Peacebuilding &conflict transformation A ... - Peaceworkafrica

Respect: self‐respect, personal integrity, for the dignity of others, for the community,for the rule of law, for legitimate authority, for private and public propertyHonesty: trustworthiness, dependability, ethical behaviour, maintaining confidentialityand impartiality towards relationship between people/groupsResponsibility: accountability, open mindedness, constructive criticism, carry outlawful instructions, obligations to public welfareConcern: care, compassion, loyalty, tolerance, consideration, cooperation, sharingdecision‐makingJustice: fairness, equal rights, negotiation, law and systems of governanceDedication: active and informed participation, interdependence, civic mindednessGendergender roles, gender perspectives and gender responsibilities are essential for dealingwith social relationships and approaching conflicts. Gender roles differ in differentsocieties. They are not static, but change over time in response to internal andexternal events.Often these influences are conflicts (violent conflicts and wars) forcing indivi -duals to take over the role of the other gender e.g. women become breadwinner whenmen are away at war. Analyzing conflicts from a gender perspective means lookinginto the different interests, roles, responsibilities and power of the different gendergroups (male & female) and the kind of support they may need.IdentityConflicts can be caused by feelings of threatened identity 16 . Conflicts over identityarise when individuals or group members feel their sense of self is threatened or theirlegitimacy and respect are denied. Because identity is integral to one’s self‐esteemand how one interprets the rest of the world, any threat to identity is likely to producea strong response.‘Who am I? — this question might have several responses: I am a mother, asister, a Christian, a student, a worker, a peace maker, a Cameroonian, a Bakweri, adancer and so on. This shows clearly that every person has several identities. Theseidentities are influenced by relationships with others and the dominant culture 17 .Identity conflicts often emerge out of a history of domination and perceivedinjustice. Where there is a severe imbalance of power, the more powerful group mayexploit or abuse the less powerful group. Minority groups may be denied effectivepolitical participation or lack opportunities for cultural expression. If the identity ofthe minority group is denied or simply unrecognized by the majority, the oppressedgroups may recognize these power hierarchies as unjust and rebel against them.Nationalism as an ideology affirms the existence of people or nations whosemembers share a common history and destiny — the identity. Nationalist sen-106 I I I . C O N F L I C T