Friday, September 22, 2023
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5 Traditional African Justice Systems More Humane than the Prison Industrial Complex

In South Africa, Ubuntu is a principle that determines personal responsibility according to the sense of a corporate identity. The spirit of this principle manages communities across Africa and is the foundation for building indigenous approaches to conflict resolution.

People from all corners of the African continent are united and firmly believe that human beings are organized: everyone’s happiness affects the well-being of the whole person, a neighbor is an essential part of his survival, and his behavior has a universal impact. This ideal promotes peace, shares power, fairly distributes resources, and suppresses the way civilians respond to inevitable conflicts by not making sense of men or women to fight each other.

There are many peace-keeping mechanisms in Africa, and its people are diverse. In general, the system of maintaining social solidarity at the government level is a microcosm of how African communities have coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years.

Here are five examples of traditional African tradition-based solution strategies.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is a therapeutic judicial process following apartheid in South Africa, where victims and perpetrators of human rights violations confront and publicly share their everyday experiences. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a platform that can bypass traditional justice systems and promote practices of community reconciliation to restore relationships between victims and perpetrators and encourage rehabilitation throughout the community.

This process is widely regarded as a success and has laid the groundwork for similar operations in other countries.

In the years following the genocide in Rwanda (1994), the country killed, almost a million people died, and social infrastructure established, a process of justice and reconciliation was built, l identity of Rwanda has been peacefully rebuilt, and the two Trust. Nationalities (Tutsi and Hutu). War in history.

Liberia is a country with a deep history of social and political upheaval. In the late 1970s, a culmination of mass violence, military dictatorship, social corruption, and widespread assassinations established, and a Peace Commission for Truth and Reconciliation found. And support the establishment of a fair government system.

african courts
african courts

Judicial system

To promote justice and reconciliation in Rwanda following the genocide and to combat the excessive numbers awaiting trial in national courts, a traditional judicial system called Gacaca (called GA-CHA-CHA) reactivated in 2005.

Under this system, local communities elect judges to hear genocide offenders. If these people show repentance and seek reconciliation with their communities, their penalties will be lower than those who do not repent.

As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Gakaka’s trial helps spread the truth and fosters reconciliation between victims and criminals.

In Ethiopia, there is a judicial system at the heart of the environment and the economy, called a lawyer. Due to the scarcity of surface water, wells (or local as well as local governments) are very important, especially in pastoral areas.

Wells are a shared resource. Therefore, all community members have the same rights and can use them. However, due to the scarcity of water resources, there is an excellent possibility of conflict. The committee is made up of elected community members and designed to resolve disputes as needed. If the council cannot manage them, the elders of the community will intervene. This system has maintained for centuries without official government involvement.

Village

Bandiagara Cliffs are located in Mali Mopti and are informally known as Dogon land. This area has a rich ethnic tradition and is renowned for masks and woodcarvings.

This unique sandstone landscape can accommodate nearly 300 villages, including barns, houses, shrines, social places, and altars. In this regard, Dogon Village is like a collection of people, homes, and community buildings.

Dogon villages are different from other communities in that some people take up space to facilitate conflict. For example, men and women store personal belongings and food separately from shared areas, hold meetings, and separate from partners.

Also, the men’s Toguna used for significant decision-making and discussed matters. Its architecture is unbearable. If the debate inside Togo is hot, this is to prevent physical violence.

Elderly African Woman

Senior Council

Older people are particularly important in African communities. They are historical repositories, considered altruistic sages that unite communities.

At the time of the conflict, the elderly were considered recognized lawyers and were confident of repressing disapproval.

In Somaliland, the Gurti maintains a peaceful reconciliation.

“This allows us to reconcile our people and foster mutual trust and dialogue,” said Haji Abdi Hussein Yusuf, one of Somaliland’s oldest traditional elders. ”

Similarly, the people of Ethiopia see Madagascar as the elder and parliament of Akiriket, Uganda.

Peace Conference

Peace conferences have been held in Africa to resolve significant conflicts within and between communities. They convene elders, community members, and give a full speech on all issues.

The Akobo Peace Conference (1994) was convened to fight tribal conflicts in the Neur region of Sudan.

The meeting was attended by 18 delegations of mediators, 500 formal representatives, traditional courts, and observers and aimed to dispel doubts about the distribution of land, water, and other natural resources between Luo and Jacobins.

When a series of Covenant Atonement Agreements between the older Somalilands were held in 1991, two meetings in Polama and Sanagu brought the two communities and their leaders together. This has led to positive changes in national security, peaceful changes to the constitutional structure, and government.

Sources: 

http://www.ossrea.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=280

http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3563

http://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/about/bgjustice.shtml

http://www.ossrea.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=280

http://trcofliberia.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_(Liberia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ruth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_(Sierra_Leone)
https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/pdf/bgjustice.pdf

)- http://www.c-r.org/accord-article/role-somaliland-elders-making-and-keeping-peace-conversation-hajji-abdi-hussein-yusuf

http://www.ossrea.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=280

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