UNIT 4
INDIGENOUS CONFLICT RESOLUTION MECHANISMS
Lesson 1
The concepts of peace
The term peace is used in wide spheres, meanings in different contexts of usage.
What peace is in religion may be different from what it is in philosophy, politics,
military, or history.
Peace literally defined seems to be a tool or means to end war or conflict, or absence of
war or violence.
Peace is not merely the absence of war, nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of
a balance of power between enemies.
Peace as the presence of justice, order, good law, good government, good relationships,
well-being, freedom, respect for human rights, security, etc.
Peace can also be described as a state of mutual harmony between people or groups,
especially in personal and group relations.
It is an agreement or treaty between individuals, antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end
hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism.
It is also defined as the normal freedom from:
civil disorder and violence of a community;
public order and security and the freedom of the mind from annoyance,
distraction, an anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity.
4.1.1. Types of peace
Peace itself connected with various aspects; religion, education, social factors etc
Peace is discussed with various terms such as inner peace, outer peace, positive and
negative peace.
Peace does not mean the total absence of any conflict.
It means the absence of violence in all forms and the describing of conflict in a positive
way.
Peace is a multidimensional concept that can be viewed through the lens of both negative
peace and positive peace.
Generally, peace can be classified as:
A. Internal peace:
is also called as “inner peace” or” peace of mind or soul”.
It is a state of peacefulness of mind that arises due to having no suffering, or mental
disturbance such as worry, anxiety, greed, hatred, ill-will, delusion and other
debasements.
It is peace within oneself.
Internal peace is seen as true peace and as a real foundation of peace in society.
internal peace influences other peace positively or negatively.
B. External peace:
is peace that occurs in society, states, and the world.
External peace can be absence of war, disorder, disturbances, hostility, social injustice,
social insecurity, violations of human rights, riots, terrorism, etc.
External peace includes a state of social harmony, social justice, social equality,
friendship, public order and security, and respect to human rights.
external peace is the absence of all social evils as well as the presence of social virtues
C. Positive peace and negative peace
Positive Peace
Positive peace is a true, lasting, and sustainable peace built on justice for all peoples.
It is the presence of the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain
peaceful societies.
It involves the elimination of the root causes of war, violence, and injustice and the
conscious attempt to build a society that reflects these commitments.
Well-developed positive peace represents
the capacity for a society to meet the needs of citizens,
reduce the number of grievances that arise
resolve remaining disagreements without the use of violence.
positive peace emphasize:
establishing peace by supporting nonviolent resolution of disputes,
establishing social equality and justice,
establishing economic equity, ecological balance;
protecting citizens from attack, and meeting basic human needs,
establishing a civil peace means to settle differences nonviolently ,
eliminating indirect violence that
shortens the life span of people,
sustains unequal life chances, or reduces quality of life for any citizen
Negative Peace
Negative peace is defined as a peace without justice.
It is a false sense of “peace”.
Negative peace is the absence of direct violence or the fear of violence.
In a negative peace, it may not see conflict out in the open, but the tension is boiling just
beneath the surface because the conflict was never reconciled.
negative peace emphasize:
managing interpersonal and organizational conflict in order to control, and reduce
actual and potential violence,
reducing the incidence of war by eliminating the extreme dangers of the war
system
limiting war through international crisis management, preventing war through
strategic prevention and arms control.
The concept of negative peace addresses immediate symptoms, the conditions of war, and
the use and effects of force and weapons.
POSITIVE PEACE: Presence of: NEGATIVE PEACE: Absence of:
Tranquility /silence War/direct violence
Harmony, well-being Conflict of violence
Strengthened human bonds Repression
Shared human values Evil
Shared feelings of humanity
LESSON 2
4.2. Impacts of absence of peace
Absence of peace has many consequences to human life and society at large. Whenever
conflict is severe, people’s peace is negatively impacted
Impacts of absence of peace
1. Security impacts:
Peace is a desired goal for everyone, absence of peace leads to direct and structural
violence and destruction
In the absence of peace,
people are denied the right to participate.
the structure of the government that oppresses others using police or the judiciary.
It creates a painful relationship between the government and the society who are
denied the right to participate.
This result creates a chain of violent conflict
2. Creates continuous social and political disharmony:
Absence of peace results not only in immediate destruction, but long-term erosion of
social cohesions and unity.
People who live within uncertain situations develop a feeling of helplessness and
enmity both at individual, group and community levels.
3. Failure to accommodate cultural diversity:
When there is no peace, cultural diversity will be at risk.
Various ethnic, tribal or cultural groups get in to competition for power and resource
control.
