Communication and the Culture of Peace in Africa - Chukuemeka Chikelu*

Download or read book Communication and the Culture of Peace in Africa - Chukuemeka Chikelu* written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1-6 © Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, 2004 (ISSN 0258-4913) Communication and the Culture of Peace in Africa Chukuemeka Chikelu* Abstract This paper examines the nature and consequences of armed conflicts in Africa, and the responsibility of communication scholars and practitioners in building the culture and infrastructure of peace in the continent. [...] As UNESCO observed in its constitution: "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men and women that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The year 2000 was observed as the 'International Year for the Culture of Peace' and the period 2001-2010 has been declared 'The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence'. [...] According to it, "the culture of peace is based on the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations and on respect for human rights, democracy and tolerance, the promotion of development, education for peace, the free flow of information and the wider participation of women as an integral approach to preventing violence and conflicts, and efforts aimed at the creation of conditions. [...] Communication and conflicts Since wars and the solution to them begin in the minds of men and women, the use of communication between and among people can be a means of moving the world towards a culture of peace. [...] Chikelu 1.p65 4 19/10/2004, 10:55 Chikelu: Communication and the Culture of Peace in Africa 5 The media and conflict management in Nigeria Issues of ethnic and social differences and their management underlie some of the major challenges of nation-building and governance in African countries generally and in Nigeria, in particular.