Peace, Security and Reconstruction Programme
At this time in history, South Africa has a violent face. There are around 50 000 rapes each year and these represent only the estimated 1 in 35 which are reported. There are around 50 murders each day. Domestic violence is commonplace. Corporal punishment, often of an extreme kind, is frequent in many schools and households. Sexual assault of girl learners by teachers and male learners is common.
This direct violence is closely linked to the structural violence inherited from apartheid. There are extremes of wealth and poverty seen in few other countries. The average white household in South Africa, for example, earns about nine times that of the average black household. About 60% of rural black households live in grinding poverty.
The government, with the assistance of NGOs, has made much effort to deal with these aspects of violence but its scale is enormous and many communities and individuals have come to accept violence as normal and inevitable.
Conflict occurs because we are different. The way we handle our conflicts, however, is a choice. Most people handle conflict nonviolently most of the time. Still, many people frequently resort to violence to get what they want. Violence is costly and not necessarily very effective. It can lead to further violence in the future. It also goes against our spiritual principles.
One of the major assumptions of peace studies – and there is plenty of evidence to support this – is that effective, nonviolent ways of dealing with conflict can be learned. This is one of the major aims of the proposed Peacebuilding and Reconstruction Programme: to help students learn effective, nonviolent ways of dealing with the conflicts they face.
Another aim of the proposed programme is to look at the political, socio-economic and cultural structures that promote violence and studying ways of changing society to become more humane and peaceful in a comprehensive sense.
Our intended outcomes for students of this proposed programme are:
- To develop a greater understanding of the root courses of conflict and violence – from interpersonal through to international levels. This understanding will be holistic, rather than based on a single discipline, and will involve linking ideas which are normally studied separately.
- To develop a capacity for critical thinking, being less accepting of ‘conventional wisdom’ but rather being able to question simple single explanations and to appreciate the complexity of issues.
- to change or develop values and attitudes so that students are more committed to non-violence and more motivated to work for peace and justice.
- to find ways to act effectively for peace and justice, to contribute to building more peaceful households, institutions and communities.
The proposed Peacebuilding and Reconstruction programme has been initiated by Prof. Geoff Harris at the University of KwaZulu/Natal in 2002. Since the end of 2006 NMMU has been offered a fully funded lecturer by the German Church Development Service (EED) to replicate – and where necessary adapt – the programme in Port Elizabeth.
The proposed programme is offered by way of distance learning with a compulsory contact session of one week twice a year. The duration of the BA Honours degree is two years (four semesters) part-time.
If interested, please complete the survey in an effort to create an improved understanding of what is needed and delivery. Please e-mail the questionnaire back to Mr Christoph Baumann.
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