The joint heads of the Interfaith Mediation Center Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa recently visited Egypt and AWR’s office in Cairo. During their visit Wuye and Ashafa spoke about their center and conflict resolution techniques.

Article full text:

Introduction

Twenty years ago Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye from Nigeria were sworn enemies. Now they are working together to stop conflicts and build peaceful relations between different communities. They have set up the Interfaith Mediation Centre in the state of Kaduna in Nigeria and are seeking to replicate the success they have had in Kaduna in other parts of their country and abroad. They do not believe in toleration or compromise but in acceptance. Ashafa and Wuye call on people to reconnect with old traditions and get back to the essence of religion, because although religion has been “used, abused and misused” they firmly believe that it also carries the solutions to current global phenomena.

Ashafa and Wuye’s story has become the focus of a film, ‘The pastor and the imam’ and the two recently traveled to Egypt to screen the film and speak to audiences about their efforts. The Moral Rearmament Association, the organization that invited Ashafa and Wuye to Egypt, and AWR which hosted them in its office hope that they will be able to learn from the Nigerians’ experiences.

Although Egypt has thankfully never experienced the levels of violence that Nigeria has witnessed, the tensions that do arise between Muslims and Christians are a source of worry to observers. However, by learning from the imam and the pastor and placing conflicts into an Egyptian context it may be possible to ease tensions and foster a climate of dialogue and understanding.

In light of a conflict resolution project that the Center for Arab West Understanding is about to launch the timing of the pastor and the imam’s visit was particularly apt. Ashafa and Wuye are especially concerned with two fields that have great relevance for CAWU and Egyptian society as a whole; conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

Conflict Prevention

Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye believe that if possible conflicts should not be allowed to erupt into full-blown tensions and have set-up early warning systems in Nigeria to monitor signs of tensions to catch them before they escalate.

They believe there are a series of steps that can be taken to promote dialogue and peace in the community.

Advocacy programming

Ashafa and Wuye recommend using the media to spread positive peaceful message into the community. For example, putting up posters or sending out messages on the radio to get across peaceful ideals. The messages could include quotes from the Qur’ān or Bible or other positive slogans that create a positive atmosphere and remind local people of the benefit and importance of peace. Religious leaders can also become involved an act as role models in their community, spreading the message of peace through their faith. Advocacy programming can even take the form of providing material or equipment for both sides of a community so that different groups work together and have a vested interest in keeping the peace.

Peace advocacy

Peace advocacy involves stopping conflicts from escalating and spotting early warning signs. Advocacy means preparing people and the environment and preparing actors to solve a problem before it happens as well as helping them to stop conflicts from escalating if they do occur. This requires capacity building before tensions occur and having a pool of resources that can be called upon if there is a dispute. Peace advocacy is also about building trust between different parties so that conflict is less likely to occur.

Dialogue

Dialogue is vital. A lack of dialogue will mean that groups end up in negotiations and negotiations are about managing resources, as opposed to dialogue that is built on a spirit of cooperation. If during negotiations different parties do not allow space for each other then the situation deteriorates into mediation and arbitration. If that is unsuccessful it can lead to sanctions and war. However if dialogue and discussion continues communities do not become isolated. It is when dialogue breaks down that problems start to occur. In Nigeria some groups have started to arm themselves and begin to prepare to attack, while in Egypt communities have tended to withdraw into closed off units. In either case, at that stage any small trigger can lead to a full-scale conflict, or groups may attack each other pre-emptively. As Pastor James Wuye says, when you get to that stage, “assumptions can kill.” It is the lack of communication that leads to suspicions and problems. People need to speak to those who they think are their enemies.

Imam Ashafa has spoken of the nine different levels of identity that exist, ranging from the family and tribal level right up to the spiritual and racial level. He believes that at some level everyone is able to connect with everyone else and through this dialogue and interconnectedness conflicts and tensions are reduced. He further believes that history will judge people as right, wrong or even righteous for how they managed to work within the different levels of identity and engage in dialogue.

