Research
Conflict Resolution Strategies in Classical Antiquity and Yoruba Society
As long as man lives and as long as societies relate together, conflict is inevitable. Therefore, for peace to reign in various communities, traditional societies had developed a well-defined structure for resolution of conflicts. In ancient times, particularly in Rome and Yoruba land, conflict resolution was done in conjunction with the council of chiefs and elders. Existing studies on the resolution of conflicts have mainly focussed on the modern methods which, over the years, have not yielded any significant result because their modes of operation are at variant with the custom and culture of the people. This paper examines how the traditional Romans and Yoruba resolved conflicts through the use of traditional rulers, that is, the paterfamilias and Mo Ì© Ìga Ì€ ji Ì (family head), BaaÌle Ì (compound head), Baa Ì le Ì© Ì€(community head) and the O Ì© ba (town head). It explores how such traditional role could be brought to bear in the contemporary society, where ethno-religious and resource control conflicts which have resulted in wanton destruction of lives and properties in many countries of the world. This study adopts a comparative approach to highlight how conflicts were settled at various levels of administration in ancient Rome and the traditional Yoruba society. The paper concludes by suggesting how the ancient methods can be reincorporated into the modern methods of conflict resolution in various communities, especially Nigeria.
The Socio Religious Significance of Edi Festival Song in Controlling Marital Infidelity in Traditional Marriage Institution in Oriigbo Meje, Osun state Nigeria
Discrimination and intolerance toward religious communities exists throughout the world, making many people of diverse religions and beliefs vulnerable to extremist thinking and violence. Recognizing the need to actively combat these ideas and promote religious tolerance and pluralism, Hardwired Global piloted a rights based education program to address the underlying fears, misconceptions and biases held by youth that influence their behavior and perceptions of others, making them susceptible to extremist thinking and violence. This resulted in a Teacher-Training Program to equip teachers in three distinct countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – Iraq, Lebanon, and Morocco – with a rights-based pedagogy and educational resources to integrate greater respect for human dignity, equality, and the rights of people of different religions and beliefs in the culture of the classroom. Analysis of the program has shown statistically significant conceptual change in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs as well as an increase in empathy towards others who believe differently.
