| dc.description.abstract | One of the major challenges we continue to face at
the close of the twentieth century is the
achievement of genuine reconciliation and lasting w
orld peace. In the past, the effects of war
were limited, but today our potential for destructi
on is beyond imagination. In many parts of the
world, local and regional conflicts are causing mis
ery to millions, and have potentially far-
reaching global consequences (Michael Henderson, 19
94). Kenya, especially during the political
crisis in 2007/2008 has not been an exception to th
e above phenomenon.
In conflict situations, victims and survivors do n
ot forget what has happened to them. If their
experiences remain unaddressed and are allowed to f
ester, they will have catastrophic
consequences in the future. Attempts to evade the r
eality of those who have suffered hideously in
the past set the stage for those memories to boil o
ver in violent response to the immediate
present; even worse, the memory of these grotesque
realities are passed on to succeeding
generations and become a mythology which will suppo
rt equally hideous reaction in the future.
Unless conflicts are faced as a part of a complete
reality, sooner or later memories are acted
upon. As the Final Report of the South African Trut
h Reconciliation Commission (TRC) points
out, ‘Reconciliation is a process which is never-en
ding, costly, and often painful. For the process
to develop, it is imperative that democracy and a h
uman rights culture be consolidated.
Reconciliation is centered on the call for a more d
ecent, more caring, and more just society. It is
therefore, a responsibility of each one of us in th
e society to respond by committing ourselves to
concrete ways of easing the burden of the oppressed
and empowering the poor to play their
rightful part in society.’ | en |
