No Peace without Justice -JJ

April 19, 2010

THERE CAN BE NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE ­ RAWLINGS AT CRANS MONTANA FORUM

Former President Rawlings Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has stated that there cannot be peace if there is no justice. He intimated that peace without justice is an existence in coercive silence.

He lamented how for years Africans were terrorised into coercive subordination by the propping up of oppressive regimes through America¹s uni-polar leadership.

Speaking during contributions at the Crans Montana Forum on Africa which ended last week in Brussels, Belgium the former Ghanaian President said so-called democratic regimes were motivated to impose fear on their people through political, socio-economic and judicial impunity.

Flt Lt Rawlings was hopeful however that Obama¹s election and the manner he was welcomed by both black and white will inspire the world to restore morality back into global affairs.

³Nkrumah said seek ye first the political kingdomŠbut I will say seek he first the essence of your spirituality and all others shall follow,² former President Rawlings stated.

The approach to the Iraq invasion and utterances made that encouraged killing rather than ³arresting and bringing to justice² gave some African leaders a carte blanche to perpetuate such tactics, former President Rawlings said.

Former President Rawlings stated that the lack of counterbalance to the uni-polar leadership of the United States had led to humanity being impoverished. ³When the Soviet Union collapsed there was hope that we will see the friendly face of capitalism, but Pope John Paul was vindicated when he spoke of the savagery of capitalism.²

Democracy in Africa, the former President said is rich within the rural areas of continent because of the spirituality of language. ³Language evokes obedience and spirituality. If I speak your language and it comes with spirituality, then that¹s okay. But what we have (Africans) adopted does not come with spirituality.²

The former President said the failure to give people the chance to defy has been one of the reasons why there is conflict on the continent. He lamented the corruption of the sanctity of electoral power through bribery and other electoral malpractices. Some politicians, he intimated have resorted to compelling voters to swear by spiritual deities when they bribe voters because the people have a fear for such spiritual forces.

FORUM FOR NEW LEADERS Launching the Crans Montana Forum for New Leaders on the last day of the conference, former President who was the Honorary Chair of the 2010 Crans Montana Forum for Africa and co-chairman of the Forum for New Leaders said the new project had ³the potential of changing the face of international cooperation if enough tenacity of purpose and sense of character² is applied to it.

The Crans Montana Forum for New Leaders is a multi-stakeholder community of young leaders whose objective is to shape the global agenda and work for a better cooperation between the Arab World and African countries in the framework of the new South-South Cooperation.

Former President Rawlings charged the new leaders to be original and progressive in their approach and aspire to distinction. He spoke of the difficulty he encountered when he told his family at a tender age that he wanted to be a pilot. Though they were against his choice he stood his ground and ended up an accomplished Air Force pilot.

Africa and South American cooperation the former President noted had brought significant economic and social development to both regions despite the challenges of funding and ³I am confident that the new Arab-Africa cooperation will bear fruit at even more rapid pace.

³The African continent has been a victim of international economic imbalance and South-South cooperation in its varied forms has sought to bridge that gap and switch the balance of power into a more equitable one.

³We live in an unfair world where the stronger states will do all in their power to have their way. To succeed and carve the path of a new world order you have to be original in your thinking, innovative in your actions and united in your approach.

³Many who have led this path have failed. Some of us as leaders of yesterday and today have made both good and bad choices. On hindsight we could have pooled resources and showed more commitment to enhance South-South cooperation decades ago.

³Today you have the opportunity as more determined leaders to carve a path that will set the pace for a new world economic order. It may seem ambitious and an impossible task but commitment is key to its success and you cannot afford to repeat our mistakes,² the former Ghanaian President said.

INTERACTION COUNCIL Former President Rawlings and his wife were due to leave for Japan from Europe during the past week for the InterAction Council Annual Plenary Meeting, which is taking place from April 18 to 20 but were unable to travel due to the widespread cancellation of flights caused by the Icelandic Volcano.

In memory of the 65th anniversary of the first atomic bomb dropped on human kind the Council¹s 28th Annual session is being held under the theme: ³Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: The Hiroshima Declaration.²

As a member of the Council former President Rawlings is expected to be a signatory to the Hiroshima Declaration even in absentia. The meeting is being attended by the likes of Ingvar Carlsson, former Prime Minister of Sweden, Jean Chretien, former Prime Minister of Canada, Sam Nunn, former United States Senator and Malcolm Fraser former Australian Premier. A host of sitting heads of state, former heads of state, academics and political minds are also attending.

The InterAction Council was established in 1983 by the late Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda as an independent international organization to mobilize the experience, energy and international contacts of a group of statesmen who have held the highest office in their own countries. The Council has jointly developed policy recommendations on, and practical solutions for, the political, economic and social problems confronting humanity.

Former President Rawlings is among a list of 22 members of the Council. The Council also has Associate members and invites guests and High-Level experts to its Annual Plenary meetings.