Inspired by ethno-religious conflicts which occur in a frequent, incessant and violent manner in the contemporary Nigerian society, Basil Ugorji examines the very real struggle for cultural justice that often leads to tribal violence and clashes, ethnic and religious wars, and genocides. The author thoroughly investigates the relevance of certain measures, judicial and coercive, used to manage ethno-religious conflicts in Africa. Based on the historical and political contexts (pre-colonialism, colonialism, post-independence), the author explores the premise that a shift is required in the research of peaceful resolution: first, from retributive justice to restorative justice, and second, from coercive methods of reconciliation to ethno-religious mediation, with a focus on the ethnic, tribal and religious groups involved in conflicts; the origins, causes, consequences, and actors involved; and the forms and places of occurrence of ethno-religious conflicts. With scholarship and compassion, the author sees the people within the conflict and exposes their humanity. Beyond the posturing and politics, he returns sanity to the discussion by revealing the often counterintuitive behavior of social systems under stress. More than just empirical observation, From Cultural Justice to Inter-Ethnic Mediation: A Reflection on the Possibility of Ethno-Religious Mediation in Africa provides welcome insights into convoluted dynamics and offers practical strategies through peace education. There is something here for everybody seeking a way forward out of chaos in Africa, from grassroots advocates to senior policymakers.
Welcome to the first edition of the International Center for Ethno-Religious Mediation’s Journal of Living Together. We were surprised and delighted to receive so many outstanding submissions, and see the resounding response to our very first call for papers as an appreciable indication of the connection people feel to our mission and our community. Through this journal it is our intention to inform, inspire, reveal and explore the intricate and complex nature of human interaction in the context of ethno-religious identity and the roles it plays in war and peace. By sharing theories, observations and valuable experiences we mean to open a broader, more inclusive dialogue between policymakers, academics, researchers, religious leaders, representatives of ethnic groups and indigenous peoples, and field practitioners around the world. Lasting peace stems from changes in thinking about what it is to be a part of the human family, who we are to one another, and what mutual obligations and responsibilities exist between us. It requires us to accept that we are each a resource, an advantage, an asset to the whole. It hinges on our ultimate acceptance of cultural identity, history, faith and tradition as simply vivid aspects of our overarching human kinship. The belief-based perspectives that influence these patterns of being however are among the most deeply ingrained of all individual and social mechanisms. Any efforts to reshape them are highly ambitious and fraught with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Yet, cultures and their societies are not static, and their adaptive nature requires that even within the most intractable of conflicts, there will be change; how they change will depend upon shifts in the environment, changes in human experience, and the availability of new information with which to make different choices. The theme of this issue: The Role of Religion and Ethnicity in Contemporary Conflict: Related Emerging Tactics, Strategies and Methodologies of Mediation and Resolution looks at ways to influence these changes, improve interethnic and interfaith experiences, and offers information which can enlighten social discourse and reveal the possibility of previously unforeseen choices. We begin with “Words from the Board,” where Dr. David Silvera explains that mediation is at the very heart of democratic thought & lays out the value of mediation as a vital aspect of adult education in his commentary, Education for Democratic Citizenship and Intercultural Conflicts by Mediation. Dr. René Lemarchand’s cautionary discussion regarding the risks involved in mankind’s willingness and even propensity to ignore some of history’s worst atrocities follows in his article, Remembering Forgotten Genocides. Jamie L. Hurst’s paper, Holy Conflict: the Intersection of Religion and Mediation, explores the junction where religion and mediation meet, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities this crossroads brings to bear. In her piece, Identity Reconsidered, Zarrín Caldwell describes the cost of “narrowly-construed identity formations” and puts forward the idea that the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith on nested identities might offer some new ways of approaching peacebuilding. Similarly, in their work Storytelling as a Means for Peace Education: Intercultural Dialogue in Southern Thailand, Erna Anjarwati & Allison Trimble describe their research conducting peace storytelling as a means to encourage social reconciliation between Thai-Buddhists and Malay-Muslims youth. And finally, Lanhe S. Shan presents an in-depth assessment of the long-term outcomes following the implementation of unfortunate conflict mitigation strategies and offers suggestions for improved results in Analysis of Tito’s Policies on Ethnic Conflict: the Case of Kosovo. This journal is not meant to be a bastion of declarative wisdom, rather it is intended to be a conduit, a medium for vibrant exchange, and discussion of its contents is vital to its purpose. We want your input, your ideas, your thoughts and your insights. You will find plenty to discuss every quarter in the articles, book reviews, Living Together Movement updates, social media buzz, and Photos from the Field here, and in the issues ahead.
This publication is the product of the 25th Annual Africa and Diaspora Conference in 2016, organized by the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution at California State University, Sacramento, on the theme of “Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa 25 Years Later: Lessons, Best Practices and Opportunities”. It brings together reflections on both historical and contemporary or recurring conflicts in Africa, especially on issues of ethno-religious conflicts, corruption, land, and leadership. The chapters include case studies and some theoretical perspectives on the persistent search for the right size and scope of visioning and programming on peace and conflict resolution in Africa. Understandably, this collection of ideas, thoughts and proposals will resonate with the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. Arguably, Africa is “rising” in the 21st century, with declining violent conflicts and an increase in stable democracies and economies. However, there are still the significant challenges of extremism, climate change, poor governance, ineffective leadership, widening wealth gaps, and weak institutions of moderation. The essays collected here also document areas of progress in legitimizing democracy and conceptualizing social justice, and suggest the need for building the next generation of peace leaders in Africa.
