Oct 15, 2018 - He is also an almanac of Defence services Staff College, Wellington .... YAPA-2018 will aim at identifying and training young peace activists as .... different Asian countries will share their analysis of the conflict ...... Puttalam and Mawanella centred on conflicts between local businessmen or traders of the two.
Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA) Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security
TRAINING MANUAL
© Christian Conference of Asia 2018 Payap University Chiang Mai, Thailand October 14 – 20, 2018
Edited by Rey Ty Page 1 of 156
Table of Contents
Resource Persons ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Barnaby, Fiona ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Chunakara, Dr. Mathews George .......................................................................................................... 5 Doojai, Venerable Dr. Phramaha Boonchuay ....................................................................................... 5 Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly ................................................................................................................................ 5 Mathai, Prof. Mundackal Paulose .......................................................................................................... 6 Mathew, Brigadier P.M. .......................................................................................................................... 6 Moon, Rev. Jung Eun .............................................................................................................................. 6 Pinseethong, Kanyarad............................................................................................................................ 6 Setthamalinee, Suchart ............................................................................................................................ 7 Thewprasert, Khun Kraisorn ................................................................................................................. 7 Tuntivivat, Dr. Sudarat “Jun” ................................................................................................................ 7 Ty, Dr. Rey................................................................................................................................................ 7 Participant List............................................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 12 Concept Paper ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Program Schedule .................................................................................................................................. 15 Learning Modules .................................................................................................................................. 16 Interreligious Opening Prayer .............................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER II: LECTURE NOTES .......................................................................................................... 25 Application of Nonviolence as Spirituality in Action: Dealing with Conflict and Conflict Transformation ...................................................................................................................................... 25 Concept of Peace Building: Principles and Framework ..................................................................... 26 Islam as a Religion of Love and Peace ................................................................................................. 33 Meaning of Nonviolence: Ontological, Epistemological and Ethical Dimensions of Nonviolence .. 39 Peacebuilding, Where, When, and How .............................................................................................. 40 Peace Making in Armed Conflict: Role of Military and Civil Society .............................................. 45 Religions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) ...................................................................... 68 Skills for Peacebuilders: How to be Engaged in Context Analysis of Situations ............................. 69 Strengthening of Civil-Military Relations in Conflict Affected Areas .............................................. 70 Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security: Ensuring Compliance with International Humanitarian Law................................................................................................................................. 87
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Understanding the Difference between Conflict and Violence .......................................................... 91 CHAPTER 3: COUNTRY REPORTS ..................................................................................................... 94 Bangladesh: Sarkar, George ................................................................................................................. 94 Cambodia: Ou, Nita ............................................................................................................................... 98 India: Opputhati, Milka Charisha ....................................................................................................... 99 India: Salagala, Anil Kumar ............................................................................................................... 101 India: Sema, Visheto Shitovi ............................................................................................................... 103 India: Zachariah, Pheba Ann ............................................................................................................. 105 Indonesia: Magdalena, Benu Yuliana ................................................................................................ 109 Indonesia: Fiza, Muhammad Syakir Niamillah ................................................................................ 116 Indonesia: Fridolia, Yessica Patricia .................................................................................................. 118 Indonesia : Tahalele, Christine Florenz, S.Si. Teol ........................................................................... 120 Myanmar: Saw Aung Phyo Set ........................................................................................................... 124 Myanmar: Ting Ying ........................................................................................................................... 125 Myanmar: Wynn Htut Aung .............................................................................................................. 127 Nepal: Acharya, Kshitiz Chandra ...................................................................................................... 130 Pakistan: Bhatti, Yasir ........................................................................................................................ 132 Pakistan: Das, Avinash ........................................................................................................................ 134 Philippines: Celeste-Caver, Faye Grace............................................................................................. 135 Philippines: Sanchez, Faith Justice .................................................................................................... 138 South Korea: Choi, Euihyun ............................................................................................................... 141 South Korea: Choi, Sungwoo .............................................................................................................. 143 Sri Lanka: Joseph Premkumar, Anna Claudia................................................................................. 146 Sri Lanka: Wickramasinghe, Ravishka ............................................................................................. 151 Thailand: Abdulloh, Danyal ............................................................................................................... 153 Thailand: Phuangthong, Tanaphat .................................................................................................... 156
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Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA) 2018 This is an open access publication. Individual authors retain ownership of the copyright for their papers in this publication. Appropriate attribution can be provided by acknowledging the publisher, citing the document properly, and the date of the publication in which the item appeared, which does not in any way suggest that we endorse you or your use of the work. For any reuse or redistribution of this publication, you must also make clear the terms under which the work was reproduced. Open access to, and free use of, original work ensures the publication is freely and openly available. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Disclaimer: All ideas expressed in this publication belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations with which they are affiliated. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations. Content, style, editing, and proofreading were the responsibility of each author or group of authors. All errors and omissions are those of the contributors. Edited by Rey Ty © 2018 Christian Conference of Asia c/o Payap University, P.O. Box 183, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand 50000 Telephone: (66) 53-243-906 Webpage: http://cca.org.hk/home/ Published by the Christian Conference of Asia Index Action Planning Armed Conflict Asia Bangladesh Biblico-Theological Reflection Buddhism Buddhist Monks Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) Christianity Civil-Military Relations Climate Change Community Empowerment Community Service Conflict Analysis Conflict Management Conflict Resolution Conflict Transformation Conflict Studies Contextual Theology Consensus Building Country Situation Reports Discrimination Ecumenism Emergency Intervention Response Epistemology Ethics Ethnic Minorities Field Visits Foreign Intervention Freire, Paulo Gender Issues Geopolitical Issues Hinduism Human Rights Human Security India Indonesia Interfaith Dialogue Interfaith Dialogue International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Interreligious Engagement Islam Land Issues Meditation Militarization Myanmar Nature and Society Negative Peace New Zealand Non-Violence Nuclear Weapons Ontology Pakistan Participatory Processes Peace based on Justice Peace Building Peace Keeping Peace Making Peace Studies People’s Participation Philippines Planning Positive Peace Prevention Reconciliation Religious-Inspired Animosities, Conflicts, and Violence Religious Minorities Service Learning Sikhism South Korea Spirituality Sri Lanka Strategic Planning Structural Violence Taiwan Theravada Buddhism Vietnam Violence Volunteer Service Learning YAPA
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Resource Persons
Barnaby, Fiona Fiona is the Regional Legal Advisor of International Committee of the Red Cross, Bangkok Regional Delegation, specializing in International Development Management. Fiona Barnaby is a Regional Legal Adviser with the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Department of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Regional Delegation in Bangkok. Her experience with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement began with a stint in 1993 with the Advisory Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Geneva, Switzerland. Called to the English and Malaysian Bar, she practiced construction litigation and arbitration in Malaysia between 1996 and 2005. Her professional experience with the ICRC began in Kuala Lumpur in 2005. As a legal adviser, she worked with the authorities of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, to promote a better understanding of IHL and the effective implementation of IHL treaties in domestic legislation and contexts. She recently completed a Masters in International Development Management and a thesis on the role of education in writing the narratives of nations. She hopes to link her knowledge on development to her work on IHL. In her current position, she will engage with authorities in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan and Iran.
Chunakara, Dr. Mathews George Dr. Mathews George Chunakara is General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia. He served the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland as its Asia Secretary from 2000 to 2009 and Director of the Commission of the Churches International Affairs (CCIA-WCC) from 2009 to 2014.
Doojai, Venerable Dr. Phramaha Boonchuay Ajan Pramaha Boonchuay Doojai is a lecturer of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University; Chairman at Thai Interfaith Foundation for Social Development; Chairperson of Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA); Inter-Religious Dialogue; Peace Activist.
Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly is faculty member of the PhD Program in Peacebuilding at Payap University. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English at Can Tho University in Vietnam in 2004 and her Master’s Degree in Divinity at Payap University in Chaing Mai, Thailand in 2011. She also joined the Ph.D. program in Peacebuilding at Payap University for two years. She then moved to Indonesia and completed her PhD degree in Inter-religious studies at the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies at Gadjah Mada University in February 2017. Her first book is Struggles for Women-Inclusive Leadership in Toraja Church in Indonesia and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam: Agency and Structural Change (2017). Her research interests are in religious philosophy, gender issues in religions, interfaith dialogue, and peacebuilding.
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Mathai, Prof. Mundackal Paulose Prof. Mathai is a Professor of Gandhian Thought and Peace Studies; Specialised in Non-Violence Philosophy and Gandhism; Literacy Critic; Social and Human Rights Activist; International Peace Educator. He is now an Adjunct Professor at Gujarat Vidyapith and lead Faculty at Satyagraha Institute, Brookings, South Dakota, US., and Satyagraha Institute, Terran Monterrey, Mexico. Formerly, he was a Professor and Director, School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India; Principal, St.Peter’s College, Kolenchery, Kerala, India; Professor Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; and Dean, Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Mahrashtra State, India.
Mathew, Brigadier P.M. He was formerly a Brigadier of the Indian Army and a defence Analyst; He specialised in civilmilitary relations. Brigadier P M Mathew is a senior military veteran of the Indian Army. After graduating from the then prestigious Presidency College, Madras and after obtaining the professional degree of Chartered Accountancy, he joined the Indian Army. He was commissioned into Infantry, the largest combat arm of the army in1974. Academically he has excelled in many areas and specialities. He holds a master degree in Management and an M Phil degree in Military Science. He is also an almanac of Defence services Staff College, Wellington and College of Higher Defence Management, Secunderabad, India. He was also on various teaching assignments He was a senior faculty in Higher Defence Management course where senior officers from 18 friendly foreign countries used to undertake one year programme in Higher Defence Management and also with National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM) Faridabad, India. He has vast combat experience in military operations including counter insurgency and counter terrorism. During the course of his tour of duties, he has gained vast experience in conflict resolution and negotiations. It will be pertinent to say that the Brigadier has 16 years of active participation in Counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in various conflict zones of India and with other peace keeping missions. His contribution to conflict resolution in North Eastern Part of India was recognised by the Government of India and he was awarded VISHIST SEVA MEDAL by the PRESIDENT OF INDIA. He was part of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) IN SRI LANKA and The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). During his tour of duty, he has gained very rich experience in understanding people, problems and cancer of disparity and suppression of human society. This has made him more concerned with humanity more aware of innumerable social problems faced by the people in various parts of the world. Thus post retirement he has been spending his energy in humanitarian activities undertaken by some Indian NGOs, and other international agencies.
Moon, Rev. Jung Eun Rev. Grace Moon is the Program Executive of (1) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology and (2) Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality.
Pinseethong, Kanyarad Kanyarad Pinseethong is the Legal Advisor of International Committee of the Red Cross, Bangkok Regional Delegation; Specialised in AEAN Studies, International and Human Rights Law. Kanyarad works as Legal Advisor for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Page 6 of 156
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Bangkok Regional Delegation. She advises and facilitates both on academic and government files related to IHL for Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to promote a better understanding of IHL including implementation of IHL mechanism to domestic legislations by engaging authorities, lecturers and students. Kanyarad received a full scholarship from Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and received an International Master in ASEAN Studies, in addition to her background on international and human rights law from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Setthamalinee, Suchart Dr. Suchart Setthamalinee is the Head Department of Peace Studies, Payap University. He received his master and doctoral degree in sociology at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, U.S.A. He also achieved the graduate certificate on international cultural studies from the East West Center and University of Hawai‘i. He was the author of the books “In the Name of Islam: A Survey of Islamic Teaching on Peace, Violence, Family and Women”; “Violence, Peace and the Diversity of Islamic World”; He had completed a few research project funded by Thailand Research Fund: “The Cultural Dimension of Peacebuilding”; “Peacebuilding in Ethnoreligious Pluralistic Society: A Case Study of Muslims in Northern Thailand”; and he is now working on a research project entitled “Violence Without Borders: A Case study of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.” In 2018, he received “A Lifetime Honors Awards on Dedication to Human Rights” by the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.
Thewprasert, Khun Kraisorn Khun Kraisorn is the head of the Office of International Committee of the Red Cross in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He specializes in International Diplomacy and Geopolitical Analysis. He oversees all aspects of humanitarian assistance of the ICRC work along Thai-Myanmar border. He has over 25-year experience in international diplomacy and geopolitical analysis. Prior to his present position, he worked at the Thai Parliament as a Foreign Relations Officer, and as Senior Consular Officer at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Khun Kraisorn holds a Master of Public Administration from Exeter University, UK.
Tuntivivat, Dr. Sudarat “Jun” Dr. Jun is a lecturer of Behavioral Science Research Institute at Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok. She is a Political Scientist specializing in Public Administration and Human Resource Management.
Ty, Dr. Rey Dr. Rey Ty has wide experience in academia and practical approaches to interfaith peacebuilding, human rights, gender, and social justice issues, with a focus on training peace activists. Rey is concurrently the Program Executive of (1) Building Peace and Moving beyond Conflict as well as of (2) Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy programs of the Christian Conference of Asia. He has taught at different universities in the U.S.A. and in the Philippines. Rey has a Master's degree in Political Science, specializing in international relations, comparative politics, political philosophy, Southeast Asian politics, and a doctorate from Northern Illinois University, specializing in human rights education, planning, evaluation, and human resource development. He also has a Master’s degree in Asian Studies (Political Science) from the University of California at Berkeley. Rey has published both peer-reviewed academic and popular non-
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academic materials on his fields of specialization. He has provided top-level executives in the U.S. pre-departure orientation for those will be based in Asia. Rey has taught MBA classes and trained top level and middle level executives using Harvard University Business School case studies to business executives, including several vice presidents and associate vice presidents of international banks and companies.
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Participant List No
Full Name
Nationality
Gender Church/Council Religion Organisation
Occupation
1.
George Marshel Sarkar
Bangladesh
M
Church of Bangladesh (recommended by CCA Treasurer)
Christianity
Student
2.
Nita Ou
Cambodia
F
Christianity
Student
3.
Anil Kumar Salagala
India
M
Beautiful Church of Christ Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College
Christianity
Pastor
4.
Milka Charisha Opputhati
India
F
South Andhra Lutheran Church
Christianity
Student
5.
Pheba Ann Zachariah
India
F
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
Christianity
Teacher
6.
Visheto Shitovi Sema
India
M
NCC India
Christianity
7.
Christine Indonesia Florenz Tahalele
F
The Protestant Church in the Maluku (GPM)
Christianity
CoordinatorNort East India Desk (Peace Desk of NCCI) Student
8.
Muhammad Syakir Niamillah Fiza Yessica Patricia Fridolia
Indonesia
M
Nahdlatul Ulama Islam (Islam)
Journalist
Indonesia
F
Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI)
Assistant of Head Department of Youth and Teenager in PGI
9.
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Christianity
10.
Yuliana Magdalena Benu
Indonesia
F
Protestant Evangelical Church in West Timor (GMIT)
Christianity
11.
Yani Meage
Indonesia (West Papua)
M
GKI Elim Wouma Atas
Christianity
12.
Aung Phyo Set
Myanmar
M
Myanmar Student Christian Movement
Christianity
Program Assistant at Myanmar SCM
13.
Ting Ying
Myanmar
M
Youth Department, Kachin Baptist Convention
Christianity
Program Coordinator
14.
Wynn Htut Aung
Myanmar
M
Kyi Myin Dine Baptist Church, Mae Tao ClinicHealth System Strengthening
Christianity
Quality Assurance Officer/ Lecturer, Advisor
15.
Nepal
M
NCC Nepal
Christianity
Student
16.
Kshitiz Chandra Acharya Avinash Das
Pakistan
M
Pakistan Council Hinduism of World Religion
Volunteer at UN Organisation Hindu (Peshawar)
17.
Yasir Bhatti
Pakistan
M
18.
Faye Grace Celeste Caver
Philippines
F
Fire Hope Christianity Church Pakistan (Project of Manasseh Welfare Organization) Convention of Christianity the Philippine Baptist Churches
Office Assistant at Property Sector, Diocese of Peshawar Christian Education Minister
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Member of Board of the House of Hope (GMIT's Shelter for violent and trafickked and survivors Student
19.
Faith Justice Sanchez
Philippines
F
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Christianity
Support Staff for Organizational Ministries
20.
Euihyun Choi
South Korea
M
Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary
Christianity
English Secretary
21.
Sungwoo Choi
South Korea
M
Noranjing Sinsung Presbyterian Church
Christianity
22.
Anna Claudia Joseph Premkumar
Sri Lanka
F
Student Christianity Christian Movement of Sri Lanka
Student of NOHA Master's Program (Network on Humanitarian Action) Teacher
23.
Dedduwage Sri Lanka Pasindu Ravishka Wickramasinghe
M
Buddhism
Student
24.
Danyal Abdulloh Tanaphat Phuangthong Gianina Fay Cortez Vecino
Thailand
M
Islam
Student
Thailand
M
Christianity
Student
Philippines
F
Sri Naga Vihara Youth Organization (Buddhist Youth Organization), Youth Forum for National Reconciliation The Dream South Youth Denpraporn Church United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Christianity
CCA Programme Intern
27.
Rosiana Indah Purnomo
Indonesia
F
Gereja Isa Almasih
Christianity
CCA Programme Intern
28.
Navya Dinah Saji
India
F
Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church
Christianity
CCA Programme Intern
29.
Nant Myat Noe Aein
Myanmar
F
Church of the Province of Myanmar
Christianity
CCA Programme Intern
25. 26.
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia - 2018 ‘Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security’ 14-20 October 2018 Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dr. Mathews George Chunakara General Secretary
Concept Paper Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA) is an initiative of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) to train prospective young peace activists and bring them to a common platform to help build communities where peace and harmony would prevail and be upheld. YAPA-2018 will aim at identifying and training young peace activists as ambassadors of peace at national and regional levels. Living in an era of rapid changes amidst adverse realities, the Asia region requires a new generation of peace activists committed to work for peace and harmony. In this situation, YAPA2018 shall explore the symbiotic relationship among peace, justice and human security. The Bible is replete with messages about the relationship of justice and peace. In the Old Testament, we are reminded to “turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14). “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). YAPA-2018 shall also explore the ways in which human security seeks to empower civil society in its quest for social development, economic security, human rights, food security, environmental security, community security, and political security. Current Situation In many parts of Asia, young people are vulnerable victims of the social and political marginalization. At times they are entangled in social, political, ethnic and religious conflicts as well as in civil wars. When challenges and conflicts constantly threaten peace and security, the young people in Asia need to be called to promote agents of change. Acknowledging the fact that young people in every society and context have always been torchbearers of transformation and structural changes, it is imperative that young people are brought up in the spirit of peace, justice, freedom and mutual respect. At the same time, they are also potential stakeholders in Page 12 of 156
conflict resolution and peace building. To build a peaceful and harmonious Asia, the youth can play positive and vital roles as ambassadors of peace in their communities and commit themselves to peace building, reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction of conflict affected societies. One significant role that youth can serve as a liaison in peacebuilding and conflict transformation is for them to “Be the Change” to amend attitudes towards people, traditions, religions, and beliefs. Young people in Asia are in a better position to discover the joy of living together and fully understand the importance of peaceful coexistence. Asia’s long nurtured and valued tradition of religious harmony and co-existence can be more easily practiced among the younger generation. The theme of YAPA-2018: ‘Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security’ The theme of YAPA-2018 will be ‘Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security’. Various aspects of the main theme will be analysed and contextually interpreted during the training sessions. Topics that will be discussed in detail include Principles and Frameworks of Peacebuilding; Inter-religious Work perspectives on Peace with Justice and Human Security; Peacebuilding: Where, When, and How; Understanding the difference between Conflict and Violence; Contextual Analysis of Situations; Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management at the Grassroots; Emergency Response to Conflict Situations and Initiatives for Peacebuilding; Peacemaking in Armed Conflict: Role of Military and Civil Society; Strengthening of Civil-Military Relations in Conflict affected areas; Prevention of Religious animosities and spreading flames of hatred; Reconciliation in Peacebuilding in religiously and ethnically intolerant communities; Meaning of Non-Violence, and application of Non-Violence as a Spirituality in Action. Additionally, while in Thailand each participant shall prepare a volunteer community action plan that responds to the call for peace with justice and human security which they will implement at the latest three months after they return to their communities. Objectives The objectives of YAPA are the following: 1. To promote the presence of young people as actors of change in building peace with justice and human security 2. To train selected young people as peace ambassadors 3. To enhance the youth ambassadors’ capacity through a systematic training to equip them to be active peace ambassadors in buiding peace and communal harmony. Methodology The programme is based on intercultural, inter-religious, and non-formal educational approaches. The participants will also be able to share experiences and support each other in learning the best practices of inter-connectedness to act more effectively as a network. Selection Process and Criteria 1. Age between 22 and 30 (exceptions may be made on the basis of justification) 2. Be able to use English language independently in both written and oral communication; 3. Be motivated to learn and apply the YAPA values and approaches for peacebuilding upon return to home country; 4. Be committed to promote peace and work towards conflict transformation through initiatives and projects involving young people; 5. Selection will be based on competence, sub-regional and institutional representation, ability to contribute and participate in discussions at various segments of the YAPA, as well as the commitment to implement a volunteer project in peace building upon return to their home countries. 6. Interested candidates may send their applications before the deadline, 20 August 2018, to receive the application preferably with an endorsement by the head of the Church, ecumenical council or a regional ecumenical organization. Page 13 of 156
7. Board, lodging and local transportation of all selected candidates will be borne by CCA. 8. Limited travel bursaries will be made available to deserving candidates from countries and regions in West Asia, South Asia and South East Asia. Applicants from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan are advised to seek travel grants from their own member churches and councils.
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Program Schedule TIME 06.00 – 08.30 09.00 10.00
10.30 – 12.00
13.30 – 15.00
15.30 – 17.00
17.00 – 17.30 17.30
Mon, Oct. 15, 2018
Tues, October 16, 2018
Wed, Oct. 17, 2018
Thurs, Oct. 18, 2018
Fri, Oct. 19, 2018
Breakfast at Paradornparp International House S1. Opening Session: Opening Worship -Welcome Greetings & Introduction: Dr. Mathews George Chunakara -Orientation: Dr. Rey Ty
Morning Devotion
S2. Peace with Justice and Human Security: Interfaith Perspectives (Dr. Mathews George Chunakara)
S6. Interreligious Work towards Peace with Justice & Human Security (Venerable Dr. Phramaha Boonchuay Doojai, Wat Suandok)
S3. Concepts of Peace Building— Principles & Framework (Dr. Rey Ty)
S7. Understanding the Difference between Conflict & Violence (Dr. Sudarat “Jun” Tuntivavbat, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok)
S4. Analysis of Country Contexts: Identifying Conflict & Violence— Part I (Participants’ Presentations)
S8. Analysis of Country Contexts: Identifying Conflict & Violence—Part II (Participants’ Presentations)
S5. Peace Building: Where, When, and How (Dr. Sudarat “Jun” Tuntivavbat)
Morning Devotion S9. Skills of a Peacebuilder: How to be Engaged in Context Analysis of Situations (Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly)
Refreshments S10. Skills of a Peacebuilder–Conflict Resolution Initiatives and Accompaniment; Conflict Management at the Grassroots Level (Fiona Barnaby, ICRC Regional Legal Adviser)
Lunch S11. Emergency Intervention Response to Conflict Situations and Initiatives for Peacebuilding (Khun Kraisorn Thewprasert, Head of Office, ICRC Chiang Mai Office & Kanyarad Pinseethong, Legal Advisor, ICRC Bangkok Regional Office) Refreshments S12. Peacemaking in Armed Conflict: Role of Military and Civil Society (Brigadier P.M. Mathew)
Morning Devotion S13. Strengthening of Civil-Military Relations in Conflict Affected Areas (Brigadier P.M. Mathew)
S17. Application of Non-Violence as a Spirituality in Action: Dealing with Conflict & Conflict Transformation (Prof. Mundackal Paulose Mathai)
S14. Prevention of Religious Animosities and Spreading Flames of Hatred (Dr. Suchart Settamalinee. Institute of Culture, Religious and Peace, Payap University)
S18. Ambassadors of Peace Building in Asia: Preparing Community Project Proposals
S15. Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Religiously & Ethnically Intolerant Communities (Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly)
S19. Participants’ Presentation of Action Plans Part I
S16. Meaning of NonviolenceOntological, epistemological and ethical dimensions of Nonviolence (Prof. Mundackal Paulose Mathai)
S20. Participants’ Presentation of Action Plans Part II (Continuation) -Final Evaluation -Closing -Follow Up
Quick Summary and Feedback End of Session and Dinner
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Morning Devotion
Learning Modules Theme: Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security Session
1.
2.
3.
4.
