wfn.org | Respect Can Provide Possible Solutions to Conflicts

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Respect for Human Dignity and Human Rights Can Provide Possible
Solutions to Conflicts
Inter-Faith Peace Summit: Managing Differences in Ways that
Minimize Social Violence

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 28 October 2002 (LWI) - Addressing
representatives of faith communities attending a historic summit
near Johannesburg, University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) law
professor, Shadrack Gutto, defined conflict as a continuous
process involving differences that may be resolved with or without
violence. The challenge then, he told the more than 100 delegates
attending the Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa, is how to manage
such contradictions "in ways that prevent or minimize social
violence."

The summit organized by the Lutheran World Federation from October
14-19, brought together religious leaders from 21 countries across
Africa. The theme of the conference was "Embracing the Gift of
Peace." The focus was on practical ways of resolving conflict in
Africa.

Gutto's presentation focussed on the cyclical relationship between
the violation or denial of human dignity and human rights, and
conflict. Human dignity, he observed, is an integral part of
modern human rights, as recognized in a number of international
human rights instruments such as the United Nations Charter,
International Bill of Rights and African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights, among others. "Understanding human dignity as a
core constitutional and democratic value also enables us to link
it with other basic principles and values of modern democracy like
popular participation, good governance and the rule of law," Gutto
said. He pointed out that some categories of modern human rights
apply specifically to armed conflict situations and as such
reinforce other categories of human rights.

But he stressed that human rights goes further in requiring that
the state and society ensure the creation and existence of
conditions which facilitate equitable access to socio-economic
resources and basic services such as education, shelter and
health. Thus, Gutto noted, human concerns should focus not only on
violations but also on denial.

He cited some of the root causes of inter and intra-state conflict
in Africa ranging from denial of the right to self-determination
to the quest for maintenance through undemocratic means of
political power and hegemony. These factors overlap and manifest
themselves either as single dominant causes of conflict or
perpetuate themselves in different dynamic combinations, according
to Gutto.

Depending on one's starting point, the denial or violation of
human rights, where there is no other legitimate and agreed forms
of resolution, "naturally leaves the 'victim' no alternative but
to resort to violent force to stop the continued denial or
violation and to redress the wrongs or perceived wrongs,"
according to the Witwatersrand law professor. And in the event
that the "victim turned victor" adopts the repressive punishment
root only, then the seeds for future conflicts would have been
planted and a cyclical pattern of violent conflict followed by
counter violent conflict would then prevail, Gutto argued.

He said this pattern could be explained in the numerous "truth and
reconciliation commissions", TRCs, evident in Africa in the last
ten to 20 years, and cited the most recent ones in South Africa,
Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Violent conflicts, Gutto
stressed, are a "cause" and "product" of the denial and violation
of human dignity and human rights, and vice-versa. "The pattern is
cyclical."

For Gutto respect for human dignity and human rights can provide
possible solutions to conflicts. He is convinced that the vigorous
pursuit of human dignity and human rights in all spheres of human
activity and life can lead to minimizing or resolving conflict in
a sustainable manner. He noted that while conflict cannot be
"resolved" without substantive justice and honor, the conditions
that created conflict in the first place must also be addressed
and substantially changed.

Categorizing the violation and denial of substantive human dignity
and human rights in peacetime or wartime as tyranny and
oppression, Gutto told faith community representatives from
Africa, that it was in the interest of humanity as a whole to
civilize itself by securing substantive human dignity and human
rights through the rule of law and solidarity.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 mllion Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
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with acknowledgment.]

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