Disrupting the interruptions: re-considering Ubuntu, reconciliation and rehumanization

Human beings are potentially active, conscious agents capable of knowing and transforming their worlds. Although the end of colonialism and apartheid can be celebrated for reaching 'new' vertical state-society relationships and social contracts that created states and governments including political procedures and frameworks for power and enacted laws and their enforcement, the importance of horizontal society relationships that create community, coexistence and how people live together despite their differences has been overlooked. There is a disjuncture in the character of moral commitments and shared values of the ideals that inspire people to work together for the sake of common good and enduring cultural peace. Indeed, contemporary challenges raise serious questions about the capability of extant practices to provide for population groups to confront their social futures positively. How can we better prepare population groups for a rapidly changing and globalising world? How can we better invest extensively in re-imagining and re-inventing human values for peaceful relationships? The Agenda 2063 represents a collective effort and an opportunity for Africa to regain its power to determine its own destiny. It is an aspiration and call for action and strategic framework underpinned by the African Union dream to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa; an Africa driven and managed by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena. However, there are still societal changes that must take place to overcome the disruption that occurred in many African nations.

Disrupting cycles of violence in Africa: unlocking complex dimensions of human security

AISA Policy Brief, no. 124, OctoberDisrupting the matrix of domination that feeds systemic inequality and poverty in violence ridden societies unlocks complex dimensions of human security. Self-reproducing cycles of chronic violence, driven by a multifaceted combination of structural and interpersonal factors, undermine any efforts to achieve such security. This policy brief discusses a range of negotiation processes that can mobilise communities to engage in social actions that supply in their own security and peace-making needs. The discussion generates crucial insights and knowledge that may inform and strengthen community-based 'whole-of-society' strategies for the prevention of violence and its gendered dynamics