Learning Modules
Orientation: In this session, the participants and the program organizers shall be introduced, after which the concept, objectives, contents, methodology, and learning strategies shall be discussed. Logistics, ground rules, and other related matters shall likewise be deliberated. Peace with Justice and Human Security; Interfaith Perspectives: In this module, participants shall learn that peace cannot be attained if structural violence and injustices are not addressed. While on the one hand the traditional notion of security focuses on the role and importance of the state, human security on the other hand emphasizes the economic, social, cultural, and political needs of the people for justice and equality. The resource person shall discuss peace with justice from the different religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and others. Analysis of Country Contexts and Identifying Conflict and Violence Situations (Part I): In this module, participants from different Asian countries will share their analysis of the conflict and violent situations in their communities in particular or in their country in general. Concepts of Peacebuilding – Principles and Frameworks: In this module, participants shall be introduced to the concepts, principles, and frameworks of peacebuilding, which is a long-term effort of building stable societies based on justice and reconciliation and the process has to restore relationships and transform unjust institutions. Bottom-up activities include addressing economic and social root causes of violence in order to bring about long-lasting peace. Active participation of grassroots local NGOs and international actors are important to create lasting peace. The United Nations include disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and rebuilding governmental, economic, and non-governmental institutions as important elements of peacebuilding. Pre-conflict actions prevent the start of violent conflict. Post-conflict intervention has three dimensions: (1) disarming and reintegrating combatants; (2) developing rule of law and democratic accountable state institutions and rebuilding the educational, health, transportation, and communication infrastructure; and (3) trauma counselling, transitional justice, community dialogue, human rights, gender empowerment, environmental awareness, economic development, and rise of civil society and private sector (Barnett, et. al. 2007, "Peacebuilding: What Is in a Name?". Global Governance. 13, pp. 49-50). The five
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Resource Person
Dr. Rey Ty
Dr. Mathews George Chunakara
Participants
Dr. Rey Ty
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
principles of PB are comprehensive, interdependent, sustainable, strategic, and providing an infrastructure (Caritas, 2002, from p. 79). The framework for peacebuilding focuses on the level of programmatic response and the time frame of activities (Caritas, 2002, from p. 93). Emergency Response to Conflict Situations and Initiatives for Peacebuilding: Participants will learn in this session that, in emergency situations, a humanitarian task force intervenes to deal with the crisis and develop policy options and an action plan to address the situation at hand (Caritas, 2002, p. 105). Analysis of Country Contexts and Identifying Conflict and Violence Situations (Part II): This will be the second session during which participants will share their insights about the conflict and violent situations in their countries. Understanding the Difference between Conflict and Violence. In this module, participants will learn that conflict is a situation where two or more parties perceive they have mutually incompatible goals, values, beliefs, status, and power relations. Conflict can be intrapersonal, interpersonal, intra-group, or intergroup. Violence can be verbal or physical violence (armed conflict) and structural violence (economic inequality, discrimination). (Caritas, 2002, from p. 54). Peacebuilding Where, When and How? Peacebuilding is conducted at the grassroots, middle-level, and top-level (Caritas, 2002, from p. 81). PB takes place when there is potential conflict, confrontation, crisis, and reconstruction (from p. 83). PB can be done through prejudice reduction, culturally appropriate conflict resolution training, non-violent advocacy, advocacy training, human rights education and training, and economic and agricultural development (Caritas, 2002, from p. 84). This session focuses on various aspects related to the participants, the locale, the timing, and the methods of peacebuilding. This module lays bare to the participants the effective ways in which peacebuilding can be conducted on the top, middle, and bottom levels in communities. Skills for the Peacebuilder – How to be Engaged in Context Analysis of Situations: In this module, course participants shall learn about three approaches to peacebuilding. The first approach of conflict analysis involves identifying people, the process, and the problem. The second approach analyzes the who, the what, and the how of a conflict. The third approach is conflict mapping, which identifies the history, the context, the parties, the issues, and the dynamics in a conflict (Caritas, 2002, from p. 61). Skills for the Peacebuilder – Conflict Resolution Initiatives, Conflict Management at the Grassroots Level, and Accompaniment: This module provides participants with skills in conflict resolution skills, including mediation, negotiation, problem solving, and arbitration. For Christians, following the way
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Khun Kraisorn Thewprasert, ICRC Participants
Dr. Sudarat “Jun” Tuntivavbat
Dr. Sudarat “Jun” Tuntivavbat
Dr. Le Ly
Dr. Rey Ty
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
of Jesus, accompanying and being one with the suffering people is an act of love, care, and compassion who find solace in solidarity. Conflict management at the grassroots level involves all efforts to contain violent conflict, to reduce the levels of violence, and to engage parties in a process to settle their differences. Styles of conflict management include collaboration, compromise, accommodation, avoidance, and forcing an outcome. Peace-Making in Armed Conflicts: Role of Military and Civil Society Organisations: In this module, participants will learn about the different activities designed to settle armed hostilities at the official diplomatic level (Caritas, 2002, p. 15). Civil society organizations get involved in the reconciliation process, including such bodies as national truth and reconciliation commissions (Caritas, 2002, from p. 247) Strengthening of Civil-Military Relations in Conflict Affected Areas: In this session, participants shall learn that both civilians and the military need to understand the role of, learn about, and apply international human rights law and international humanitarian law in order to limit the effects of armed hostilities, protect persons who are not or are no longer participating in the armed conflict, and restrict the means and methods of armed combat. Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Religiously Intolerant Communities: In this session, participants will learn that reconciliation involves providing safe and hospitable spaces where the basic needs of security, food, and shelter are met. It also involves being able to act and be treated graciously. Reconciliation is found in all religions. To reconcile with religiously intolerant communities, there is a need to listen to other faith perspectives and traditions on reconciliation and forgiveness. Ritual is often used as a powerful symbolic element in reconciliation (Caritas, 2002, p. 27). Prevention of Religious Animosities and Spreading Flames of Hatreds: In this module, participants will understand that conflict prevention in multi-religious communities includes the following, (1) prejudice reduction work with groups at all levels of society, which focus on identifying and changing negative stereotypes towards ethnic, religious, or political groups is the most powerful to for conflict prevention, (2) culturally appropriate conflict resolution training, (3) non-violent advocacy and advocacy training, (4) human rights education and training, and (5) economic and agricultural development projects. Interreligious Work towards Peace with Justice and Human Security: In this module, participants will engage in an interreligious dialogue with Venerable Phramaha Boonchuay Doojai to discuss the ways in which peacebuilding involves working across religious and cultural lines in order to achieve peace with justice and human security in such concrete areas as
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Brigadier P.M. Mathew
Brigadier P.M. Mathew
Dr. Le Ngoc Bich Ly
Dr. Suchart Settamalinee
Venerable Dr. Phramaha Boonchuay Doojai
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. 21.
non-discrimination, food security, communal harmony, and HIV/AIDS. Meaning of Nonviolence: Ontological, Epistemological, and Ethical Dimensions of Nonviolence: In this module, participants shall learn about the profound philosophy behind non-violence as a spirituality. In this module, participants shall learn about the Gandhian philosophy, the Mennonite approach, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and other approaches to non-violence. Application of Non-Violence as a Spirituality in Action: Dealing with Conflict & Conflict Transformation: In this module, participants shall learn about non-violence as a spirituality as well as about methods by which to deal with conflict. They will learn how to increase justice in direct interaction and social structures as well as to respond to problems in human interactions. Ambassadors of Peacebuilding in Asia: At the latest three month upon returning to your communities, you will implement a volunteer community project to fulfil your role as Ambassadors of Peacebuilding in Asia. You will share a short report and photos in the closed group on Facebook. In this session, participants shall brainstorm on the theme, objectives, outputs, and outcomes of their proposed projects. Specific Action Plans at Times of Conflicts and Crisis: Being Ambassadors of Peace (Part I): In response to the problems with which their countries are confronted, participants shall prepare their action plans during the training programme, which they will implement at the latest three month upon returning to their communities. In this module, participants shall present their proposed community project to the plenary body in order to solicit their co-participants constructive suggestions. Specific Action Plans at Times of Conflicts and Crisis: Being Ambassadors of Peace (Part II): Continuation of the above. Evaluation, Closing and Follow-Up: At the end of the training programme, participants shall share with everyone what they have learned as well as fill out an evaluation form, which will provide answers related to their (1) satisfaction, (2) learning, (3) and behavioural outcomes. The General Secretary shall give the closing remarks. Participants shall be reminded that they will have to implement a volunteer community project at the latest three month after returning home.
Prof. M. P. Mathai
Prof. M. P. Mathai
Participants
Participants
Participants Participants
Note: Feel free to download the book Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual (2002) as your reference material from the Internet. You can easily find it online.
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Interreligious Opening Prayer Rev. Grace Moon 15 October, 2018 Greeting & Welcome Share your greeting of “Peace” (in your own languages) each other. L: More often than not, the differences between people, differences of race, color, religion, nationality, age of occupation make for conflict. But God did not make us all the same and our diversity should be a cause for celebration and challenge. Song …. “Imagine” Youtube; Imagine (UNICEF: World Version 2016 #IMAGINE project) Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one Prayers for Peace L: "Like the bee gathering honey from the different flowers, the wise person accepts the essence of the different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions." -Mahatma Gandhi The Christian Prayer for Peace Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you that
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hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." The Muslim Prayer for Peace In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that hears and knows all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE." The Buddhist Prayer for Peace May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses - the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddha hood. The Hindu Prayer for Peace Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come to me also. The Jewish Prayer for Peace Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation—neither shall they learn war any more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken. All Together O God, you are the source of life and peace. Praised be your name forever. We know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace. Hear our prayer in this time of war. We remember, and profoundly affirm, that they are brothers and sisters. Enemies begin to speak to one another; those who were estranged join hands in friendship; nations seek the way of peace together. Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live. Give to us: Understanding that puts an end to strife; mercy that quenches hatred; and forgiveness that overcomes vengeance. Empower all people to live in your law of love. Song … Grant us Peace
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Sharing of the words on “Peace” from the Scriptures of various religions …. Prayer for Reconciliation L: Across the barriers that divide race from race: P: Reconcile us. L: Across the barriers that divide the rich from the poor: P: Reconcile us. L: Across the barriers that divide people of different faiths: P: Reconcile us. L: Across the barriers that divide men and women, young and old: P: Reconcile us. L: Confront us God, with the hidden prejudices and fears which deny and betray our prayers. Enable us to see the causes of strife. Remove from us all false sense of superiority. Teach us to grow in unity with all God’s children. P: (Amen)…. Prayer in Silence Prayer for Unity L: God, you made the world and everything in it; you created the human race of one stock and gave us the earth for our possession. C: Break down the walls that separate us and unite us.
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L: God, we have been divisive in our thinking, in our speech, in our actions; we have classified and imprisoned one another; we have fenced each other out by hatred and prejudice. C: Break down the walls that separate us and unite us. L: God, you mean us to be a single people, ruled by peace, feasting in freedom, freed from injustice, truly human, men and women, responsible and responsive in the life we lead, the love we share, the relationship we create. C: Break down the walls that separate us and unite us. L: God, we shall need ever-new insights into the truth, awareness of your will for all humanity, courage to do what is right even when it is not allowed, persistence in undermining unjust structures until they crumble into dust, grace to exercise a ministry of reconciliation. C: Break down the walls that separate us and unite us. L: God, share out among us the tongues of your Spirit that we may each burn with compassion for all who hunger for freedom and human dignity; that we may be doers of the word and so speak with credibility about the wonderful things you have done. P: God, direct us in ways we do not yet discern and equip us for the service of reconciliation and peace in your world. Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. (The Prayer of St. Francis) Blessing Send us, God, To serve you as you deserve, To give and not to count the cost, To struggle and not fear the wounds, To toil and not seek rest, Amen.
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CHAPTER II: LECTURE NOTES Application of Nonviolence as Spirituality in Action: Dealing with Conflict and Conflict Transformation Prof. M. P. Mathai All those who are concerned with self-transformation and social change nonviolence conceive of it as an active force that can be used for bringing about basic and radical changes, both in the attitudes of people and the structures of society. In the Gandhian framework application is the true test of both truth and nonviolence. Nonviolence is an all-embracing concept and therefore demands total loyalty. You have to be nonviolent in thought, word and deed. There are three major dimensions of the application of nonviolence: (1) nonviolence as a way of life, (2) nonviolence as a method/technique of resistance against injustice and evils, (3) nonviolence a way of bringing about peaceful social change. This can be achieved through nonviolent conflict resolution and transformation and through building a new social order from bottom up through the active participation of the people at the grassroots level. In Gandhian vocabulary the second one is called Satyagraha, nonviolent direct action and the third is called Constructive Programme.
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Concept of Peace Building: Principles and Framework Dr. Rey Ty
Is Conflict Negative? 1. Functionalism 2. Conflict Theory a. Psychological b. Social 3. Interactionism 4. Holism Organizational Principle 1. Problems are a part of the human condition. 2. Everyone has problems. 3. At work, leave your personal problems at the door. Concepts 1. Peace Negative Peace: Opposite of war i. Opposite of war ii. Absence of armed violence iii. Ceasefire Positive Peace: Condition of justice i. Deeper level of harmony ii. Equity Holistic: Integrated Galtung’s Peace Formula: Peace =
Equity + Harmony Phy Violence + Psy Trauma
2. Conflict Causes: disagreement, power imbalance, incompatible goals, oppression Latent, surface, open Stages of conflict i. Pre-conflict ii. Confrontation iii. Crisis iv. Outcome v. Post-conflict 3. Violence Physical i. Calm ii. Tension iii. Armed Hostilities
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Structural 4. Armed Conflicts and International War Customary Modern 5. Security Traditional Security Human Security 6. Power A affects B Stages 1. Pre-Conflict 2. Conflict 3. Post-Conflict Levels of Work 1. Grassroots 2. Middle Level 3. Top Level Levels of Conflict and Response to Conflict 1. Conflict prevention 2. Conflict settlement 3. Conflict management 4. Conflict resolution 5. Conflict transformation Conflict Prevention: Pro-active 1. Avoid hostilities (Goldstein, 2004) 2. Resolution of structural violence: Intersectionality—economic, gender, ethnic, color, social, etc. 3. Social transformation in law and reality 4. Fair trade (not free trade) 5. Human rights and social justice 6. Dialogue 7. Doing things together 8. Working together 9. Gift giving 10. Reaching out 11. Learning about each other 12. Mutual respect 13. Justice 14. Tolerance and acceptance 15. Limits to tolerance 16. Feminist critique Infralegal vs. Extralegal Conflict Settlement (Spradley & McCurdy, 2000) 1. Infralegal: bilateral settlement without resorting to an authority Page 27 of 156
2. 3. 4. 5.
Legal: resort to law, such as human rights law Extralegal: disputes escalate into physical violence Paralegal: Legal assistant Metalegal: popular tactics outside the traditional legal procedures, such as using mass media, interpersonal communication
Customary Conflicts 1. Interpersonal 2. Feuding 3. Banditry 4. Raiding 5. Tribal “wars” 6. Revenge Conflict Settlement (Goldstein, 2004) End violent behavior through a peace agreement Customary Settlement of Conflict in Communal, Egalitarian, and Tribal Societies in Different Historical and Social Contexts (Spradley & McCurdy, 2000) 1. Norms: Customs & traditions, Mosaic law, Code of Hammurabi 2. Self-Redress (Spradley & McCurdy, 2000) 3. Contests 4. Go-Between 5. Oath 6. Ordeal (Ember & Ember, 2007) 7. Restoration 8. Mobilize Public Opinion 9. Shamans (Harris & Johnson, 2000) 10. Oracle (Spradley & McCurdy, 2000; Scupin & Decorse, 2001) 11. Babaylan 12. Community Action (Ember & Ember, 2007) 13. Moots (Coleman & Watson, 1990) 14. Heads (Harris & Johnson, 2000) 15. Tribal Council 16. Peace Pipe 17. Council of Elders 18. Feminist Critique Levels of Settlement 1. Apology 2. Forgiveness 3. Amnesty 4. Justice a. Procedural b. Substantive i. Equity ii. Equality c. Distributive
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Conflict Resolution: Reactive (United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross) 1. Public International Law a. International Human Rights Law b. International Humanitarian Law 2. Pacific Settlement of Disputes: Non-Judicial a. Negotiation i. ICRC Model ii. Negotiation Panel b. Enquiry: Fact-Finding Missions c. Mediation d. Ombudsman e. Conciliation f. Good Offices 3. Pacific Settlement of Disputes: Quasi-Judicial a. Arbitration 4. Pacific Settlement of Disputes: Judicial Decision a. Regional Organizations b. Regional Courts c. International Courts d. Special Courts and Tribunals 5. Measures Short of War a. Sanctions b. Boycott c. Embargo 6. Violent Resolution of Conflict (or Armed Conflict): International Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Non-Derogable Rights, Jus Cogens a. Conspiracy b. Interpersonal c. Internal troubles and tensions, including non-physical-violent conflicts: street protests, online protests d. Sporadic acts of violence and anarchy e. Non-international armed conflict and internationalized non-international armed conflict i. Communal violence ii. Ethnic conflicts f. Civil “war” g. Revolution h. National liberation wars i. War between two countries j. Regional war k. World war l. Feminist Critique Conflict Management (Zartman, 2007) 1. Accommodation 2. Avoidance
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3. 4. 5. 6.
Collaboration Competition Compromise Confrontation
Conflict Transformation (Lederach, 2003) Address the wider social and political sources of conflict Transform negative energy of conflict into positive social and political change Constructive social-justice-related changes Social Change (Tischler, 2002; Cunningham, 1989 & 1996) 1. Integration, Reform, Transformation 2. Consensus, Pluralism, Structuralism Peace Making Negotiated resolution (Ryan, 1995) Peace Keeping United Nations Blue Helmets Peace Building Practical approaches in resolving conflicts (Lederach, 2009) Address root causes of violence; multifaceted; several baths (Dambach) Meet the basic needs; de-escalate hostilities; improve relationship of parties in conflict (Fisher) Multiple goals and issues for the long term; dealing with both physical and structural violence (Schirch) Full range of approaches; legal & human rights institutions; fair and effective governance and dispute resolution systems; participatory planning (Morris) Principles 1. Comprehensive 2. Interdependent 3. Sustainable 4. Strategic 5. Infrastructure Integrated Framework for Peacebuilding Two dimensions of programming 1. Level of programmatic response 2. Time frame of activities
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From: Caritas Internationalis (2002), p. 96 Peacebuilding at the Grassroots Level 1. Conflict resolution and prejudice reduction 2. Human rights education 3. Advocacy: non-violence (Cf. Gene Sharp) 4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Psychological approach and Social approach 5. Reconciliation, including peace commissions 6. Rebuild and enhance infrastructure 7. Rebuild and enhance economic and agricultural base 8. Demobilize and integrate soldiers 9. Integrate displaced populations 10. Integrate refugees 11. Peace education for children and youth 12. Emergency assistance 13. Support network 14. Interreligious and inter-ethnic dialogue Peacebuilding Activities at the Middle Level 1. Conflict resolution and a. Problem solving b. Prejudice reduction 2. Reconciliation work and peace commissions 3. Intermediaries 4. Media and communications work 5. Support network 6. Interreligious and inter-ethnic dialogue Peacebuilding Activities at the Top Level 1. Intermediaries between parties 2. International Advocacy 3. Inputs into High-Level Negotiations 4. Interreligious and inter-ethnic dialogue
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Social Justice 1. Inductive: Sen, Zinn 2. Deductive: Rawls, Chomsky Human Dignity (moral) and Human Right (normative and legal) Human Rights 1. Economic 2. Social 3. Cultural 4. Civil 5. Political State-Civil Society Relations (Gramsci, 1993) 1. State Ideology & consent Coercion & repression 2. Non-State Support Dissent Civil society NGOs Social movements Rebels (non-state entities) Role of Intellectuals 1. Individual? Civil society? State? 2. Sartre (1972): freedom, oppose state domination 3. Gramsci (1993): organic link with the masses 4. Chomsky (1987): speak truth and oppose lies 5. Edward Said (2001): take responsibility for the community Strategies for Social Change 1. Read a book, attend lectures 2. Inter-ethnic dialogue 3. Stand up against discrimination 4. Community building: living together 5. Coalition and alliance work 6. Doing social justice work together Areas of Work 1. Charity: necessary but not sufficient 2. Relief 3. Welfare 4. Development 5. Environment 6. Advocacy
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Islam as a Religion of Love and Peace Huseyin Algul The Fountain Magazine Issue 70 / July - August 2009 (For the Presentation of Dr. Suchart Setthamalinee)
The definition of Islam The root of the word Islam, silm, refers to "making peace, being in a mutually peaceful environment, greetings, rescue, safety, being secure, finding peace, reaching salvation and well being or being far from danger, attaining goodness, comfort and favor, keeping away from troubles and disasters, submitting the self and obeying, respect, being far from wrong." The "submitting the self and obeying" here means "submitting to justice and righteousness in order to reach peace and safety and being in a peaceful environment by one's free will." In fact, salaam and salaamat, mean "to reach salvation," and their rubai form (with four radical letters) aslama means "submitted, became Muslim, and made peace." "Islam" as either a noun or a verb with these meanings is mentioned in many verses in the Qur'an.1 From this perspective, Islam is "submission to God, accepting His authority as well as obeying His orders"; "one's total submission to God and serving only Him"; "embracing the messages of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and abiding by them." In this sense, a Muslim is one who is under the peaceful and safe shade of Islam. God wants a Muslim to live in a safe and peaceful environment and to make efforts for the spread and continuity of peace. Since Islam means living in a peaceful environment that emerges as a result of submission to God, the Qur'an asks that all humanity should embrace silm, that is, peace, and reminds us to avoid following Satan. As stated in the verse, O you who believe! Come in full submission to God, all of you, (without allowing any discord among you due to worldly reasons), and do not follow in the footsteps of Satan, for indeed he is a manifest enemy to you (seeking to seduce you to rebel against God, with glittering promises) (Qur'an, 2:208), Satan is the enemy of peace. This verse is followed by a reminder of God's All-Glorious with irresistible might if believers "stumble and fall back" from following God's way to realize peace and agreement. The purpose of Islam In order to be able portray a fair image of Islam, we have to consider its divinely inspired purposes, which yield, as a result, a just worldly order. By applying preventive measures to ensure security of wealth, life, mind, religion, and reproduction, Islam aims to build a society in peace, serenity, friendship, collaboration, altruism, justice, and virtue. According to the Qur'an, all Muslims are brothers and sisters to each other and if a disagreement appears among them they make peace and correct it (Qur'an, 49:10). They help each other to avoid what God forbids and to observe their religious awareness at every stage in their life (Qur'an, 5:2); they carry out important tasks after shura, that is, consultation (Qur'an, 3:159;
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42:38); and they always witness truthfully and are just even if it is against their close relatives (Qur'an, 4:135). Again, as mentioned in the Qur'an, a true Muslim follows the straight path. That means that he or she is faithful, honest, and just, is calm, lives to perfectly observe his or her religion and in guidance of reason.2 Pursuing the straight path can be understood as being absolutely truthful and honest in all circumstances, as well as embracing a moderate way of life that encourages good relations with everyone. Living on the straight path is the most significant desire for any Muslim. Upon the revelation of the verse, Pursue, then, what is exactly right (in every matter of the Religion), as you are commanded (by God), and those who, along with you, have turned (to God with faith, repenting their former ways, let them do likewise); and do not rebel against the bounds of the Straight Path (O believers)! He indeed sees well all that you do (Qur'an, 11:112), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The chapter Hud has made me older."3 In this sense, the Companions commented on the verse, "There was no verse revealed to the Prophet Muhammad that is more powerful than this." Such a verse that so powerfully enjoins "what is right" should have the power to eradicate all kinds of violence and oppression, which are obviously not the right path to follow in social relations. Mercy and forgiveness Divine compassion and Prophetic mercy assign special importance to forgiveness and tolerance. As God the Most Gracious is merciful to all people, His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is merciful and compassionate to all believers (Qur'an, 9:128). God's clear order to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is to embrace forgiveness. The verse Adopt the way of forbearance and tolerance, and enjoin what is good and right, and withdraw from the ignorant ones (Qur'an, 7:199) indicates this. By the blessing of God, the Prophet succeeded in establishing unity among people by acting with compassion and mercy. If he had treated the people around him severely and rudely, they would have left him and their unity would have collapsed (Qur'an, 3:159). Since God and the Messenger of God are merciful and compassionate to believers, those who take the divinely prescribed ethics and the prophetic character as their example should obviously treat one another with mercy and compassion. Therefore, those who have received the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) message can never be severe, arrogant, antagonistic, or hostile. Furthermore, God Almighty advises His Messenger to be forgiving and to consult people by asking for their ideas (Qur'an, 3:159; 42:38) since exchanging ideas increases feelings of unity and cooperation while reducing tension between people. As a result, a desire for change that transforms hatred into peace and serenity appears in society. According to the Messenger of God, people are equal before God as the teeth of a comb are equal. Characteristics like language, ancestry, race, wealth, and poverty are not signs of superiority.4 In the thirteenth verse of the chapter Al-Hujurat, the creation of humankind from a female and a male, the division of humanity into ethnic groups or nations and tribes in order to
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know one another, and the importance of fearing God in order to become valued in God's view are pointed out. The verse approves having an identity and being known by an identity; nonetheless, it rejects the abuse of affiliation (to different gender, social or ethnic groups) as a means of superiority. Thus, it assesses a person's honor and value in terms of universal values that he or she gains through his or her own will and effort, and not in terms of gender or ethnic ties, which are not obtained through free will.5 In Islam, the individual is considered as a person that gains value within the society, as someone who is responsible to the community in a social context. According to Islam, the life of a human being is a trust from God, irrespective of his or her ancestry, color, or language, and hence should be protected meticulously. The main idea in Islam is to praise God the Almighty (Qur'an, 1:1; 6:45), to show compassion to creation. Humankind is the best of all creations (Qur'an, 17:70) and is created of the best stature (Qur'an, 95:4). So, every human deserves respect by nature; approaching them with lenience, tolerance, and humility is certainly virtuous. Hence, staying away from hatred and having a tolerant attitude is essential for humanity. God the Almighty asks from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) in particular and from all Muslims in general to be forgiving (Qur'an, 42:37; 3:134). Thus, God loves good attitudes such as spending and serving for the sake of humankind at all times under all circumstances, forgiving people, and avoiding doing something wrong when we become angry. Even if one has the right to retaliate in response to an evil action, forgiveness is more appropriate for those who are more pious. The Qur'an enlightens all humanity on this issue: The recompense of an evil deed can only be an evil equal to it; but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from God. Surely He does not love the wrongdoers (Qur'an, 42:40; see also Qur'an, 42:43). Besides, each of us lives on the path that God has ordained for him or her. For this reason, it is important to emphasize serving rather than fighting. God says in the Qur'an (5:48), Strive then together as if competing in good works, and also, Say: Every one acts according to his own character (made up of his creed, worldview and disposition), and your Lord knows best who is guided in his way (17:84). Therefore, individuals should not dispute and fight over their different ideas to satisfy their ambitions and self-interests. Rather, on the contrary, they should compete to show good character and to serve in the best way; they should support each other not in wrongdoing, but in doing good. Trustworthiness An important dimension of being a Muslim is trustworthiness. Every Prophet is introduced in the Qur'an with the attribute of trustworthiness.6 First and foremost, the Prophet Muhammad, the most trustworthy of the heavens and earth, and all the prophets preceding him, made efforts to promote trustworthiness in their societies. In a place where trust does not exist, love, respect and solidarity are also absent. The lack of trust destroys family, as well as social, cultural, and economic life. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) states that trustworthiness and treachery cannot exist together7 and asserts, "One, who betrays, harms, or deceives a Muslim, is not of us."8 He describes the
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ideal Muslim as thus: "A Muslim is one from whose hand and tongue people are safe. A believer is one from whom people know that their wealth and lives are safe."9 In one hadith, the Messenger of God describes those who are good and those who are bad: "The good amongst you is the one from whom good things are expected and by whom people are sure that they will not be harmed. The bad amongst you is the one from whom good things are not expected and from whose evil people do not feel safe."10 From this, it can be understood that a believer is one who is trustworthy, and therefore, no one would fear any danger from him or her under any circumstances. In Islam, good morals, love and respect for God and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are expected from believers. Appropriate love, mercy and compassion are to be shown, not only to people but also to every creature in nature since, according to Islam's core understanding, every creation is a blessing from God and the protection of a blessing is the most fitting behavior for a human being. Social peace In Islam, the right to life is an absolute value: He who kills a soul unless it be (in legal punishment) for murder or for causing disorder and corruption on the earth will be as if he had killed all humankind; and he who saves a life will be as if he had saved the lives of all humankind (Qur'an 5:32). When the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) explained Islam's potential to contribute to safety and peace in society, he specified one goal in his time as the following: "A rider will travel from Sana'a (a city in Yemen) to Hadhramaut (a region in the southwest of the Arabian peninsula) fearing none but God, or a wolf as regards his sheep."11 If we consider the troubles due to the extreme violence Muslims were exposed to both in the Medinan and Meccan periods, we can understand how meaningful was this message expressed by the Prophet. It does not include any desire for revenge against any person or any group; instead, it only expresses an ardent desire for a violence-free world for all. The Prophet commanded us to maintain social solidarity and cooperation, to open our hearts to our fellows, and to help one another at all times. He said, "Do not cut relations between each other! Do not turn your backs on each other! Do not grow hatred between each other! O God's servants! Become brothers and sisters!"12 Peace, reform, and virtuous deeds The Arabic terms islah (reform) and sulh (peace) are from the same root. Islah means one's reach of peace and serenity while leaving conflicts and deviations; in other words, it refers to leaving confusion by settling a dispute between two people or two sides.
