"Osofo" Tutu supports Ghana's reconciliation process

The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa on Monday said the establishment of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) would provide a historic opportunity for Ghanaians to give a voice to victims and enable a national dialogue to re-examining the pain of the preceding years.

For the victims, the Commission might help to restore their dignity and heal their wounds, Archbishop Tutu said this in a congratulatory message to the NRC, which was inaugurated by President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

"It will create a record for this and future generations of Ghanaians. That record shall stand not only as a warning not to repeat the abuses of the past but also as an encouragement to show that evil can be overcome and that good will prevail. For some of those who have been guilty of violations, the Commission will offer the chance to admit their guilt and seek reconciliation with their compatriots ", Archbishop Tutu said.

He said Ghana was a beacon of hope for Africa, a country that was building on its great history to chart a course for an even greater future, therefore, it would have been tempting for such a country to sweep old issues under the carpet, embrace its prosperity and move on with eyes averted from the past.

"In this context, the brave decision to refuse the easy road to grapple with the past in order to create a better future already demonstrates the courage and insight of the Ghanaian people in recognising that the past will come back to haunt you if you do not address it", he added.

Archbishop Tutu said the difficulty of the tasks facing the Commission should not be under-estimated because experiences in South Africa showed that this kind of work could not please all of the people all of the time.

He said the Commission and its staff would require faith, determination, courage and integrity, adding, " but you are not alone. You can draw on the work and experience of South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission along with the lessons learned from similar Commissions in Peru and Chile, Guatemala and East Timor.

Archbishop Tutu said the Commission could draw on the resilience and spirit of Ghanaians because when South Africans were in the midst of their struggle, they were empowered and encouraged by Ghanaian solidarity and example.

"Ghana was the first country on the African continent to get independence, we were the last and in our struggle we drew from your struggles for freedom and human dignity. This will also be the greatest resource of the Commission as it continues its work, " he added.

Archbishop Tutu said the search for truth and reconciliation will often be painful and sometimes appeared thankless, but would also be uplifting and inspirational. "Ghanaians have had the wisdom to see that the cross of the past is the key to a future of peace and respect. The Commission is charged with transforming the burden of that cross into the opportunity for a brighter future, "he added.

In another development, Mr. Salomon Lerner Febres, President of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Peru on Monday said such Commissions promote and open up possibilities for the defence of human rights.

The creation of truth commissions was one of the most successful manifestations of this trend, given their significance and impact in the various countries where they had been created, Mr Febres said in a congratulatory message to the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), which was inaugurated by President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

The message said, "I am honoured to write and convey to you greetings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Peru, along with my best wishes for your success in the transcendental task with which you are charged.

"We are certain that your work will be equal to the enormous responsibility entailed in rebuilding the collective memory of the Ghanaian people, promoting within the population the resurgence of a culture of peace that makes it possible to start on a path toward national reconciliation based on ideals of justice rather than impunity", the message added.

Mr Febres said with the creation of the NRC, government of Ghana had joined a world-wide trend initiated years ago that promoted and opened up possibilities for the defence of human rights. Truth Commissions have been established in over 20 countries around the world including, Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, South Africa, Haiti and Sri Lanka.