Edeh's Charity Peace Model (Ecpm): Third Edition

By Emmanuel M. P. Edeh

Edehs Model of Peace, responds effectively and efficiently to the two dimensions of peace - primordial and secondary, and this response singles it out of other systems or models of peace promoted by other exponents.
AGBO EDMUND PHD

If Edeh has easily solved these millions of cases in his Centre, thereby adding a robust value to human community, it is timely then to integrate this model into the global community in the interest of mankind.
CHUKWU EZECHI CHUKWU PHD

The model of resolving disputes propounded by Edeh and propagated by his disciples can be effectively applied in any country, creed or context. In other words, it has a universal appeal.
OLIVER UDAYA FJS

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491819876

Emmanuel M. P. Edeh

Emmanuel M.P Edeh was ordained a Catholic priest of the Holy Ghost Congregation in 1979. He obtained a bachelor degree in divinity, Urban University, Rome, Italy, in 1976. He also has a bachelor, masters, and PhD degrees in philosophy from De Paul University, Chicago, USA, in 1979, 1981, and 1984 respectively. He was made professor of philosophy of education by Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, in 1999. Presently, he is the founder of two universities (Madonna and Caritas) in Nigeria and has written so many works, of which “Towards an Igbo Metaphysics” is very famous.

Book preview

EDEH’S CHARITY

PEACE MODEL

(ECPM)

THIRD EDITION

EMMANUEL M. P. EDEH:

THE PEACEMAKER

Author: AGBO EDMUND Ph.D., CHUKWU EZECHI CHUKWU Ph.D., OLIVER UDAYA FJS

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© 2013 Emmanuel M. P. Edeh: The Peacemaker. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/8/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1989-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1988-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1987-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013917181

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Contents

General Introduction

Part One

Chapter One:       The General Concept and Various Models of Peace

1.0   Introduction

1.1   General Concepts of Peace

1.2   Special Concepts/Various Approaches to Peace

1.3   Conflicts and Peaceful Approach: Various Systems

Chapter Two:       Edeh’s Model of Peace

2.0   Introduction

2.1   Peace in the Philosophy of Mmadi

2.2   Edeh’s Model of Peace

2.3   The Charity-Peace Model

2.4   The Operational Characteristics of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model

1.   Charity-Based

2.   Reconciliatory

3.   Mediatory

4.   Responsive to Both the Primordial and Secondary Dimensions of Peace

5.   Sacramental

2.5   The Distinctive Qualities of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model

Part Two

Chapter Three:       Mediation in Edeh: A Gateway to Justice, Reconciliation, and Peace

3.0   Introduction

3.1   Edeh and Alternative Dispute Resolution

3.2   The Centre for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation

3.3   The Catholic Prayer Ministry Worldwide

3.4   The Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration

Chapter Four:       Edeh’s Justice by Mediation

4.0   Introduction

4.1   Guiding Principles of Mediation

4.2   Mediator Functions

4.3   Search for Peace: Mediation versus Arbitration and Adjudication

4.4   Edeh and Justice by Mediation

a.   Mediation and Forgiveness

b.   Forgiveness and Reconciliation

4.5   Edeh, the Church, Mediation, and Reconciliation

4.6   Reconstruction in Edeh: A Continuous Sense of Healing and Revival

4.7   Edehist Pre-Conflict Peace Consolidation

4.8   Edehist Peace-Building and Peace Culture

4.9   Edehist Post-Conflict Reconstruction

4.10   Edehist Mediation, Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Global Peace

4.11   Conclusion

Part Three

Chapter Five:       Practical Application and Effective Expression of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model

5.0   Introduction

5.1   A Pointer to Greater Things to Come

5.2   The Inspiration and Sustenance

5.3   Motivating Factor in Edeh’s Peace Model

5.4   Efficacy and Necessity of Reconciliation as a Sacrament

5.5   Real and Authentic Peace

Chapter Six:       Some Landmark Achievements of Reconciliation and Peace Using Edeh’s Model

