In most ethnic conflicts, it’s only natural for involved parties to point fingers as a means to absolve themselves from persecution. Most likely, each party has probably endured violence and suffering from the other side. Pointing fingers, and simply seeking revenge is counter-productive, and it will most likely result in more violence and abuse. As a model for sustainable solutions for ethnic conflict, I am using the idea of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee as was done in South Africa.Tanya Glaser’s article on the issue provides a more detailed explanation of each point made below.
The premise of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa was to provide the following:
- Amnesty for political crimes in exchange for full confession where individuals who do not make confessions are still subject to persecution.
- Investigating past human rights violation in order to bring recognition and closure to the victims.
- Offering reparations to the victims. Each case varies, but as a minimum, I think psychological services should be provided to the victims.
I think these are sustainable solutions, that can work in the long run to achieve peace within conflict torn cultures.
Following the above South Africa exemple is the last chance Kagame has,….otherwise he will be at the long side of the history