Elders need to champion new values

Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run, says American novelist Barbara Kingsolver. It is the daily work that goes on and adds up. A good deal of soul-searching and recrimination has gone on in the last two years over the 2007 General Election and the orgy of violence that followed it.

While these events rightly focus our attention on changes we need, Kenyans should not forget that these will not come in an event or two, but through a daily push for many small changes.

Milestones such as the passing of a new constitution, the delivery of justice for victims of past injustices or electoral violence or peaceful transitions of power will stand out along this journey. But, for the most part, we should seek smaller, personal victories in the push for a just society. The Kenya we want will not be legislated in Parliament, delivered in courts or tribunals, found by commissions of inquiry or campaigned for on lecterns and pulpits. It will arise in decisions wananchi make every day on bribery, tribalism, injustice, apathy and a myriad other matters. It will endure in those lessons we teach future generations by example about tolerance, reason, compassion and morality, among other things.

Knowing this will let citizens put involvement in the creation of new law into perspective: Kenyans must participate in the debate, the vote and implementation of a constitution. They must also take part in making all other changes to national life essential to an open, just democracy.

New divisions

The elders' conference on national cohesion opened by President Kibaki yesterday is another good forum for this task. Bridges burned in the angry days of post-MoU dissent, the 2005 referendum and the last elections can be rebuilt. Dialogue can resume on the unsettled injustices of the 47 years since Independence, only this time in a less confrontational atmosphere untainted by the stench of political competition.

Even new divisions over clauses in the Proposed Constitution, being stoked over land and individual rights, can be headed off.

Under the theme 'one nation, one people, one destiny', the Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs ministry brings together community leaders and elders to discuss alternative conflict resolution means and creating cohesion and integration. In the wake of past failures in reconciliation, one can only hope the meeting does some good. A state funeral for post-election violence victims failed to get the support of some Rift Valley Province MPs despite them being from all communities. All they could see was that the venue, Kiambaa, and the majority of the victims were reminders of an atrocity committed by youth from their community.

The event soon descended into farce as a boycott and a war of words over a planned memorial showed an unwillingness to seek forgiveness or offer understanding. The wars over justice, restorative or otherwise, a special tribunal, devolution and other issues all show that there are still many barriers to integration.

With civic nationalism a weak idea nationally and years of ethnic chauvinism being promoted as cultural revival, there is no shortage of issues on which the people can be divided. Dangerous ideas of tribal hegemony are exploited by the demagogues of the day. Political leaders have too much say in the national discourse, having co-opted elders into their schemes. The push for elders to take back their voices must begin soon. And it is vital that we begin by abandoning the fear of cultural irrelevance. It is not the customs that set us apart from each other that we should fight for, rather those that make us more like others.

More voices

The Agikuyu say an elder seated on a stool sees farther than the boy who has climbed a tree. This is a saying that proved itself true in the aftermath of the 2007 presidential election. As violence was breaking out on December 29-30 elders from various communities with international experience in peacemaking or diplomacy were frantically trying to pull us back from the brink.

Had there been a lot more voices like these, a good deal of the violence would have been avoided.

Source: The Standard | Online Edition