Can There Be True Peace Without Justice?

Ghana's Coat of Arms significantly bear the words "Freedom & Justice" [without mentioning 'peace'] simply because freedom & justice are the foundations on which peace and development will thrive! Justice is therefore on balance, a pre-condition to peace and cannot be reversed

Following on the recent 7th Dec '12 Parliamentary and Presidential elections in Ghana, the word PEACE has done the rounds many times over, particularly from the propaganda machinery of the NDC as well as from well meaning but simplistic viewpoints of several other citizenry. It is therefore important to give a clear definition of both peace and justice to determine whether they are mutually exclusive concepts, or that one cannot exist without the other.

Wikipedia defines peace as follows: "Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and the freedom from fear of violence. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility,"

Wikipedia also defines Justice as : "The notion of justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion or equity. It is also the act of being just and/or fair"

I dare say from the definitions given that it would be disingenuous to presume that peace is more important than justice. Indeed, by its very nature, the absence of fairness and justice is a recipe for inevitable absence of peace [hostility]. Not to belabour the point, most violent revolutions have been as a result of the absence of justice and fairness. Slaves rose in rebellion against oppressive [unjust owners]; the Civil Rights marches of Martin Luthur King Jnr were against an unjust system of segregation; the unjust, unfair and discriminatory Apartheid regime in South Africa was violently resisted by the ANC and Nelson Mandela ; even Mahatma Gandhi's famous non-violent campaign was actually a campaign against the injustice of British imperialist rule. Finally, the recent 'Arab Spring' was an uprising against decades of undemocratic, unelected, monarchic, corrupt, brutal, unjust and unfair regimes.

Against the background of the examples cited where the absence of fairness, and justice led ultimately to the absence of peace, it is now relevant focussing on the recent Ghanaian experience for the sake of perspective.

An election is not just a simple matter of one party seeking to beat the other[s] to the seat of governance and influence, it is also a very personal and for that matter a most emotive issue. To say the recent elections in Ghana was a success begs the question. To say that the elections were peaceful is one thing, but it is quite another thing to say the conduct of the elections as well it's outcome was fair and just in its entirety. Due to the culture of 'winner takes all' endemic in our democracy, people tend to be selective in dispensing justice and fairness, therefore we have had the spate of put-downs against the NPP and its Flag Bearer, Nana Akufo Addo by those who say " for the sake of the peace of the country, the NPP and Nana should concede defeat as declared by the Electoral Commissioner and plan for 2016". How very convenient to hold that view if you are the beneficiaries of a disputed election. Of course no empathy here! Granted the individual investment of time, resources, energy and opportunity cost in the prosecution of and outcome of elections, an election becomes a very personal and emotive event that cannot simply be wised away by choreographed propagandic words like 'peace'! What about issues of 'moral right, ethics, rule of law, justice and winning fairly', for the genuinely aggrieved other person/party?!

For how long must the cheated be asked to turn the other cheek in the name of so called peace? What is the guarantee that the cheat would be magnanimous next time around and play fair? How is future fairness to be assumed when it is true that current power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Perhaps a more credible peace would be achieved where an unfair, unjust and corrupt system is challenged/tackled now, so as to instil responsibility in persons charged with conducting future elections. Such persons like Dr Afari Gyan, would realise they would be held personally liable and cannot be shielded by the party/government they colluded with to defraud the people's elections. This would be the basis for credible future elections that would see the end of disputed elections which would ultimately result in meaningful/credible peaceful elections. That is why Nana Akufo Addo's pending court challenge against the EC must be celebrated rather than condemned as a desperate desire for power. This challenge and the landmark Supreme Court ruling that would emerge, would set the right precedent for the conduct of future elections vis a vis the EC's impartial refereeing role.

I get so frustrated hearing on radio and TV; reading from newsreel and the social networks, plaintive platitudes of 'Joe Public' as well as indeed some dubious intellectuals who all plead that 'for the sake of peace Nana should concede'! What then is glaringly and dangerously ignored or subjugated is, justice and fairness towards Nana! We have seen the numerous examples where this absence of justice has rather led to pent up tensions that were subsequently violently and uncontrollably released! Please note that the agents of violence are not the ones seeking justice through the law courts [NPP], but those who through their collusion and connivance [EC/NDC] has created an unjust electoral outcome that threatens the peace. It is to the NPP's credit that rather than take the bait set by the blasé, irresponsible and compromised actions of Dr Afari Gyan and his EC officials, by going on rampage as in Ivory Coast and Kenya, have rather chosen the constitutional pathway to conflict resolution.

It is not a shouting contest where the party that shouts 'peace, peace' loudest is the true adherent of peace. Action, as is said, speaks louder than words! If you peddle an image of peace and condone acts that exclude actual peace through the absence of fairness and justice, you lose the moral right to the accolade of a peaceful party. It is the not the peaceful gathering in one tiny spot of Accra [Obra Spot] by NPP faithful to keep up deflated spirits pending the legal fight that is a threat to peace, rather, it is the injustice that has necessitated this gathering and march [as in Kumasi], that is a greater threat to peace.

True and lasting peace will attend our nation when the NPP is not hurried but allowed to present their case to the Supreme Court for adjudication within the constitutionally allowed 21 days. Until then the 'concede and let peace prevail' brigade should not presume to disregard the justice the other side rightfully demands.

So fellow Ghanaians, as we celebrate mutedly, or grief loudly the outcome of the 2012 elections conducted by Dr Afari Gyan's Electoral Commission, let us not make selective judgements that peace is more important than justice. Let us remember for always the following: There can never be credible peace without demonstrable justice. It is said that 'justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done' to allow peace to rule. Indeed, whereas there can be justice without peace, there can never be lasting peace without justice. This is an inimitable fact that can only be turned on its head by a devious propaganda machinery with an untoward agenda and relying on a largely illiterate and God fearing peoples' sensibilities and uncritical predisposition to 'peace'.

Reggae superstar Peter Tosh sums the value of justice with these words: "Everyone is crying out for peace, but none of them is crying for justice.......Equal rights and justice....". Equal rights [ fairness] + Justice = peaceful co-existence in the world.

Written by: Richard Dombo Diedong