Nobel Peace Committee decides wisely as fragile Mid-East truce takes hold

Hopefully it would be a sobering moment for US President Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed Nobel Peace Prize winner this year.

- BY LYNN OCKERSZ

Whereas Trump prematurely and vaingloriously declared that the Prize was his, the Nobel Committee decided otherwise and chose Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the coveted award and very rightly.

It is far too early to say whether peace has finally dawned in the Gaza in particular and in the Middle East in general. The mere ceasing of fighting does not necessarily translate into peace, which has a far more profounder and substantive meaning than a cessation of hostilities. Generally, peace denotes permanent reconciliation or a forgiving of each other by adversaries, besides a downing of arms.

The moment of forgiving, moreover, arrives when former adversaries admit to wrongs committed against each other, seek to be forgiven and work towards fostering a spirit of brotherhood and mutual understanding between them. This in essence, is Truth and Reconciliation; a process which was boldly explored for the first time in modern history by post-apartheid South Africa.

It is plain to see that President Trump's 'peace' overtures have come nowhere near Truth and Reconciliation, correctly understood.

Besides, peace as defined here cannot be achieved at gunpoint, so to speak. That is, adversaries cannot be coerced into making peace. They need to be convinced of the merits of being reconciled with each other and of being united in a spirit of brotherhood.

Needless to say, this is a long term project. It indicates a converting of hearts and minds to the cause of reconciliation and this involves talking to each other’s hearts and minds sincerely. It is fundamentally a political process.