Good deeds are actions that are beneficial for people and society, as well as actions that are taken to establish peace and serenity. This concept not only includes offering worship and spending in a good cause but also smiling, behaving warmly to others, establishing friendships, pleasing people
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by kind words, exchanging greetings, having warm conversation, and controlling bad feelings such as pride, arrogance, anger, envy, animosity, hypocrisy, rancor, and burning ambition. Thus, essentially, virtuous deeds are acts that purify humankind of aggression and bring them to peace. In the Qur'an, it is recommended to cease disagreements by peace and not to commence further disputes, fights, confusion, and discord; in addition, people are asked to take a balanced approach and seek justice (Qur'an, 8:1; 49:9–10). It is forbidden to spoil peace and tranquility by corruption; there are penalties for those who do.13 It is possible to apply the verse, Peace is better (Qur'an, 4:128) which was specifically revealed to eradicate disagreements between couples, to all kinds of human relations. Islam recommends a united and mutually helpful society, and this vision does not only refer to the level of nation, but includes international relations, too. In this sense, from an Islamic perspective, international law should take the establishment of peace as a foundation.14 Conclusion The Qur'an emphasizes peace and reconciliation as basic to all social and even international relations. As mentioned in the Qur'an, Paradise, which is the reward for the pious, is a place of serenity. One of the ninety-nine names of God is Salaam, which means peace. Throughout history, Muslims have made every effort to establish peace and serenity everywhere in all divergent fields, only taking military measures when their enemies tried to hinder these efforts for humankind. Over the course of history, the general approach of Muslims has been supportive of maintaining peace, spreading an environment of serenity and trust, and constructing a civilization of love, compassion, and mercy to share with other people in peace. Professor Huseyin Algul is a Faculty member, specializing in Islamic History, in the Department of Theology at Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey.
Notes
1. See Mustafa Sinanoglu, "Islam-Giris", DIA, XXIII, 1-2; Hamdi Donduren, "Islam", SIA (Samil Islam Ansiklopedisi), III, 179-191. 2. See Qur'an, 1:6-7; 11:112. 3. Tirmidhi, Tafsir, 58. 4. See Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 73; Abu Dawud, Adab, 111; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, V, 411. 5. Karamani Hayrettin, et al (edited by). Kur'an Yolu, Turkce Meal ve Tefsir, Ankara: Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi Yay?nlar?, 2006, V, 97–98. 6. See Qur'an, 7:68; 26:107, 125, 143, 178; 44:18. 7. Musnad, II, 349. 8. Muslim, Iman, 101,102. 9. Bukhari, Iman, 3, 5; Muslim, Iman, 64, 65; Nasai, Iman, 8, 104, 105. 10. Tirmidhi, Fitan, 62; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, II, 368. 11. Bukhari, Manaqib, 25, Ikrah, 1; Abu Dawud, Jihad, 97; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, V, 110111. 12. Muslim, Birr, 23. 13. See Al Baqarah, 2/27, 205; Al Ma'idah 5/32-33; Al A'raf, 7/56, 85; Ar-Ra'd 13/25; AshShu'ara' 26/183
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14. For a scientific research and detailed information on this issue, see Ahmet Yaman, Islam Devletler Hukukunda Savas, Beyan Yay?nlar?, Istanbul 1988.
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Meaning of Nonviolence: Ontological, Epistemological and Ethical Dimensions of Nonviolence Prof. M. P. Mathai I would state at the outset that I will be presenting my views on Nonviolence from within the Gandhian frame work. Although the word Nonviolence has an apparent negative connotation for such votaries of Nonviolence as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., et.al., the word carries a positive sense and the positive meaning of Nonviolence for them is LOVE. Nonviolence is not just abstaining from hurting or killing others, it means the elimination of even the desire to hurt or kill. It is a mental/spiritual condition. Nonviolence in the Gandhian sense is not passive but pro active and could be translated into practice through all round service to the community - sentient and non-sentient. Gandhian Nonviolence is based on the spiritual perception of the oneness of life. As all life is perceived as essentially one there is no duality, no ‘I’ ‘thou’ dichotomy. Therefore, harming any form of life is harming oneself. This is the ontological basis of nonviolence. The practice of nonviolence has several dimensions to it. It is a way of vindicating truth. As the human instruments of cognition have their inherent limitations no one can have a comprehensive, faultless and total comprehension of truth. Therefore, one cannot impose one’s perception on truth on the others. On the contrary, one has to vindicate one’s truth through nonviolence; that is the only justifiable way of truth vindication. This is the epistemic dimension of nonviolence. Nonviolence in the broadest sense means goodwill towards all life, supporting every human being and every creation to realise the potentials latent in each to the maximum possible. This is both an ethical and spiritual position, complementary to each other.
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Peacebuilding, Where, When, and How
Dr. Sudarat Tuntivivat Behavioral Science Research Institute Srinakharinwirot University Bangkok, Thailand
Peacebuilding: Where Peacebuilding is conducted at the grassroots, middle-level, and top-level (Caritas, 2002, from p. 81).
Triangle 1
Triangle 2
Peacebuilding: When
Stage 1: Gathering materials for the fire / Potential conflict. In the early stage, materials for the fire are collected. Some of these materials are drier than others, but there is no fire yet. Stage 2: Fire begins burning / Confrontation. In the next stage, a match is lit and the fire begins to burn. Usually a confrontation between parties, like a large public demonstration, serves as the match, which quickly ignites the dry materials. Stage 3: Bonfire / Crisis. The fire burns as far and fast as it can, burning wildly out of control. In this stage, the conflict reaches a crisis and, just like the fire, conflict consumes the materials fuelling it. Stage 4: Coals / Potential conflict. At some point, the fire abates, the flames largely vanish and just the coals continue to glow as most of the fuel is burnt up. At this stage, conflicts can either continue to burn themselves out or, if new fuel is added, re-ignite. Stage 5: Fire out / Regeneration. Finally, the fire is out and even the embers are cool. At this stage, it is time to focus on things besides the fire, and rebuild and help regenerate what was lost.
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EXERCISE 1: PEACEBUILDING WHERE AND WHEN?
STAGE OF CONFLICT (FIRE)
TYPE OF ACTORS
Grassroots
Middle Level
Top Level
Gathering / Potential Begins burning / Confrontation Bonfire / Crises Coals / Potential Fire Out / Regeneration
Peacebuilding: How
Peacebuilding can be done through prejudice reduction, culturally appropriate conflict resolution training, non-violent, advocacy, advocacy training, human rights education and training, and economic and agricultural development (Caritas, 2002, from p. 84).
Five Operating Principles for Peacebuilding 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Comprehensive Interdependent Sustainable Strategic Infrastructure
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The Curve of Conflict
Negative Peace and Positive Peace Negative peace interventions – to prevent & mitigate violent episodes; can be tailored to various phases of a violent episode. (1) Conflict phase which precedes the violent episode, (2) Violent episode phase, or (3) Post violence phase Positive peace interventions – to reduce structural violence; cannot be prevented because all societies have some degree of ongoing structural & cultural (interventions involve social & cultural transformations to reduce structural & cultural violence & promote a more equitable social order
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Peacemaking vs. Peacebuilding
Peacemaking
Peacebuilding
Reduces violent episodes
Reduces structural violence
Emphasizes nonviolent means
Emphasis on socially just ends
Reactive
Proactive
Prevention of violent episodes Temporal & Spatial In the interest of status quo
Mitigation of structural violence
Ubiquitous Changes the status quo
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Peace, Conflict and Violence
Negative Peace
Positive Peace
Reduce
Violent Episodes
Structural Violence
Produce
Nonviolent Harmonious Interactions (Peacemaking)
Social Justice (Peacebuilding)
References:
Caritas (2002) Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/B09D26A79A622416C1257187002C4053-caritasgen-oct02.pdf
Christie, D. J., Wagner, R. V., & Winter, D. A. (Eds.). (2001). Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall. http://u.osu.edu/christie/about/peace-conflict-and-violence-peace-psychology-for-the-21st-century/
Tuntivivat, S. (2016). The Inter-Relationship between Violence and Education amidst Armed Conflict in Southern Thailand. Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research. 8 (4). pp.269 – 278
Yoelao, D. Junprasert, T., Tuntivivat, S., Chaiakkarakan, N. (2015). Conflicts in Thailand during 2013-14: An Analysis of Conflict News in Mass Media. International Journal of Behavioral Science. Vol. 10, Issue 2, 69-78.
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Peace Making in Armed Conflict: Role of Military and Civil Society Brig. P. M. Mathew
1. INTRODUCTION Good afternoon to all of you here. I have great pleasure for being here with these young prospective Ambassadors of peace in Asia. It is a matter of great joy for me, that I am in the midest of those very young people who are going to be instruments of conflict resolution in this continent. Conflict is a global phenomena and it is spreading like a cancer in the human society. Humanity has been witnessing bloody conflicts during its entire history. Closer to our lives of the present generation apart from the major wars of the 20th century, by the end of the cold war era (1944- The end of WW II and till the collapse of Soviet Union in Dec 1991) the world has been facing various types of conflicts of various intensity and brutality. Be it the conflicts between nations, religious intolerance, ideological uprisings, class wars, communist revolutions, political uprisings and various types of internal and trans border terrorism, the list is never ending. So it will not be incorrect to state that, there will be conflicts all around and we should get skilled in art of resolving conflict. Since the end of cold war, with in the Asian region, we have seen the war between North and South Korea which formally ended in 1950, war between India and Pakistan during 1948, 1965 &1971, conflict between India and China in1962. There were ethnic conflict of bloody nature between the Tamil Tigers and the state of Sri Lanka which manifested into a full war by 1986. We are witnessing the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and many parts of the Middle East is still on the boil. Elsewhere in the pacific region, maritime and territorial disputes entangle China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. During last two decades, we have also seen the invasion of Kuwait, the American invasion of Iraq, civil war in Syria, and dismantling of Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Birth of Al-Qaida, Taliban and ISIS added more and more conflicts in the Middle East Asia. The divide between Sunni and Shia sects of the Muslim faith is resulting in the death of thousands of innocents every year even now. India has a perpetual cauldron of insurgency in the North Eastern states, a trans border terrorism in Kashmir. China had its share of internal conflicts in Tina man square and the unresolved Uigher Muslim uprising in the North West. There were unrest and conflict in Philippines. All these conflicts resulted in the death of thousands of human life and loss of limbs and livelihood of millions of innocent people. Samuel Huntington, a famous American Political Scientist, famously outlined the Causes of conflict in his book- the “Clash of civilizations”. As per him the underlining cause of conflicts present and future was the tensions between cultures: Western, Latin American, Islamic, Confucian, Hindu, Slavic- Orthodox, Japanese and possibly African. Political thinkers in the west think that establishing stable democratic ruling will resolve global conflict situations and can lead to universal peace. It is still debatable that the western doctrine of Democracy can reduce or eliminate conflicts. Our experience did not prove this to be correct so far. However as a hypothesis it has lots of merit in it. In fact, most of the regions are reeling under bloody conflicts
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and unrest and this has resulted in large scale involvement of UN and international community in engagement of peace keeping through military interventions. . Peacekeeping has long been treated as an instrument of conflict management, which is unfortunately flawed and usually fails to address the underlying causes of the conflict. However, today we will focus on its capacity as an instrument for conflict resolution paying special attention to its ability for containing violence. On the one hand we will also examine how it can help in furthering peace building efforts. While we recognise that peacekeeping has over the years been performed by various organisations, during our discussions here, we will mostly focus about United Nations sponsored peacekeeping operations. It may be noted that reasoning what we apply here are obviously relevant to the peacekeeping efforts of other organisations as well. 2. AIM TO DISCUSS THE COMPLEXITIES OF PEACE KEEPING OPERATIONS IN ARMED CONFLICT AND TO ANALYSE THE ROLE OF MILITARY AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN RESTORATION OF PEACE AND RE- BUILDING. 3. CONFLICT What Is Conflict? Before we try and analyse nuances of peace keeping per-se, we will try and understand what is conflict? It is a hope and a dream of every civilised human being to live in atmosphere of peace, wellbeing and universal brother hood. Despite this hope it is also a fact that there exists a perpetual element of conflict in every corner of humanity and at every nook of this planet Earth. Let us take the animal kingdom. They too have conflicts. The birds fight for domination, animal fight for territory and establishing dominance in controlling the herd in every respect. (elephants, antlers, wild cats all never ending list) . Most broadly understood, conflict occurs when two or more ‘parties’ (individuals or groups) have – or believe they have – incompatible goals and this perception of incompatibility shapes their attitudes and behaviours toward each other. The potential for conflict exists a all levels of human social life: between individuals, between groups, and between institutions, nations, states or societies. Many people think of conflict as inherently negative. But conflict can sometimes reveal underlying problems that need to be addressed to keep the system of relationships dynamic and strong. Sometimes people respond to conflict by seeking to avoid it, to suppress it or by the use of aggression or even violence against those they see as creating the problem or blocking their goals. It is beyond doubts that, it is possible to work with conflict in a way that enables people to address the causes and to repair relationships that have been weakened by anger, fear or even hatred generated by conflict. The way you respond to conflict makes the difference between it becoming a force for destruction or being a catalyst for constructive change. Yet not all conflicts
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are the same1. There are various levels of conflict that plague the society today. We can examine the main issues relating to conflict:One level can be called ‘arguments’. These occur when parties have similar interests and goals but disagree over the means of achieving them. (For example, they agree that there should be training on their equal opportunities policy but disagree over how to organise it). This type of situation can often be effectively managed through problem solving and improved communication. Another level can be referred to as ‘disputes’. These are situations where the parties have incompatible interests and goals. Yet because they can be framed as issues of gain or loss, they can be negotiated. (For example, a group representing people with physical disabilities demands that all public transport is fully accessible but the government claims it will be too expensive; they then negotiate an agreement for increasing accessible routes over ten years.) Another level can be seen as deep-rooted conflict. These involve threats to basic human needs – such as for survival, security, recognition, and identity – of one or more of the parties and the perception that these needs are threatened by the other There are usually three main dimensions operating in any conflict relationship, each of which has to be addressed to resolve the conflict. Issues and opportunities: Conflict ‘issues’ are the key topics – sometimes called ‘grievances’ – that are of concern to those involved (e.g., access to health care or the having one’s own language officially recognised). Conflict ‘opportunities’ are the specific gains that can be made by people participating in conflict – such as the illicit accumulation of wealth or control. The combination of issues and opportunities is increasingly discussed in terms of ‘grievance and greed’. Sometimes they are obvious and are expressed clearly by the parties. Sometimes they are hidden – either because one of the parties has not analysed its own needs, they have become stuck in struggling over issues that do not really matter to them, or because they feel too vulnerable to reveal their most important concerns2. Attitudes: these are the feelings, beliefs and perceptions about both one’s own group and about the other group(s) that shape the conflict. (For example: ‘we are virtuous and hardworking; they are lazy and expect handouts’ or ‘they are out to destroy us and we must do whatever it takes to defend ourselves and defeat them’.) These attitudes can be barriers to good communication and to working with conflict constructively. Behaviours: This denotes the way the people act in a conflict situation. For example, some choose to avoid contact and perhaps diminish opportunities for communication and improved awareness. Others may choose to respond with physical violence, often with the result that the conflict escalates and becomes increasingly destructive. Some may choose the path of fighting a
1
Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution: Hawks and Doves. Research Center for constructive Conflict Management The Living Document” A Framework for Substantive Exploration of the Opportunities, Challenges and Dilemmas for Civil Society Engagement in Preventing Armed Conflict; Dr. Catherine Barnes 2
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legal battle, even though it may be costly and can further antagonistic attitudes. Still others may choose to engage in face-to-face meetings so as to seek mutually satisfying solutions. Conflicts grow out of an interaction between these basic elements, which form the raw material for any specific conflict relationship. Once conflicts have emerged, they develop dynamically and become a system that changes over time. Understanding how conflict develops can facilitate identification of phases that can help the analyst to guess what might happen next. This knowledge can be invaluable when negotiating a hot conflict or developing an intervention design. Almost all conflicts move through periods of ‘heating up’ and ‘cooling down’ in their intensity. This cycle is a dynamic response to the actions and reactions of the parties – for example, the tendency for contentious behaviour to spark more contentious behaviour. Some form of conflicts mostly fuelled by religious intolerance has manifested into most violent and destructive global terrorism and keeping many nation states bleeding and left those states in a state of shock and calamity. Certain manifestation of hatred has been cited to be the major reason but it is destroying trillions of dollars worth collateral assets and state resources which could have been better utilised for the betterment of humanity. As on today it is estimated that US alone has spent almost 140 trillion dollars to managing various conflicts in last two decades Famous military strategy expert Louis Kriesberg has identified seven distinguishable phases in a conflict cycle3. 3.1Emergence Beginning of a problem can be as clash of religious, social, political or ideological differences. It could start as opposition to policies, demonstration, collective bargaining or as an expression of dissent. 3.2 Escalation. Un attended issues manifest into larger issues and activities of the interest groups get expanded and gather more local /political support. 3.3 Physical violence. Confidence gained through a series of activities get emboldened due to larger support of local population or even most of the times vested interest from across the borders. This could lead into acquisition of arms, combat training, training in use of weapons. Finally emboldened and finding prominence with in the affected society,the conflict will into out bursts of violence. 3.4 Polarization. Diverse interest of the community will throw up challenges to the original perpetuators of conflict and it will find its own course to counter them by equal violence. This will lead into polarization of interests and tearing off the affected region into a major conflict zone.
3
C.R. Mitchell. 1981. The Structure of International Conflict. (London: The Macmillan Press)
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3.5 Enlargement Emergence of more than one actor or state counter measures will enlarge the scope and create a state of conflict ,violence and lawlessness. Degree of conflict will spread to new areas since each of the warring groups try to establish control of various areas, zones or communities. 3.6 Entrapment and Armed violence Having been caught between the violence, state interventions, or even counter actions by the other militia, the state plunges into a severe state of violence, insurgency and finally a state of war. 3.7 Third Party Intervention and De - Escalation. Most conflicts do not move neatly from one phase to the next through the cyclical pattern described above. Sometimes they escalate and become polarized and then de-escalate to become latent before emerging again. Then they might become enlarged, then entrapped, and finally – with the assistance of outside intervention – find a means to de-escalate and disengage. Graphically, a conflict can be thought of as a series of interconnected loops that create a destructive conflict spiral. Not all conflicts are visible to those not affected by them. Sometimes the conditions that create conflict are deeply structured into a system of relationships, yet this conflict is not openly expressed. In other words, it is latent conflict. A triggering event can occur that brings the situation to the surface – sometimes through outbursts of violence. Even if people are not mobilized to act on it, latent conflict typically exists when there is systematic inequality and injustice, sometimes referred to as ‘structural violence’. Thus conflict often indicates problems that need to be addressed and activists may surface it intentionally so as to get something done about those problems. 4. CONFLICT PREVENTION AND UN INITIATIVE In its true sense, conflict prevention aims to prevent violence and destructive conflict and to build a just and sustainable peaceful society by addressing and resolving latent reasons of conflict. It may even lead to neutralizing warring groups from the conflict zone. Ever since the end of cold war there have been emergence of too many conflict areas and put nations against nations. International conscious was awakened and the majority of member nations of the UN felt the need of intervention by UN sponsored military forces to restore peace and normalcy. The UN Secretary-General in his 2001 Report on the Prevention of Armed Conflict subsequently adopted these concepts and they have become cornerstones of the framework for thinking about conflict prevention internationally. In this process, the focus is on preventing armed conflict. This can include large-scale conventional warfare between states, a variety of types of wars or organised violence within the boundaries of a state or within interconnected territorial entities, and even non-conventional organised violence at the global level (e.g., international terrorism). It can be recognised, however, that conflicts often go through complex cycles in which they emerge, escalate, halt, and
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seemingly settled only to re-emerge again at some later point. The use of armed violence fluctuates accordingly. Furthermore, large-scale conflict is generally manifest in multiple smallscale or localised conflicts, often intersecting with and feeding on specific local conflicts. Given this complexity, the focus for prevention will vary considerably between contexts. Therefore participants are encouraged to use their judgement to decide what types of conflicts are relevant for consideration in the framework of this programme. 5. THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PEACEKEEPING 5.1 The Development of Peacekeeping: 1956-1988 The first mission explicitly labelled as‚ peacekeeping ‘was the UN Emergency Force (UNEFI). It was dispatched to the Sinai Peninsula in response to the 1956 Suez Crisis to observe the ceasefire and withdrawal of the British, French and Israeli forces from Egyptian territory. As the first armed UN peacekeeping operation, UNEFI was an important precedent for other UN missions. It further served as a test case for the value that armed and neutral forces can play in restraining conflict. The mission was successful in the fulfilment of its mandate and thus established a set of principles that have since served as valuable guidelines for future missions. The principles were identified by Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold and General Assembly President Lester Pearson and are as follows:
consent by the parties to the dispute for the establishment of the mission.
non-use of force except in self defence.
voluntary contributions of contingents from small, neutral countries to participate in the force.
Impartiality.
control of peacekeeping operations by the Secretary General.
During the Cold War, a total of 13 peacekeeping operations were established. Missions during this time were mostly – with a few exceptions – deployed in inter-state conflicts. Their sole function was to monitor borders and establish buffer zones after the agreement of cease-fires. The missions were typically composed of lightly armed national troop contingents from small and neutral UN member states.
