Self-determination: Principle of Action or Impracticable Charter

Table of Contents

Why the Initiative of Self-determination?

The Latin phrase ‘ius cogens’ (meaning ‘compelling law’) is a fundamental principle of international law that is accepted as a norm by all member states of the United Nations (UN) and cannot be suppressed by any power.

The principle of self-determination is a charter of the UN that states that a people, community, or nation has the right to choose its political identity, form of government, the exercise of sovereignty, and independent external relations with no interference.

The UN is charged with the burden of interpreting the charter’s principle. As such the principle of self-determination is one of those compelling laws.

Why the Initiative of Self-determination?

It was a response to curb the authoritarianism of the era and enthrone equality, liberty, and freedom. The idea began with the American and French revolutions in the 18th century. Shortly after WWI, Woodrow Wilson conceived the idea of self-determination as a roadmap for redrawing European and world maps and putting in place a new understanding and a just world. Then after WWII, it became a charter of the UN and a legal right under international law. Ever since its adoption by the UN, it saw the decolonization of countries formerly held under dominion by European nations and latterly, the independence of the colonies.

Today, the principle is applied and interpreted by groups fighting or struggling within a state for autonomy or independence for reasons of consequences. In this age, there are hundreds of nations, groups, and people seeking autonomy or independence. One can ask: What is the role of the UN in those matters? Is self-determination a principle of action or just an impractical charter?

UN should do more. It should be proactive in dealing with nations or people crying for freedom or seeking autonomy. They should be listened to and understood. I think it will make for a better and more peaceful world. It may even help curtail the rate of migrations all over the world and reduce the power and control of despots.

Comments

Oriri Akpakpa in Ufuma (Igboland) vis-à-vis the Christian Lent

The concept of Oriri Akpakpa (literally "The Feast of Maize") in Ufuma, Anambra State, provides a fascinating cultural intersection with the Christian season of Lent . While one is a traditional feast and the other a period of liturgical penance, they share deep themes of community, sacrifice, and spiritual transition. The following is a developed exploration of this relationship, examining how traditional Igbo values mirror and diverge from Christian practice. Understanding Oriri Akpakpa In Ufuma, maize is often the first crop to be harvested after the long, gruelling planting season. While the community waits for the "King of Crops" (the Yam) to mature, the arrival of Akpakpa provides the first sign of relief from the period of scarcity known as Unwu (the famine or lean season). The Symbol of Hope: Oriri Akpakpa is a celebration of the "first green." It marks the moment when the community moves from the anxiety of empty barns to the first tast...

Same-Sex Marriage in Igbo Cultural Traditions

Table of Contents The Igbo Tribe Same-Sex Marriage – Definition & Brief History Same-Sex Marriage in Igbo Cultural Traditions Conclusion This writing claims that same-sex marriage in Igbo culture is necessary, an improvisation, and a ‘like with like’ construal. By construal, it places Igbo same-sex marriage in a social psychological context and views an individual as finding out ways or means to understand and interpret his-her surroundings, and the behaviour and actions of the people around and towards him-her. The reason for this claim is not far-fetched. The Igbo Tribe The Igbo is a major ethnic group in Nigeria with an estimated population of about 32 million. It is one of the largest in Africa adding to 18% of the total 177 million people of Nigeria. Igbo land consists of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states of Nigeria. However, Igbos can be found in these other states of Nigeria: Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. Outside of Nigeria, the Igbo tribe ...

Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam

Table of Contents Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam Monk Bahira The Migration to Axum Kingdom Christianity and Islam have always been two noxious bedfellows and yet always proclaim and wish peace on earth. It would not be a crass assumption to state that the two religions have over the centuries crossed paths and re-crossed paths many times. Crossing paths might have been in their ideologies, conflicts, doctrinal interpretations and even sharing some physical spaces. Therefore, in this brief writing, we will explore the early contacts between Christianity and Islam and see how they have influenced each other. Early Contacts between Christianity and Islam The early contacts between Christianity and Islam were not short of frames. According to Kaufman et al., “frames are cognitive shortcuts that people use to help make sense of complex information.” They are means of interpreting our world and perhaps, the world of other people around us. Such interpretations helpe...

The Myth of Mmamu (River) and Ajanị Uvume (Deity): Benevolence and Malevolence in One

Every community carries a set of stories that function as its spiritual DNA. They are not merely tales; they are frameworks for understanding the world, the land, and the unseen forces that govern both. In Ufuma, originally Uvume, one such story has endured across generations: the myth of Mmamu River and Ajanị ‑Uvume , the principal deity of the land. I grew up with this myth. It was not taught formally; it lived in the pauses between conversations, in the warnings of elders, in the hushed tones of mothers telling children not to wander too close to the riverbank. It was a story that explained danger, reverence, and the consequences of communal choices. It was also a story that revealed the complexity of the spiritual world our ancestors inhabited. A River Seeking Belonging The myth begins with a river in search of a home. Mmamu, like many rivers in Igbo cosmology, is not simply water flowing through land. She is a being: feminine, conscious, capable of desire and em...

The creator god, Tirawa - the Pawnee of the Native American Tribe

Table of Contents The Pawnee The Holy Corn Tirawa and the Stars Culture of the Stars The religious beliefs of the Pawnee Native American tribe stand out as practices that are primarily Astro-theological and astronomical. As such they use or interpret the laws or culture of the stars to determine when it was safe to plant corn. Accurate calculation of these laws or cultures means a better harvest for the people. They were possible because Tirawa was their causer, teacher, and sustainer. Corn is an essential crop that is not only a means of subsistence living for the Pawnee, but it is also a symbolic mother through her, and with her, the sun goddess, Shakuru blesses the people. The Pawnee The Pawnee are a North American Indian tribe who originally lived in Nebraska and northern Kansas before finally settling in today’s Oklahoma. Linguistically, they belong to the Caddoan family and call themselves the Chatiks si chatiks , meaning “Men of Men.” As with many Native American I...

iPostThisWeek

Search This Blog