GOOD member statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD: Secretary – General & Member of Parliament
08 March 2022
Note to editor: This is a member statement made by GOOD Secretary-General and Member of Parliament, Brett Herron, today in Parliament.
Just war theory proposes that although war is terrible it can sometimes be justified. In order to claim that a war is just, three sets of criteria apply: The morality of going to war, the moral conduct within the war, and the morality of the post-war settlement and reconstruction.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not a just war. It is a breach of international law, just as Israel breaches international law in its war against Palestine.
There is no moral justification for the war: It is justified on the basis of geopolitics, economics and ideology.
South Africa’s inability to condemn Russia’s actions is likewise not based on morality.
South Africa should have both the moral fiber and intellectual dexterity to see beyond binary political positioning. More than one thing can be true at the same time.
We can condemn the Russian invasion, while also acknowledging the role that the West has played in fueling the crisis, while also demanding meaningful mediation.
We can voice our mistrust of the West’s intentions given its track-record of warmongering, regime-changing and foreign policy disasters in Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle-East, but that needn’t mean behaving like them.
If Russia was prosecuting a just war, we could debate where we stand. But in the present circumstances we should stand unequivocally for mediation and peace.
We agree with the Government that the situation demands negotiation and compromise. But, equally, it demands that Russia withdraws her troops.
We stand with the people of Ukraine, as we do with the people of Palestine, Syria and everywhere else where people are suffering at the hands of strongmen, but whose stories don’t attract the same attention as when Europe goes to war.
South Africa should once again, as it has done in the past, actively facilitate processes for peace.
Media enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD: Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Samkelo Mgobozi, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0792315977 (whatsapp)/0829684021 (calls)
Email: samm@forgood.org.za