Ghana Kanye Ndu Bowi: An Indigenous Philosophical Context for Conflict Management Notes S ince the late 1980s there has border. The objective in this paper is been a search for new conflict to identify and discuss the main KI management1 concepts and philosophical contexts within which methods in order to deal with Africa's the indigenous Buem conflict ubiquitous and apparently intractable management system operates. The conflicts. It can be argued that the paper also assesses the relevance of main problem militating against these principles to the management of conflict management in Africa is that modern conflicts in the area, http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/default.htm the contemporary conflict particularly land-related conflicts. management systems of the region's For administrative purpose, the area modern states are generally not under study is called Buem-Kator2; it continuations or adaptations of those constitutes the eastern half of the of the indigenous communities over larger Buem chiefdom in the Jasikan which they have gained jurisdiction District of the Volta Region of Ghana. since the colonial period. In other In terms of Ghana's current words, the main drawback in the decentralization program, the area is conflict management in Africa is that an area council, one of the six area No. 56 there exists a disconnect between the councils that constitute the Jasikan May 2003 conflict management systems of the modern states and those of their ethnic IK Notes reports periodically on constituents. Thus, an understanding Indigenous Knowledge (IK) initiatives of the indigenous conflict management in Sub-Saharan Africa and occasionally on such initiatives outside the Region. systems in the Africa in general may go It is published by the Africa Region's a long way towards improve our Knowledge and Learning Center as part of an evolving IK partnership knowledge and strategies in addressing between the World Bank, communi- the ever increasing conflicts in the ties, NGOs, development institutions region. and multilateral organizations. The World Bank views expressed in this article are This article intends to summarize those of the authors and should not be findings from a study carried out by the attributed to the World Bank Group or its partners in this initiative. A author between the winter of 1995 and webpage on IK is available at // spring of 1996 among the Buems on www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/ the Ghana side of the Ghana-Togo default.htm 2 District Assembly establishment. The indigenous people the community are molded to uphold the normative order. about whom this article is written are called Buems. Because Whereas the positive sanctions consist of the psyche rewards the area is generally covered with tropical rainforest, which that the people receive when they conform to the approved is highly conducive to the cultivation of cocoa and coffee, it mode of behavior, negative sanctions are the feeling of moral has since the turn of the last century attracted large numbers discomfort that they experience when they default. of migrant farmers. Even though Buems insist that social harmony is the overriding ideology in their relationship with each other, needless to state, the people do not follow the dictates of Kanye Ndu Bowi the rules of conformity with undeviating passion. Conflicts Buems maintain that the paramount concern of their are part and parcel of Buem social life. Conflicts occur within community is to sustain harmony within the social system. kinship units and between members of different kin groups. The philosophical foundation of this world view is They also occur between communities and between them encapsulated in the phrase, kanye ndu bowi, which translates and their non-Buem neighbors. In defining their conflict literally to mean the "ingredients of social harmony." Kanye situations, Buems distinguish between anger (konyi), quarrel ndu bowi is a broad ideological orientation, which provides (kador), duelling (bekpeligiti), and war (kekpe). Disputes the moral and legitimate basis for all manner of social usually involve breach of contract, slander, and witchcraft control3 and is translated into practice through the and sorcery accusations. Conflicts can also result from the imposition of "intrinsic sanctions." Intrinsic sanctions in the problems of political succession, marital misunderstanding, Buem context are both positive and negative. They are the injuries against persons, and damage to property. Land subtle, though pervasive, means by which the members of boundaries and rights of access to land are often contested. However, in conformity with the principles of social harmony, disputants are essentially expected to settle their IK Notes disputes by the most amicable means available. Thus, recidivism in particular is severely sanctioned by the would be of interest to: community as a whole whose duty it is to provide the public officials with support in enforcing the community's Name normative order. Institution Pillars of social harmony in Buem-Kator Address The Buem philosophy of social harmony is supported and sustained by other political values, among which are the people's notions of benyaogba ukpikator and lelorkalorbunu and their uncompromising emphasis on institutional and personnel trustworthiness. Letters, comments, and requests for publications should be addressed to: (i) Benyaogba ukpikator Editor: IK Notes One means by which the ideology of kanye ndu bowi is Knowledge and Learning Center Africa Region, World Bank sustained is through active emphasis on mediation, which 1818 H Street, N.W., Room J5-055 the people refer to as benyaogba ukpikator. Benyaogba Washington, D.C. 20433 ukpikator, as an essential pillar in the ideology of kanye ndu E-mail: pmohan@worldbank.org bowi, provides adversarial parties a forum to underplay conflicts and convince each other that irrespective of the 3 nature and cause of the conflict between them, the prospects accepted both the process and the verdict, managers of the of non-adversarial relationship is greater than that of disputing process will then begin to suggest courses of action disputes. In other words, by emphasizing benyaogba to repair the damaged relations between the former ukpikator as the chief conflict management method, disputants in order to return them to the previous state of disputants are made to avoid the winner-loser mentality that their social relationships. It is believed that a good dispute- is fundamentally associated with adjudication, which the handling forum does not force a decision on the parties but people call bate kate. By its nature, benyaogba ukpikator is a gets them to concur. generally flexible and amicable method of resolving disputes. This is appropriate for a community whose (iii) Institutional and personnel trustworthiness members live on a face-to-face basis and are bound by webs The third pillar, which undergirds the indigenous Buem of social, ritual and economic relationships. conflict management system, is the uncompromising The managers of benyaogba ukpikator are usually lineage emphasis on institutional and personnel trustworthiness. It elders, priests, and influential individuals who