5.2 Post-Cold War Peacekeeping during the 1990s From the late 1980s until 1994, the number of peacekeeping operations undertaken worldwide increased dramatically. At the beginning of 1988, as the Cold War was coming to an end, there were only five operations active in the field: three in the Middle East, a small observer mission in Kashmir, and UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
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Between 1988 and 1996, 29 operations were created, compared to the establishment of only 13 operations undertaken between 1948 and 1987 and none in the decade between 1979 and 1988. This significant increase in the number of peacekeeping operations has been accompanied by a fundamental change in their nature, or more specifically, in their function and composition. The single function associated with traditional operations has evolved into a multiplicity of tasks. At the same time, the composition of post-Cold War peacekeeping operations became more diverse and complex: peacekeepers were drawn from a wider variety of occupation (military, civilian police and diplomatic), nations and cultures. Contemporary peacekeeping can now be appropriately characterised as multilateral, multidimensional, multinational and multicultural. 5.3 New Challenges to Peacekeeping While peacekeeping functions have diversified significantly in recent years they strove to adapt to new tasks and challenges. Present environments in which these missions are deployed have become more complex than ever. Although there have been exceptions, such as ONUC in the Congo and UNIFIL in Lebanon, most peacekeeping operations set up before the 1990s generally operated in permissive environments where they had the consent and support of host governments for their presence. Increasingly during the 1990s, missions have also been deployed in the context of internal wars or in the shadow of complex political emergencies, also defined as situations of civil and international war. In these situations, the UN is all too often forced to work under conditions of lawlessness and violence, where militias and paramilitary groups act autonomously. Here, consent may be partial and UN agencies are all too often confronted and opposed. These challenges posed by intra-state war in general, and by the impact of extremely violent civil conflicts, have variously called into question most of the received assumptions about the processes of peacekeeping. Conflicts in the post-Cold War period have tested the UN‘s capabilities to the limit, and the failures in Somalia, Rwanda, and Bosnia have led to widely damning assessments in the academic literature. At the end of the decade, the UN organisation itself published the reports of inquiries into two events that marked the nadir of its experience with efforts to resolve conflicts (United Nations 1999a, United Nations 1999b). The genocide in Rwanda, where approximately 800,000 people were killed during April and July of 1994, was described as one of the most horrific and deplorable events of the twentieth century“. A year later, in one of the worst war crimes committed in Europe since the end of the Second World War, the Bosnian Muslim town of Srebrenica, which had been designated the world‘s first-ever civilian safe area under Security Council Resolution 819 (16th April 1993), was besieged by Serb militias. During this siege, 8,000 Muslims were killed under the eyes of the UN peacekeeping contingent deployed there. Both reports concluded that, faced with growing efforts to murder, expel or terrorise entire populations, the neutral, impartial and mediating role of the United Nations was proving to be woefully inadequate. In short, it seems reasonable to argue that the major challenge for peacekeeping today remains in the development of a concept which clarifies the specific ways in which new peacekeeping efforts should properly function in the semi-permissive or non-consensual environment where they have
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increasingly been called to operate since 1988. This must include specific suggestions for the implementation of the concepts into practice. 5.4 New Developments in Peacekeeping World has been witnessing many rapid changes in the policy and execution of peace keeping. More often than not, it resulted in undue escalation of conflict and massive destruction to people and property. This has resulted in great disillusionment with peace keeping operations. Disillusionment with the experience of UN peacekeeping has led to a marked reduction in the number of deployments since the peak of 1994. Many observers have gone further and called for an abandonment of peacekeeping as a practice – except as undertaken in its limited and classical pre-1988 form – in favour of regional and ‘great power‘ conflict management. On the other hand, there are still those who argue that the UN remains the only body capable of combining political, military and humanitarian functions in order to reduce and even eliminate the misery of conflict. These experts call for efforts to develop and reform the peacekeeping method of intervention in order to correct its operational and conceptual deficiencies. It is seen now in the composition of mandated peace keeping forces, the civilian and civilian police components of the more recent missions have grown significantly and now comprise over one third of the total number of military troops deployed. While the military contribution to recent peacekeeping missions has declined in absolute numbers, as well as in comparison to the number of civilians and civilian police deployed, peacekeeping doctrine has been developed in a way that will allow military peacekeeping a more robust role in the future. The aim is to avoid any failure to protect civilians (as occurred in Bosnia and Rwanda) and also to ensure that there are adequate self-defence mechanisms for peacekeeping forces and UN staff (learning from situations such as in Sierra Leone and West Timor, where UN staff were kidnapped and murdered by mobs and militias). The shift in peacekeeping doctrine was principally initiated by the national defence academies of countries that had participated in the larger-scale deployments in the 1990s, and that would no longer agree to send their military forces into conflicts for which they are inadequately prepared and supported. This new way of thinking is best exemplified by the British peacekeeping doctrine. The British military refers to this new form of peacekeeping as ‚peace support operations‘ (PSO). The term is generally used to cover a wide range of potential operations, from conflict prevention to peacemaking, and to provide a doctrine that will be relevant to the post-Cold War geo-strategic environment. As expressed by Wilkinson (2000), one of its main theorists, the new doctrine 7 starts from the premise, that in a world marked by civil wars, the new doctrine 7 starts from the premise, that in a world marked by civil wars, collapsed states and declining respect or international and humanitarian law, traditional notions of peacekeeping have become outmoded, so that the wider peacekeeping concepts developed in the 1990s are in need of updating. In emerging doctrines of peacekeeping, peace enforcement is significantly redefined and assigned a larger place within the broader framework of intervention options. Consent and peace building (not military victory) remain, however, the ultimate objectives. The crucial distinction lies between peace enforcement and war, with peacekeeping and peace enforcement operating on the
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‚correct‘side of the impartiality line. Thus, peacekeepers will never lose sight of the objective of sustaining or restoring consent in the interests of the long-term demands of peace building. The aim of the new doctrine is to create peacekeeping operations that are sufficiently flexible, robust and combat-ready. These operations must be able to deal with a wide range of scenarios, including those in which ‚spoilers‘ will attempt to undermine peace processes by means of violence and intimidation, or by threatening the local population and international staff serving the international community in the region (Wilkinson 2000). This concept has been embraced by an ever-increasing portion of the international military community, including North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and has consequently become the doctrinal basis for the launching of modern peacekeeping operations. 5.5 Controlling Violence and Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution theory has drawn attention to the importance of distinguishing carefully between different time frames in the management of violent conflict. The key implication for peacekeeping is that practitioners must always be conscious of the dual goal of short-term conflict settlement on one hand and long-term conflict resolution on the other. In this analysis, it is recognised that two fundamental problems must be addressed concurrently: first, the effective control of violence (primarily a military role in the short term) and, second, the rebuilding of cooperative relationships within and between communities to promote sustainable peace building in the long-term. As outlined above, recent peacekeeping doctrine expressed by both individual states and the UN calls for a robust form of peacekeeping that is capable of responding to violence while working to promote political and civilian peace building activities. From the concept pursued in this new peacekeeping doctrine, it is evident that peacekeeping must engender two dimensions of activity. One brings it closer to a state of war (i.e. peacekeepers must always be prepared for combat and maintain an enforcement capability). At the same time, however, the impartiality principle prescribes that it must also be capable of building consent so as to limit the necessity for the enforcement of compliance. If this is not achieved, it becomes far more likely that peacekeepers will be drawn into a prolonged military enforcement role, thus increasing the danger of ‚crossing the Mogadishu line‘, i.e. of taking sides and being drawn into the conflict directly. Unless practitioners engage seriously in the consent-promoting dimension of peacekeeping, by focusing on the goals of conflict resolution and post-conflict peace-building, they will, under this new doctrine, run the risk of becoming embroiled in full-scale warfare. British and American peacekeeping doctrines explicitly recognise the importance of consentpromoting techniques in peacekeeping. These techniques are similar to Kofi Annan‘s stated objective of building and strengthening positive inducements in PSOs.( Peace Support Operations) The consent-promoting techniques in PSO doctrine are defined as follows: community information; media operations; civil affairs; negotiation and mediation. Negotiation and mediation are seen to be essential skills for all the different stages and levels of a PSO. They may involve service personnel, from senior commanders who meet with faction leaders to soldiers at isolated observation points who work to control an incident or even arbitrate a dispute. Seen from a wider level and critically linking PSO objectives to the goals of conflict resolution, the doctrine also includes the objective of transforming the conflicting parties into ‚stakeholders in the peace process by providing opportunities for them to co-operate and the creation of
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incentives, rewards and sanctions. This broader concept of PSO will also potentially lead to the increased deployment of civilian staff in peacekeeping missions, including the use of ‘white helmets‘to balance and complement the use of military ‘blue helmets’. Subsequently, operations will become increasingly complex, requiring greater co-ordination of the civil and military components of peacekeeping. This must be complemented by a corresponding concern for resolution of conflict at cultural/communal levels. This is particularly relevant for the peacekeepers that are operating as the interface between concurrent efforts to broker mediated settlements on the structural/political level on the one hand and to implement them at the cultural/communal level on the other. Many of the tasks performed by peacekeepers on the communal level require close interaction with the local population. It is, thus, essential that they develop some understanding of the impact of socio-psychological processes on behaviour in violent conflict and of the processes and skills that can enable divided communities to rebuild relationships. In brief, they will need to master a specific range of conflict resolution skills. In addition the experience of recent missions has revealed that peacekeeping forces often encounter major difficulties in communication between themselves, because of their widely diverse multinational composition. They need to be aware of how to relate to each other within the force, just as they must become more conscious of the values of the communities in which they are placed. The need for specific peacekeeping training that incorporates conflict resolution skills is further heightened when one considers the growing difference between the skills needed in combat and those needed in peacekeeping operations In American military thinking, it is now recognised that, while combat operations will rarely involve any form of consistent interaction with civilians, in PSO, the military may well be required to control hostile crowds, distribute humanitarian relief to civilian populations and disarm local militias under the general terms of a peace agreement. These tasks require a closer understanding of local realities as well as the development of good relationships with civilian populations. They further depend on the judicious use of negotiation skills at the tactical level (in the field) to secure objectives and to ensure the safety of one‘s troops. Such negotiations are likely to be conducted by company commanders or senior battalion staff officers along with CSOs At the troop level, soldiers in the course of their routine duties may also be called upon to mediate or arbitrate in a whole range of local disputes. This shift towards the communicative aspects of peacekeeping usually does not come naturally to conventional military personnel, and will require considerable shifts in traditional military culture, moving it towards a culture or psychology more suitable for modern peacekeeping. The contrast between cultures, and consequently between practises, is indeed dramatic. In conventional military thinking combat forces are not taught to negotiate with opposing armed elements, but rather to destroy them. A less extreme example of this is well illustrated in the context of the regular task of conducting a cordon and search operation, common in combat and in peacekeeping. In combat operations, the standard technique for opening a door of a building in
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such operations is simply to blow it open. Peacekeeping forces must now approach the same task using the far more difficult technique of persuading the occupants to open the door4 Related to these needs, contemporary conflict resolution theory has identified and developed training programmes and techniques that is designed to help practitioners acquire the necessary communication skills and concepts. Concurrently, many national training programmes are now being redesigned in an effort to equip peacekeepers with the skills necessary to address these new challenges. There is a wealth of relevant conflict resolution expertise, much of it already tried and tested, albeit in other contexts, which could further inform these programmes. 6. MILITARY ROLE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND MAINTAING PEACE This new approach and the increasing complexity of conflicts, predominantly intrastate in nature, have led on the one hand to understandings of the traditional principles of peace operations being addressed, and on the other to military forces facing diverse challenges. The most complex is related to the effective use of combat capabilities, as it seems that there is a lack of political will, after making the deployment of forces, to ensure their effective use. However, the effective use of force being the most critical element, but simultaneously more differentiating and characterising of the use of the military instrument, the management and resolution of conflicts has elevated the range of capabilities of military forces that goes beyond traditional capabilities combat, showing themselves useful in support, complement or replacement of non-military capabilities. The international community, including the United Nations, with the support of some regional organisations such as NATO and the European Union, have increasingly intervened in the management and resolution of conflicts. Constituting a "third party" they invest their efforts in the implementation of coercive and non-coercive methods in order to defuse antagonism among opponents and to promote a lasting cessation of violence. In today’s world order, prevention of armed conflict is perhaps the greatest responsibility of the international community. But when this prevention is not possible, the so-called "peacekeepers" are often forced to intervene to help enforce and maintain a safe environment, preventing the resumption of violence and providing a safe space for the advancement of political processes. The characteristics of the current operational environments, along with the multiple actors involved – of which the population is the most important – have increased the complexity of conflicts. Thus, operations involved in their management and resolution require the execution of an increasingly broad spectrum of tasks by the military. However, conflict resolution is also done based on non-coercive measures, which implies that the use of military should be balanced and integrated with other instruments of power. The traditional use of military forces in the context of conflict resolution seems to be undergoing rapid evolution, where its action is developed in a much more complex environment. Thus, as stated by Smith (2008: 429), "the desired result should be known before deciding whether the military has a role to play in achieving this result".
4
Chayles and Raach 1995 .
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6.1 The use of military force in resolution of conflicts The use of military forces in operations for the management and resolution of conflicts is distinguished from other types of operations because it applies a set of principles for Conflict Prevention as follows:Intervention Regeneration Sustentation The strategic functions of the Military, while retaining their ends, saw contexts change in the concept of enemy elimination, through intervention by application of minimum force with least possible destruction in the context of conflict resolution. Military, instead of carrying out its strategic functions in a traditional war scenario, the deployment of the military in this context can be seen as a step by the international community to resolve differences and confrontations without recourse to war in its real sense, while contributing to regeneration of the society and improve security in collective terms. Sustention is an integrated approach. In general terms, the strategic objectives defined for an operation aimed at resolving a conflict are usually related to security, governance and economic development .In strictly military terms, the final state can be considered achieved when the rule of law is established, internal security mechanisms regain control and the levels of violence are within normal standards for the society in the region in question. However, in an armed conflict scenario, achieving military objectives and creating a stable and secure environment is no guarantee of achieving a self-sustaining situation of peace. The implementation of an operation or elimination of some warring groups may help to curb violence in the short term, but it is unlikely to result in a sustainable and lasting peace if it is not accompanied by programmes designed to prevent the recurrence of conflict. Operations of IPKF in Sri Lanka and Allied forces in Afghanistan is a clear indicator to this hypothesis. Thus, military success and reaching military targets should be seen as decisive aspects in order to achieve the desired overall end state, where it is essential to establish a dynamic balance with non-military objectives by, using the military instrument in coordination with other instruments of power. Here comes the most important role of the civil society and other civilian agencies. 6.2 The Functions of Military Force The military has always played an important role in international relations. However, its priorities have been changing, adapting to the evolution of strategic contexts, successively used first as a means of coercion, then as a deterrent and more recently as a tool for the prevention and resolution of conflicts (Espírito-Santo, 2003: 235). This form of use should be regarded not as a succeeding substitution of the context of use, but as a broadening of the spectrum of use. In this spectrum, generically, military force can accomplish five strategic functions: to destroy, coerce, deter, contain or improve (Smith, 2008: 370). These functions will be performed in isolation or in
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combination, according to the strategic concept that achieves the desired political result, and can be developed at different levels, individually or in a complementary manner (Garcia, 2010: 70), independent of the activities to execute. In the context of security and defence in the XXI century, the military runs three main types of activities: •
Traditional combat operations;
•
A wide range of "non-traditional" activities, ranging from humanitarian assistance to
•
special operations through to the peace operations.
Support activities and interaction with other instruments of power.
This spectrum of usage reflects very significant changes associated with a growing appreciation of the actions developed by use of non-military vectors. This trend has become more pronounced and results in more effective diplomatic, economic and psychological strategies, as well as the problems inherent to the use of military force. International organisations supported the perspective that the use of armed force to manage international relations and maintain peace is legitimate, appropriate and often necessary and have progressively come to intervene to safeguard peace between States as well as within them The opportunity for the employment of military forces is created and, thus, they are increasingly called upon to intervene under the so-called "conflict resolution". But this new perspective of action also brought qualitative changes in the use of military force. Objectives on a strategic and operational level are no longer related to the destruction or imposition of conditions to an enemy and now aim to shape it or change the will of the population (Smith, 2008: 42) and the warring parties. Especially the United Nations, supported and complemented by other regional organisations support this theory and expect the peace keepers also to do so.
6.3 Humanitarian work by the military It is somehow paradoxical that in several tragic situations over the past decade, when the need for military force to restore peace was critical owing to the manner in which conflicts were developing, the military (implementing mandates assigned by their political masters) were more involved in activities of an essentially humanitarian nature. The most prominent example is the UN Protection Force in Bosnia (UNPROFOR). In such situations of ongoing hostilities, humanitarian work carried out by the military brings with it several types of danger: • The forces concerned risk being perceived as, or actually becoming, parties to the conflict..As soon as their mission requires them to use force, humanitarian action may be compromised. There is also a temptation to make humanitarian assistance dependent on compliance by the warring parties with political conditions set by political bodies. • Involvement in humanitarian activities may divert the military from their principal objective — there is a real danger of soldiers being used to treat the symptoms rather than the disease itself.
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This is perhaps the ICRC’s main concern, in particular the risk of weakening the concept of impartial humanitarian action in the eyes of the belligerents. This concern is due to the limits of military involvement in humanitarian action per se than to the “contagious” effect that it may have on civilian humanitarian activities. Any association by the CSOs with military missions — real or perceived — is likely to affect the way in which the population gauges the neutrality of the civilian humanitarian workers, or are no longer be judged to be “innocent bystanders” but rather potential parties to the conflict. Mixing mandates risks turning humanitarian workers into perceived enemy agents and thus jeopardizing their personal safety. In a post-conflict situation, on the other hand, the “humanitarian” role of the military should be looked upon with fewer reservations. In situations where peace has been restored or is in the process of stabilization (Cambodia after the Paris agreements and Bosnia after Dayton), the provision of direct aid by the military poses fewer problems since there is no risk of soldiers being identified or confused with this or that party to the conflict (the parties concerned having consented to the presence of the peace-keeping force). However, it should be pointed out that, even in these situations, humanitarian action associated too closely with military action risks projecting an image which may cause problems if hostilities are renewed. A particularly striking example was the handling of the Kosovo crisis by NATO in 1999, which left the humanitarian community pondering the dual role of armed forces simultaneously engaged in a war and in humanitarian assistance. While NATO warplanes struck targets in Yugoslavia, the same military alliance committed massive resources to sustaining refugees arriving in Macedonia and Albania. Although in that situation the use of military logistics to assist hundreds of thousands of refugees was widely welcomed, it also caused anxiety about the militarization of humanitarian aid. Moreover, it gave rise to fears that this would set a precedent for the allocation by governments of resources for relief by the military at the expense of civilian channels. 6.4 Civil Military Co-Operation In Conflict Resolution The relationship between humanitarian and military activities, and cooperation between those engaged in the conflict zone, occupy an important place in the current international debate on crisis management. Generally speaking, the developments which today enable military and Civil society organizations to operate in concert and coordinate their respective activities in connection with an increasing number of conflicts should be welcomed. Alongside the more frequent involvement of the military in managing crises since the end of the Cold War, there is a political trend towards widening the scope of activities for military missions. This merit careful consideration and analysis. The so-called multi dimensional peace-support operations may encompass or even focus on tasks in the civilian and humanitarian domain. Such an extension could lead to potentially problematic relations and even competition between the military and humanitarian organizations. More importantly, if the dividing line between humanitarian and military action is blurred, the very concept of humanitarian action, which is at the heart of the civil societies mandate and activities, risks being undermined. 7. ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PEACE MAKING Civil society is an essential part of the proper functioning of the state, helping to initiate, promote, and strengthen comprehensive and objective dialogue between governments and their
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people. In this way, civil society fosters conflict resolution, advances human rights, and promotes better democratization processes. Because of its flexible, multidimensional, and non-rigid structure, civil society has the capability to adapt to rapid global changes. In next few minutes we try to get a better understanding of the nature and role of civil society in the functioning of the state, as well as the advancement of democracy and universal human rights.
7.1 What is Civil Society? Civil society is a widely used term in modern scholarship, “the big idea on everyone’s lips” as a solution to every conflict areas. Despite this, there is no commonly agreed- upon definition, beyond the basic idea of civil society being an arena of voluntary, un-coerced collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values5 A survey of the literature makes it clear that civil society as a concept contains elements that are diverse, complex, and above all, contentious. Some of the literature even questions whether this fuzziness ex- plains the popularity of civil society, in that “it can be all things to all people” .In addition to often elusive and intangible qualities of values, relationships and customs, civil society is also seen as manifested in the various organisational forms. These are generally voluntary in nature but range from local and informal groups to national and international political advocacy groups. It is often thought that when a society has a richly diverse associational life, with members belonging to multiple and varied groups, this can help to mitigate against the potential for deeply divided and polarised societies because it stimulates cross-cutting ties across identity and interest-based communities by enabling plurality and difference within and between interest and identity groups. Civil society is generally understood as the arena of voluntary, collective actions of an institutional nature around shared interests, purposes, and values that are distinct from those of the state, family, and market. Civil society consists of a large and diverse set of voluntary organisations and comprises non-state actors and associations that are not purely driven by private or economic interests, are autonomously organised, typically show civic virtue, and interact in the public sphere. Both as a conceptual term and as a social phenomenon, civil society resists any easy definition. This is especially true when trying to discuss it as a global development. Every society has its own distinct modes of social organisation, political traditions, as well as contemporary state and economic structures, all of which are central to the development of civil society and to shaping its specific features in that context. It may, however, be helpful to explore three elements related to ‘civil society’: A) Civil society, its theoretical roots as a concept; B) Its organisational form – and particularly how it is changing in response to a globalising world;
5
civil society as an emerging force in international relations .,Merkel and Lauth 1998,
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C) The role of civil society as an emerging force in international relations. 7.2 Civil society: key concepts in social & political theory6. The concept of ‘civil society’ has its roots in Western political and sociological theory. Civil society is seen as a ‘third space’ for human interaction outside the state and the market. It is connected historically to the evolution of the modern state (as a rational-legal structure of governance ,) and the rise of capitalism. The ‘associations’ formed voluntarily by citizens enabled them to promote interests and express values and beliefs in the public realm in a way that mediated between the individual/family, the state and the market. Many theorists suggest that this development helped to strengthen the public realm and to constrain arbitrary and tyrannical state power through the rule of law and led to the development of modern democratic governance. Understood in this way, civil society is essentially the political side of society, creating the social organisation to engage citizens with public life that is necessary for democracy. It is also seen as the space for cultivating normative values of ‘civility’ and ‘the public realm’, in which power is mediated by constitutionalising relations between different groups within society. Interlinked with the concept of ‘civil society’ is the concept of social capital: the values and networks that enable coordination and cooperation. Civil society is believed to help generate social capital and is, in turn, an expression of it. While economic capital (money, tools and physical infrastructure) and human capital (labour / trained individuals) are obvious resources for economic growth, many theorists see social capital as equally important for development. The Civil Society and Peace building research project (2006-2010) conducted by US DOD identified seven peace building functions civil society can potentially fulfill. The research project analyzed both the relevance of civil society activities within its conflict contexts and how effective or ineffective such activities are in supporting peace processes. The analysis was conducted with regard to four different conflict phases: war, armed conflict, windows of opportunity for peace negotiations, and post-large-scale violence. 7.3 The civil society functions analyzed were: I. II.
Protection of citizens against violence from all parties. Monitoring of human rights violations, the implementation of peace agreements, etc.
III.
Advocacy for peace and human rights
IV.
Socialization to values of peace and democracy as well as to develop in-group identity of marginalized groups, often via peace education.
6
A Framework for Substantive Exploration of the Opportunities, Challenges and Dilemmas for Civil Society Engagement in Preventing Armed Conflict Dr. Catherine Barnes
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V.
VI. VII.
Inter-group social cohesion: bringing people together from adversarial groups often in dialogue process. Facilitation of dialogue at the local and national level between all kinds of actors. Service delivery to create entry points for peace building, i.e. for the six functions listed above.
7.4 Key findings by the study The impetus for peace comes from political actors, mostly conflict parties and the civil society who plays an important supportive role. The practical relevance of different civil society functions varies in different phases of the conflict. There is a mismatch between the relevance of functions and the frequency with which these are actually performed and supported .Even relevant functions do not always have optimal impact due to design and context factors. Key context factors include the behaviour of the state, level of violence, role of the media, composition of civil society, and involvement of regional and international political actors and donors. Donors should consider what civil society actors and functions are appropriate in a given context, and link operational tasks with political support in order to increase impact. Citizen participation in the processes of political decision making is seen as a core requirement of functioning democracies. Civil society has gained importance in its perceived ability to facilitate regular and sustained participation by the citizenry, beyond simply voting in general elections. Increasingly, therefore, civil society is viewed by more and more re-searchers and practitioners as a basic pillar of democracy. The concept of civil society, however, is diverse and can carry many meanings, necessitating some deliberate understanding. 7.5 Global civil society in international relations: Action oriented ‘new diplomacy’ The emergence of ‘global civil society’ has been enabled by the growth of liberalised world markets and enhanced communications technology. Yet many believe that the reason for its proliferation is a reaction to the failure of governments to respond effectively to cross-cutting problems, a growing sense of concern for the situation of people elsewhere and a feeling of solidarity with humanity in the face of common threats. For many, it is a reaction to growing inequality of power, as well as due to the discrepancy between economics and governance. The concern for the humanity has become the driving force for an action oriented approach in interventions. The emergence of civil society actors as a significant voice is considered by many to be one of the major new developments in international relations over the past century. The ability of non-state actors to set a compelling agenda – particularly on environmental, social and, to a lesser extent, economic and security issues – has been a significant force in shaping new responses to key structural problems. Although CSOs have not been able to draw on the legal, political or military power of states, they have been able to draw on the power of what collective bargain and solidarity can achieve. There has been a close relationship between the growth in civil society voices on the global scene and the opening of global media channels – including the ‘new media’ enabled by the internet.
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The media has often been crucial in providing a channel for the voices and perspectives of CSO actors, thus creating a complex and interdependent relationship between many CSO campaigners and the media people who turn to them for information, analysis, ideas and stories. 7.6 The role of social change agents in creating a ‘better’ world. The proactive efforts by CSO to create a more just society usually involve efforts to stimulate change in different dimensions of a system. These efforts are typically organised by various people who can be considered ‘social change agents’ – a broad-based and loosely defined concept to indicate people who work actively in the public domain to address problems that the society is facing. While social change agents are the backbone of civil society, they can also be people in official governing positions or in other formal public or private sector roles. A challenge for conflict prevention is to support these embedded social change agents to be more effective in their efforts and, if appropriate, to create better opportunities to develop more coherent approaches to enhanced tolerance. It is quite likely that there will ever be any homogeneity in approach by various agencies, it can be important to work towards a shared commitment to peaceful methods for working towards achieving cherished values and ideals. The work of peace building NGOs often intersects military interests and activities, especially where it is concerned with the driving factors of conflict, countering extremism, holding dialogues, etc. Local civil society often runs into military agendas when addressing human rights, governance, conflict resolution, and peace building. In Iraq and Afghanistan, international and local NGOs have sought more engagement with the military, but have lacked the means to develop these relationships. The military has a need for civil society as well. Local leaders and International NGOs have human access in places where the military does not. Local buy-in to military and NGO programs alike is essential for project success. Civil Society often has expertise that the military lacks and that the civilian government lacks the man power to share. The road to greater military and civil society engagement will be difficult, but will be necessary for all types of conflict resolution.
