Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

Africae Munus speaks of Catholic schools as places to learn how to create a climate of harmony and peace (AM 134) in the light of a globalisation of intolerance and fractionalisation. Hence, Catholic schools should come up with programmes that can help shape the minds of young Africans for a more peaceful and reconciled future (AM 135).  A pertinent area of study, according to Africae Munus, is traditional conflict resolution method, especially mediation (AM 33).  Another area that needs to be studied is the role of restorative justice in conflict transformation (AM 83).  The results of these studies have to be taught formally and informally as part of ‘Catholic Education at the service of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation’ if we shall bestow on the younger generation a world beyond intolerance, indifference and civilisational conflicts.  Considering the foregoing, this paper argues that Nigerian theologians should seek to incarnate the teaching of the second ‘African Synod’ pedagogically by formulating a trans-disciplinary curriculum for ‘Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies’.  This paper shall suggest the following themes for the curriculum: History & Myths; Conflict & War Foci; Intercultural/religious Learning; Health & Gender; Social Analysis; Globalisation; Peace-building Components; Negotiation and Peace-building Initiatives; Post-conflict ‘After-words’. (Text of a voluntary paper at the 32nd Annual Conference and Meeting of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria, April 20, 2017)

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Abstract
Philosophers are the mirror of the society where they use their glass to critically view and analyses certain human problems in order to propose a certain solution to that problem. The political philosophy of John Locke on the sustenance of peace and the conduct of good governance have given direction to any true democratic leaders who are in power to serve humanity and making lives better for his peoples. This paper was of the opinion that leaders in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999 in to the country the system has fail to meets the desired dividend for peaceful society and provision of functional government, this led to emerging problems of insecurity and pockets of conflicts in different parts of the country. This paper has uses secondary data source through reviewing relevant secondary information on the subject matter. This paper was of views that if leaders in Nigeria would be serious on the process of operating good governance they should provide  an enabling environment that would promote peace and security among the citizens by ensuring welfare and the need of the peoples are the priority agenda that can drive the nation out of these menace of insecurity and conflicts through respecting rule of law, fighting corruption, separation of power and tolerance.
Keywords: Peace, Good Governance. Philosophy and Human needs.

The history of talks with former-separatists since 2004 and recent government attempts at building trust with the local population have yet to achieve any noticeable results in troubled southern Thailand. Discussions surrounding autonomy or devolution for the south are hampered by political taboos and an inflexible Bangkok-based political elite. Certain local and external factors also shape the conflict, such as the role of Malaysia as a safe-haven for insurgents and the role of the black-economy in the region. A lack of communication, the inflexibility of the Thai political elite and the above-mentioned local and external factors all serve as barriers toward peace.

C'est avec pétulance que l'auteur analyse dans cet ouvrage les dynamiques africaines de pacifi cation et de dépacifi cation, à rebours de l'imprédictibilité des théories chez les internationalistes. Une véritable synthèse des relations internationales africaines articulant factuel et idéel. Le pluralisme épistémologique manié avec subtilité contribue à en faire une oeuvre monumentale débouchant sur quelques perspectives heuristiques pour le renouvellement du chantier ontologique de la discipline.

Conflict bias is a tendency of people to ignore peace and opportunities for its achievement. Mediation as liberal peace management can help people to realize they have a choice whether to participate in conflict or not, and make their choice in favor of peace. Schemes exposing conflict bias may be used in mediation. Конфліктна упередженість є схильністю людей не помічати мир та можливості його досягнення. Медіація як ліберальний менеджмент миру може допомогти людям побачити, що у них є вибір, чи брати участь в конфлікті, і зробити вибір на користь миру. В медіації можуть бути використані схеми викриття проконфліктності.

In this draft conference paper, I argue that people tend to overestimate conflicts and undervalue peace in social life, the tendency creates a risk of conflict escalation, which may be prevented if a mediator manages to help conflicting parties to discover deep peace behind apparent conflict and empower them to develop the peace. Also, I propose to use in the mediation visualization schemes, showing that peace and conflict may be confused with one another, to explain to participants that they have a choice between peace and conflict and their way of thinking determines the outcome of mediation. Research presented here is related to my master's project conducted during the Master's Program in Mediation and Conflict Management at KROK Business School, which is part of the project "Mediation: Training and Society Transformation/ MEDIATS" co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. I will present the research at online conference on 20 November 2020, organized by KROK University (Kyiv, Ukraine).

Theories are important to understanding real life situation and events. As such, it becomes pertinent to theorize conflicts in Africa in order to get a better understanding of their causes, patterns, trends and prevention. This is with the view to enhance prevention mechanisms. This is the very thrust of this chapter.

ABSTRACT This paper is motivated by the desire to examine the origin of the Niger Delta crisis in Nigeria. It explains why rural poverty, insecurity and state failure are the major reasons behind the volatile conflicts that have come to engulf majority of the once peaceful state of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It argues that the Niger Delta region is the home of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Petroleum exploration accounts for over 80% of Nigeria’s foreign earnings. The petro-dollar wealth translates into a big curse for the people and the environment. An ungrateful Nigerian state characterized by monumental inequality and naked injustice has imposed mass poverty, human/environmental degradation and misery on the oil bearing rural communities of the Niger Delta region. The area is poor in terms of income compared to most other parts of the country. Health, education and other social indices are below par. This condition has produced a sense of exclusion that has sought expression in what can be considered a revolt against the Nigeria state, and a rejection the apparent social insensitivity and environmental neglect of the area by the Nigerian government.