Moral Foundations of Peace-building Initiatives: A Philosophical Approach to the Search for Sustainable Peace in Africa

Abstract

Peace-building initiatives in Africa are deliberate political measures aimed at securing and restoring lasting and sustainable peace in the continent and beyond. Peace, in a more loose sense, is ordinarily interpreted to mean the absence of war or conflict of any kind. States and governments have political obligations to ensure that their citizens are secure and enjoy peace at all times. The critical question is whether peace can be imposed on the people, i.e., from external forces. That notwithstanding, peace must be understood in a twofold sense. First, it refers to peace of the individual that is necessitated by the harmony between the two faculties of the mind, the intellect and the will. Second, the term “peace” refers to harmonious co- existence in society, without war or conflict of any kind; and this underscores the fact that man is a social being, a being with others. In the former sense, one is at peace with oneself when they conduct themselves in accordance to the dictates of reason whereas, in the latter sense, one is (said to be) at peace if they are not in conflict with others. It is in this latter sense that we are making a reflection of the peace initiatives in Africa, given that Africa is characterised by conflicts among countries or tribes within a country. This paper is an attempt to interrogate peace at the level of the individual and peace at the level of the community vis-à-vis tribes and nations in view of finding a solution to the problem of political instability in Africa, which in turn jeopardizes economic prosperity in a continent blessed with enormous resources. The paper argues that acting in respect of the moral law, the only law of humanity, and from which all other laws ensue, is the only way peace among individuals, tribes and nations shall prevail since this entails duties and obligations for every individual; a situation where the inner self is congruent with the outer self.