AFRICANEWS
GERMANYKeeping Peace Aliveby Laurenti Magesa
It was thought by many that the end of the Cold War would usher into the world a new epoch of peace and tolerance. This was premature. Since the eighties ghastly acts of violence have broken up all around the world. They appear in all forms: as sectarian, national and international conflicts. The major concern now is that no person or organisation seems able to intervene effectively to prevent or solve them. Unable to resolve strife within their own walls, even religious institutions appear incapable of contributing meaningfully to the resolution of conflicts outside their confines. Against this bleak background, an international consultation of Catholic scholars took place in Aachen, northern Germany, from October 29 to November 2, 1996. Entitled "Conflictual situations, cultures and christian experiences," its major concern was to rekindle hope in the possibility of prevention or peaceful resolution of various conflicts. But the practical question preoccupying the entire consultation was strategic: how could interested persons and groups approach this task?
Education MethodsTwo approaches were advanced and received the support of the consultation. One, proposed by Diego Rarrazaval of Peru, emphasised the need to reconsider and reconstruct education methods and content as we know them now. These "blindly pay homage to market values and methods," according to Rarrazaval, and as such they are "in the hands of the elites of this world." For education to be a reconciling agent, it needs to be built on an "alternative language," insisting on dialogue among all peoples, for the establishment of a new social order.The second approach related precisely to the need to examine our language on justice issues. Francis Hezel from Micronesia wondered in his presentation why, if "just about everyone claims to support justice," there is so much strife to do with it. The problem lies in the language used, as Hezel sees it. The pragmatics of "rights" theory should not be arbitrarily universalised. Cultural viewpoints must be taken into serious account here. The practise of justice must only make sure to preserve the dignity of individuals and peoples and to insist on compassion for the weak and helpless. Several concrete justice issues in our contemporary world surfaced. The process of globalization or monetarization of the world constituted the overarching concern. Within it the domination of the non-industrialised non-mechanised world of the economic South by the North was seen by the consultation as presenting some major threats to interpersonal, national and international peace. Even within the societies of the economic North itself, where globalization proceeds, there is tension, as Hans-Jooachin Hohn from Germany demonstrated. The justice question was perhaps most sharply articulated by the women members of the consultation, with regard to the "all-pervasive" situation of violence against women, as Mary Mananzan from the Philippines and Maria Pilar Aquino from Mexico put it.
The Mass Media and ReligionMananzan explained how, in her view, violence against women is today closely linked to the socialising forces of education, the mass media and religion. It is also connected to the predominant cultural, economic and political structures under globalization. According to her, it is much to be regretted, moreover, above all that religion faith has played a role in the perpetuation of violence against women. The portrayal of the ideal woman in most major religions as patient, long-suffering, meek and mild, is a case in point, she illustrated. With reference to the Christian churches, she suggested that they might begin to read Christology, ecclesiology and mariology differently, in a way that affirms women more in Church and society.
African TraditionsAs to examples towards concrete methods or strategies to peace-making and conflict resolution or reconciliation, African traditions offered possibilities. As Aylward Shorter from Kenya said, these could be found in the African ideals of "loyalty, self-control, good order and social harmony," and the relevant structure arising from them. John Waliggo from Uganda suggested that in every country in Africa, people should begin to be trained in these methods. Peter Kanyandago, also from Uganda, talked of the irony that despite these methods and structures, there was no reconciliation as yet in Rwanda and Burundi. Has the profit motive fuelling the sale of arms to these countries (even by South Africa), as an integral part of globalization, something to do with the weakening and elimination of the methods and structures in question, he wondered?At the end of the consultation three public statements were proposed: on the situation in Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire; on the dehumanising treatment of travellers from the South by Northern embassies, immigration and custom officials, laws and regulations; and on the call for full participation of women in the Church. As participants prepared to leave the consultation, however only the first statement was completed and given to the press. It was also sent to the various relevant persons and international bodies urging immediate action to resolve the Central African situation.
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