47. Ngaimarish ole Mulo: Wisdom, Conflict Resolution, and Peace
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
Gail Presbey [+]
University of Detroit Mercy
Daniel Sasine [+]
Description
Ngaimarish ole Mulo, a Maasai cattle herder of Kenya shares his insights on the topics of wisdom, conflict resolution and peace. He was interviewed as part of an ongoing sage philosophy project. The project was started by H. Odera Oruka, a Philosophy professor at University of Nairobi, who was trying to address the problem of eurocentrism in the philosophy curriculum at African universities by turning to wise elders who had been marginalized by the university system. Drawing from several interviews, Ngaimarish ole Mulo shares his insights on peacemaking. One needs to understand the nature of the parties to a conflict, whether they are youths or older. One needs to think about how to speak to them. He shares his interests in conflicts of all types, from marital strife to clan altercations, from individual acts of murder to international wars. He describes Maasai traditions of peacemaking and reconciliation, including compensation. He also articulates key values and character traits such as humility, sympathy, and respect. He describes God as caring and notes that Maasai words for God such as Enkai and Pasaje are feminine words, denoting God’s feminine nature. The interview was conducted by Gail Presbey with translation by Daniel Sasine.