6.0   Introduction

6.1   Return to the Status Quo Ante

6.2   The Situation of No Victor, No Vanquished

6.3   Recovery of Everlasting Peace

6.4   Practical Results of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model

a)   In the Area of Business

b)   Commentary on the Resolved Business Cases

c)   In a Land Case between Mgbalukwu-isu and Ogboji-Ezzagu Communities in Ebonyi State

d)   In a Land Dispute between Ugbene and Ugbenu in Anambra State

e)   In a Land Dispute between Chief Adolphus Chukwuneke and Mr. Clement from Mbano in Imo State

f)   In the Sharing of the Family Property of HRH Igwe S. N. Okonkwo of Alo in Anambra State

g)   In a Land Dispute between Two Families in Akwaeze in Anambra State

6.5   On the Efficacy of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model in the Modern World: Appraisal and Conclusion

Part Four

Chapter Seven:       Madonna International Charity Peace Award

7.0   Introduction

7.1   Origin of the Award

7.2   Qualification for the Award

7.3   The Recipients of the Award So Far

7.4   Recipients of the Award in 2009

7.5   Recipients of the Award in 2010

7.6   The Giant of Peace, Fr. Edeh, Sues for Security and Peace in Nigeria

7.7   Appraisal

Chapter Eight:       Other Models of Peace

8.0   Introduction

8.1   Primordial-Consequentialist Model

a)   Confession-Based Models

c)   Ontologico-Existential Models

d)   Anthropologico-Theological Model

e)   Theoretico-Practical Model

f)   Formalistico-Legal Model

8.2   Strictly Consequentialist Models

Chapter Nine:       Edeh’s Charity Peace Model as the Best Alternative: Application to Some Major Peace Challenges in the Contemporary World

9.0   Introduction

9.1   Terrorism

9.2   Self-Determination of a People

9.3   International Environmental Maintenance and Global Crisis

9.4   Agricultural and Commercial Issues and Concomitant Problems

9.5   International Cooperation, Development, and Help

Chapter Ten:       Perculiar Dimensions of Peace in Edeh

10.1   PEACE KEEPING

10.2   Mma-di in Retrospect

10.3   Mma-di: A Peace-cultured being

10.4   PEACE MAKING

10.5   Preamble

10.6   Ontology in Edeh: Peace Indicator and Value Renaissance

10.7   Peacemaking as a Mission

10.8   PEACE BUILDING

General Conclusion

Bibliography

General Introduction

Many thinkers have made attempts to define the term peace, just as various schools of thought have given it polysemous interpretations in consonant rhyme with their diverse orientations. In the political camp in particular, peace has been severally described as the absence of war. Government, religious institutions, traditional settings and different organizations continue to proclaim the need for peace in the society. Irrespective of the multidimensional means and principles man has deployed to attain peace, the fundamental issue at stake is that it is a generally acceptable phenomenon that mankind has an uninterrupted desire for peaceful existence.

Having witnessed various Peace Plans by several institutions and the functionality of such models, it is clear that the world generally is yet to witness authentic peace. Can the world generally boast of corporate peace? Has humanity practically imbibed the biblical dictum of love thy neighbour as you love thyself. To what extent has the man in Bucharest tolerated the man in Reo de Janeiro? Does the man in Milan feel that he shares the same co-naturally with the man in Lagos? To what extent have we demonstrated that the life of a sick child in Frankfurt is being cared for, as much as another child in Kinshaa? Can we claim that the world is at peace in the midst of all these social disparities, even when there is absence of warfare?

In fact internal harmony, sense of dignity and belonging determine the quality of relationship one establishes with the outside world. Internal peace therefore leads to external harmony and external harmony is practical peace prompted by internal peace. Bad relationship, enmity, greed, starvation, conflict, oppression, injustice and lack of love are all indicators of non peace. To this end, it is obvious that non peace is the absence of all those conditions that are necessary for the actualization of human dignity as a corporeal being with a theocentric bearing. To define peace as a mere absence of war is to be economic with the full meaning of the term.