7.7 Civil Society and Modern Conflict The CSO ‘partnerships’ in responses to emergencies are marked by two dis-junctions. First, there is a disjunction between the dominant representation of the world as statist by politicians and military interveners, whereas modern conflicts represent a challenge to states. Second, there are historical disconnections between the military and civilian components, not simply because they have different roles (which are represented as increasingly overlapping in the humanitarian field) but because of divergent philosophical allegiances. These two disjunctions might be regarded as placing a ceiling on CIMIC that in the short term at least seems to be significant. In most cases, the conflict affected territorial state becomes dysfunctional, lacking elementary control of its borders. Violence is less about ideology and competing views of the public good or
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even about control of territory – more about private control of areas, population and exploitation of resources, whether guns, diamonds, drugs or labourers . The end of the Cold War has not made a great difference to the way that peace, security and justice are constructed and represented in the international system. There has been no fundamental normative shift in what determines external engagement in war zones, and perhaps there cannot be as long as states are the prime determinants of intervention and its representation. Dramatic interventions, such as the protection of the Kurds in northern Iraq, do not represent a normative extension of global justice and security when abuse elsewhere is condoned. The deployment of multinational forces depends upon a coincidence of policy among state authorities with the means and strategic interests. More often than not, analysis of the factors leading to intervention is a useful remainder to governments to say that they are not very heroic about humanitarianism. They are nervous about incurring casualties and weigh up a range of interest, including intangibles such as credibility and prestige. One might go further to argue that rational, civilised, ‘humanitarian intervention’ is part of the packaging in which Western security culture, self-perception and self-interest is wrapped. The ‘new humanism’ and taming of ‘rogue states’ have been key elements of the ‘West’s’ script for reconstituting security so as to fill a threat vacuum in the unruly post-Cold War world. Contrary to general estimation the first half of the last decade saw an ‘unleashing of the humanitarian impulse in all major conflict zones. Perhaps there has never been a clear ethical mobilisation of governments to intervene unless pressured by domestic compulsions. A genuine normative shift will only occur as a consequence of individuals and non-state communities contesting the sources of sovereignty and state hegemony. Varieties of cosmopolitanism address this disjunction in various ways, but they commonly reprove the Istates as part of the problem. It was seen in the past that interventions only deal with the manifestations of social, economic and political breakdown which are embedded in the state-oriented structure. Intervening states and intergovernmental organisations fail to attend to the incubating unrest because they construct the meaning of sovereignty in terms of a statist neo-liberalismIi The commitment to, and course of, interventions is determined by rich and powerful states concerned to isolate or police areas that experience structural disadvantages of global capitalism. During the 1990s, dominant states certainly began to associate poverty and conflict, and to regard development as having a security role. Cancellation of some ‘third world’ debt by the UK Government, for example, has been a manifestation of this merger between development and security. However, this the new security agenda is equated with globalisation that privileges global markets and undifferentiated consumerism.. From Somalia to Sierra Leone, interventions and non-interventions have reflected the dominant preoccupation with promoting or protecting a state system of integrated capitalism – with consequences that often perpetuate conflict and the abusive behaviour of state elites. By contrast, a cosmopolitan vision would place universal individual human rights, including economic justice, at the core of good governance. Based on epistemic communities, civil society networks, city links and regional associations, this would make for a less conflictual world, not only because individual rights rather than state interests would take precedence, but also because it would give a voice to groups that are ignored, disadvantaged or abused by states. A ‘Solidarist’
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version of cosmopolitanism, as represented by David Campbell, implies expressions of solidarity with “tolerant alternatives “that are suppressed by power-holders. Solidarism underestimates the persistence of state forms and the dilemmas arising when two or more ‘suppressed’ groups abuse each other. But the cosmopolitan approaches are both relevant to intra-state conflicts and a potential counterweight to the prevailing statist responses of integrated capitalism. 7.8 Problems in Civil Military Co-Operation It deserves re-emphasising that military and police forces are state servants sent by governments. This is partly what gives military establishments a clear advantage in configuring civil-military relations. They boast a hierarchical structure, relatively regular funding, logistics capabilities, a pool of labour and the backing of the state that sent them. In UN missions when military contingents are under the ‘operational’ control of a non-national commander, strategic command remains with a national government, and this determines a national accountability. Indeed, the more powerful western military establishments avoid being answerable to international civil servants, especially for enforcement operations. When states deploy forces under the UN, national military forces set up parallel reporting and control structures with their home base. Even in a well-integrated, military institution such as NATO, the member states, and particularly hegemonic states, directly determine crisis management and their contributions to it. This sometimes leads to conflicts of loyalty, as General Mike Jackson’s refusal ‘to start World War Three’ demonstrated in Kosovo, but state and alliance interests are generally constructed as synonymous, or a form of ‘variable geometry’ is tolerated. By contrast, international civil servants are sent by international organisations whose policies are less directly moulded by states, and NGOs are private sector transnational communities with diffuse allegiances, dividing their loyalty between donors, governing boards and local communities. Such distinctions suggest that CIMIC problems cannot be ‘solved’ by lofty appeals to integrated authority, agenda setting or management. Of course the distinction should not be exaggerated: overlap and convergence exists. In the jostling for media coverage and funding, the various civilian elements are thrust into the marketplace. UN agencies such as UNHCR are dependent on, and politicised by, state funding and policy orientations. NGOs draw significant proportions of their funds from governments. The ICRC’s mandate is based on the Geneva conventions, to which only states can be signatories. US and northern European NGOs have often had a close relationship to their state. In spite of the example cited above, there was a strong degree of nationalism in Kosovo where many NGOs worked with refugees in tandem with their own nation’s army. An example is that the US military requested US NGOs to provide its refugee camp services in Albania. Other demarcations also seem to be eroded and mostly Aid has been politicised in the sense that agencies use it to achieve social transformations, to construct market orientated societies Many now engage in political advocacy and seek a rights-based approach. NGOs have also worked closely with armed factions, in the Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere, negotiating for access (and perhaps being manipulated in the process). On the other side of the relationship, military forces are often integrated at certain levels (in NATO, for example) and take on the attributes of internationals. Committed humanitarians in military and other state institutions will sometimes strive to move their state apparatus in a more cosmopolitan direction. Moreover, like NGOs, military establishments have been penetrated by private security
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companies that run facilities and logistic support. In conflict zones private companies are involved in camp construction, demining and security services. Still, it remains broadly true that whether or not they represent alternatives to statism, a class of internationals and transnational’s are not under state control. This disjunction of state and non-state imperatives is perceived to be blurring but is sufficiently significant to preclude the achievement of an integrated civil-military ideal. Trans-nationals may be uneasy about being depicted alongside military components. Indeed British agencies made efforts to avoid being trapped into the prevailing bilateral relief effort in the Kosovo crisis. The formula that Hugo Slim of Oxfam and the Centre for Development Policy uses to describe the NGO relationship with a PSO seems appropriate: ‘we might work with it but we are not “in it”‘. On the grounds that we need to think more radically about the ethical problems of statism and the disjunction between statist real-politik and the modern conflict, non-state responses have an important role that needs to be preserved. Where blurring occurs it may do less harm if it results in a dilution of state-centrism. Whether it can be preserved may be questioned because of the view that the civilian sector is in a state of crisis. 7.9 Is The Civilian Sector In Crisis? In the civilian sector, a period of optimism after the Cold War, gave way to critical reflection after the tragically inadequate responses to crises in Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia. Many shortcomings are patently familiar: lack of regulation, poor needs assessment, duplication of effort, weak evaluation and rapid expansion in the numbers of NGO enabling rogue outfits to take advantage of an unregulated field to further non-humanitarian agendas. It is also widely acknowledged that aid and the presence of external actors has become part of the political economy of war, raising issues about the diversion and targeting of assistance, the hiring of protection and the practice of aid conditionality. In a competitive industry, cursed by uncertain funding, NGOs have also sought to perpetuate their existence through publicity, aware that media reporting of emergencies makes a huge difference to their capacities. In this respect Kosovo was a Rolls Royce emergency that presented some agencies with more money than they knew what to do with and diverting attention away from less strategically placed ‘silent emergencies’. In the words of one assessment: ‘At a global level, the humanitarian system has not proved itself impartial’. Analysis of civilian activity in the Balkans and Africa has led Mark Duffield to conclude that the system has risked serving the exclusionary and containment purposes of the capitalist centres of the world economy. NGOs have conspired with the false notion that emergencies are discontinuous, rather than sustained, and they are incapable of commanding the resources necessary to react effectively. Similarly, Stubbs argues that NGOs are too preoccupied with replicating themselves locally and acting as bearers of ‘Western’/’Northern’ cultural values, rather than navigating among the shoals of local hegemonic politics. Their claims for having an impact on social transformation are simply not justified. He sees greater potential among the major UN agencies, particularly UNDP, for undertaking integrated social development and providing vertical coordination from local to international level However, UN agencies have also had unenviable experiences, partly because of irregular funding and half-hearted reform. In lieu of a well-established, tailor-made, coordination agency, the
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solution favoured by major states to the problems of coordination under UN auspices has been the lead agency concept. The UNHCR’s designation for this role has given it burdens for which it was not designed and to which it could not readily adapt, but which was in the interests of the Commissioner’s main state providers. 8. CONCLUSION
The ongoing effort to establish a more robust doctrine and practice of peacekeeping must be closely integrated with the long-term goals of conflict resolution and sustainable peace building. It is essential to remember that even when conflicts have been effectively contained through the intervention of peacekeeping forces, the effects of violence on communities are usually long lasting. Societies that have once been exposed to the brutalising experience of civil war all too often come under the physical and psychological control of warlords. The traditional military role in peacekeeping has always been the effort to control violence by organised military force. Once these have been fully addressed, practitioners need to be concerned with another level of security: that of policing in communities. Experience has shown that while military forces can be quite effective in responding to military opposition, they are usually not so effective in dealing with riots, threats against individuals, intimidation and attacks on property. It is notoriously difficult for practitioners of post-conflict peace building to overcome the criminal damage and violence that tends to flourish in conflict. Wars leave societies destroyed and post conflict recovery requires a lot of financial resources. Currently, at the beginning of the twenty first century, nearly 60 countries are in conflict or have recently come out of conflict; for the most part, these countries are the poorest on the planet. Helping these states in their reconstruction processes is one of the most complex challenges that the international community faces. The majority of these conflicts and the eventual reconstruction processes take place in fragile states, which do not have the necessary resources and require external financial assistance in order to get through this phase. States fail when they cannot provide political goods to their society and lose legitimacy in the face of their citizens. Approximately half of the states of the world are in a “weakening” process, i.e. they are becoming “fragile”. Some, like Somalia, Angola, Burundi and Sudan have reached a point of collapse. Supporting the strengthening of these states to prevent their fall is a lot easier than reconstructing them once they have collapsed, as is evidenced by Afghanistan: the reconstruction is long, expensive and difficult. This is where the civil society plays a role far more greater than the military. Major part of the peace building commences once the law and order is fairly established. It will be the role of the civil society to reconstruct and rehabilitate the population. Food security, and health security will become the utmost challenges. Mobilising resources for reconstruction and rehabilitation will require full involvement of International agencies and UN bodies. Providing a sustainable economy with resettlement of the displaced population along with building up of education in infrastructure and community health care will be very taxing. Withdrawal of major military forces from the conflict zone may even result in resurgence of violence from the latent perpetrators or residual terror out fits. This will result in exposing unprotected aid workers and
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local population to a greater risk. Thus it will be necessary for transition planners to create effective local policing and local administration. While it may take a long time for CIVPOL and international police trainers to train and legitimise an effective local police force and local administrative machinery, the need for confidence in police efforts to provide safety for people in communities is usually immediate. To sum it up , it can be said that, the task of civil agencies in the post conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation and to provide a sustainable livelihood to the suffering population will require great organisational strength and committed workers on ground. Wiping the tears of those tormented people and putting them back in safe community will give the joy to each worker and the Lord will be so pleased with them. At the end of the day it will be very gratifying experience to see the smile on the faces of those oppressed people and moulding a new generation of youth and children with a ray of hope in their eyes.
References & obligations: 1. The use of military force in the management and conflict resolution :António Oliveira 2. Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution : Hawks and Doves. Research Center for constructive Conflict Management 3. The role of NGOs and the civil society in peace and reconciliation processes :Manuela Mesa Peinado, Centro De Investigación Para La Paz,Madrid (Spain) 4 Civil Society in Conflict Transformation: Strengths and Limitations: Martina Fischer. 5. Surviving the Peace Challenges of war-to-peace transitions for civil society organisations : Veronique Dudouet. 6. The Role of Civil Society in Peace building, Research paper by Arthur Bainomugisha and Mashood Issaka, International Peace Academy, New York 7. The ICRC and civil-military relations in armed conflict by Meinrad Studer. 8. The Civil Society in Conflict Management and Peace Building in Africa: Said Adejumobi. 9. Civil Society-Military Relations and Human Security: concept paper by Conflict Prevention &Resolution Forum (CPRF) 10. Civil-Military Relations in Peace Support Operations: hegemony or emancipation? Michael Pugh, University of Plymouth. 11. Civil society and peace building: Thania Paffenholz 12. “The Living Document” A Framework for Substantive Exploration of the Opportunities, Challenges and Dilemmas for Civil Society Engagement in Preventing Armed Conflict; Dr. Catherine Barnes
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Religions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Kanyarad Pinseethong, Legal Adviser ICRC Regional Delegation, Bangkok, Thailand
To introduce the participants to the basic concept, history, development, classifications and the role of religions which we will focus on Islam and Buddhism as well as the Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL) and the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in our world today. OBJECTIVES Define Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL); Explain the various principles of Islam in relation to IHL; Explain the principles of Buddhism (at a glance) in relation to IHL; Understand and appreciate the role of IHL and religions in ensuring a smoother path to peaceful resolution of conflict. DESCRIPTION The session will explain briefly the concept and nature of religion and IHL, Islam specifically, together with the principles of Buddhism in parallel with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL). Some case studies may be included to help the participants have a better understand about the core concepts of CIHL, IHL and interesting points in common between both religions and IHL. GENERAL INTRODUCTION This part of introduction is concerned with the basic knowledge of IHL without getting into critical discussions and intricate cases. The objective of the session is to convey the similarities between IHL principles and timehonoured principles in Islam and Buddhism that speak of humanitarian limits to means and methods of warfare and the sparing of civilians and civilian objects.
It might include the historical development until the Geneva Conventions and Protocols as we know them today, which are as follows: - the 4 Geneva Conventions of 1949; - the 2 Additional Protocols of 1977 and the Protocol of 2005; And other related IHL e.g. Arms Trade Treaty.
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Skills for Peacebuilders: How to be Engaged in Context Analysis of Situations Dr. Ly Ngoc Bich Ly
This lecture will provide peacebuilders with necessary skills and tools for their peacebuilding work. The participants will learn to apply four practical models of conflict analysis to their own conflict. Each model has its own purpose, strengths and weaknesses. The first model is the Conflict Tree which is used to analyze conflict in terms of issue, cause and effect. The second model is Conflict Mapping. The strength of this model is to analyze the complexity of relationships between the conflicting parties and other involved parties in the conflict. The third model is Stages of Conflict. This model traces the origin and development of a conflict, and predicts the future. The fourth model is the Onion. This model is used to understand the positions, interests, and needs of the conflicting parties.
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Strengthening of Civil-Military Relations in Conflict Affected Areas Brig. P. M. Mathew
1. INTRODUCTION Good morning to all of you. Yesterday during our session, we have analysed various nuances of conflict and complexities of peace keeping operations in an armed conflict. We have also analyzed the role of military and civil society in restoration of peace and re- building. During the course of our session we have analysed what is conflict and role of military as well as civil society in conflict resolution, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the society. In the next one hour, we shall try and understand problems faced during peace building and examine the ways and means of “Strengthening of Civil –Military Relations In Conflict Affected Areas” In today’s changing security environment, in post conflict scenario or during conflict situations, the military forces are increasingly involved in the direct delivery of relief and reconstruction activities, while humanitarian organisations often find themselves having no other choice but to rely on the military to ensure the safety and security of their staff and operations. Whether or not this is a temporary phenomenon in a few specific cases or a wider trend that is here to stay, reexamination of civil-military relations in humanitarian crises confirms that while the role of military cannot be undermined, role and serious involvement of civilian agencies become highly necessitated and disproportionately enlarged due to the complex nature of the ground situations. This becomes more complex since the role of military is well defined while the structure and engagement by civil agencies are quite undefined, and unquantifiable in nature. However with a common aim of restoration of peace, rehabilitation and re-construction there need to be greater level of co-operation and understanding between both actors as they operate in physical proximity in extremely dangerous situations. 2. CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION IN COFLICT SITUATIONS The relationship between humanitarian and military activities, and cooperation between those engaged in them, occupy an important place in the current international debate on crisis management. Generally speaking, the developments which today enable military and humanitarian organizations to operate in concert and coordinate their respective activities in an increasing number of conflict areas are very encouraging. Alongside the more frequent involvement of the military in managing crises since the end of the Cold War, there is a political trend towards widening the scope of activities for military missions and multidiamentional peace support operations.. This merits careful consideration and analysis. So-called multidimensional peace-support operations may encompass or even focus on tasks in the civilian and humanitarian domain. Such an extension could lead to potentially problematic relations and even lead to competition between the military and humanitarian organizations. More importantly, if the dividing line between humanitarian and military action is blurred, the very concept of humanitarian action, which is at the heart of the most of the CSO’s mandate and activities are likely to be undermined. Civil-military in peace support operations can be represented in three dimensions:-
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a) Relations between external military forces and internal civilian authorities. b) Relations between internal regular/ irregular forces and external civilian agencies. c) Relations between the external military and civilian components of interventions. It is the last of these, the relationship between external military and ciivilian (exclusively humanitarian) actors in conflict environments that provides the material for this discussion. In most cases, this relationship is more often than not were based on suspicion mistrust and ignorance.The interactions were mostly based on a duality of roles and culture ultimately culminating to a level of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) that is becoming institutionalised. Indeed it has been described in some quarters in terms of ‘partnership’. It is nevertheless laced with a degree of confusion over identity and roles, and many of the previously assumed boundaries around operational principles have become rather porous. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has noted that: ‘all partners currently face the challenge of trying to define the increasingly blurred boundaries and limits of humanitarian action, in an environment that is subject to political and military imperatives which are outside their respective mandates.7 3.
MILITARY ROLE AND TRANSITION.
3.1 Basic concept of Employment of Military Power for Conflict Resolution Ever since the end of cold war, the international communities and the UN Mandated collective bodies have been engaging in global policing by using military force for conflict resolution and restoration of peace. In the present day global conflict scenario the role and scope of military force in the management and resolution of conflicts has increased many fold. With increasing intervention by the international community, the new generation of peacekeeping operations has adopted a multidimensional approach to military force to be used in coordination with other instruments of power, ensuring a proper strategic framework considering the desired end state. The basic concept of military intervention will be proactive in nature and aims at neutralisation of rouge militia, anti-state forces and insurgent groups through application of principles of war. In case of peace keeping operations along with intense military operations, there will be prophylactic operations to protect the conflict affected population. This new approach and the increasing complexity of conflicts, predominantly intra-state in nature, have led on the one hand to understandings of the traditional principles of peace operations being addressed, and on the other to military forces facing diverse challenges. The most complex problem is the issues related to the effective use of combat capabilities, as it seems that, after making the deployment of forces, due to various compulsions, there is a lack of political will to ensure their effective use.
7
The ICRC and civil-military relations in armed conflict by Meinrad Studer
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However, the effective use of force being the most critical element has become simultaneously more differentiating and characterising of the use of the military instrument for the management and resolution of conflicts. Modern technology and greater understanding of the conflict panorama has elevated the range of capabilities of military forces that goes beyond traditional capabilities of combat, showing themselves useful in support, complement or replacement of non-military capabilities. At the very same time it is proved beyond doubts that lasting peace cannot be ensured through military operations alone but there has to be a concerted effort to win the hearts and minds of the affected population. There comes the major role by the CSOs. 3.2. Between Military Peace keeping Operations and War The security situation in a crisis region influences the interests and conduct of all stakeholders. If the security situation is poor, the military has particularly strong interest in cooperating with civilian aid agencies. During the initial intervention, to get its feet on ground, military needs local resources and they usually find that from the civilian agencies. In this situation, it is especially important to gather information from civilian aid workers, who often have better local knowledge than the troops, and win the support of the local population in order to prevent the spread of violence. On the other hand, in situations in which the foreign troops are a potential or actual conflict party, or are regarded as such by relevant groups in the local society, civilian aid agencies will be far less inclined to cooperate with the military. This cooperation will bring the civilian aid workers themselves closer to a conflict party, jeopardising the security of aid workers. This will also make it more difficult for the aid workers to establish contact with the local population and possibly leading to attacks on themselves or their project mission and the very people for whom these projects are intended to benefit. The increasing number of attacks on civilian aid workers in Afghanistan and other part of the Middle East is a case in point. Considering the aim of the intervention is conflict resolution, a key principle on which decision should be based on the distance/proximity dilemma as described above is “do no harm”. This means refraining from taking any action which could be harmful to civilian aid workers, military personnel or the local population. The “do no harm” principle was developed by the UN mandated peace keepers in their operational doctrine for resolving conflicts. Humanitarian organisations are in a particularly tricky situation in all conflict scenarios. The aim of alleviating the suffering of people in dire need by supplying them with food and medical care may well only be possible with military support, in the form of transport or convoy escorts, yet at the same time, humanitarian organisations are crucially dependent on maintaining their neutrality towards all conflict parties. In such situations, if the risk to civilian aid workers is simply too great, it may therefore be in the interests of the suffering population if aid agencies hand over the task of delivering aid to the military forces. This will help to reach humanitarian aid at the real time of need and may help to regain some amount of trust and confidence in the peacekeepers. 3.3. From decision-making to deployment Soldiers deployed on the ground in crisis regions have a particularly strong interest in civilmilitary interaction. It enables them to gather information about the sentiment among the population and allows them to try and steer civilian aid measures in such a way that they gain the support of the local population. At higher levels of decision-making, however, the military’s interest in engaging with civilian organisations decreases. This is due to a concern that its methods will be challenged or, indeed, its projects come to be dominated by the civilian
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organisations. After all, the fundamental objectives pursued in any post-conflict situation, namely political, social and economic reconstruction, are, in essence, civilian goals. For the civilian agencies, the reverse applies. They have a strong interest in being involved at the highest level in decision-making on military operations, or at least being consulted prior to deployment, as they can then influence the mission in some way. However, they have less interest in cooperation on the ground, as it is here that they run the greatest risk of being instrumentalised by the military and putting their own workers at risk through proximity to the armed forces. Experience shows that information exchange and coordination of operations improves the prospects of effective and efficient relief being provided for people in crisis regions. This is the only way to rule out any mutual obstruction of activities and ensure that the available resources are deployed efficiently. 4. CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY PEACE-BUILDING 4.1. Civil society organisations and contemporary peace-building. The international community has devoted substantial efforts towards building and strengthening the capacities of civil society(CSO) actors, and harnessing their potential as peace actors. However, little systematic evidence-based research exists to provide policy-makers and practitioners with better knowledge about whether, how, when, and under what circumstances civil society can fulfil a peace-supporting role. My discussion is structured around three main questions: Who makes up civil society? What can civil society actors contribute to peacebuilding? How best can civil society be involved in peacebuilding? First we will define civil society and describe the range of actors and organisations that fit under the civil society umbrella. In the second part we will analyse the function-oriented approach to civil society developed by Paffenholz and Spurk8 which describes the various roles civil society actors can play in peacebuilding. 4.2. Who makes up civil society? Civil society is generally understood as the arena of voluntary, collective actions of an institutional nature around shared interests, purposes, and values that are distinct from those of the state, family, and market. 9 Civil society consists of a large and diverse set of
8
Role of civil socity in peace building - Paffenholz and Spurk. The Role of Civil Society in Peace building, Research paper by Arthur Bainomugisha and Mashood Issaka, International Peace Academy, New York 9
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a. Special interest groups (for example, trade unions; professional associations for teachers, farmers, and journalists; minority and women’s organisations; and veterans’ associations) faith-based organisations (for example, churches and Islamic associations) b. Traditional and community groups (for example, youth groups, councils of elders, women’s and mother’s groups; and radio listeners’ clubs) c. Researchers and research institutions (for example, local and international think tanks, universities and individual researchers) d. Humanitarian or development service delivery organisations (which include local and international, ‘modern’, ‘traditional’, or religious organisations, like humanitarian aid NGOs, churches or Islamic charities) e. Human rights and advocacy organisations (which can also be clustered under special interest groups) f. Conflict resolution and peacebuilding NGOs and INGOs (which might also be advocacy or training service organisations, depending on their mandate) g. Social and political movements (which can take the form of broad-based public movements around a common cause, such as the Arab Spring, or longer-term movements, like the environmental, women’s, or peace movements) h. Business associations (for example, associations of entrepreneurs or journalists, independent of the profit-making side of business) i. Networks (which generally represent a larger number of organisations from any of the categories specified above, such as a network of religious councils) voluntary organisations and comprises non-state actors and associations that are not purely driven by private or economic interests, are autonomously organised, typically show civic virtue, and interact in the public sphere. It is possible to delineate the following (nonmutually exclusive) categories of civil society actors: It is important to note that civil society is a reflection of broader society, and is therefore not always the ‘good society’ that can be counted on to support peace and democratisation. Research has found that inclusive, civic, bridging and pro-peace organisations work alongside polarised, sectarian, and occasionally militant civil society organisations.10 5.
WHAT CAN CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO PEACEBUILDING?
We have identified seven functions played by civil society in peace processes.These functions include protection, monitoring, advocacy,socialisation, social cohesion, facilitation, and service
10
This overview was first prepared for the international conference “Strategies for Peace”, held by the German Foundation for Peace Research, .
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delivery. Each function is discussed below in more detail. a) Protection: Protection refers to the provision of security needs by civil society actors, either alone or in cooperation with other agencies. This is normally one of the core functions provided by the state; however, in cases of acute state fragility and conflict, the relationship between state and society can break down. During and after conflict, protection becomes a precondition for other civil society functions, as civil society actors are substantially hindered from taking up peacebuilding roles when threatened by violence. b) Monitoring: International and local civil society groups monitor relevant issues such as the human rights situation, or the implementation of agreements, and provide recommendations and information to decision-makers or human rights and advocacy groups. Such monitoring can work to hold governments and armed groups accountable for abuses or substandard performance, and can also serve as an early warning system (for example, the joint early warning initiative between United Nations Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Aid (UN OCHA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and a regional NGO peace network has worked together to moniter and provide early warning in West Africa. c) Advocacy: Advocacy refers to agenda-setting and the application of pressure by civil society organisations. Civil society actors can work for the commencement of negotiations, the implementation of negotiated agreements, or against the recurrence of warfare. Also important are global international advocacy campaigns that lobby, for example, against land mines, blood diamonds, or the abuse of children as soldiers. Advocacy can be divided into public and non-public forms. Public advocacy can involve petitions, demonstrations, press releases, social media or public relations campaigns. Non-public advocacy is generally back-channelled and operates through informal dialogues and relationships into the peace agreement. d) Socialisation: Socialisation refers to in-group bonding that supports democratic behaviour and promotes tolerant and peaceful values within society. This is realised through the active participation of citizens in various associations, networks or movements. Socialisation takes place only within groups, not between former adversary groups and CSO. Every national or local association that practises peaceful coexistence contributes to this function. There are two main types of socialisation: socialisation for peace and in-group identitybuilding. Socialisation for peace involves activities that promote a culture of peace whether in society at large or within a single group. In-group identity-building is an important way for marginalised groups to develop a sense of political identity that allows them to operate peacefully in the political space available The overwhelming focus of socialisation initiatives has been on conducting short-term projects with NGOs, which, due to their limited reach and access, have no real power to socialise with the local people to create an additional bonding.
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e) Facilitation and mediation: Civil society can function as a facilitator to help to bring the conflicting parties together in a peace or during transition process. Facilitation can take place both at the local and at the national level. For example, in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule, traditional mediation was the only resource for facilitating peace between the Taliban and the various Afghani communities. The Tribal Liaison Office helped organise local peace jirgas with religious and local leaders to explore options for peacebuilding. This facilitation can also be issue-oriented, as when civil society groups facilitate violence-free days to secure access for service delivery (vaccinations, food programmes, etc.). Hence, facilitation can operate in support of both protection and service delivery. f) Service delivery: During armed conflict, state structures are either destroyed or weakened, and the population may be starved of essential services. Civil society actors (mainly NGOs, but sometimes associations as well) can and do step forward to provide aid and social services. There is no doubt that this function is extremely important to help the war-affected population and to support reconstruction of the state and society at large. However, service delivery can have an impact on peace processes only if agencies create entry points for other functions such as protection and social cohesion, especially when large-scale violence ends. For example, in Somalia, the total absence of a state for almost two decades made service delivery the main activity performed by civil society; Islamic charities were especially successful in creating entry points for peacebuilding by extending networks across clan and regional lines. 6. HOW BEST CAN CIVIL SOCIETY BE INVOLVED IN PEACEBUILDING? 6.1 Seven models of civil society participation in peace and transition processes. Earlier I have outlined the various functions that civil society can play in a peace or transition process that can be instrumental in creating positive preconditions for peace. The following section we shall discuss how civil society can engage with the main negotiating agenda for peace or peaceful transition process. This process is also known as Track One, presenting seven modalities of inclusion in peace and political transition processes . These can apply to the participation of all actors other than the main negotiating parties, including civil society. The seven modalities have been developed through the ‘Broadening Participation in Peace Negotiations project’, and from vast data analysed by the agency for Peace and Transitions Initiative at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. 11 The modalities are elaborated for a broader understanding in the following paras. 6.1.1. Representation. Direct representation at the negotiation table can be achieved in one of three ways. First, Track One parties may include more actors in the main negotiation delegations, as seen in the current negotiations in Colombia where the parties included more highly qualified female experts (as a result of public pressure) as well as two military personnel. Second, parties may increase the number of negotiation delegations at the table. For example, in the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland almost all political parties were invited to the talks, not just the main ones. So as the case in Afghanistan.Third, parties can
11
UN Document, An Agenda for Peace, A/47/277-S/241111 (June 17, 1992)., UN Document, An Agenda for Development, A/48/935 (May 6, 1994).