The struggle for power and resource domination results in all political leaders
4. Undermine socio-economic developments:
It is clear that sustainable social and economic development will not be achieved if
peace is absent.
During violent conflict, competing forces divert resources from health, education,
investment and other social services to military expenditure.
The absence of peace increases people with violence experiences, the accumulation of
weapons is subsequently used for violent crimes, the long-term impact of traumatic
experiences, social stress, erosion of trust and emergence of social prejudice and
injustice.
If there is no peace, trading, farming, fishing, investment, and other economic
activities will decline because communication between peoples or groups decline,
fear of confiscation of properties, fear of insecurity, and imposed barriers to
movements of goods and services will reign.
Inability of people to fulfill basic needs of themselves and their family forces them to
be displaced and seek migration to other areas.
This in turn results in social alienation, and social fragmentation in countries suffer
from absence of peace.
In addition, conflicts tend to complicate economic structures of countries and people,
lowering revenue by destroying parts of the tax base of the government and income of
people while raising military expenditures, shifting resources away from social and
economic spending.
5. Grave human rights violations:
Absence of peace leads to weak government institutions that are ill-equipped to deal
with uncertainties and power struggles between competing groups and to protect
human rights.
Women and children often suffer from the consequences of absence of peace
LESSON 3
4.3. The notion of peace building
Simply stopping fighting does not mean putting a permanent end to violence.
Once conflicts arises, the next step is how do resolve it and how to bring a long-lasting
peace by addressing the core problems so that societies will not return to destructive
violence.
Peace building is a long-term process of ensuring peace through
encouraging conflicting parties to talk to each other
bringing them together to discuss the issues
understand the views of others, and repairing their broken relationships.
It focuses on the long-term support and establishment of viable political, socio- economic
and cultural institutions capable by
addressing the root causes of conflict
creating the necessary conditions for sustained peace and stability.
Peace building activities seeks to promote the integration of competing or alienated groups
within main stream society, through
providing equitable access to political decision-making, social networks, economic
resources and information that can be implemented in all phases of conflict.
Successful peace building activities seek to:
create an environment that helps people to resolve their differences peacefully and
to prevent future violence,
to create self- sustaining, and durable peace.
It also reconciles / brings together opponents,
creates rule of law mechanisms,
increases tolerance and promotes coexistence,
protects human rights, improves socio-economic development,
reforms justice and security institutions,
promotes a culture of justice, truth and reconciliation,
addresses underlying structural and societal issues
LESSON4
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms
Conflicts arising from differences in interest, prejudice, needs, and ambitions.
When conflicts occur between groups, societies adopt their own indigenous conflict
resolution mechanisms.
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms are grass roots and community-based
mechanisms of solving conflicts according to their customary set of practices that are
present in all communities.
They are age-long and ancient set of practices and part of social systems which play
important role in the reconciliation, maintenance and improvement of societal
relationships.
The mechanisms are deep-rooted and contained in the custom, culture and traditions of the
society.
4.4.2. Features of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms differ from society to society, region to
region, and culture to culture, there are certain features that indigenous institutions share
in common.
A. Context specific:
Each indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms have its own distinct structure of
resolution which dictates how various forms of conflict should be resolved.
Its approaches are varying from society to society, from region to region, from
community to community.
There are different approaches of conflict resolution as there are different societies and
communities with a specific history, a specific culture and specific custom.
There is no one single and general principle and procedure of “indigenous conflict
resolution mechanisms”.
B. Voluntary and consensual proceedings:
It requires voluntary participation of both conflicting parties and reaching agreement to
abide by the outcomes.
It do not have the kind of coercive mechanism as does the formal or modern system, and
rely on social pressure and exclusion from the community to deal with noncompliance.
C. Locally circumscribed constituency:
indigenous conflict resolution institutions operate locally
D. Accepted and flexible norms, rules and values:
indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms generally deliver justice in accordance with
norms, rules and values that are generally known and accepted by societies.
the rules and evidences are often flexible and can be adapted to particular cases and
circumstances
E. Group-based responsibility:
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms often consider that responsibility for the harm
rests, not with the individual but with the broader social grouping, often the family or
clan.
The kins are involved in ensuring that the offender among their midst complies with the
verdict and where compensation is required may be expected to contribute.
F. Negotiation and compromise:
Indigenous conflict resolution systems generally involve negotiation between the
conflicting parties to try and resolve the case amicably.
This usually involves both parties accepting some measure of responsibility for the
dispute and agreeing to the decision.
Rather than one party being viewed as the winner and the other as the loser, both parties
stand to benefit from reconciliation.
G. Dynamism and responsiveness to change:
Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms are not static but evolve over generations to
their current status, and can respond to changes in views and values.