Conflict Resolution

In an ideal world, conflict prevention would be enough but tensions do still boil over into conflicts and it is then important to know how to be able to reach a peaceful and fair solution that will build a lasting peace and stop tensions erupting again. Each conflict is unique and it is vital to understand the dynamics of a conflict before trying to resolve it. However conflicts are generally the result of three issues: psychology, resources or values. Just as with conflict prevention there are a number of steps that Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye believe can be followed to build a stable peace.

First analysis

Trying to map out the conflict and understand the different layers and components involved is a fundamental part of the first analysis of a conflict. Although it is worth remembering that only those who are directly involved understand all of its dimensions. Ashafa and Wuye suggest identifying the interests of the parties involved and trying to recognize their needs and their fears in the conflict. In addition to looking at the parties on the ground it is important to consider other groups that have played a role. For example, the media, the government, interest groups or others that can affect the outcome of a conflict or its peaceful resolution. Ashafa and Wuye classify these actors as ‘shadows’ in a conflict.

Restorative Justice

If damage has been done parties may refuse to sit down and negotiate together until compensation has been paid. This damage could involve blood money to compensate a family for their relative’s life or compensation for material damage that has been done to property. Until this compensation has been paid it may be difficult to get to the heart of the real issue and resolve differences. Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye state that at times it may be necessary to seek foreign funding or donors to pay off this compensation. It could also be helpful to call in an independent evaluator to assess the costs of the damage in an unbiased way.

Positive intimidation

It is key to make sure all parties know before they start negotiating that they have to be sincere and go into the process with an open heart. Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye suggest getting the different sides to take an oath before negotiations start and warn them that they will be punished by God if they violate the terms of the reconciliation. Ashafa and Wuye call this strategy ‘positive intimidation’ and use it to try and ensure that negotiations and their resolution is successful.

Bringing conflicting groups together, keeping the media out

Once compensation has been paid, it is possible to start to elicit from different groups what the real issue is at the core of the conflict and what it is that they want. From that basis it is possible to start negotiating and shifting positions. Only the parties that are directly involved should be present during negotiations. The media, donors and ‘shadow’ actors should be kept out at the negotiating stage and it should take place behind closed doors with no cameras or recordings. In that way people will start to open up and make statements they never would with the cameras rolling. If the media is involved it can affect how sides act and media reporting can hinder progress. Additionally, if either side talks to the press during negotiations it could upset the delicate balance. All sides need to feel that it is their process and need space to move during the negotiations. In this way it is possible to get to the real issue of a problem.

If during the process there is a sticking point, Ashafa and Wuye advise giving both sides time to reflect on the issue and think about it, have a break or move on to another issue. However at the end if there is one point that the two sides do not agree on then the whole process goes back to stage one.

Using respected local figures

Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye believe that respected local figures can be employed to help the reconciliation process. Local or regional personalities that are respected by both sides can be brought in to the negotiations to show that they support the initiative. For example a retired chief security officer or retired political figure can help to facilitate negotiations. They do not need to actually head the negotiations but act as figureheads that give the process legitimacy and weight. Alternatively if a local NGO that has a good reputation can be included in the reconciliation it will help the process.

Ashafa and Wuye also suggest making intellectuals conspicuous and making what they say known in the media. In that way if they are a force for good it will become apparent and they can help the reconciliation. However if they are talking behind people’s back it will soon become obvious that they are the weak link. It will be easy to trace if intellectuals go back to the grassroots level and demonize the situation, thus hindering peace.

A peace declaration

At the end of negotiations it is important to make a document outlining the terms of the peace agreement. Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye advise encouraging parties to make an oath to God not to violate any part of the agreement. In that way if anyone does break the agreement in the future they can see the document that they signed and it is possible to back to them with evidence of the terms they agreed to. The peace declaration should be made very conspicuous so that everyone knows that all parties have agreed and that reconciliation has happened. Get the media involved and hold a celebration that demonstrates that the conflict is over. However Pator Wuye does caution that some value-based conflicts are irresolvable. In those cases it is necessary to manage and massage the conflict but it may not be possible to completely solve the dispute. Then reconciliation efforts should work toward making the situation as peaceable, if not peaceful, as possible.