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include almost all relevant constituencies within society. 6.1.2. Facilitation. In this model an international civil society actor (generally an international conflict-resolution or mediation NGO) coordinates and facilitates between local civil society and the conflict agents or the warring parties. This model has been applied in the Philippines. Two international NGOs, the London- based Conciliation Resources and Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, played a third-party facilitation role within the International Contact Group (ICG) by providing mediation support to the official Malaysian facilitator of the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and by reaching out to regional civil society networks through sustained dialogue on the Mindanao conflict. 6.1.3. Observers. Observer status can be granted to civil society groups or international and local NGOs. This happened in Liberia (2003), Sierra Leone (1996), the Solomon Islands (1991) and Burundi (1996– 98). Observer status is most closely associated with the monitoring and advocacy functions. In all the above cases, the attending civil society actors were well informed about the negotiation agenda. As a result, they were able to play a critical watchdog function, advise the conflict parties and the mediators, and form alliances with other observers to facilitate the agreement. In the case of Liberia, the groups with observer status inside the negotiations cooperated closely with groups outside the talks. They passed along critical information that allowed the outside groups to put public pressure on the parties. 6.1. 4. Consultations Consultations can take place at different moments of a process - prior to, in parallel with, or after official negotiations. There are three types of consultations: officially endorsed consultations that form part of the negotiation format; unofficial consultations; and public consultations. Civil society forums can act as a consultative body to the negotiation process, provided the mediator and the conflict parties officially endorse them. The mandate of these forums can be specified by the mediator, the conflict parties, or by civil society itself. In most cases, the consultative forum follows the same agenda as the official negotiations, but it can also add issues to the negotiation agenda. The objective is to better understand how people assess the negotiation agenda, and whether they would like to add certain items. Public consultations are conducted in many peace and transition processes. Especially during implementation phases, various commissions, such as those for constitutional reform, truth and reconciliation, or monitoring, hold broad-based public consultations to inform their activities. Consultative forums are associated with the advocacy function, as they provide an opportunity for civil society actors to have input into a negotiation process. Successful forums took place during the UN-led mediations in Guatemala (1994–96) and in Afghanistan (for one week in December 2001). In both cases, civil society groups were able to bring crucial issues to the negotiation agenda that would have otherwise been left out. In Guatemala, this especially concerned the rights of indigenous people and issues related to land and women. Eighty percent of all civil society proposals were incorporated into the peace agreement. 6.1 5. Social Re engineering Return and reintegration of displaced and refugee Populations, rehabilitation of basic social services, attention to the needs of the most vulnerable groups (women, children, groups in situations of extreme poverty, those handicapped by the war), reactivation of the social fabric Page 77 of 156
are the major functions in socila re-engineering. . 6.1. 6. Economic Rehabilitation: Economic re-habilitationis is the most critical and crusial function in apost conflict scenario.This will have to include actions to overcome the distortions of the “economy of war”, re-establish a stable macro economic framework, reconstruct the basic infrastructure and support humanitarian activities to include ensuring social and food security of the affected population.. 6.1.7. Environmental Re-consruction: Ensure a sustainable management of the natural resources as of equitable landlords / access to these resources. Therefore, the concept of sustainable peace building is not limited to reconstruction of physical infrastructure or the re launching of the economy, as it addresses national reconciliation and the establishment of a new institutional and political framework to resolve conflicts. Sustainable Peace building process should be designed while taking into consideration the links between different types of aid (emergency post-conflict rehabilitation development) , riders from the doners and the need and starta of the recipients and acceptabilty by the post conflict administration. The ultimate objective is the transformation of the context, as well as the attitudes, behaviour and incompatibilities of the groups, so that they are turned into an engine for peace. Rehabilitation is considered as a phase that immediately follows the emergency, in which short term and medium term actions are taken to re establish services and basic infrastructures. Peace building forms an important part of the development strategy at the medium and long terms. Physical reconstruction at the short term should not go against the Medium term objectives of reconciliation and resolution of social or ideological incompatibilities. Throughout the entire process the local population should be empowered with the long term aim of it being capable of handling of its own peace building process. The important elements highlighted by the UNSC as binding principles are, de-mobilization, disarmament and reintegration of ex-combatants; voluntary re-settlement of refugees and re insertion of internally displaced persons. Reinsertion is the first important step towards national reconciliation and must take place within a legal framework that includes guarantees for the return of the refugees and former combatants, but it cannot be initiated on a wide scale until safe zones for returnof these people without security risks have been identified. Another area of action of rehabilitation is the society: supporting the re-composition of the social fabric, the overcoming of psychological effects of war and protection and promotion of the most vulnerable and affected sectors, like women , children and minority sects.. 7. BASIC PROBLEMS IN CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION AND HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES It is well known that Military have well defined hierarchy and structure with unlimited resources it may not be so with most of the civil society organisations. In case UN bodies, the story may be different but most of them are more hegemonic in their approach. This has implications for the concept of emancipation because even institutions claiming to stand for solidarism and emancipation are frequently hierarchical, bureaucratic and hegemonic in their control over individual participants. However, the focus on collectivities might be excused in the light of the empirical evidence that CIMIC has become codified, bureaucratised and sentenced to ‘death by doctrine’ – in short institutionalised. Of course it also hardly needs emphasising that within each part of the civilian– military duality there are manifold perspectives. UNICEF, the ICRC, the Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam, local Page 78 of 156
NGOs and Military Professional Resources Inc., have distinctive practices and standpoints. The NGO world is a fractured, misunderstood and vague entity with many actors claiming a piece of pie and excellence in every conflict areas. A major practical obstacle to co-ordinated, let alone integrated, responses to complex emergencies is the sheer scale and fragmentation of actors, activities and perceptions in the civilian sector. The military sector is also marked by a variety of traditions, cultures and objectives – sometimes proving debilitating sequences as it happened in the UN Mission to Sierra Leone. With these reservations in mind, the argument can be summarised as follows. To the extent that civilian components represent non-statist, even cosmopolitan, approaches to humanitarian emergencies, their distinctiveness safeguards the integrity of emancipatory responses that have particular relevance to contemporary conflicts. Indeed if this demarcation ceased to exist, the blurring of boundaries would lead not to an appropriate pragmatism, but to a dilution of even humanitarianism. While the demarcation remains intact, it places a ceiling on the prospects for CIMIC. However, institutionalisation has been marked by the military-driven approach to CIMIC that emerged from the Somalia and Balkan interventions. In Bosnia-Herzegovina the UNHCR was in control,12but in Somalia and Kosovo the military enjoyed a hegemonic position.Practice may not yet demonstrate an overriding militarising trend in civil-military relations, but the evolution of CMIC and CMIC doctrines present challenges to the cosmopolitan potential of civilian agencies.13 Our aim here is to identify the incongruence between the modern conflict context and statist responses. It can be seen that the demarcation between civilian and military components rests to a large extent on their different transmission functions vis-à-vis the state. The contention is then made that in spite of frequent engagements, the civil sector is still in a condition of flux amounting to a crisis, and however a willingness to professionalise and reform inter-civilan cooperation is evident. 7. PROBLEMS IN CIVIL MILITARY CO -OPERATION 7.1. State Building “State building” often refers to the approaches by which the US government looks at state structure inconflict areas as in Iraq and Afghanistan. This state-to-state approach fails to include a role for civil society. The World Bank defines participatory governance as requiring a citizen-oriented state, with an active civil society, aspects that a state-to-state approach cannot incorporate. This problem is compounded by different approaches to security. Governments look to national security while civil society focuses on human security. This is emphasized in tensions between government desires for quick impact approaches to win hearts in minds of the population and to accomplish state goals rather than for long term humanitarian projects implemented for human security purposes. Beyond differences between the military and civil society, there are many different civil societies and there is no one representative of civil society, be it international NGOs or local organizations in a particular
12
UN Document, An Agenda for Peace, A/47/277-S/241111 (June 17, 1992)., UN Document, An Agenda for Development, A/48/935 (May 6, 1994). 13
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country. For this reason it is difficult to organize civil society and develop a structural partnership with the military. These relationship need to be built before conflict escalates because once the conflict escalates, there will not be enough time to do so in an emergency situation. Building a common purpose will require a greater level of trust. This trust could be built through education programs that bring civil society and military personnel together. 7.2. Consent of the Local Population and Operational Legitimacy Civil society wants to be involved in operational planning rather than act as implementers of government designed programs. The government and the military need to engage with local civil society for legitimacy. Every project depends on a specific region, village, or population where it is being implemented. The opinions and feelings of the people in a given village are essential to the success of any program. In fact the whole prograame is aimed to bring alluviation of post conflict calamities and bring solace to the affected local population. Thus without local consent, an operation—be it military or by CSOs—will fail because it lacks legitimacy and acceptability. In Afghanistan, development projects have met violent resistance. Afghans were not consulted during the US Military drafting of the National Development Plan. It was not even written in their language. This creates buy-in problems across the board, not just from the Taliban. The military needs to listen to local civil society and understand what their issues are. This is a matter of communication and human access. There is a real need to create lines of communication. The United States’ DOD has a list of Muslim leaders on whom they can call. Embassies need lists for civil society members they can contact when appropriate. These channels of communication need to be created with full clarity of purpose. Civil society needs to be a part of project planning, not just implementation. Human access is critical. The military can storm a beach, but if soldiers don’t have access when they knock on a door, they are severely limited in modern conflicts. Civil society has the human access that the military does not. 7.3. Human Security The US government currently takes a consolidated approach to diplomacy, defense, and security in interventional politics.. Government agencies and civil society defend their own spaces and definitions rather than working together. 3Ds (diplomacy, development, defense) tend to refer to the three separate departments within the US government that were designed to perform each discreet role: the Department of State, USAID, and DOD. However, breaking each aspect down to organizational constructs means being wedded to organizational equities. This creates a budget problem. The military has an enormous budget, but USAID has the expertise in development. The challenge is how to get the right blend of capabilities to converge on a problem. The answer will need to transcend the barriers between government entities and the divide with civil society. Currently, in few conflict regions like Afghanistan, the military is missing the opportunities to do the right things or they are just doing the wrong things because those are the only things it can do. 7.4. Need to Change. When military is emploed in peace keeping missions, there need to be a fundamental shift from the 20th century concept off application of total force to ensure the destruction of the adversaries to a 21st century
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concept of use of minimum force and intervention for conflict management. In the 20thcentury, armies fought armies, but in the 21stcentury’s modern conflict there are many stake holders, military and civilian, with a vested interest in continuing the conflict and drawing in civilians, local militia, transnational corporations, and criminal organizations. Dealing with this kind of conflict requires a new security narrative tied to the concept of Human Security. This is a unique challenge facing the military today and it will require new partnerships with civil society to overcome it. 7.5. Vanishing Humanitarian Space Many NGOs worry that when they work with the military or when the military works on development projects, the line between NGO and military operations blurs and humanitarian space is lost. NGOs worry that this vanishing humanitarian space is their protection when working in war zones and dangerous places and, as the lines between civilians and the military blur, they will lose their perceived neutrality. However, the blurriness between military and civilians has always existed. In the last 150 years these distinctions were more distinct, but that is changing. The idea of a neutral space outside of politics and the coercion is false. The world has never been so tidy that armies and nations are clearly marked as different from civilians. The blurry lines between states, armed forces, militants who use force, civilians who might take up arms to defend themselves and corporations are not new and they are changing again. This shrinking of humanitarian space needs to be acknowledged. There is no neutral space, but there are moral and immoral choices. In these complicated situations the military and humanitarian organizations need to make choices that are messy and unsatisfying. 7.6. Why Expand Civilian Capacity? In the US, numerous commissions, task forces and other expert reports over the last several years have identified the critical need for the state to adopt a more strategic approach to overseas engagement in a way that leverages the comparable advantages among America’s various civilian and military instruments. Over recent years, the Department of Defense has emerged as the Government’s most prominent international affairs instrument, expanding in recognition of an environment characterized by extreme poverty, weak and failing states, transnational terrorist threats, and international power shifts.14 The capabilities of civilian agencies have not kept pace with the growth of Defense, which has caused an imbalance in the tools of statecraft and a resultant inability to meet strategic aims. This current imbalance exists despite widespread recognition that stabilization and reconstruction must not only be viewed through the lenses of short-term goals or military operations, but also as a key step in supporting sustainable economic development. At the same time, the civilian-led U.S. foreign assistance system is politically weak, incoherent, fragmented and, as a result, frequently ineffective at delivering aid that supports strategic long-term goals. 7 . 7 . Undefined area of responsibility The blurriness between military and civilians creates real problems of role confusion, coordination, and
14
Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution : Hawks and Doves. Research Center for constructive Conflict Management
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real danger to human lives. These problems are not going away. NGOs need to focus less on lamenting the vanishing on humanitarian space and more on how to deal with it. They need to focus on core values and build on those to develop coordination mechanisms. Beyond the blurriness of distinctions, the military is fulfilling much of the role that was once preserved for civilians. DOD delivers huge amounts of aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is often not effective. DOD knows it is not the expert on development. The military is asked to do things for which it does not have the experience or expertise. However, the US Government has gone so far in deconstructing and defunding State and USAID that these agencies no longer have the capacity to perform the tasks that DOD now carries out. 7.8. Lack of High-level coordination CMI in the broader sense comprises the internal interaction between civilian and military activities s that is geared towards greater coherence and understanding. It is based on concepts of comprehensive, networked or integrated security which is aimed to attain a whole of government approach or joined-up approach, to achieve more coherence among the various actors. This approach is especially important for measures in fragile states. Here, a series of interdependent problems, such as dysfunctional political institutions, insecurity, economic underdevelop- ment and a lack of social service provision must be dealt with simultaneously. Whether external actors attain the goal of stabilising those states identified as security risks is heavily dependent on coordinated interaction between the various policy areas. In line with this basic concept, as no single actor – whether it be a ministry, state or interna- tional organisation – has all the requisite capacities available. Thus a concerted comprehensive and an integrated approach is required at both national and international level. Co-ordination at the highest levl alone will ensure an effective delivery of peace and justice in the affected areas. Against this background, many OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries have de- veloped their own national strategies and mechanisms. The United Kingdom, for example, applies a comprehensive approach based on institutionalised interaction between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development (DFID). This approach provides a concep tual framework for interdepartmental action on policy goals defined by the UK Government. The cooperation, which is based on the principle of equality between the government departments involved, is managed by the Stabilisation Unit with funding being available from joint sources such as the Conflict Prevention Fund and the Sta- bilisation Aid Fund. 7.9. War on Terror and Humanitarian Space The War on Terror has created a real and different limitation on important humanitarian spaces that needs to be addressed. Laws developed in the War on Terror prevent NGOs from engaging with any organization that has been labeled as a “terrorist organization.” This makes negotiations very difficult as it does not make sense to engage only with groups that are already peaceful actors. Real negotiations need to engage with those who are perpetuating violence. This is a place where civil society has special role because of the personal relationships that exist between rebel or terrorist groups and civilians who may be their friends and families. 7.10. Neutrality NGOs can be neutral in respect to governments and they can work closely with local population, establishing neutrality towards larger organizations outside of that community. However, being unaligned is different from being neutral. An organization can be non-affiliated, but cannot say “we are with the local actors” because there are many kinds of local actors: men, women, religious leaders, etc. Page 82 of 156
Much can be hidden under the cloak of “working with local actors.” What “civil society wants” depends on who is regarded as having legitimacy.There is no single group called “local actors” and thus no single agency called “civil society”. These perspectives will depend on the particular individuals or organisations. Women’s groups will have a different perspective than religious leaders, but there will also be disagreement within women’s groups and among religious leaders. Individuals have differing opinions and by selecting an individual or a group to represent the will of civil society will have disasterous consiqunces and compromise the perceived nutrality. In this context, the framework of neutrality conceals more than it reveals. Furthermore, in places where there are strong power dynamics, neutrality translates into supporting the status quo, which is not truly neutral and often is not desirable. 8. PEACEKEEPING AND POST-CONFLICT REHABILITATION 8.1. Strengthening Civil Military Relations. In fragile security situations in particular, civilian aid that is subordinate to military objectives may be appealing as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat insurgency, but it is also problematical. Historically, this is not a new approach; it was developed as counterinsurgency Strategy (COIN) by the British armed forces in the 1950s and applied by the US military in the Vietnam War. In recent years, the US Department of Defence, through its control of civilian aid – notably in Iraq and Afghanistan – has contributed as much as 20% of the US‘s official development assistance (ODA) budget, making it one of the largest donors worldwide. However, gearing up civilian aid – from food aid to micro- credit programmes – towards fulfilment of military objectives, is conflicting with basic goals and principles of humanitarian assistance and development cooperation. This is especially counterproductive for achieving the goal of eradicating poverty and the principle of neutrality. Many an occasion, Civilian aid organisations are therefore sceptical about the expansion of civil-military cooperation. In the practical reality of post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction, however, soldiers and civilian aid workers operating in the same regions cannot simply ignore each other. For civilian aid workers, too, cooperation with the military offers a certain appeal if, for example, the civilian aid workers themselves do not have enough logistic resources like vehicles to deliver aid to the local population and the military is willing and able to provide transport. Under certain circumstances, then, a troop presence which stabilises a fragile peace and creates a secure environment for political, social and economic reconstruction can improve the effectiveness of civilian aid. In a bad security situation, the impact of civilian aid is invariably limited, so a joint approach is likely to be beneficial for enhancing the success of the post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction effort. 8.2. Creation of Security Environment. The need for more intensive civil-military interaction arises, in particular, in the context of international post conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction activities. These generally take place under conditions marked by the end of open hostilities and the existence of numerous political, psychological, social and economic problems. In the initial phase immediately after an armed conflict, the key priorities are to create the security envelope and deliver humanitarian relief. After that, the task is to re-establish governmental and civil society structures and, finally, facilitate structural development. Ideally, the military should only play a subsidiary role in this process, which means that it should only take action outside its core military mandate until these
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tasks can be taken over by civilian actors. In many cases, well-performing non- governmental organisations may have been operating in the country for some time. Nonetheless, it is by no means rare for CIMIC to develop into a long-term relationship and joint activities. The reasons for this may include genuine military interests in CIMIC, the lack of civilian capacities, or the low impact of the measures taken. 8.3. Project Funding Project funding is generally provided first and foremost by civilian institutions such as the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Foreign Office, international organisations and private aid organisations, occasionally with co-financing from local authorities in the country of conflict. On the face of it, the range of activities encompassed by CIMIC is impressive. In Kosovo, for example, not only were homes built for refugees; hospitals and public buildings were also constructed. Relief goods such as food, warm clothing, fuel medicines and toiletries/personal care items were distributed, sports facilities built, training provided for head teachers, and rural development projects carried out. These activities are planned and implemented and/or supervised by specially trained CIMIC personnel who can draw on a growing wealth of experience but whose work, nonetheless, is often still extremely ad hoc in nature. 8.4. Unclear CIMIC priorities CIMIC activities undoubtedly help to improve the situation on the ground in a specific sector. However, they may also be beset by various problems, some of which are structural in nature, while others result from the ad hoc nature of the activities. A basic problem is that the core function of CIMIC is not always clear. On the one hand, according to the NATO doctrine, protecting its own troops is the priority; on the other, the importance of contributing to nationbuilding is emphasised, particularly by the German side. This can result in divergent priorities being set in a crisis region. A further difficulty is that in the medium term, CIMIC only makes sense if the government structures in the country of operations are partly or fully functional. CIMIC cannot make any real contribution in this respect, however, establishing a legitimate, well-functioning governmental and administrative apparatus is a long-term development policy task. Since multiple actors get engaged in peace building after the establishing a reasonable amount of stability, some projects already being undertaken by other actors are sometimes overlooked, resulting in conflict between conflict solving agencies. This can be avoided by having an apex co-ordinating agency covering all activities. Internally as well, many measures adopted may not always comply with overarching political or military goals. 8.5. Changing Local Environment A further problem is the adaptation of a project to a rapidly changing local environment and the requisite coordination with other interest representatives. Ultimately, it is about ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of projects. A key issue here is the rapid changeover in CIMIC personnel, which makes the sharing of experience, confidence-building and cooperation more difficult. And finally, there is the problem of how to evaluate success. An absence of clear criteria, a lack of transparency as regards costs, poor evaluation techniques and a lack of independent scrutiny and control all make it more difficult to evaluate CIMIC projects objectively. Such evaluation, however, is vital for any optimisation of the use of resources and reconstruction of the society. At the very same time, the aim of the CIMIC is to improve the living conditions of the local population through the satisfaction of basic needs, the expansion of good governance structures and development measures. For this securing the local population’s
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political support and isolating the spoilers will be extremely necessary.. This gives rise to qualitatively different challenges for civil-military interaction, which becomes a key element of a counterinsurgency strategy, or COIN for short. COIN is a combination of offensive, defensive and stabilising measures. In this context, CIMIC has the task, among other things, of contributing to operational planning, information-gathering and the identification of military objectives. In that respect, COIN is a comprehensive approach which encompasses the full spectrum of activities, including reconstruction and humanitarian relief. It is currently being carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan where, despite all the differences between them, some interesting parallels can be observed. • In both cases, after swift initial success by the military – in both cases, the US-led coalition forces – a multi faceted insurgency movement emerged which is making it more difficult to stabilise these two countries despite considerable efforts by the international community. • Not all the relevant political forces have been involved in the political process. • In the early stage in particular, nationwide civilian re- construction has largely been neglected. • Nor has enough been done to create a secure environment. In both cases, the light footprint approach was initially adopted, which meant that comparatively few forces have been deployed to create the security envelope. • Military spending greatly exceeds the budget for civilian actions; this was particularly noticeable during the first few years of the conflict. • It is extremely uncertain when – and indeed whether – the operations are likely to be brought to a successful conclusion. The task of stabilising Afghanistan which was originally taken on by NATO has changed in nature over recent years. With the expansion of the operation to the country as a whole, the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces are increasingly engaged in counterinsurgency. Civil-military interaction takes place at operational/ tactical level, mainly through the Joint Transition Groups, now 26 in number. This is an integrated approach which brings together military, diplomatic, development.. Although there is no uniform blue- print for, this approach, it generally pursues the political objective of strengthening the influence of the elected government by creating a security envelope and through stabilisation measures. 9. CONCLUSION. In conclusion we can say, the civil society having gained vast experiences by operating in most dangerous conflict zones, various civil society players have established fairly well defined working parameters. However, conflict zones being what it is, the situation on ground is very dynamic and many actors do change their stand based on other international position taken by the stake holders. The type and intensity of civil-military interaction (CMI) must vary according to the security situation, so CMI is context dependent. In determining whether such interaction should take place, the guiding principle, for both the military and the civilian organisations, should be “do no harm”. This means use of of minimum force and avoiding use of any such military means which will have any harmful impacts on the local population, civilian aid workers and military personnel. Civilian and military actors should keep each other informed, as a matter of principle, at all levels and at all stages of decision about their objectives and intentions, and co- ordinate
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their approach. This recommendation does not imply that one side should have a right of veto over the other’s activities, but it does mean that views and opinions should be exchanged and taken seriously. Civil-military interaction should always be a deliberative process and involve a continuous dialogue at all levels about the interests, objectives and instruments deployed by all stakeholders. At the end we can say policy of mutual trust and inter active decision making in the post conflict scenario will pay better dividends for the humanitarian side of the peace keeping mission.
References&obligations: 1. The use of military force in the management and conflict resolution :António Oliveira. 2. Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution : Hawks and Doves. Research Center for constructive Conflict Management. 3. The role of NGOs and the civil society in peace and reconciliation processes :Manuela Mesa Peinado, Centro De Investigación Para La Paz,Madrid (Spain). 4. Civil Society in Conflict Transformation: Strengths and Limitations: Martina Fischer. 5. Surviving the Peace Challenges of war-to-peace transitions for civil society organisations: Veronique Dudouet. 6. The Role of Civil Society in Peace building, Research paper by Arthur Bainomugisha and Mashood Issaka, International Peace Academy, New York. 7. The ICRC and civil-military relations in armed conflict by Meinrad Studer. 8. The Civil Society in Conflict Management and Peace Building in Africa,Said Adejumobi. 9. Civil Society-Military Relations and Human Security: concept paper by Conflict Prevention &resolution forum(CPRF) 10. .The ICRC and civil-military relations in armed conflict by Meinrad Studer
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Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security: Ensuring Compliance with International Humanitarian Law Fiona Barnaby, Regional Legal Adviser ICRC Regional Delegation, Bangkok 1
Introduction to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) IHL is a body of law that is a part of public international law that is also known as the "law of armed conflict" or the "law of war" that is established by treaty or custom and rules which apply only in armed conflict
2 The purpose of IHL is to LIMIT the suffering caused by armed conflict How does IHL do this? PROTECTS persons who are not, or no longer, participating in conflict and certain places and objects; RESTRICTS the means and methods of warfare used by parties to the conflict. 3 Formal sources of IHL International Treaties 1864 – Geneva Convention (sick and wounded soldiers) 1868 – Declaration of Saint-Petersburg (certain ammunition) 1899/1907 – The Hague Conventions (laws & customs of war) 1925 – Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating Gases 1929 – Geneva Convention (prisoners of war) 1949 – Four Geneva Conventions 1954 – Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property (and Protocol) 1972 – Biological Weapons Convention 1977 – Two Additional Protocols to the GC 1980 – Conventional Weapons Convention (and Protocols) 1993 – Chemical Weapons Convention 1997 – Ottawa Treaty on Anti-personnel landmines 1998 – Statute of the International Criminal Court 1999 – Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 2000 – Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict 2008 – Convention on Cluster Munitions 2013 – Arms Trade Treaty 2017 – Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 4
Among the key treaties are the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 Context: After WWII Purpose/Aim: Regulate protection of civilians Regulate protection of wounded, sick, shipwrecked Regulate protection of POWs Not much on how to conduct hostilities Scope: International Armed Conflict Page 87 of 156
Common Article 3: 'Conflicts not of an international character' 5 Four Geneva Conventions are supported by the two Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005 Context: Wars of liberation, independence from colonial domination in the 1970s Purpose/Aim: More regulation on conduct of hostilities Regulate protection of civilians Regulate protection of wounded, sick, shipwrecked Regulate protection of POWs More on how to conduct hostilities and wider civilian protection Scope: International Armed Conflict: AP I Non-International Armed Conflict: AP II 6 Key principles: 6.1 Protection of persons 6.1.1 Who is protected in IHL? In a nutshell, Persons who do not take a direct part in hostilities civilians (in the power of a Party) > wounded and sick > detained or interned > civilian medical and religious personnel > women > humanitarian personnel > children military medical and religious personnel Persons who have ceased to take part in hostilities wounded, sick and shipwrecked captured, detained or interned > women > children 7 Key principles 7.1 Conduct of Hostilities Legitimate objective The only legitimate object States should endeavour to accomplish in war is to weaken the military forces of the enemy that for this purpose … sufficient to disable the greatest possible number of men; that this object would be exceeded by the employment of arms which uselessly aggravate the sufferings of disabled men, or render their death inevitable: Declaration of St. Petersburg 1868. Points to note: weaken not eliminate or destroy the military forces not the civilian population disable to the extent that your enemy is weakened disable humanely 7.2 Basic rule In any armed conflict, the rights of the Parties to the conflict to choose methods or means of warfare is not unlimited Means and methods of warfare are limited
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The methods: how the hostilities are conducted: the conduct of hostilities The means: the weapons used to conduct hostilities Rules on the conduct of hostilities regulate both means and methods 7.3 Methods Principle of Distinction Principle of Proportionality Principle of Precaution Prohibition of unnecessary suffering Principle of Distinction The Parties to the conflict shall distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives. (Art 48 Additional Protocol I) What are military objectives? Those objects which by their nature, location purpose or use effectively contribute to military action and whose destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances prevailing, offers a definite military advantage: A. 52(2) AP I Principle of Proportionality Attacks which may be expected to cause excessive incidental loss of civilian life and objects in relation to the military advantage anticipated are prohibited (Article 57 Additional Protocol I) Principle of Precaution Commanders have the obligation to take all feasible precautions with a view to avoiding, and in any event to minimising, incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. (Article 57 Additional Protocol I) Prohibition of unnecessary suffering It is prohibited to employ weapons, projectiles and material and methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering: Article 35(2) Additional Protocol I 8 Who needs IHL? 8.1 Civilians Civilian casualties: 1st World War: 10% = 1 out of 10 was a civilian 2nd World War: 50% = 5 out of 10 were civilians Gulf War 1990: 90% = 9 out of 10 were civilians Modern firepower can cause massive damage Military know how to protect themselves better 8.2 States An understanding of IHL helps States under the actions of other States States are able to contribute to the development of IHL Make informed statements on armed conflict situations around the world Protect State interests, armed forces and civilians in times of conflict 9 How does complying with IHL ensure justice and human security? Simply put, if the rules of IHL are obeyed, the ultimate result could be just the limitation of the effects of armed conflict on the civilian population and on the warring parties. However, without these important rules, there would be no limits. When the rules are obeyed there is usually very little publicity about it. It is very hard to measure obedience on the battlefield when there is no police or armed forces. Thus, the behavior has to come from within.