Contiene esta abarcadora obra relevantes características socioculturales de disímiles regiones geográficas de los países de habla inglesa. Cada unidad representa a un país específico y este, a su vez, lo hace con la comunidad anglófona de toda una región. Todos sus textos han sido adaptados, a la luz de principios didácticos, a partir de fuentes originales.
The United States in the twenty-first century will be a nation of so-called minorities. Shifts in the composition of the American populace necessitate a radical change in the ways we as a nation think about race relations, identity, and racial justice. Once dominated by black-white relations, discussions of race are increasingly informed by an awareness of strife among nonwhite racial groups. While white influence remains important in nonwhite racial conflict, the time has come for acknowledgment of ways communities of color sometimes clash, and their struggles to heal the resulting wounds and forge strong alliances. Melding race history, legal theory, theology, social psychology, and anecdotes, Eric K. Yamamoto offers a fresh look at race and responsibility. He tells tales of explosive conflicts and halting conciliatory efforts between African Americans and Korean and Vietnamese immigrant shop owners in Los Angeles and New Orleans. He also paints a fascinating picture of South Africa's controversial Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as a pathbreaking Asian American apology to Native Hawaiians for complicity in their oppression. An incisive and original work by a highly respected scholar, Interracial Justice greatly advances our understanding of conflict and healing through justice in multiracial America.
The Fourth Edition of a seminal work in the field of mediation and conflict resolution For almost thirty years, conflict resolution practitioners, faculty, and students have depended on The Mediation Process as the all-inclusive guide to the discipline. The most comprehensive book written on mediation, this text is perfect for new and experienced conflict managers working in any area of dispute resolution—family, community, employment, business, environmental, public policy multicultural, or international. This is the expert's guide, and the Fourth Edition has been expanded and revised to keep pace with developments in the field. It includes new resources that will promote excellence in mediation and help disputants reach durable agreements and enhance their working relationships. Includes expanded information on the latest approaches for providing mediation assistance Features comprehensive guidelines for selecting the right strategy for both common and unique problems Utilizes updated, contemporary case studies of all types of disputes Offers expanded coverage of the growing field and practice of intercultural and international mediation
This book addresses the legal feasibility of ethnic data collection and positive action for equality and anti-discrimination purposes, and considers how they could be used to promote the Roma minority’s inclusion in Europe. The book’s central aim is to research how a societal problem can be improved upon from a legal perspective. The controversy surrounding ethnic data collection and positive action severely limits their use at the national level. Accordingly, legal and political concerns are analysed and addressed in order to demonstrate that it is possible to collect such data and to implement such measures while fully respecting international and European human rights norms, provided that certain conditions are met. Part I focuses on ethnic data collection and explores the key rules and principles that govern it, the ways in which this equality tool could be used, and how potential obstacles might be overcome. It also identifies and addresses the specific challenges that arise when collecting ethnic data on the Roma minority in Europe. In turn, Part II explores positive action and the broad range of measures covered by the concept, before analysing the applicable international and European framework. It reviews the benefits and challenges of implementing positive action for Roma, identifies best practices, and gives special consideration to inter-cultural mediation in the advancement of Roma inclusion. The book concludes with an overview of the main findings on both topics and by identifying three essential elements that must be in place, in addition to full respect for the applicable legal rules, in order to combat discrimination and achieve the inclusion of Roma in Europe by complementing existing anti-discrimination frameworks with the collection of ethnic data and the implementation of positive action schemes.
In any conflict the players seem to invariably view that conflict through the filter of their own cultural experiences. This collection of essays draws on a variety of disciplines to analyze fundamental assumptions about how conflict arises and how it is resolved.
Offering unique coverage of an emerging, interdisciplinary area, this comprehensive handbook examines the theoretical underpinnings and emergent conceptions of intercultural mediation in related fields of study. Authored by global experts in fields from intercultural communication and conflict resolution to translation studies, literature, political science, and foreign language teaching, chapters trace the history, development, and present state of approaches to intercultural mediation. The sections in this volume show how the concept of intercultural mediation has been constructed among different fields and shaped by its specific applications in an open cycle of influence. The book parses different philosophical conceptions as well as pragmatic approaches, providing ample grounding in the key perspectives on this growing field of discourse. The Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Mediation is a valuable reference for graduate and postgraduate students studying mediation, conflict resolution, intercultural communication, translation, and psychology, as well as for practitioners and researchers in those fields and beyond.
Written by Mark Umbreit, internationally known for his work in restorative justice, this indispensable resource offers an empirically grounded, state-of-the-art analysis of the application and impact of victim offender mediation, a movement that has spread throughout North America and abroad. The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation provides practical guidance and resources for offering victim meditation in property crimes, in minor assaults, and, more recently, with crimes of severe violence, including with family members of murder victims who request to meet the offender.