are known for must be noted that there is no explicit separation of powers their wisdom and skills in their official and professional among the indigenous organs of the Buem political system. capacities, as well as in their private dealings. These The same public officials--the chiefs, fetish priests, and individuals are normally known widely within their lineage heads--who exercise the powers of state communities and have the capability to persuade disputants administration are also the lawmakers as well as the law- who have been summoned to attend hearings. It often enforcers. However, contrary to the modern expectation that happens that such individuals are often invited to mediate such concentration of powers can be a recipe for autocracy, conflicts outside of their own kin group or community. While despotism, and even dictatorship, power concentration doing the fieldwork, the author came across cases of this among Buems has rather made imperative political nature. One elder in New Ayoma was often mentioned as an openness, trust, and transparency at both personnel and adept mediator. He was particularly remembered for his institutional levels. By resolving disputes, these politico- success in resolving a chronic land boundary dispute between judicial officials meet not only the expectation of the two farming settlements in the area. This mediation was disputants that their conflict has been resolved, they also deemed a success because, at the time of the interview, it strengthen the trust that the people have in them. In other had been over thirteen years since the dispute was settled words, successful resolution of conflicts does not only restore and had not been reactivated. marred social harmony, it also enhances the legitimacy and political standing of the public institutions and officials.4 (ii) Lelorkalorbunu Buems often say that any community leader who cannot be One other pillar in the ideology of kanye ndu bowi is the relied upon to settle community disputes is a kwesia panin-- strife for, and emphasis on, lelorkalorbunu. Lelorkalorbunu a worthless elder. represents the people's concept of fairness and justice. Buems maintain that the primary objective of their disputing Conclusion forums is to achieve lelorkalorbunu. Lelorkalorbunu literally refers to a mutual acceptance, not only of the dispute- One key question regarding the sustenance of the handling process, but also of the verdict. It is a basic indigenous principles of conflict management in Buem-Kator principle among the Buems that until parties to a dispute is whether the conditions that made them effective in the have accepted the verdict that is reached at any dispute- past are still intact to cope with the dramatic social changes handling forum, the conflict cannot be deemed resolved and, that the area has been experiencing since colonial times.5 as a result, settlement and/or penalty (kornu) cannot be This is because the apparent effectiveness of the indigenous suggested. In other words, once lelorkalorbunu has been principles in the past was possible because they evolved attained, which means that the disputing factions have with, and were tailored to, the scale of society and 4 exigencies of the time. As in all other areas in Ghana, and, in The central issue therefore is: Is it not appropriate for the fact, in all Africa, indigenous principles and values have been Government of Ghana and, in fact, African governments in significantly altered with the advent of the modern state, the general and their development partners to seek means by introduction of Western-style education, world religions, which the relevant aspects of the conflict management increased monetization of local economies, and the systems of the indigenous communities can be synthesized development of modern infrastructural and communication with those of the modern states in order to harness the facilities. The Buem who the author spoke with conceded potential benefits of both systems.7 this fact. The changes have posed a challenge to the effective mobilization and utilization of the indigenous principles in the management of the modern conflicts. 1 The term conflict management as used here refers to any means by which conflict is prevented, reduced, or resolved. One area in which indigenous Buem principles are in 2 The area is a cluster of farming communities, the main settlements of conflict with those of the modern state is the determination which are New Ayoma, Dzolu, Old Ayoma, Baglo, Odumase, Kute, and Lekante. of land rights, which has become the major source of conflict 3 Social control in this context refers to the community's moral code, in the area. This clash of principles is most obvious in the comprising its beliefs and value systems, which influence the people's attitudes and behavior. conflicting notions of statute of limitation, as applied to the 4 More elaborate views regarding this can be found in Marc J. Swartz, occupancy and use of land. For example, in 1972, the "Bases for Political Compliance among Bena Villages" Marc J Swartz, Victor W. Turner, and Artheu Tuden, eds., Political Anthropology, Government of Ghana passed a law, Section 106 of which Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, 1966 and a more recent work by specifically provides that a person who has been in Ben K. Fred-Mensah, "Bases of Conflict Management among the Buems of the Ghana-Togo Border Area , I. W. Zartman, ed., Traditional continuous possession of land for twelve or more years Cures for Modern Conflicts, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, 2000. cannot be evicted from the land. The central tenets of this 5 A similar question was earlier raised by Hareya Fassil in the article, "A Qualitative Understanding of Local Traditional Knowledge and law are fundamentally incompatible with the indigenous medicinal Plant," IK Notes, No. 52, January 2003, p. 2. Buem land laws. The indigenous Buem land laws do not 6 Ghana Government, Limitation Decree, 1972. This legal system dates back to the British legal tradition, particularly its Limitation Act, 1833. restrict the length of time within which an action to recover 7 Such an attempt has been suggested by Ben K. Fred-Mensah in his land from an occupant can be effected. Thus, the Buems have article, "Capturing Ambiguities: Communal Conflict Management Alternative in Ghana," World Development, June, vol. 27, no. 6, 1999. contended that the mere occupation of the land particularly It must also be noted that by virtue of its Interpretation Act, 1960 and by migrants (who are often viewed as outsiders), irrespective 1992 Constitution, the indigenous laws (called customary laws) of the of length of stay on the land, is not a sufficient condition to country's ethnic constituents are recognized as part of the country's legal system. However, in principle the national laws have precedence make it a property that they can perpetually hold. over them and also their application is limited to the ethnic group in which it has evolved. This article was written by Ben K. Fred-Mensah, Assistant Professor of International Relations and consultant in International Development at Howard University, Washington, DC. e-mail bfred-mensah@howard.edu or bmens@earthlink.net