RITE AND REASON:Peace built on addressing the root causes of conflict and not just attending to symptoms is essential in helping nations develop, writes PÁDRAIG DEVINE
AFRICA IS a continent of tremendous beauty and potential. Good leadership by many visionary people has meant that many areas of the continent are experiencing peace and development. However, in some regions hundreds are being killed, maimed and displaced on a daily basis, while development programmes, schools, hospitals and churches are unable to operate due to violent conflict.
As a Society of African Missions (SMA) missionary I have been working in Africa for almost 25 years. A large proportion of that time has been devoted to promoting peace and development in conjunction with striving towards conflict resolution via transformation and academic research.
It is nearly impossible to improve the quality of life for people suffering from extremes of violence. Peace that is built on addressing the root causes of conflict, as distinct from just attending to the symptoms, is essential in helping nations develop and flourish economically and socially.
I have witnessed the tremendous “life” sacrifices of missionaries and humanitarian workers promoting peace and development. I have seen large amounts of development assistance utilised to address symptoms of conflict, rather than trying to address the root causes.
If root causes are not addressed, conflict will persist. Negative peace – the mere absence of violence – will never be transformed into positive peace, the experience of people reinforcing the wellbeing, harmony and development of each other.
The wholeness of the concept of peace, as advocated by noble spiritual leaders, will only remain piecemeal.
The conflicts I have witnessed, experienced in forms of behavioural and structural violence, highlight the need to identify the sources and structures of violence in order to break this vicious conflict cycle. Only then can positive and sustainable peace be realised.
The 2007-2009 Kenyan post-election violence, now abated, which was responsible for 1,300 deaths, more maimed and approximately 500,000 displaced, is testament to this.
I founded the Shalom Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (SCCRR), recognised by the Kenyan government, and endorsed by church and development organisations, in order to build a sustainable path to peace in northern Kenya, a region seriously affected by generations of violence among pastoralist ethnic groups. By employing deep-rooted conflict transformation methods, I believe that peace and sustainable development is possible.
The SCCRR is carrying out rigorous research in the affected conflict environment to establish why the violence is occurring, and then deal with the “how” by sharing conflict-resolution, peace-building and reconciliation skills with existing institutions involved in the search for peace.
The SCCRR works at a grassroots level to bring existing institutes involved in development and peace-building to be educational and formative centres of conflict resolution.
From my observations and academic research on conflict, I have found there is an urgent need for all missionary and development workers to work together in peace-building.
SCCRR provides key people – community members, non-governmental bodies and government – with conflict transformation training to develop the skills to deal with conflict at the deepest levels.
While SCCRR’s long-term goal is to build a comprehensive Africa-centric plan for peace between warring parties, our work is initially focused on the conflict environments of Turkana, Marsabit and Wajir districts in Kenya, an area three times the size of Ireland.
Our conviction is our work can transform the lives of communities affected by conflict, so positive peaceful co-existence becomes a new norm in northern Kenya and adjacent countries.
Fr Pádraig Devine SMA is SCCRR executive director. Website: shalomconflictcenter.org