Peacebuilding &conflict transformation A ... - Peaceworkafrica

“Blessed be the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God” (Mat 5.9).Another source of self‐determined conflict resolution is based on the words of Paulto the congregation at Corinth: “When one of you has a grievance against a brother,does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? … And ifthe world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? … Can itbe that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of thebrotherhood, but brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers”(1 Cor 6.1–6). In other words, Jesus suggested not to take the disputes to the courtbut rather to appoint people from the community to settle the disputes.Religious, ethnic groups and other subcultures such as gypsies, merchant groups ortrade councils have traditionally established their own alternative means and me chanismof conflict resolution to avoid the imposition of outside authorities (governments),to retain independence and to set up norms. The council of local rabbis, theJewish Beth Din, for example, existed for this purpose for many generations in varioussettings. Mediation represented a form of personal, cultural and religiousempowerment without conceding personal conflicts to the king or other authorities.In the United States, immigrants from China, Jews and Quakers established their ownmediation forums to resolve personal disputes in the early years of the last century.The development of the specific procedure and the ‘new’ understanding of mediationas it was developed in the United States around the 1960s, needs to be seen inthe context of social and political transformation in the United States at that time.It was a period characterized by discontent and conflict on many fronts: civil rightsstruggles, student unrest, growing consumer awareness, gender role re‐examinationand war protests. Two main conflicts were:The awakening of political consciousness in the Afro‐American population underthe leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. (assassinated in 1968). Many of the‘Black People’ no longer tolerated segregation, discrimination and marginalisation.Being part of a growing opposition to the white US‐establishment theyfelt empowered and confirmed in fighting for their civic rights. The refusal ofthe black lady, Mrs. Rosa Parks, to get up from a seat in a public bus that wasreserved for white people was another initiation for the “outbreak” of theAfro‐American civil rights movement (1955).The people’s protest against war. A powerful peace movement took action againstthe US involvement in an atrocious war in far away East Vietnam. Thousandsof American soldiers were killed and crippled without meeting any of the localpopulation’s needs, concerns or aspirations.5 . M e d i a t i o n 271