Bosnia and Somalia show what occurs when faith is betrayed too often. The attempted genocide in Rwanda was a disaster of immense proportions, not least because neighbourly trust again proved so fragile against manipulative propaganda. Many events that corrode good faith go unreported. Most media outlets are owned in the First World, so the treachery of the great powers is scrutinised less closely than Third World excesses - even when the former contribute notably to the latter. From those who prove faithful friends we draw our strength to take risks- leaps of faith.
Promises signed by major powers in a moment of amity often prove inconvenient later.
Efforts at promoting socially just living conditions falter when donor countries cry foul when they discover a speck in the recipient country s eye - and fail to notice the plank in their own. Africa continues to be overburdened by debt and a net exporter of capital. This is not only unjust, but an ongoing breach of faith. Unfortunately the task of restoring faith is a long and costly business. In the Balkans the memories of treachery make lasting peace a centuries-long project.