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A few years ago the ICRC embarked on a study known as the Roots of Restraint in War. The results were published in June of this year. Main findings of the Study: Integrating the law into doctrine, training and compliance mechanisms in centrally structured armed forces and armed groups increase restraint on the battlefield. The intensity of training and how norms are taught make a difference, and adherence is best tested under duress. An exclusive focus on the law if not as effective at influencing behavior as a combination of the law and the values underpinning it. Linking the law to local norms and values gives it greater traction. The role of the law is vital in setting standards but encouraging individuals to internalize the values it represents through socialization is a more durable way of promoting restraint. Understanding the structure of armed groups is a first step in identifying potential sources of influence over their behavior. The more decentralized the armed group, the more the sources of influence are external to the group. By focusing on restraint as well as violence, we broaden our understanding of who or what influences behaviour. Analysing patterns of violence can help to pinpoint instances where restraint has been exercised. Youth make up the bulk of present and future fighters. Finding innovative and locally adapted ways to reinforce norms of humanity among them, including via digital media, is essential. External entities are able to influence the behavior of armed forces and armed groups. Making it a criminal offence for humanitarian organisations and local communities to interact with armed groups is counterproductive and hampers efforts to promote respect for humanitarian norms.
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Understanding the Difference between Conflict and Violence Dr. Sudarat Tuntivivat Behavioral Science Research Institute Srinakharinwirot University Bangkok, Thailand How do you describe conflict? Colors Proverbs Signs Symbols Pictures Anything else? Defining Conflict Coser defines social conflict as “a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources” (Coser, 1956, p.8). Mitchell refers to “any situation in which two or more social entities or ‘parties’ … perceive that they possess mutually incompatible goals.” (Mitchell, 1981, p.17). Conflict Levels and Dynamics
Levels of Conflict
Individual Level Conflict
Intra-personal Conflict
Group Level Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Intra-group Conflict
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Inter-group Conflict
Conflict and Violence
• •
Conflict (thoughts) vs violence (actions) Violence – Direct – Structural
Direct & Structural Violence
Direct Violence
Structural Violence
Kills people directly
Kills people indirectly
Kills people quickly
Kills people slowly
destruction of body
deprivation of needs
Dramatic
Normalized
Personal
Impersonal
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Direct & Structural Violence
Direct Violence
Structural Violence
Acute insult to well being
Chronic insult to well being
Intermittent
Continuous
Perpetrator-Victim Observable
Perpetrator Unobservable
Dramatic
Commonplace
Intentional & immoral
Unintentional & amoral
May be prevented
May be mitigated References
Caritas (2002) Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/B09D26A79A622416C1257187002C4053-caritasgen-oct02.pdf Christie, D. J., Wagner, R. V., & Winter, D. A. (Eds.). (2001). Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall. http://u.osu.edu/christie/about/peace-conflict-and-violence-peace-psychology-for-the-21st-century/ Tuntivivat, S. (2016). The Inter-Relationship between Violence and Education amidst Armed Conflict in Southern Thailand. Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research. 8 (4). pp.269 – 278 Yoelao, D. Junprasert, T., Tuntivivat, S., Chaiakkarakan, N. (2015). Conflicts in Thailand during 2013-14: An Analysis of Conflict News in Mass Media. International Journal of Behavioral Science. Vol. 10, Issue 2, 69-78.
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CHAPTER 3: COUNTRY REPORTS
Pace for Peace Bangladesh: Sarkar, George
Sprout and Realization As a believer, I am working with many ecumenical organizations and did a lot of volunteering activities. I am a young leader of Bishop Blair Jubo Sangha (BBJS) of St. Andrew’s Church, Church of Bangladesh. I lead many church youth activities as well as other programs including some social development program by my own. I am currently a student and doing my Bachelor degree in “Information Technology” at “Daffodil Institute of IT”. I am still a volunteer for “Jaago Foundation” in our country and they work for unprivileged children. As well as I play some important role with several ministry such as “Habitat for humanity”, 4/14 window of Children Ministry and Compassion International Bangladesh. To describe my profession, I work for HEED Bangladesh and UNDP at their project as I am a Professional Photographer. Again it is very honor to say that I work for “Rohingya” Refugees Camp with Bangladesh Red Crescent. I have been working for democracy and peace building for years. I participated “YATRA 2017” organized by WCC and discuss my knowledge to discuss what I learned from that seminar to my fellow young leaders. Also I am devotedly involved with many ecumenical organizations such as National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (NCCB), Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS), Dhaka YMCA. In NCCB we organize frequent programs called 'Youth Adda'- a very informal dialogue session that brings together youth from different backgrounds. It enables better communication among them to foster diversity of religion and culture. To develop a sense of nationalism we also conduct programs like celebrating 'International Mother Language Day' and when necessary come to the street to make human chain to protest violence and injustice. In Dhaka YMCA we try to empower youth through sports and we undertake events like Badminton or Cricket Tournament with local youth. In 2015, we successfully executed a global YMCA World Challenge event- "Kicking Goals for Youth Empowerment" right at our premises in an attempt to break a Guinness Record. BBCS carries out diverse activities like primary education program, hostel for youth and hospital services. In Dhaka, we conduct awareness programs with the youth of BBCS hostels and sometimes with local churches to tackle social issues like drug addiction, depression. On 18 April, 2015, another incident is to stand for protest rally and human chain by the help of Page 94 of 156
NCCB leaders and Bangladesh Christian Association for the Barisal District Bar Association of Bangladesh attempted to seize a historic land (pond) which belongs to the Christians- St. Peters Church, Barisal. The challenge was to unite people from all the churches within just a few days. Our peaceful protest grabbed attention of several media and the government responded. I learned a valuable lesson that if we are strong enough to protest against violence and violation of our rights, we will win bring peace eventually. Injuries of My Motherland Bangladesh is a land of opportunity. Sometime we face a lot of problems but still we have our hope to face the problems and live peacefully. Yes, I am from Bangladesh and I am a believer in this Muslim majority country. Problems are not measurable but still I m here to show and make a ranking of problems based on their perceptions. It is observed that the following seven problems are considered by at least 10 percent of the population as being significant in the current context.
Figure 1: Top Seven Problems in Bangladesh As we see our main problem is poverty. The main profession in our country is farmer and they are mostly illiterate. Due to the population issue our people drop off the poverty line. Again the political violence is most devastating issue in our country. It ruptures the development process easily. Rising food price is occurring for the recent inflation problem. Unemployment is another issue against the development of our country. As well as Corruption is everywhere in our country. It breaks our backbone easily. For the entire problem I mentioned earlier, they weaken out economic growth. There are some issues in my community as well. Christians also make up less than 1 per cent of Bangladesh’s population. Christians are a minority in Bangladesh and are facing increasing threats of violent persecution from radical Muslims. There are cases in which Muslim extremists continue to harass Christians, with pretentious reasons, to foment a quarrel and to incite religious hatred in society. Another phenomenon to be highlighted is "land grabbing", which is the practice with which some Muslims steal the land of Christians with violence, through threats and intimidation. "This is a serious problem for Christians. Christians and other minorities typically work disproportionately in the most marginalized, poorly paid jobs. Like other minorities, Christians have on occasion been targeted during periods of political upheaval Page 95 of 156
in our country. As a Christian boy, I often involve with Muslim people. Here the Muslim children are taught that they are the best humans while the other religions are fake and to some extent are anti-Muslim. This unacceptable practice has been persistent for years. Most of them are interested to live with harmony but some of their leaders often misdirect them. Steps to Cure If there is problem, there is solution. Bangladesh is a small country with huge population. So the problems are increasing day by day. But with some steps we can easily reduce the problems and bring peace. To serve proper Education is the main key to solve most of our problems. We are a developing country. With some moral and proper civilized mentality we can reduce all the problems. Our government and the businessman should make the opportunity for the unemployed people including women. Thus the poverty and the unemployment problem will overcome forever. To prevent Political violence we need to protest together and stick together to bring down the political unethical issues. If we want peace we all work together. Again to resolve the minority problem in my community, I find out some points to solve the problems. Such as:
Guarantee the security of Christians. Enforce legal protections for religious minorities. Ensure justice to victims of targeted rights abuses. Promote the participation of religious minorities. Strengthen the capacity of the NHRC to address violations. Government should support the work of civil society organizations on behalf of religious minorities. Mobilize a more coordinated response to rights violations. Provide adequate media coverage to minority rights issues.
I believe these steps can resolve most of our problems in our community. Hold the Helm Bangladesh is a small country with a small population. Though it is one of the most populated countries in the world but percentage of Christianity is less than 1 percent in here. As mentioned before we have to face much kind of trouble and risk in here sometimes it ends up having life risk alone with many social issues. I am a part of this society and play various roles for the betterment of the community. I expect this program will shape my understanding of development efforts of WCC and teach me how to effectively implement development activities. I know by doing this program, I will not become an expert on this overnight but I will have brief ideas and when I come back, I would like to implement some in my volunteer organizations. I believe no task is small task and my small efforts will trigger significant changes in my community, though it might take some time. I can't wait to join and make strong network with youth from all over the world and I hope CCA will help me to do it.
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After I come back from the program I can contribute more. I want to work to achieve “Unity”. First of all, I will try to gather up the young leader because the youth people are the future of the community. The experience and motivation I will gather form here will help me guide them to the right path under the light of Christ which also include peace and forgiveness. Sharing my experience, they can be encouraged to be together to make our community stronger, as it is more beneficial to be together with unity because it offers more. Also I will try to spread motivation on unity on other churches especially on the young leaders there so that they keep that with them and spread that among every one and hold on everyone. I believe that the unity is the most important to keep our community under peace and without violence. Also it will help us to be stronger as well as work on the spread the light of Christ on others. For an active peace builder, I strongly believe and support for development and Diakonia. I want to attend this program because I think CCA and I are on the same page, that is- Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security and involving young people in social causes to bring long term peace. But there's still room for improvement about my understanding and there's no better place than CCA to gain it. I believe this program will be a wonderful journey of learning and sharing. References: Retrieve from: 1. https://minorityrights.org/publications/threat-challenges-facing-religious-minoritiesbangladesh/ 2. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/national-problems 3. https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/problems-of-development-in-bangladesh-causesand-remedies-2151-6200-1000288.php?aid=94075 4. https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/problems-of-development-in-bangladesh-causesand-remedies-2151-6200-1000288.php?aid=94075 5. https://www.thedailystar.net/city/stop-building-courthouse-barisal-church-land-206386
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Cambodia Cambodia: Ou, Nita Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia bordering with three countries such as Thailand, Lao and Vietnam. This country covers an area of 181,035 square kilometers. The current population is 16,177,931 people based on United Nations estimation. The country's shape is an almost-square polygon, with Kampong Thom province as it's central point. Cambodia is one of among the ten members' countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), ranks eighth in land size and seventh in population. It has a tropical climate-warm and humid. The country steeped in history and rich in culture. Cambodia used to go through a very terrible time because of a genocide regime called Khmer Rouge. The country at that time was strongly damaged in term of human lives, human resource, infrastructure, natural resource, industrial capital, microeconomic and macroeconomic of the country. The country had no peace to live, everyone lived in fear with a very low well-being. However, after the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed in 1979, the country became more and more developed. People have started to live with peace, safety, well-being, education and prosperity all over the nation. Country’s economy has also improved from that on. Since Cambodia has political stability, the tourism sector of Cambodia is playing a big part for bringing income to the country by increasing the inbound tourists. This is such a great example to show that without peace, people’s lives will be destroyed in a very bad and sad way. In contrast, if the country is full of peace and happiness, people will live their lives in a very happy way with full of love and kindness. I believe that the peace is all needed by everyone around the world, not only for now but also for the future as well. In order to keep peace, it is not only an obligation of one country, but it is also the obligation of every country on earth to maintain the peace together. For peace activity, it doesn’t need to be big or expensive. Just a small will or activity is also enough, and it needs to start from every single one of us in order to show our gratitude, respect, and peace to make this world more beautiful.
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Hope India: Opputhati, Milka Charisha My Story I have completed my undergraduate in Bachelor of technology in Computer Science and Engineering and I am doing my second year Masters in computer science and Engineering, and I am teaching computer Programming to Degree Students in B.Sc Computers. I am the member of Board of Trustees of the Ecumenical Interfaith center called Quavadies in Thirunamalai. I am the treasurer of Christian youth association of our local Congregation. We are organized Bible study program, Outreach Evangelism, social service campaigns, Awareness programs on HIV AIDS, climate Change and Ecological Crisis. As the Atrocities against Women and girl Children and domestic Violence and prevalent now a day we bring awareness campaigns. I attended Human Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) in Malaysia organized by Lutheran World Federation, Geneva. I had good exposure when I represented youth in the delegation represented by our Church to the synod Assembly of North Eastern Minnesota Synod in Duluth USA. We hope and believe that we find answers to the problems and the untowardness we face in the church and society in the multi religious context of our Country. Indian Context India stands for diversity. Diversity is a common theme across India. There are at least 15 official languages, over 300 minor languages and around 3,000 different dialects in India. Indians very often cannot understand each other and use English as an official language. Not only by language, but also by people’s groups India is very much divided, mainly by four castes and an out-caste and several thousands of sub-castes. Out-caste are called by different names in each state such as Mala, Madhiga, Pariahs, Panchamas etc. India is also divided by religion, although predominantly Hindu, India represents all the world’s major religions. Ethnic differences also bring diversity to India based on the geographical background. All these diversities project diverse cultural and traditional difference. Despite these differences, India has grown tremendously and continues to grow as one nation. India is supposed to be a beautiful country with diverse religions, languages and cultures. However, India is a place where people are discriminated on the basis of caste, class and gender. At present India is facing a crisis due to religious fundamentalism. Religious fanaticism is growing. Democracy is threatened. Community clashes are mounting in India. Freedom of expression is at stake. India with all its richness, and so called unity in diversity, now stands for religious fundamentalism, caste discrimination, mob lynching, sexual harassment, human trafficking and so on. The poll surveyed 548 experts on six different directories such as healthcare, discrimination, cultural traditions, sexual and non-sexual violence, and human trafficking. They were asked to name the five most dangerous countries in the first place from the list of 193 United Nations member states. And they were asked to name the worst country in each of the above categories. Sadly, India topped the three categories such as cultural traditions, sexual violence and human trafficking (The BBC news). Inequalities are on the rise in India. There are 36 Indian billionaires according Forbes, outnumber Japan that has 24 billionaires (The
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Times of India). A report in the year 2006 disclosed that about 200 million Indians climbed into the new middle class stimulating economic growth, but there were 300 million people who stilled live in extreme poverty. About 30 per cent of population was reported to be malnourished. They were made to live under poverty line by the violent and discriminative caste structure. Politically India derived most of its structure from the colonial administration. Although it is a democratic country, discrimination against each other is found almost every field in India. Violence, religious intolerance, discrimination, sexual exploitation, human trafficking are growing in India. Given the situation, it is highly difficult to find peace in India. Time has come for Indian youth, especially Christian youth to stand against injustice and fight for justice and peace in the country. Without justice peace cannot be attained. Implications: Towards Peace It is so important that the youth of India should come forward to bring awareness among children, youth and others that unless justice is realized peace cannot be achieved. Jesus established justice and he was proclaiming peace on the earth. As children of God and the followers of Jesus we need to rise our voice against injustice that is happening both in the churches and the society. Youth are the strength of the church and society and they can bring justice and peace through sensitizing people regarding the issues related to peace and Justice. A recent movement “Jallikattu” in Tamil Nadu which attracted world recognition is the best example to understand the strength of the youth in fighting for injustice. It was non-violent movement taken up by youth. Youth can make a difference in the society and can be the channel of peace in India. My Involvement in Peace Dynamics I being an educator, I would like to incorporate programs related to justice and peace in the school where I am working. I beings a youth leader in my church, I would certainly request our pastors to include a curriculum related to justice and peace in the Sunday school materials so that our children would learn to deal with these issues. And also I would like to organize awareness programs relating to justice concerns. I strongly believe unless and until we deal with injustices in the church and society, it is impossible to attain peace. So I would certainly make recommendation to our church to organize programs relating peace and justice issues at local, regional and central level. I would also like to participate in the peace programs organized by the NGOs in India. References: 1.Keer, Dhananjay, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission (Mumbai, Popular Prakashan PVT. LTD: 1990) 2.Sinha, B. P. Jai, Culture and Organizational Behaviour (New Delhi, SAGE Publications India PVT Ltd: 2008). 3.Is India really the most dangerous country for women? - BBC News on 28, June 2018 in https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42436817 (Accessed on 13.9.2018) 4.India's Richest - Forbes, The Times of India, New Delhi, 3 October 2007 in https://www.forbes.com/2007/08/.../india-billies-richest-oped-cx_nka_0813billies.htm. (Accessed on 13.9.2018)
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Empowerment of Peace India: Salagala, Anil Kumar Introduction I am very much delighted to tell you that, I am working as pastor in Andhra Baptist Church (ABC), under Canadian Baptist Mission. The place I am working is the remote area, where the Christians face very deadly challenges in the society that causes to death. I am well trained pastor, securing my studies in Bachelor of Divinity (B.D) in Senate of Serampore University. I majorly take part in the discussions related to peace making, and how to build up peace in and around the boundaries of Christianity with other faiths. Our church motive is to maintain peace among the churches ecumenically, various peace empowerment programs with the leaders. My zeal is to have connection with ecumenical circles in the world in order to maintain and proclaim the news of peace to all the nations and to lift up. Situation of Contemporary India Our nation India is land of multi-linguistic, cultures, traditions, it’s a pluralistic country with many different faiths, and we have many political parties too. But I want to discuss about the main core about the situation of India at present. The main focus is how the people are facing challenges and struggling for the peace-building in the country. Some of the major issues that are going on in India are: Religious Fundamentalism in India As India is known for secularism and there are enormous pilgrim places and as well as the land of religious fundamentalists, in this Hindu fundamentalists arose in protesting other minor faiths. The minor faiths in our country are Islam and Christians. Hindus main motive is to make this country as the land of Hindu people and to show that the Christianity and Islam are the western religion influencing the country. The fundamentalists want to show their power against these two faith communities. R.S.S, Bhajirangh Dhal, Hindutva and so on influencing the ruling government to eradicate the Christianity and persecute the Christians, and forcing them to be converting into Hinduism. According to Indian Constitution every citizen has his own right to opt his own faith. But now it had been a serious case in choosing their own religion due to these forces. Due to these movements in India Christians are facing a lot of suffering, struggle, being afraid to proclaim the Good News of Lord Jesus Christ in public. In case they are caught, they are sentenced to death. There is a serious persecution taking place in the country. These movements have the political support where the common people could not speak a word against the evil doings and practices. Christianity is minor religion in our country where they do not have any chances in the jobs, education, and in serving the public sector too. Because of these movements no unity in the society, many conflicts are taking lead ahead, due to these issues there is no space for establishing peace. Caste the Danger The other major issue in present India is caste, here we can clearly see that the peace is not settled in this issue. Caste is playing a vital role in India right from the ancestors, and still going on as the practice. Due to this, many people are meeting the death. Some of the examples are: Inter-Caste marriages is an example, different caste people conflict each other but never thought about the life of people. There is no peace in between the families.
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Caste feeling in occupation also identified that no peace built. Because all the dalits are not having the rights to enjoy the jobs, studies, here also we can see that they are oppressed, Caste is also big harm to the Christians, sometimes they are being excommunicated from the society those who believe Jesus Ma Bleaching (Cow as goddess) This is the latest issue about the Cow worship in this country. Hindus object the killing of the Cows, as they worship cow as the goddess. But the other faiths do not respect the cow and use it for the food purpose, and preparing for curries too. Many people sell the cow meat and do a lot of business. This government had banned in not killing of the cows and they passed a law. This issue is mainly dealt to go against the Christianity. Due to this many people had lost their lives. Solutions to solve and for peace-building Interfaith dialogues to be held and to be conducted with the religious heads and leaders. In order to bring all the people together in discussion and to share their ideas. Which will lead to perfect peace-making? In schools and colleges present peace issues should be focused and issues to be addressed with them. Theologies should build designed for the peace making. We are responsible to show what actual peace is meant and where it lays. Peace awareness programs to be conducted in church. We need to celebrate a special Sunday for peace making day. My active part is to involve in joining my hands together with all the ecumenical bodies for the development and establishment of peace. References: Lobo, Lancy. 2002. Globalisation, Hindu Nationalism and Christians in India. Jaipur: Rawat Publications. Michael, Amaladoss. 2009. ‘Responding to Fundamentalism’, Jivan, January, pp.25-26. Thomas, P. N. 2008. ‘Strong Religion, Zealous Media: Christian Fundamentalism and Communication in India’. Delhi: Sage Publications. Alfred Stepan 2009, “Democracy and religion across the world: Multiple Secularisms”, p.109 Prabhakar, S. Towards an Education for Peace with Justice: Problems and Prospects, Bangalore Theohgical Forum 36 (1), 37-50.
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The Calling India: Sema, Visheto Shitovi My Calling Presently, I am working as the Coordinator of North East India Action Desk of the National Council of Churches in India which is a Peace initiative taken by the National Council of Churches in India for North East states of India to look into the issues and concern for peace. The concern for peace and to work for peace has always been an important part of my life. As a student doing my BA, I participated in programs of an ecumenical nature, besides serving as a youth coordinator in my church. As a student of Theology, I studied B.D. at Eastern Theological College, Jorhat , Assam (2009-2013) and M.Th. degree in Missiology from Aizawl Theological College, Mizoram (2014-2016), and internship under the youth commission of the National Council of Churches in India, my studies and my involvement in various ecumenical programs and my contribution of various articles in ecumenical journal opened me up to ecumenical living and the challenges of doing ministry in North East India especially with the concern for Peace. The Groaning Reality of My Country a Wakeup Call In India there is still a need to work for peace as peace ambassador. India has the largest youth population in the world. Around 66 % of the total population is below the age of 35. Youth are the leaders of today, they are the backbone of any country, they are creative thinkers and change makers. They are active, impulsive, radical decision makers and able leaders when encouraged, inspired and motivated. However, the groaning reality of my country is that the youth lacks space, usable space to prove their potentials and talents. When the face of the India is supposed to be a youth face, we lack that face in the society and the Church. Many of them go through difficulties of living in dysfunctional families, relationship crises, peer pressure, and lack of recognition within churches and in the society. Likewise, in North East States of India in particular, there are various broader peace issues, where the youth of these states are highly affected. In North East States of India there is still a need to work for peace as there are various peace issues such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1958 (AFSPA), ethnic/communal conflicts, leadership crises and insurgency issues which have been adversely affecting the young people. Thus, there is a need to equip oneself with more knowledge and abilities to work on peace and to inspire and create more young peace ambassadors in the North East India. Planting Saplings of Peace As a coordinator of North East India Action Desk of National Council of Churches in India with all my intention to work on Peace Building with all those who believe in and live for peace we have been putting efforts, working with bodies such as, Churches, different Tribal organizations, NGOs, Women’s organizations, Youth/Student Federations, and people of other faiths in planting saplings of Peace in every possible ways by organizing and involving in various Peace Programs such as Religious Fundamentalism and Freedom of Religion (24th March 2018), Certificate Course on Social Concerns and Leadership (1st May - 15th May 2018), Discipleship (Peace) Seminar (26th -27th May 2018), and Summer Peace Camp (2nd-4th July 2018). But yet every now and then various issues are occurring which is brewing more un–peace situations in North East States of India. A few recent peace issues (conflict) are; the recent communal conflict between the local people of Shillong and Sikh people residing at Shillong (Meghalaya), the Citizenship amendment bill of Assam, the ongoing peace – agreement talks of Nagaland with Central Govt. of India, where in all these cases, youths are the victims. A call for one and for all
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As an ecumenical worker with zeal and passion to work for peace within the society, I believe greater things are still to come and greater things are yet to be done. Thus, the challenge and the need for re-creating an understanding about the pedagogy of the oppressed, providing awareness and education on conflict transformation, creating a common space for religious harmony and transformative dialogue for peaceful reconciliation as method for peace building are some of the needs which I personally yearn to learn from YAPA 2018 for my further involvement on peace building and conflict transformation in my country. There is no doubt, in the present context of tensions and violence, the message of peace is most needed in our time. Jesus Christ identified himself with the suffering victims of violence. And yet his cross, of suffering for the cause of justice and reform, led to the resurrection, a new expression of the reign of God. In this fragmented world of ours today, there is yearning for a just society where peace, in the sense of wholeness (Shalom) of individual life, society and creation, prevails. Therefore, those who are committed to the ministry of educating the “people of God”, to love peace and to be peace-builders, should make efforts to encourage all to develop a fresh understanding of and commitment to peace as their priority as it is not enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it; one must work at it! This is a call for one and for all. References: Ariarajah, S. Wesley. Axis of Peace: Christian Faith in Times of Violence and War. Geneva: WCC Publication, 2004. Buttry, Daniel L. Blessed are the Peace Meakers. Michigan: Read the Spirit Books, 2011. Holsopple, Mary Yoder, et al., Building Peace: Overcoming Violence in Community. Geneva: WCC Publiations, 2004. McFayden, Narola Ao. “Cultivating a Culture of Peace through Transformative Educational Practices,” in Clark Journal of Theology: Theological Reflection on Peace-building. Vol. II. No.1, 2012. Nimi Wariboko, Katherine B. Stuart. “Religious Peace Building and Economic Justice,” in Clark Journal of Theology: Theological Reflection on Peace-building. Vol. II. No. 1, 2012.
