Africas indigenous methods of conflict resolution have recorded tremendous. Mediation is another method of resolving conflict between two parties in the africa settings, similar in many respects to negotiation. Advantages and disadvances of dispute resolution process. Traditional methods of conflict resolution accord the african.
Specific attention is paid, first, to steps taken at the level of the african continent towards promoting the measures of preventing conflict in the region. This article will address the issue of conflict, how it was dealt with in traditional african culture, the methods of communication both in traditional and modern uganda and the question of rights and responsibilities in promoting cross cultural amity. Main features of traditional approaches to conflict transformation 5. Pdf methods of conflict resolution in african traditional society. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions. The methods of performing conflict resolution in the traditional african. In the outline of advantages and disadvantages of dispute resolution processes provided below, a simplified. Ndebele traditional crisis resolution and phases follow more or less the same developments, conflict is precipitated by a conflict of. Herb to the allafrica conference on african principles of conflict resolution and reconciliation which was held from the 8th until the 12th of november 1999 in addis ababa, ethiopia. Traditional conflict resolution as a better option to.
Once a conflict exists, there are many strategies used in resolving it which include competing, traditional conflict resolution strategies as spelt out by ajayi and buhari 2014 in their study of. South africa and conflict resolution in africa 27 that made the negotiated settlement possible do not exist elsewhere shillinger 2009, solomon 2010. The au has so far displayed a genuine will to resolve african conflicts, unlike the oau which stood by with the. The paper notes that conflict resolution in traditional african societies provides opportunity to. It is a healing process in which all stakeholders contribute positive energy. Based on a qualitative analysis of conflict in africa, this paper has identified broad types. Traditional justice and reconciliation after violent conflict. Traditional mechanism for conflict management and resolution in. Marvin nii ankrah author year 20 pages 82 catalog number v231798 file size 800 kb language english tags the organisation of african unity oau economic community of west african states ecowas conflict resolution model multisectoral approach sub. Methods in african traditional conflict resolution. Land disputes in kenya stem back from the precolonial period.
Preserving the traditional measures of preventing conflict. Therefore, there is a gap on the traditional mechanisms for resolving conflict particularly land conflict in tanzania. Public conflicts and ineffective means for dealing with them lead to wasted resources, social instability, reduced investment, chronic underdevelopment, and loss of life. Nigeria, organised by the center for peace research and conflict resolution, national war college, abuja, september, 1998, p. Positive peace according to gultang johan, a professor of peace studies, is a social condition in which exploitation has been eliminated and overt violence has ceased, including. A viable alternative for peace building process in modern africa 8 opposition to the old definition of peace as the absence of war. Both are generally private, voluntary, and informal. Traditional conflict resolution processes are part of a wellstructured, timeproven social system.
Traditional methods of dispute resolution in africa. Methods of conflict resolution in african traditional. The case of the organisation of african unity oau author. But in much of the rest of the continent we have weak. Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. This study examined the patterns or mechanism for conflict resolution in traditional african societies with particular reference to yoruba and igbo societies in nigeria and pondo tribe in south africa. Cultural processes of conflict resolution in ghana traditional conflict resolution is a structured political, judicial and arbitration mechanism. Hybrid violent conflicts, hybrid political orders 2 2. They may have particular value in stabilization and statebuilding efforts when judicial institutions are weak and social tensions are high. The evolution of conflict resolution maxwell school of. The four contributors to the conflict resolution theme are all outstanding researchers in the field of environmental decisionmaking. Sources of conflict and methods of conflict resolution ron fisher, ph.
Once conflicts escalate into violence, the major concern of neighboring states, civil society, and the international community is to intervene in the conflict in order to facilitate the. These projects are in collaboration with cecore and endorois welfare council ewc, holding training workshops on peace building and conflict resolution. The methods, processes and regulations are deeply rooted in the customs. Neither are they clashes between states, nor are they conventional. Conflict management group cmg is dedicated to improving the methods of negotiation, conflict resolution, and cooperative decisionmaking as applied to issues of public concern. This explains the reasons why the african traditional method provides the best alternative for resolution of complex conflicts engulfing many countries in africa than. In conclusion, having done this crosssection on traditional african dispute resolution tadr mechanisms, i am of the view that conflict resolution is a dynamic process. The role of traditional leaders in conflict management in. He identifies five different methodologies practices that can lead to conflict resolution that are modern.
He is in this paper concerned with integrating indigenous approaches with national and international mechanisms for conflict resolution and reconciliation. African traditional mechanisms of conflict prevention, management and resolution were largely effective and respected, and their decisions were binding on all parties, mainly because the identity of an individual is linked to that of his or her family and these families are formed by the acceptance of marriage alliances. I will have a track two levelled approach using an african traditional conflict resolution method ubuntu. The role of traditional rulers in conflict prevention and mediation in nigeria. For decades, mechanisms adopted in resolving african conflicts. Principles of conflict resolution in traditional african societies in the precolonial days, there were many principles guiding conflict resolution in the traditional african societies. This paper examines organization of african unity, now the african unions oau mediation of burundi conflicts between 1993 and 2009 to help observers of african international relations gain a deeper understanding of lessons that can be learned from mediation by african regional organizations. Accord the africa dialogue monograph series is published by the african centre for the constructive resolution of disputes accord.