However, to identify the causes of non peace is one thing and to proffer lasting remedies is a different issue. Different religions have formulated different measures to achieve peace. Governments in different parts of the world also have judicial systems and commissions as agencies of peace installation. Traditional institutions have equally laid down procedures and machinery through which they manage peace in their various communities, kingdoms and areas of jurisdiction. In this bid to achieve peace, Africa is also not left out as both the apex and local authorities continue to formulate measures for a peaceful co-habitation of the people. The truth of the matter is that most of these Peace measures world over, have not given man the desired peace to enable him live the fullness of his being.

As a result of the need to enthrone a lasting peace to the society, Fr. Prof. Emmanuel M.P. Edeh has been operating an effective peace model in Elele Nigeria since 1985. In this work, this model is highlighted and referred to as Edeh’s Charity Peace Model. The present volume is an effort to analyze three important components of the Model. They are: Reconciliation and Mediation in Edeh while the third is an assessment of the ‘Practical Application and Effective Expression of Edeh’s Model of Peace’ and the last is the concrete application of Edeh’s Charity model on international level through the Madonna international Charity Peace Award.

The authors strongly believe that this model which has reconciled an average of 14 million cases after twenty seven years of Edeh’s establishment of the Peace. Justice and Reconciliation Centre, Elele Nigeria deserves attention. Surely, the work unravels the underlying principles of this model, how and why it has proved a monumental success and the need for the world to borrow a leaf from the Elele peace prototype founded by Edeh.

The significance of the model is implicit in the title: ‘’Edeh’s charity Peace Model’. This is therefore a model which attains peace with the vessel of charity. In his own work, Ezechi Chukwu traces logically, the operational tools of Edeh’s Charity Peace Model. In this vein, it is discovered that for Edeh to attain justice, reconciliation forgiveness, reconstruction and peace, he takes up the role of a mediator rather than a judge or arbitrator. In the chapter, he analyzed the underpin of Edeh’s choice of mediative role instead of other options.

Chukwu recounts that Edeh’s approach is more than an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) though with its peculiarities. Edeh, it is observed adopted this approach knowing really well that the civil courts and many other formal dispute resolution mechanisms are not structurally peace-driven. They are mainly courts, tribunals and often commissions or panels which are constituted to investigate the merit of cases, pronounce judgment and eventually pronounce a winner or culprit. Edeh realize that this winner-loser outcome of conventional justice dispensation can never bring a sustainable peace to mankind. This calls for his Peace Plan which uses mediation as a means to achieve reconciliation, forgiveness, reconstruction and peace. The model is peace-building driven, by virtue of its percept of providing man with those things which can consolidate his ontological status as mma-di, (good that is); thereby avoiding the bad conditions which could lead to non peace. In this way, Edeh’s Charity Peace Model is a Model which recognizes man as a peace-cultured being.

This work takes a brief look at some of the agencies through which Edeh’s peace mission operates viz: the Centre for Peace, Justice Reconciliation, the Catholic Prayer Ministry (CPM), Worldwide and the pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration. These agencies with their units were all founded between 1984/5 as powerful carries of Edeh’s peace mission. Mediating effectively through these structures, Edeh has typified himself as a symbol of charity, justice, reconciliation, restoration, forgiveness, reconstruction and eventually Ome Udo (peace maker). The millions of cases settled in the centre are reflective of the effectiveness of the model. Interestingly, his typology of peace is harmonious with the Church’s ordinance in view of human peace, hence an exercise which distinguishes Edeh as an apostle of practical charity and missionary of effective peace.

While part one deals with the General concepts and various models of peace and the principles of Edeh’s Charith Peace Model, part two approaches it from mediation, reconciliation. Part three gives a brief appraisal of the practical landmark achievements of peace settlement, using Edeh’s model. In this direction, Oliver Udaya relates the practical effectiveness of the model in concrete existential terms. Since the veracity of every given theory is measured by its ability to reconcile with action, the part assessed some of the cases treated by the Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Elele. Finally part three gives examples of Edeh’s charity peace model on some international beneficiaries.

