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negotiation, mediation, reconciliation, dialogue, communication, 
collaboration 
processes in the traditional setting is seen as a re-establishment of relationships 
between people and also with their God and Spirits-who are regarded as witnesses and active 

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47 
participants. As Kiplagat (1998) points out, "there is a holistic approach to the process, working 
with the community as a whole, invoking spiritual forces to be present and accompany the 
community towards peace", The responsibility of the elders was to guide the process towards 
agreement which will reflect as much as possible the consensus of all the parties involved. 

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48 
CHAPTER ELEVEN 
UNDERSTANDING 
AFRICAN 
PEACEBUILDING 
PROCESSES 
IN 
THE 
CONTEMPORARY TIMES (UBUNTU). 
In order to fully understand how nonviolence as an indigenous principle entrenched in the 
African peacebuilding processes, this book to bring to light how peaceful and nonviolent African 
approaches to conflict resolution are practically employed even in modern times to resolve conflict 
and ensure peacebuilding in contemporary African societies. Below are examples of some 
traditional methods employed to build peace in Africa: 
Ubuntu: 
this is an African concept for a universal concept. Its cardinal spirit is expressed in 
Xhosa, 
one of South Africa eleven languages as 
umntungumntungabayeabantu 
to mean "people are people 
through other people". It is an indigenous conflict prevention and peace building concept that 
embraces the notion of acknowledgement of guilt, showing of remorse and repentance by 
perpetrators of injustice, asking for and receiving of forgiveness and paying compensation as a 
prelude for reconciliation and peaceful co-existence. As a peacebuilding strategy 
ubuntu 
is based 
on the principle of reciprocity, inclusitivity and a sense of sharing destiny between people. It is 
also a principle of nonviolence which ensures that peace is not only an absence of war but also the 
absence of unequal and unjust structures and cultural practices, respect for other people, 
development and justice. 
Ubuntu 
spirit in African communities is the live force of the principle of 
nonviolence in the African peacebuilding (Chaplin K., 2006). The concept is indigenuos in most 
African communities though expressed differently. For instance, among the Bwatiye people in 
Adamawa State it is called 
Bwaraune 
which simply means humaness. 
Gacaca courts: 
This is a Rwandan court saddled with the responsibility to promote reconciliation, 
restoring harmony and social order as well as integrate offenders into the society. It provides an 
avenue for the community to gather together to talk, to hear the truth and learn to live together 
again. It was used as a solution following the Rwandan genocide of 1994 to reconcile the Rwandan 
people and bring an end to the vicious circle of extreme violence (Brouneus,2003). Even if it was 
criticized as being used by the government, the 
Gacaca 
courts had great success in building and 
restoring peace in the once war turn Rwanda.