Is it really possible to dream of a progressing society when justice is not upheld as a principle? The answer is no! This is because justice is a fundamental principle of any objectively functioning system.
Globally, Africa as a whole has a significantly marked humanist philosophy corpus in various areas and across different generations. In African philosophy, dignity, interdependence, and interconnectedness of persons are valued as fundamental principles on which social living, metaphysics, religious understanding, ethics, and epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge) are, in principle, built.
However, there is a disconnect, or a contradictio-in-terminis, between the reality of our socio-political life or governance and the values so profoundly explained in the philosophy corpus that claims to have stemmed from actual lived experience. How can people who claim to have such deep humanistic values fail to self-govern in principles of justice, fairness, integrity, and truth? How can these people choose war for decades?
And more importantly, why are most African countries stuck in political crises and social distress, such that in some places actual experiences defy even instinctive understanding of the value and worth of human life and human dignity? Why are many African countries led by corrupt dynasties of despots and authoritarian leaders? Why do we have injustice perpetrated and hidden within the complex structures of governance and the false independence of governmental jurisdictions?
Up to this point, it is clear that there is a disconnection between the philosophical thought of Africans without power and the actual practices of Africans with power. This disconnection points to at least two possibilities: either the principles professed are not as deeply rooted in our being as we profess, or, even worse, they don’t exist at all, making the so-called ‘philosophical’ jamboree a mere sham.
The foregoing was to help set the ground for discussing systemic injustices in the African continent, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. We say ‘systemic’ because these acts of injustice are seen “translucently” as perpetrated through the governance structures and the systems at their disposal. These injustices drop like hailstones, from top to bottom, hitting harder on the grassroots persons, even when such is not directly perceived by some due to convenience, sufficiency, or indifference towards communal affairs.
Is it really possible to dream of a progressing society when justice is not upheld as a principle? The answer is no! This is because justice is a fundamental principle of any objectively functioning system. Justice protects everyone; it makes leadership both safe and desirable for those who wish to serve the common good. Of course, corruption exists everywhere in the world, but we must aspire to higher standards because we have treasures to protect.
Justice, as a principle and a virtue, is more crucial now than ever because Africa needs young people growing up with these virtues alongside a deep sense of belonging to the mother continent. When they grow up being victimised by injustice, extreme corruption, indifferent leadership, and dysfunctional systems, all they dream of is leaving and, unfortunately, never returning to their countries.
While we boast on paper about having young people as the most promising human resource potential in the years to come, a different question remains: do African systems truly cherish and protect such an incomparable and widely envied potential, one that other nations wish they had?
While the world needs young people for development, many countries see thousands of young lives wasted in political confrontations, insurgencies, and civil conflicts. The root of most conflicts is injustice, when people are continuously hurt and cannot take it anymore, and hence resort to arms.
It is a reality that fighting systemic injustices is difficult, but with consistent cleansing of the systems, it can yield a hundredfold. Denying that such injustices do not exist may not work all the time, as collapse materialises where the common good is jeopardised.
It is functional justice when there is a non-simulated organic political will, but also a transparent system with regard to records, government data, budgets, etc., and a system that respects the boundaries and independence of independent government functions.
Until 1959, for example, Singapore had corruption as a way of life, but when they developed firm zero-tolerance policies with common interest at heart, they dismantled the corruption culture. Sweden has had a very working pedagogy with regard to transparency. Finland invested over the years in a culture of integrity; New Zealand on fair legal system, Hong Kong transformed its police force, etc., extraordinarily.
All these models, and many others in different areas, can be used to help African countries develop working strategies to ensure that socio-political life is built on fairness and justice from top to bottom. Without systems that promote justice and fairness, the results will remain the same, as systems will be controlled by unlawful “instructions” that trespass on the law, morality, governing principles, and the common good.
The reach of human greed, especially where they can enjoy self-assigned impunity, is beyond imagination, and hence the need for fair principles and independent regulatory institutions. The uprisings, especially of young people in the continent crying for justice and for their voices to be heard, anticipate a functional breakdown of the existing systems into becoming dynastic puppet systems and probably decades of violence and protests. Regardless of political opinions, young people all over the continent ought to look at the future with an objective gaze, as such will be a future that will directly affect them.
Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation and a student at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, the Philippines.
