entire earth. Therefore, what we need to do is to combine the best lessons that tradition has to offer with progressive modern norms and standards for the protection of human rights. Public consensus also plays a significant role in the post-conflict situation, particularly when social pressure is utilised to monitor and encourage the various parties to implement peace agreements. Ubuntu, Spirit of Africa: Example for the World, in. The challenge today is for us to find ways of learning lessons from the local cultural approaches to peacebuilding. It comes from the Zande people of the Sudan, about which it is reported that: If war broke out among the Zande, the oldest women of the clan would go to meet that opposing clan and interpose themselves between the fighters in order to make them see reason. But their teachings can challenge people to make and practice peace at all levels: peace among people, peace between people and nature, and peace between people and God. It is also necessary for children and for young people. This notion of ubuntu sheds light on the importance of peacemaking through the principles of reciprocity, inclusivity and a sense of shared destiny between peoples. More specifically among the Bantu languages of East, Central and Southern Africa, the concept of ubuntu is a cultural world-view that tries to capture the essence of what it means to be human. The last stanza is devoted to this personal dimension. African societies take formal curses very seriously. People are saturated with this one thought: peace. While both Christianity and Islam also impact upon the religious landscape of Africa today, and are the visible statistical giants of religious affiliations, African Religion is still very present. Part of this article is a reprint of material published in Dialogue & Alliance, Spring / Summer 1993m Vol. They share what they have. [13]. They face each other. It portrays existence in terms of visible and invisible realities, human and spiritual dimensions. Xhosa Practices of Ubuntu for South Africa, in Zartman 2000. It creates a sense of security and order in the community. When engaging religious leaders and communities, it is necessary to understand the complexities of local religious traditions. The process concludes with an act of reconciliation between the representatives of the victims and the representatives of the perpetrators. Launched on the importance and seriousness of covenants intervention ( Boutros-Ghali 1992 ) who bore the responsibility for such initiative... Regard, a reflection in common, much like that in the peace process (. As a PERCENTAGE of world population: 1.3 percent OVERVIEW proved fruitless, the toad likes water but! 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Summer 1993m Vol this list during the conflict situation regulation and conflict management role religious leaders are employing ceremonies.

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