John. You made this comment on another posting: "I have just discovered that the Western concept of truth and justice omits a step if seen from the African concept. The West says "know the truth and administer justice". The African concept is,"Know the truth,illuminate the truth with mercy and administer justice. The steps are: Truth,mercy,justice,peace,restoration,and transformation." These steps are very crucial in bringing personal and community healing.Truth Commissions should always try to harvest what the community already has.This could be derived by x-raying the events,patterns and foundations with the magnifying lenses of systems thinking".

Could you tell me more about the source of this comment?

Thanks

Hedley in Northern Ireland

Hi! JB. This is Enoch Ongwara. I was delighted to read your input on the Peace and Collaborative Network.

You can reach me by email: ongwaraenoch@gmail.com. Eyalama.

Great John. Wish you all a wonderful board meeting. Hope you come up with strategies that will bring more durable peace in Jos and Nigeria. Coincidentally, I will be meeting with a group of peace makers from the US, Africa, and Europe beginning Monday and for two weeks running. We hope to form an Alliance for peace during the meeting. We will be meeting here in the US. More about this later.
Please also keep me posted on the outcome pf your meeting so that we can be on the same page. Thanks and peace.
Zac

Thanks John. I visited the CEPAN website and I am happy with your mission statement and achievements so far. I am convinced that we can do some work together. The African Conflicts Response Foundation (ACRF) is currently working on a number of peace initiatives for Africa. We should begin ground work soon. Please let us continue talking the talk to see how we can partner to bring peace in Jos. We will include you in our list of partners if we can work out a mutually acceptable "modus operandi." Thanks again. Peace on
Zac

Hi John

Great to know you through this network. And congrats for the marvelous work you are doing to foster peace in Nigeria and Africa. We will love to connect with you in this challenging enterprise of peace promotion; especially in Africa where ethnopolitical violent conflicts have almost defied conventional peace prevention/management theories. Please visit our website: www.acrfonline.org, to learn more about us. We are essentially a US-based pan-African nonprofit that works to foster a culture of peace in Africa. Maybe we can connect to do some more work together. Peace on.
Zachary

Hi

I am here in Israel. the situation here like always, is complicated. the situation with u.s. is problematic because while the American got rid off them religious leader we chose very right government. the American wanted someone who will lead them for better future whereas we looked for someone strong.

Liberman is Russian with east European mentality, his daughter is religious woman and the combination makes things different. In addition unlike the previous years all the candidates for the supreme court are religious people.

yesterday the Israeli-Arabs set a fires all over the north. there is daily shooting from there side to places near Jerusalem. Everyone are avoid from saying that we gave up, gave them territories, the world gave them lot of money and they did not do anything. things are the same, the money
gone with the wind, them democracy is a joke they kill each other every day, the dis function.

it would be nice if the British will come back, this time for the Palestinian side and run mandate. they really need this. this is not suppose to be the Israeli role.

Yasmin

Hey John
Thanks for your prompt response.As far as post-election violence recovery is concerned-you are right trauma healing's required.Sadly no,I haven't heard of anyone returning stolen goods.It would have made headlines.
There's a truth,justice and reconciliation commission that's being set up to address such social injustices that date way back to the 80s.However,setting up and enforcing are two different things here.I know I sound pessimistic about the country's progress but I think am sadly realistic.Plus there's no consensus yet on where the perpetrators of the violence should be tried-local tribunal or the Hague(latter is a bad idea in my humble opinion).Let's hope at a time like this next year there'll be progress in these areas.

thanks for the invite....guess I have alot to learn from you all as I'm still at the baby steps of my career.please keep me posted on any alternative dispute resolution/peacebuilding training programmes u may hear of around africa.
thanks...good day