Respect for Human Dignity and Human Rights Can Provide Possible Solutions to Conflicts

October 28, 2002

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Addressing representatives of faith communities attending a historic summit near Johannesburg, University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) law professor, Shadrack Gutto, defined conflict as a continuous process involving differences that may be resolved with or without violence. The challenge then, he told the more than 100 delegates attending the Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa, is how to manage such contradictions "in ways that prevent or minimize social violence."

The summit organized by the Lutheran World Federation from October 14-19, brought together religious leaders from 21 countries across Africa. The theme of the conference was "Embracing the Gift of Peace." The focus was on practical ways of resolving conflict in Africa.

Gutto's presentation focussed on the cyclical relationship between the violation or denial of human dignity and human rights, and conflict. Human dignity, he observed, is an integral part of modern human rights, as recognized in a number of international human rights instruments such as the United Nations Charter, International Bill of Rights and African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, among others. "Understanding human dignity as a core constitutional and democratic value also enables us to link it with other basic principles and values of modern democracy like popular participation, good governance and the rule of law," Gutto said. He pointed out that some categories of modern human rights apply specifically to armed conflict situations and as such reinforce other categories of human rights.

But he stressed that human rights goes further in requiring that the state and society ensure the creation and existence of conditions which facilitate equitable access to socio-economic resources and basic services such as education, shelter and health. Thus, Gutto noted, human concerns should focus not only on violations but also on denial.

He cited some of the root causes of inter and intra-state conflict in Africa ranging from denial of the right to self-determination to the quest for maintenance through undemocratic means of political power and hegemony. These factors overlap and manifest themselves either as single dominant causes of conflict or perpetuate themselves in different dynamic combinations, according to Gutto.

Depending on one's starting point, the denial or violation of human rights, where there is no other legitimate and agreed forms of resolution, "naturally leaves the ‘victim' no alternative but to resort to violent force to stop the continued denial or violation and to redress the wrongs or perceived wrongs," according to the Witwatersrand law professor. And in the event that the "victim turned victor" adopts the repressive punishment root only, then the seeds for future conflicts would have been planted and a cyclical pattern of violent conflict followed by counter violent conflict would then prevail, Gutto argued.

He said this pattern could be explained in the numerous "truth and reconciliation commissions," TRCs, evident in Africa in the last ten to 20 years, and cited the most recent ones in South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Violent conflicts, Gutto stressed, are a "cause" and "product" of the denial and violation of human dignity and human rights, and vice-versa. "The pattern is cyclical."

For Gutto respect for human dignity and human rights can provide possible solutions to conflicts. He is convinced that the vigorous pursuit of human dignity and human rights in all spheres of human activity and life can lead to minimizing or resolving conflict in a sustainable manner. He noted that while conflict cannot be "resolved" without substantive justice and honor, the conditions that created conflict in the first place must also be addressed and substantially changed.

Categorizing the violation and denial of substantive human dignity and human rights in peacetime or wartime as tyranny and oppression, Gutto told faith community representatives from Africa, that it was in the interest of humanity as a whole to civilize itself by securing substantive human dignity and human rights through the rule of law and solidarity.

Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units.
The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 mllion Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.