This report aims to address this gap by examining the role played by traditional justice mechanisms in dealing with the legacy of violent conflict in five african countriesrwanda, mozambique, uganda, sierra leone and burundi. Fig 1 is a model of how westerners often perceive conflict and its resolution. Highlighting the traditional precolonial institutions and methods of conflict resolution in the kom community of cameroon. Endalcachew bayeh et al traditional conflict resolution as a better option to court proceeding.
Pdf conflict management in traditional african society. In september 2009, mrg conflict prevention head chris chapman traveled to kampala, uganda, and nakuru, kenya to meet with cso representatives working on issues of conflict in the regions. Approaches to conflict resolution, as applied to international environmental disputes, include negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Existence of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms such as negotiation, reconciliation, mediation and others is evidence that these concepts are not new in africa.
This study examined the patterns or mechanism for conflict resolution in traditional african societies with particular reference to yoruba and igbo societies in. The first is the newly established africa union au, the organisation launched in 2002 to replace the discredited organization of african unity oau. The study adopted a concept of alternative dispute resolution adr as its framework of analysis. In doing so, unnecessary competition is avoided, because the ultimate aim of conflict resolution is amicable settlement by persuasion, mediation, adjudication. The paper notes that conflict resolution in traditional african societies provides opportunity to interact with the parties concerned, it promotes consensusbuilding, social bridge reconstructions. Conflict resolution and peace buildind in africa as a. Traditional approaches to conflict transformation potentials and limits volker boege 1. Conflict resolution comprises a complex network of forces surrounding the parties in the conflict.
The study is set to investigate gbandx as a traditional method of conflict resolution in igbo land, its meaning, types, reasons, how it is administered, how it is used to achieve peace etc. This period was marked with definite systems of dispute resolution peculiar to each kenyan community. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest of group e. Specifically, this paper is of the opinion that indigenous conflict management techniques built upon traditional communication systems should be incorporated in a new approach to conflict management, if the african union is desirous of impacting meaningfully on regional peace and security. In this way, a conflict map is able to serve as a conceptual guide to clarify the nature and dynamics of a conflict wehr, 1995.
A comparative study of traditional conflict resolution methods in liberia and ghana christianradu chereji charles wratto king christianradu chereji, director, conflict studies center charles wratto king, associate researcher, conflict studies center conflict studies quarterly issue 5, october 20, pp. Traditional african dispute resolution tadr mechanisms. The role of traditional rulers in conflict prevention and. Lessons learned from mediation by an african regional. The paper notes that conflict resolution in traditional african societies provides opportunity to interact with the parties concerned, it promotes consensusbuilding, social bridge. Those who want their conflicts resolved must have confidence in the tribunal that would resolve the dispute. The task is to reestablish the energy flow within individuals, families. The study of conflict resolution paradigms within the shona societies in zimbabwe was influenced by the ambiguities, confusion and lack of adequate information on the three concepts.
Methods of conflict resolution in african traditional society. Module 2 african traditional methods of conflict resolution. Nabudere 1997 mentions that the recent collapse of the somali nationstate and. The most common conflict resolution approaches or mechanisms include peace negotiations, mediation andor facilitation, traditional or ineigenous methods, peace agreements and their implementations and. With regard to conflict, the aprm has stated as one of its objectives the prevention and reduction of inter and intrastate conflict. Indigenous approaches to conflict resolution in africa sryahwa.
What made the negotiations in south africa to succeed was, among other things, the continuous existence of a strong state. African conflicts yielding no results or, at times, even exacerbating the conflict. These case studies are used as the basis for outlining conclusions and. African communities which still hold their traditional leaders in high esteem and still use these leaders in indigenous conflict management institutions such as sharia courts to solve disputes between clans, subclans and at the rural areas where modern institutions of conflict management. Hybrid violent conflicts, hybrid political orders many of todays largescale violent conflicts in the global south cannot be perceived as conventional wars any longer. This is because the understanding of the type of causes and actors will be a very useful tool for that purpose. Advantages and disadvantages of dispute resolution processes in order to select the most appropriate process, it is important to understand and appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of the various dispute resolution processes.
Land, in a majority of the cases was communally owned and control of land left almost. This book brings together nine specialists from africa and the united statesincluding former diplomats, academics, policymakers, and policy analyststo assess ways to enhance the u. Traditional conflict resolution mechanism is a social capital, defined as the capability of social norms and customs to hold members of a group together by effectively setting and facilitating the terms of their relationship sustainability facilitates collective action for achieving mutually beneficial ends fredmensah, 2005. African concepts of conflict, as well as the african methods, techniques and processes of conflict prevention, management and resolution aalae, 1994. Conflict resolution paradigms and their influences to the.
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