Humanitarian Law and Traditional African Law

Extract

We are very pleased to publish this report by Mrs. Diallo on research into the correlations between the principles of international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles underlying African traditions. In earlier issues of International Review, various authors have drawn attention to the fact that historically, in Islamic countries, in India and elsewhere in the Far East, in a variety of ethical doctrines and in many different types of civilization, thoughts have been expressed which compare with those of the Red Cross—leading to the conclusion that they arise from aspirations common to most of mankind. It is particularly appropriate therefore to disclose certain concordances between them and to discover, in all these different places, a unity of view and of teaching in ethical and social affairs.