Abstract
This chapter focuses on views concerning the achievability of world peace in a sample of respondents from seven African countries: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia. We first outline a number of factors that may influence individual opinions of the achievability of peace, including colonial legacies, elite politics, ethnic divisions, resource conflicts, weak states, poverty, intra- and inter-state conflict, and geopolitics. We then present results from a survey of 201 participants, who gave their opinions on the possibilities of peace. Some respondents were skeptical, arguing that peace was idealistic, or impossible due to the actions of external actors or destructive human nature. However, most expressed agency, and cited peace as an achievable goal. They stressed the potential benefits of governmental responsibility, as well as individual actions, pro-social interactions, and positive interpersonal values such as understanding or acceptance. Results are discussed in the context of a modernizing, democratizing continent, looking to move away from its history of conflict.
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