H. Restoration and maintenance of peaceful co-existence:
indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms aim to restore peace and harmony between the
conflicting party members, neighbors, clans or local groups so that the former accuser
can continue to live together in frequent interaction.
I. Forgiveness and compensation:
Indigenous conflict resolution institutions often require the loser or wrongdoer to ask
forgiveness and/ or pay compensation, rather than imposing physical punishment or
imprisonment.
Compensation is often paid by one individual, family or clan to another in the form of
restorative penalty that enables parties to be reconciled.
J. Public participation:
indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms are usually held in public and often allow
participation by those attending it.
4.4.3. Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is believed to be a country of more than 80 ethnic groups, who have their different
languages, cultures, values, norms, and religions.
These diverse societies have developed their own distinctive political, administrative,
economic, social, and judicial systems.
These indigenous systems across the country have responded to various kinds of conflicts
ranging from petty offences, civil cases, such as financial and contractual disputes to murder
cases and blood feuds.
The “Makabanna” in Afar,
“Shimagille” in Amhara,
“Bayto” in Tigray,
“Jarsumma” in Oromo,
“Seera” in Sidama, Hadiya, Halaba, and Kembata,
“Xeer” in Somali,
“Korefinie” in the Gamo,
“Ye Joka” in Gurage are some of the indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms in
Ethiopia.
The process of indigenous conflict resolution mechanism in Ethiopia is led by elders /
leaders of the community who are influential.
They acquire this position by virtue of their age, knowledge of culture, lineage and
tradition of the community or influences within the community.
Elders serve as a facilitators or negotiators during the resolution process.
In addition to elders, there are many actors such as religious leaders, family members and
community members.
Across the different societies in Ethiopian have practiced different cultural rituals. Rituals
have symbolic and practical significance for each societies
LESSON5
4.5. The roles of indigenous social institutions in ensuring sustainable peace
A. Building community cohesion /unity /solidity:
Indigenous social institutions keep community values and help build common grounds
between members by providing a sense of togetherness and a collective sprit which
enhances solidarity and self-governance which can also be harnessed for communityled
development endeavors.
They often provide for a wide range of members of the society to participate in the
judicial process.
They tend to rely on consensus allowing accused and accuser to argue without
interruption until one side is more persuasive.
Indigenous social institutions promote the virtue of peace, solidarity, harmonious living,
respect for one another and honesty.
B. Restoration of order and relationships:
Indigenous conflict resolution aims at the restoration of order and harmony of the
community.
Cooperation between conflicting parties has to be guaranteed for the future.
Reconciliation is necessary for the restoration of social harmony of the community in
general and of social relationships between conflict parties in particular.
The aim is not to punish, an action which would be viewed as harming the group a
second time.
Reestablishing harmony implies reintegrating the deviant members because the ultimate
matter is restoring good relations. The ultimate aim of sustainable peace is the restoration
of relationships.
C. Addressing the psycho-social and spiritual dimensions of conflicts and sustainability of
peace:
Indigenous social conflict resolution institutions not only deal with material issues,
reason and talk, but also, they deal with the spiritual aspects, feelings and non- verbal
communications.
Traditional approaches are inclusive, not exclusive.
Traditional methods of purification and healing that are carried out by customary healers,
priests, sheiks and other spiritual authorities are of utmost importance for the mental and
spiritual rehabilitation of victims and perpetrators.
The mental healing of those people who were deeply traumatized by the experiences of
violent conflict is an aspect of peace building that is at least as important as material
reconstruction.
Traditional approaches are well suited to address this dimension. They take into account
conflict transformation and peace building not only an issue of reason, rationality and
talk, but also as of affects, emotions, imaginations and of the spirit.
D. Providing for inclusion and participation:
Every side has to perceive the resolution as a win-win outcome, compatible with its own
interests – which are not only confined to the material sphere, but also comprise issues of
honor, prestige, and saving one’s face.
To pursue inclusive and participatory approach at all levels of the conflict resolution is
extremely complex and time-consuming, but provides greater chance of success than
approaches that are confined to the ‘leaders’ of the conflict parties.
‘Additional’ activities that ‘supplement’ the ‘real’ negotiation also are very important in
this context.
E. Ensuring accessibility to the community:
Indigenous social institutions are accessible to communities.
When conflicts arise, they are immediately solved by making consensus among the
conflicting parties.
When conflicts are protracted, they risk social harmony.
Indigenous social institutions also understand the background and context of the conflicts
and examining past relationships as crucial elements for ensuring sustainable peace.
Indigenous social institutions view reconciliation as longterm process rather than a quick-
fix military solution which is the main norm in the modern methods.