The documentary evidence of the cases in part three is not chronological, for they reflect only samples of the millions of similar cases handled by the centre over the years. Udaya recalled that Edeh’s peace mission started in Our Lady of Lourdes parish Elele, when he was the parish priest of the Church; prior to the official establishment of his ministry in the 1984 and the Centre of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in1985. Udaya’s work maintains consistently that what motivates the confidence of people in Edeh’s peace and reconciliation centre is its functionality, especially the authentic peace and renewed life it gives to the disputants at the end of their cases.

He goes further to recollect and analyzes some specific cases successfully treated by the centre. The cases are treated free of charge to create both a level playing ground for the disputants and also to trigger the spirit of charity and peace. By so doing, the centre ensures that the people achieve reconciliation, settled mind, serene conscience and eventually peace. The characteristics of the practical cases herein include: cases that involved a ‘total return to the status quo ante’ and ‘the situation of no victor no vanquished’. In details they include among others, business cases, land dispute between both individuals and communities and sharing of family property.

The central message of the entire book is the efficacy of Edeh’s peace model, considering not only its effectiveness, but also as a means of enthroning peace to the turbulent globe. The intricacies of the practical cases resolved in the centre as contained in the book is a food for thought. The narratives are insightful and quite revealing. One can then understand how through practical and effective charity, mediation in Edeh gradually leads to justice and more importantly justice which has inbuilt reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, restoration, reconciliation and eventually peace, which is primarily the desired end.

The second edition of the book ends with an addition of chapters eight and nine; highlighting other models of peace in the world and showing how Edeh’s Charity Peace Model comes as the best alternative to them and can be successfully applied to the major peace challenges in the contemporary world. This third edition of the book introduces more emphasis on the concepts of peace keeping, peace mission and peace building as can be applied in international level.

The general conclusion shows that Edeh’s Peace Model is applicable to all political aggregation and different ideological inclinations. It is a model that could be applied to all manner of situations and to all peoples of all nations in their different religious creed and various social and economic situations and to all peoples of all nations in their different religious creed and various social and economic situations. It applies to all race, creed, class, class and gender. It is none discriminatory and ever satisfactory. This charity peace model paves way for Edeh’s Mma-di Peace Model (EMPM).

Part One

Chapter One

The General Concept and Various Models of Peace

By Edmund Agbo

1.0   Introduction

All human beings are ontologically and metaphysically imbued with the capacity to have peace of spirit, mind, and body. The negation or diminution or suppression of the endowment is the major cause of strife. The strife caused could either be intrapersonal or interpersonal.

As composite beings, we sometimes have conflicts between some of our components. The spirit might will an exercise that the mind or the body might not want. The mind might will something that the spirit or the body might not want. There is always a conflict of interest between these component parts, and such a conflict undermines our primordial peace. The resolution of such conflicts often leads us into inventing different systems or methods to keep spirit, mind, and body in their ontological harmony.

As a relational being, we sometimes find ourselves in harmony with others, confirming our primordial state of harmony, goodness, and happiness. While at some other times, discord and conflict become the order of the day. Peace is negated, diminished, or suppressed. We need to restore the peace in order to return to our original harmonious and peaceful state. Conflict management and transformation become a possible way out.

This chapter will review the general and special concepts of peace, with a view to identifying the various methods employed to retain or restore primordial peace. We will also underpin the various peace models available to us and more so, collocate the peace model of Emmanuel Edeh, a reverend Catholic clergy of the Holy Ghost Congregation, professor of philosophy, peace ambassador, the founder of the famous Centre for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in Elele, Rivers State of Nigeria, and the founder of the prestigious Madonna International Charity Peace Award (MICPA).

1.1   General Concepts of Peace

Peace is a household term. The word is familiar to most people, but it is very difficult to know its true meaning. The fact that people of different walks of life also approach peace from the point of view of their respective disciplines makes it more cumbersome to give a concise definition to it. This departmentalization of the concept of peace has, to a larger extent, led to its adulteration or obfuscation.

Politics attempts to appropriate the concept wholly to itself. Philosophy lays a claim to its final definition. Religion, on its part, asserts