AMBASSADORS LIGHT THE PATH TO PEACE
‘We are our own liberators’ can mobilise residents in war-like zones towards harmony
“VIOLENCE is not only about drawing blood, it is also about insulting and emotive language, demonising people, or holding oneself superior while regarding others as ignorant.” (April 2017: Archbishop Stephen Brislin, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference and spiritual leader of the archdiocese of Cape Town).
Archbishop Brislin identifies that violence is more than a physical act. It is this climate of violence that emerges from ideas, harmful to human dignity that adds fuel to the fires of aggression.
Peace Ambassadors produced hundreds of stories of hope that are beginning to gain traction inside terrorised communities. It is possible to build peace inside war zones.
● Five Peace Ambassadors from Mountview High School: Talia Petersen, Keenan Weitz, Rasheedah Smith, Britney van Bridges and Shaheem Davids were interviewed by Carl Wastie of KFM, a radio station that has a listenship of 880 000. The Peace Ambassadors were praised for sharing messages of peace with more than 1 000 people in the community and their involvement with numerous peace projects helping the vulnerable.
● Principal Tony Adamson gave one of the Peace Ambassadors, Ibraheem Abrahams, the “Principal’s Award” because he was active in preventing and stopping fights at Groenvlei High School.
● At Crystal High, three Peace Ambassadors, Inga Habe, Chelsea Jacobs and Samuel Stoffberg were honoured by the principal, Mr Dino Abrahams, for their leadership role in promoting peace at the school. The school has four law enforcement officers because of the violence. Peace Ambassadors are reshaping relationships at the school and 2018 was a remarkably peaceful year.
● Mountview High principal Heinrich Bowers recognised Chadwick Abrahams and Keenan Weitz for their Peace Ambassador roles at the school.
● Three Peace Ambassadors: Mumtaaz Galant, Kate-Lynn Fourie and Faseegah Rossie wrote inspirational articles to inspire thousands to believe in peace as a means to change challenging conditions. Each of them won R1 000 as prizes from the Institute for Strategic Labour Studies.
● Ten outstanding Peace Ambassadors from three high schools were chosen to visit Robben Island, courtesy of the editor of the Cape Argus, Aziz Hartley. The visit inspired them to work harder for peace: Chadwick Abrahams, Mumtaaz Galant, Talia Petersen, Labeeqah Stemmet, Kate-Lynn Fourie, Ibraheem Abrahams, Inga Habe, Chelsea Jacobs and Samuel Stoffberg.
● Two Peace Ambassadors community groups each were awarded R2 500 for their peace action projects by Premium Consulting: Gail Reid, Rasheedah Smith and Alma Reid and the second group, Johanna Fagan, Charmaine de Bryn and Janetta McKenna.
The Peace Ambassador pilot project is a small step towards challenging violence that has uncontrollably multiplied. To address the pervasive nature of violence in society, one needs to understand its typologies and context, and the power relationships.
Three primary types of violence are embedded in society. It has its genesis in colonialism and slavery and this tragic trajectory into the constitutional democratic state established in April 1994. Apartheid is the prime example of how these types of violence were applied. The oppressive rulers believed in white superiority (cultural violence); then used public power through the state to impose discriminatory laws that institutionalised inequality and racism (structural violence). The application of those discriminatory laws, led to killings, murder, physical and emotional assaults (direct violence).
The climate of violence in South Africa and the war at inter personal, to intra group and inter group levels are illustrated by the following statistics:
1. 7 140 murders, over two years in the Western Cape (2016/17 and 2017/18).
2. 30 769 murders over 10 years in the Western Cape, (2008-2018).
South Africa is a war zone where just under 200 000 people were murdered (2008-2018). These statistics do not include general criminality and law breaking data. Every crime is not necessarily reported, as many do not believe they will obtain justice.
The trauma attached to violence impacts on relationships. If we were to examine the statistics of violence post-apartheid over the past 24 years then the crimson waves of violence loom large.
Regrettably, there is no integrated peace strategy by the three arms of the state: national, provincial and local government to contain the violence and promote sustainable development to prevent violence. The poor and working classes have never known peace. It is only through popular mobilisation, “We are our own liberators” that progress can be made to reshape the consciousness of people directly affected by the war in communities.
Saint Francis of Assisi correctly stated that “all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle”. There are hundreds of little lights through small acts by ordinary people to promote peace.
Mother Teresa encourages us “to be kind, be joyful, be spiritual, be sweet, be helpful, be merciful and forgiving. Let no one ever come to you without going away better, happier and more loving”. Mother Theresa lights the way to peace with integrity, through tiny acts of kindness and goodness.