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Cultural Nationalism and the Religious ‘Other’ – The Dynamics of the Hindutva Ideology India: Zachariah, Pheba Ann
Introduction The world in which we live today though we fondly call it as a ‘Globalized World’ is pluralistic in every aspect. India in this regard stands out as a distinct and unique manifestation of pluralism. If we look at the Indian spectrum, India is a colorful mosaic of Religions, Cultures, Languages, Ethnicities, Ideologies, Philosophies, Races, Tribes etc.15 Hence; Plurality is one of India’s richest resources. However the planned efforts to reduce our country into a monolithic Hindutva mould was intensified in the last two decades. This resulted in the innumerable atrocities against Dalits, Tribals, Muslims and Christians. These acts of violence and the ideological onslaught threaten to destroy the democratic and secular fabric of our country. The pluralism that underpins the unity of our nation is in grave danger. In this paper I am trying to analyze the ideologies of Hindutva and Cultural Nationalism. The Conceptual Emergence of ‘Hindutva’ The word Hindutva is coined by V.D.Savarkar in his 1923 pamphlet entitled Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? It is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu Nationalism. Term ‘Hindutva’ is derived from the two terms ‘Hindu’ and ‘ttiv’ which literally mean Hindu principles, Hinduness, Hinduism or essence of being a Hindu16.According to Savarkar, the term ‘Hindutva’ does not mean only the religion Hinduism; it covers the complete Hindu civilization and history. ‘Hinduism’ is only a fraction of the civilization called ‘Hindutva’. He used the term ‘Hindu’ to refer the collective of the people of India-Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsees, etc17. “Hindutva embrace all the departments of thought and activity of the whole being of Hindu race”.18Hindutva claimed that Aryans were the sons of soil and they developed the first culture and lifestyle in the regions near the river Sindu.19They claim that the name Sindu or a name related to this had for the country before Ayans came. 20 Aryans took that name and Sanscritised ‘Sindu’ and then it changed to ‘Hindu’ by Persians.21 According to 1995 Supreme Court of India judgment the word Hindutva could be used to mean “the way of life of the people and the Indian culture or ethos”.22 In its beginning stage ‘Hindutva’ was not a political movement. Until the 19th century, the word; Hindu’ had no specific religious meaning and simply referred to the people who lived east of the Indus river, whatever their beliefs. It was only when the census introduced by the British colonial authorities in 1871 included ‘Hindu’ as a religious designation that many Indians began to think of themselves and their country as Hindu.23
15
Ken gnanakan, The pluralistic predicament. (Bangalore: theological book trust, 1992) p 2 S.L. Verma,BeyondHindutva, (Rawat Publication Jaipur, 2007), 94. 17 S.L. Verma,BeyondHindutva, (Rawat Publication Jaipur, 2007), 94. 18 V.D. Savarkar,Hindutva, (BharatiSahityasadan New Delhi, 1923), 4. 19 V.D. Savakar,Hindutva (BharatiSahityasadan New Delhi, 1923), 5. 20 V.D. Savakar,Hindutva (BharatiSahityasadan New Delhi, 1923), 9-10. 21 V.D. Savakar,Hindutva (BharatiSahityasadan New Delhi,1923), 7. 22 S.L. Verma,Beyond Hindutva, (Rawat Publication Jaipur, 2007),101. 23 S.L. Verma,BeyondHindutva, (Rawat Publication Jaipur, 2007), 94. 16
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Cultural Nationalism This is the new face of Hindutva ideology. Even though Hindutva ideology took birth in the 1920s, it couldn’t gain much influence in the secularized mind of Indian people of that time. Some of the land mark events that made this movement vibrant are the Mandal commission report of 198224, Blue Star operation of 1984 and the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.25 After the Mandal commission incident they Hindutva forces realized that in order to regain the political supremacy they have to bring the entire Hindus under one umbrella. Thus the new phase of Hindu Nationalism under the title cultural nationalism emerged in our nation. The Deliberate Attempt to Create the ‘Other’- Hindutva right from its inception has been trying to project an ‘other’ as a potential threat for the existence of Hindus in this country and also to the culture of the country. He convincingly brings out the reasons for Hindus to see Christians and Muslims as enemies. He also defines Hindu and a non - Hindu. According to him “Hindu means a person who regards this land of Bhart-Varsha from the Indus to the Seas as his Fatherland as well as his Holy land, which is the cradle land of his religion”. Also in his description of essential characteristics to be a Hindu the aspect of Punyabhooautomatically excludes the Muslims and Christians and the Christians as their holy lands are outside India and at the same time ensures the inclusion of breakaway religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism in the ranks of Hinduism. Thus it is clear that the Hindutva forces have always been attempting to create an ‘other’ and the ‘Hindu self’. Hate Campaign –At many places Hindu traditions are giving way to Hindutva-tolerance to violence and community consciousness to communal consciousness. Spearheading religious hatred is another major agenda of Hindutva. True to the meaning of the word 'hatred', it has successfully propagated hatred towards the religious minority communities. Savarkar challenges the Hindus of the nation urging them to shun non-violence and send out Christians and Muslims out of this ‘Hindu nation’.The RSS leader M.S. Golwalker even praised Nazi purging of the Semitic races and lauded it as a good lesson for the Hindus in Hindustan to learn and practice.It induces in the minds of the majority a deep, enduring intense emotion, expressing animosity, anger and hostility towards the minority community. Speeches were made in order to solicit the support of the Hindu population by making them feel ashamed and humiliated by the minority community thereby appealing for instant violent reaction. Attempts to Homogenize-With the aim of consolidating its political roots, it is demanding a cultural homogeneity by subjugating the culture of the ‘other’. The Brahmanization of the local religiosity is one of the major strategies that are worked out by Hindutva ideologists. Religious Nationalism: Hindu Rashtra -The Hindutva’s principle,and its main proponent the RSS want to build a Hindu Rashtra where the Hindus rule.The architect of Hindutva philosophy V.D.Savarkar and the mentor of Hindu nationalism Golwalkar were influenced by western
24
The government dominated by the middle order castes (OBC) appointed theMandal commission to study the backwardness of certain communities for extending affirmative action for bringing them to the mainstream of the society. The upper caste Hindus feared that this will reduce their opportunity. The upper caste declared war on the OBCs within the hindu fold. They burnt the copies of Mandal commission report and also themselves in protest. This event diviided the Hindus into two. After this the upper caste Hindus realized that they will become politically insignificant since they are less in number. Then they started playing the religious card to regain their supremacy by mobilizing people. 25 Lancy Lobo, Globalisation, Hindu Nationalism and Christians in India, (New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2002) p 54
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concepts. To put it in Golwalker’s words “We believe that our notions today about the Nation concept are erroneous. They are not in conformity with those of the Western Political Scientists; we think we are imitating.”Who are these political scientists to whom Golwalker refers here? We need to be mindful that he draws inspiration from German writers who brewed the Nazi sentiments in Germany. Thus he propounded that the foreign races in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no ideas but those of glorification of Hindu race and culture or may stay in this country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing and deserving no privileges. To conclude it is Hinduism, in this view, that makes India what it is, and secularism is nothing but the minorities living under the Hindu yoke. The advocates of cultural Nationalism argues for a nation with only one culture. What is there in their mind is the romanitization of the old Brahminical Sanatana Darma. The advocates of cultural nationalism are portraying a nationalism which is based on the Hindu culture. The Hindu culture is rooted in the Hindu social order which is based on the caste system. The Hindu theological concepts like karma,26 dharma,27sanskara28etc lend legitimacy to the privileges and the deprivations of different sects of society.29 Christian Response to Cultural Nationlism Praxis as the Paradigm to Come Together. M.M. Thomas does speak about dialoguing in the context of plurality of religion. He considers praxis as the common platform for the religions to come together and to be engaged in the process of Nation Building. “The common good of the people” be the motto that brings all religion together in the present milieu characterized by religious tensions. This will indeed keep the distinctiveness of the religions at the same time enable them to join their hands together and contribute creatively for the growth of the nation. This concept of praxis as engaging in dialogue gives Christianity her own space to be part of the Nation Building process. Also this will help us to transcend the narrow-minded vision of establishing Churches to building people. An Active Resistance Against Power Centres. The power structures in India contribute to the oppression of the less powerful. The attacks against the minority communities, the Dalits, tribalwhich is a menace to the National Integration, need to be addressed. The power structures in India are to be confronted. Hindutva’s attempt to be the power centre has been a menace to the minority communities. The Brahmanical ideology that they uphold will deteriorate the condition of oppressed communities and the liberation of those communities will be a distant dream. In such a context let us dream about a community where the power is de-centralised, where the least and the last also has a share of the power to creatively engage in the Nation Building. Thus the theology of the hour should enable us to locate the power centres, confront them and resist them. Resistance should be understood as those behaviors and practices by the subordinate
26
Karma means each one will rewarded according to their action. What we are now is the result of the karma of the past. 27 Dharma insists that it is the duty of a person to fulfil the proper obligation of one’s caste- ie to do a particular job to a particular caste. 28 Sanskara refers to the caste-specific performances of sacraments and rituals. 29 Lancy Lobo, Globalisation, Hindu Nationalism and Christians in India, (New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2002) p 51
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groups(in our case the subordinated groups) that contest hegemonic social formations, that has the hidden agenda to unravel the strategies of domination.30. An Amalgamation of Resistance with Reconciliation. The theology of the cross puts fortht he divine forgiveness made possible on the cross, which provides the source, the criterion and goal for new societies which can do justice to the dignity of the human being. The divine forgiveness has implications beyond the personal as the basis for social transformation. It transcends all division of nature and history. In process of Nation Building the church while systematically resisting the hegemonic attitudes, needs to open its arms wide towards understanding basic reasons for aggression and should extend voices of reconciliation.
30
DoyglasHayncs and GyanPrakash, “Introduction: the Enlargment of Power and Resistance” in Contesting Power:Resistance and Everyday Social Relations in South Asia, Edited by Douglas Haynes and GyanPrakash (Delhi:Oxford University Press,1991),3
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Justice and Peace Empowermentfor the Marginalized People: A Theological Reflection on Anti-Human Trafficking Movement in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia Indonesia: Magdalena, Benu Yuliana A Struggle towards Peace A quote of Mahatma Gandhisaid, “You must be the change you wish to see the world.”31 This quote inspires me to live in peace with others, even if a journey towards peace is a long struggle.The motivation to be an agent of change led me to study theology atTheological School of Artha Wacana Christian University, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur or NTT) province, Indonesia in 2011. I finished my bachelor degree in 2016 with a final writing entitled “Solidarity is a Sign of the Body of Christ: An Interpretation of 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.” This writing encouraged me to care for people through solidarity. In the same year, I got involved in the Anti-Human Trafficking Movement that brought me to work voluntarily at an NGO known as East Indonesia Women’s Network or Jaringan Perempuan Indonesia Timur (JPIT). I and my JPIT’s friends work with trafficked people in our society because of their vulnerable positions. Those are women who suffer from patriarchal system, underage childs, and poor people. Lots of them were illegal migrant workers in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. We have struggled for justice and peace with the marginalized ones over three years through litigation and non-litigation advocacy. A Hope of the Suffering Community The night, dark and dense Rain pours; frogs croak We wait at the Eltari Airport Cargo Terminal At the spot to pick up the body Family, friends, aquaintances stare at each other We try to stand strong atop our shattered hearts Our swollen eyes gaze sadly at the coffin How many bodies is this? Quietly we groan, lament... Is there still justice in this country? In the silence of the night we reflect Have we still hope? O Lord, our hearts are breaking... Eltari Airport Terminal32 01.35 am, February 16, 2018 Yuliana Benu I began this part with a lament poem that I made at Eltari Airport Cargo Terminal in West Timor, NTT, when a dead victim was sent from Malaysia. It was midnight, dark, and raining. Families, friends, and acquaintances were waiting to receive that coffin. During a month, almost 5 to 10 dead victims were sent from Malaysia. In the last 7 years, there are 274 victims died: 29
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Bodhipaksa, Mahatma Gandhi :“You must be the change you wish to see the world”, accessed on January 05, 2006. https://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/quote-gandhi 32 The original title of my poem is Terminal Kargo Bandara Eltari. It was translated by Karen Campbell-Nelson.
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victims in 2013; 23 in 2014; 28 in 2015; 60 in 2016; 64 in 2017; and 74 in 2018 (January to August).33 There are many tragic stories related to human trafficking. In 2014, around 25 Timorese young women were exploited at swiftlet nest factory in Medan, North Sumatera. It was more than two years they were oppressed and tortured every day by their boss. Two of them were killed and others were sick and live with trauma. Unfortunately, the perpetrators still free until now even though this case has been taken into court.34 Another victim’s testimony comes from Mariance Kabu. She worked in Malaysia without any salary for eight months (December 2014-July 2015). She started working at 05.00 AM to 04.00 AM every day and only had one hour to take a rest. During that time, her body was full of blood because of violences from her boss. She was saved when her neighbor, a Moslem woman who reported mariance’s suffering to Malaysian police. She was returned to NTT four years ago. Now she is still struggling to survive because of poverty and domestic violence from her husband.35 Furthermore, in 2016, about 20 Timorese young women as illegal migrant workers were exchanged with one unit Daihatsu Xenia car. Every Timorese young woman and man is traded from IDR 4,5 million to 27,5 million (US$346 to US $2115).36 In 2017, Yufrinda Selan and Adolvina Abuk were returned from Malaysia with many stitches mark on their corpses. And last February 2018, Adelina Sau passed away in Malaysia. Before died, she was forced by her boss to sleep with a Rottweiler dog on the terrace. She was not given food, and her body was full with wounds. When she was at the hospital, she said au loim fain, which means “I want to go home.”37 International Organization for Migration(IOM) has classified the type of exploitation experienced by migrant workers (domestic workers) from NTT according to this percentage: low payment (79,61%), incomplete documents (76,77%), unhealthy food (59,22%), debts (39,54%), 12-22 hours a day to work (37,6%), physical violence (24,82%), sexsual assault (7,6%), and rape (2,48%).38 Subsequently, it is estimated that eight million from 261 million inhabitants of Indonesians work as migrant workers in Malaysia, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, dan Singapore. But the official statistic of Indonesian government (Badan Nasional Penempatan dan Perlindungan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia-BNP2TKI) says that the number is only 4,5-5 million. On the other hand, Direktorat Jendral Penempatan dan Perlindungan Tenaga KerjaLuar Negeri (PPTKLN), Kementerian Tenaga Kerja (Kemenaker) sends 700.000 Indonesian people as migrant workers, which means that the daily average number is 2.000 people. 70% of the total amount are women who work in domestic sector and 30% are men who work in several sectors such as factories, palm oil plantations, constructions, and driving companies. Especially in NTT since January
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Data JaringanPerempuan Indonesia Timur (JPIT). MeryKolimon, “Kerentanan dan Luka, Perlawanan dan Penyembuhan: RefleksiTeologistentangPerdagangan Orang di Wilayah PelayananGerejaMasehiInjili di Timor (GMIT)”, dalamMenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta: BPK GunungMulia, 2018, pg. 2. 35 Fery Firmansyah, (Ed. Tempo.Com), Mariance Kabu, TKW asal Kupang Disiksa di Malaysia, accessed on August04, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/630696/meriance-kabu-tkw-asal-kupang-disiksa-di-malaysia 36 Kompas.com, Kasus Perdagangan Manusia, 20 TKW Ditukar dengan Mobil,accessed on July 31, 2018, http://regional.kompas.com/read/2016/08/23/11460081/kasus.perdagangan.manusia.20.tkw.ditukar.dengan.mobi 37 MaraikeBangun, “Silent no More! A Love Letter to Churches and Christians in Malaysia, accessed on August04, August 2018, ”https://m.facebook.com/notes/maraike-bangun/silent-no-more-a-love-letter-to-churches-andchristians-in-malaysia/10155484067479075/; Andreas Yewangoe, Titik Pandang tentangPerkembangan Masyarakat Indonesia, Yogyakarta: Dian Interfidei, 2012, pg. 51 38 Elina Otu, Not for Sale, but Peace,accessed on August18, August 2018,https://www.slideshare.net/reyty1/youngambassadors-for-peace-in-asia-yapa-2017 34
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2014-February 2017, there were 11.709 people from 5.203.514 inhabitants of NTT work as migrant workers and around 100-500 thousand people were illegal migrant workers.39 NTT province is ranked on 11th positions migrant workers’ sender. Nevertheless, in 2014 Nasional Police (Bareskrim Mabes Polri) affirmed that NTT was an emergency area of human trafficking because NTT has the largest cases of human trafficking. On the 22rd of August 2016, in a press conference, the regional police of NTT uttered that there were seven mafia/syndicates of human trafficking but only one which bared. As known that during a period of January 2015July 2016 around 1.667 unprocedural migrant workers were sent out from NTT to go to work overseas.40 A Brief Analysis and Solutions for Peace The biggest question is that why the people of NTT go to work overseas even though there are many tragic stories of trafficked victims? At least there are three factors that have forced people go to work overseas: poverty, education, and social-culture. Poverty Theglobal economic changing brings many people to compete in every aspect of life.This competition effected a profound ravine between the poor and rich people: the poor become poorest and the rich become richest. Unfortunately, this situation already becomes a complicated system in society and it is difficult to be changed. In January 2017, NTT was reported as the third poorest province in Indonesia after Papua and West Papua by Badan Pusat Statistik NTT. In 2016, the number of poor people in NTT were 1.150 million people. There were 1.037,90 million poor people in rural area, and only 112,02 million poor people in urban areas.Unemployment people in rural areas are 49.695 people and in urban areas are 38.751 people.41 At the same time, there are tensions in the society because the local government try to seize local people’s lands. Actually, there are many investors behind the local government who want the local people’s lands for their own businesses. According traditional belief, the meaning of land is related to ancestors and food. The term “Land” is called nain in Timorese (Dawan) language. Nain is related to nai, that can be translated as ancestors and crock. These poor families whose lands are seized by local government are forced to work as migrant worker in Malaysia and they are susceptible to be trafficked. They are deprived of cultural roots and loss of food.42 Education Education is an important aspect for everyone. Nevertheless, the reality about education in NTT is really apprehensive. This is not only about the infrastructure, but also the quality and
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Karsiwen, PerkembanganBuruhMigran dan Kondisinya di Negara Penempatan, Jakarta: BPK GunungMulia, 2018, pg. 91-92; Tempo.com, NTT Termasuk Pemasok TKI Illegal Terbanyak di Indonesia,accessed on August10, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/795061/ntt-termasuk-pemasok-tki-ilegal-terbanyak-di-indonesia. 40 LiliyahWetangterah, “Kerentanan Masyarakat Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) menjadi Korban Perdagangan Orang dengan Modus PekerjaMigran Indonesia,” in MenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta:BPKGunungMulia, 2018, pg.103; Tempo, NTT Nomer Satu KasusPerdagangan Orang di Indonesia, accessed on August14, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/642849/ntt-nomor-satu-kasus-perdagangan-orang-diindonesia/full&Paging=Otomatis;www.bnp2tki.go.id 41 Tribunnews, “NTT Peringkat 3 ProvinsiTermiskin di Indonesia, accessed on August17, 2018, ”http://www.tribunnews.com//regional/2017/01/05/ntt-peringkat-3-termiskin-di-Indonesia. 42 MeryKolimon, “Teologi Ramah Tanah di Timor Barat” dalamTeologi Tanah, Makasar: Yayasan OASE INTIM, 2015, pg. 25; LiliyahWetangterah, “Kerentanan Masyarakat Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) menjadi Korban Perdagangan Orang dengan Modus PekerjaMigran Indonesia.”, pg. 106.
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the availability of teachers. In rural areas, many children cannot get a chance to school. They drop out from school because of restricted access (no school buildings), information (education), and transportation (many children should walk 10 to 15 kilo meters everyday to go to schools).The consequences are various, for instance many children do not have future and the lost generation of Indonesia.43 Many migrant workers come from rural areas where they can not achieve good education. These vulnerable children and youths become the targets of recruiters. According to JPIT’s research, we find that the age of these children and youths are between 11 to 35 years old. The identity of these underage children will be changed by the recruiters (age, address, and religion). For instance, 11 years old become 21 years old in their identity card (fabrication of identity). Due to less education, these vulnerable people don’t understand English language for communication or reading their job contracts. Also, they don’t realize that they are trafficked by recruiters or agents.44 Social-Culture Local people in NTT, especially from West Timor, are indentified as atoni nok bife pah meto (men and women from the dry land). There is a tradition of Timor that every guest should be served with Oko Mama (betel leaves and nuts). The guest also can bring Oko Mama for these local families when they come to visit. It is a symbol of trust, that the guest is welcome in this family and there is a strong bond between them. The philosophy behind this tradition is an actualization of peace that Timorese people say nekaf mese ma ansaof mese. But, this good tradition is manipulated by recruiters who were looking for prospective workers. The recruiters will come with an usif45 to these local families while bringing Oko Mama and put money between IDR 150 – 9 million (US $11.25 - $674.87).The parents of these young women or men don’t realized that it is a model of human trafficking.46 Patriarchal system in a social structure has forced women to work abroad as migrant workers too. There is 70 percent of migrant workers are women and through advocacy, we have found that some of these women experience domestic violence, and debts. No other chance for them to choose because of men’s domination in patriarchal culture. Besides, there is a stigma in society that the women who work as migrant workers are stupid because they choose to work overseas and not in their villages. Unfortunately, this stigma comes from other women. When the women workers return from Malaysia or other countries, there is also a stigma in society that they are women who forget about their cultures because of their lifestyles. It will be getting worse if they return without any salary or with many wounds in their bodies because of exploitation or violence.47 Empowerment the marginalized people for Peace
43
Ibid, pg. 107. Ibid, pg. 109. 45 Usif means king. Usifhas an important position in the local people community of some villages in West Timor. It’s part of feudal system that the usifuse his power to cooperate with the recruiters to recruit young women or men from these villages to work abroad (Yuliana Benu and Lucy Pulamau, Data Perdagangan Orang dariJaringanPerempuan Indonesia Timur Januari 2014-April 2017, in MenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta:BPKGunungMulia, 2018, pg.75. 46 Elina Ottu, Op.Cit.;DinaDethan, “BudayaOko Mama dan Perdagangan Orang di NTT” in GerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Bandung:MajelisSinodeGereja Kristen Pasundan, 2017, pg.95-96. 47 Liliya Wetangterah, Op.cit. pg. 103;Paoina Bara Pa, “Human Trafficking dan Perempuan” in GerejaMelawan Human Trafficking, Bandung:MajelisSinodeGereja Kristen Pasundan, 2017, pg. 31. 44
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The encounter of my theological background and experiences of working in the Anti-Human Trafficking movement has helped me to be aware on important matters. There is a profound ravine between academic study and reality, or between church and social problems in society. For me, it is easy to read books and discuss about doing justice for the marginalized with friends or lecturers. However, it is difficult to be done in reality. In addition, churches in NTT haveless responsibility to solve social problems. Preaching in the pulpit only focuses on eschatology. The challenge is how can I, as a pastor candidate make a bridge between the academic study and the real needs of the weak? How to encourage churches be more sympathetic to the social problems? I realized that to be exclusive will not help us to solve human trafficking problems. On the other hand, networking or working inclusively is one of the best ways to bridge these gaps. Doing God’s mission for peace with justice is not only Christians duty, but also Muslims, Hindu, and Buddhist people. God calls us to engage in His mission, that is doing justice with marginalized people and creating peace in this world. Why? It is because we face the same reality of human trafficking that attacks human dignity.48 “The only way to be religious in our day is to be interreligious.”49 Many anti-human trafficking campaigns in NTT that held by JPIT are interfaith campaigns. Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhist representatives gathered and demand NTT’s Governor to protect migrant workers. For instance, East Indonesian Women’s Network as the coordinator of an interreligious campaignt hat was held onJuly 30, 2018 (the International Day of Anti-Human Trafficking declared by UN) invited many people from others religious groups (Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists) to join this campaign. Through networking, we struggle together towards peace and justice in grassroot level till academic level. Of course, it’s not perfect yet. But at least we have done actions that may help the victims toget their rights.50 I and my friends have a dilemma during our involvement in JPIT’s intensive advocacy forthe victims/survivors of human trafficking. Through many socializations,we provide many information about human trafficking and give peopleadvice to stay in villages and work. But, the reality of poverty, patriarchal culture, and lack of education has caused us to think further, that is to focus on helping the victims/survivors and their families with economic empowerment programs. We have done some first steps, such as: helping survivors to work for poultry farm;domestic industry; and agriculture. This economic empowerment program is a part of holistic advocacy that brings victims/survivorsto social re-integration.
48
World Council of Churches, Reflection on WCC 10thAssemly Theme, 2012, accessed on August19, 2018, https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/unity-mission-evangelism-andspirituality/just-and-inclusive-communities/reflections-on-wcc-10th-assembly-theme 49 Wesley Ariarajah, Your God, My God, Our God, Rethinking Christian Theology for Intereligious Plurality, Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2012. 50 Vox NTT, Makan di Kantor Gubernur NTT, accessed on August20, 2018, http://voxntt.com/2018/07/31/makamdi-kantor-gubernur-ntt/
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Bibliography Ariarajah, Wesley Your God, My God, Our God, Rethinking Christian Theology for Intereligious Plurality, Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2012. Bangun, Maraike, “Silent no More! A Love Letter to Churches and Christians in Malaysia, accessed on August04, August 2018, ”https://m.facebook.com/notes/maraikebangun/silent-no-more-a-love-letter-to-churches-and-christians-inmalaysia/10155484067479075/ Bara Pa, Paoina. “Human Trafficking dan Perempuan” in GerejaMelawan Human Trafficking, Bandung:MajelisSinodeGereja Kristen Pasundan, 2017. Benu Yuliana and Pulamau Lucy, Data Perdagangan Orang dariJaringanPerempuan Indonesia Timur Januari2014-April 2017, in MenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta:BPKGunungMulia, 2018. Bodhipaksa, Mahatma Gandhi :“You must be the change you wish to see the world”, accessed on January 05, 2006. https://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/quotegandhi Dethan, Dina “BudayaOko Mama dan Perdagangan Orang di NTT” in GerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Bandung:MajelisSinodeGereja Kristen Pasundan, 2017. Firmansyah, Fery. (Ed. Tempo.Com), Mariance Kabu, TKW asal Kupang Disiksa di Malaysia, accessed on August04, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/630696/meriance-kabutkw-asal-kupang-disiksa-di-malaysia Karsiwen, PerkembanganBuruhMigran dan Kondisinya di Negara Penempatan, Jakarta: BPK GunungMulia, 2018. Kolimon, Mery. “Teologi Ramah Tanah di Timor Barat” dalamTeologi Tanah, Makasar: Yayasan OASE INTIM, 2015. _____________________, “Kerentanan dan Luka, Perlawanan dan Penyembuhan: RefleksiTeologistentangPerdagangan Orang di Wilayah PelayananGerejaMasehiInjili di Timor (GMIT)”, dalamMenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta: BPK GunungMulia, 2018. Kompas.com, Kasus Perdagangan Manusia, 20 TKW Ditukar dengan Mobil,accessed on July 31, 2018,http://regional.kompas.com/read/2016/08/23/11460081/kasus.perdagangan.manusia.20.tk w.ditukar.dengan.mobi Ottu, Elina,Not for Sale, but Peace,accessed on August18, August 2018, https://www.slideshare.net/reyty1/young-ambassadors-for-peace-in-asia-yapa-2017 Tempo.com, NTT Termasuk Pemasok TKI Illegal Terbanyak di Indonesia,accessed on August10, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/795061/ntt-termasuk-pemasok-tki-ilegalterbanyak-di-indonesia. Tempo, NTT Nomer Satu KasusPerdagangan Orang di Indonesia, accessed on August14, 2018, https://nasional.tempo.co/read/642849/ntt-nomor-satu-kasus-perdagangan-orang-diindonesia/full&Paging=Otomatis;www.bnp2tki.go.id Tribunnews, “NTT Peringkat 3 ProvinsiTermiskin di Indonesia, accessed on August17, 2018, ”http://www.tribunnews.com//regional/2017/01/05/ntt-peringkat-3-termiskindi-Indonesia. Vox NTT, Makan di Kantor Gubernur NTT, accessed on August20, 2018, http://voxntt.com/2018/07/31/makam-di-kantor-gubernur-ntt/ Wetangterah, Liliyah, “Kerentanan Masyarakat Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) menjadi Korban Perdagangan Orang dengan Modus PekerjaMigran Indonesia,” in MenolakDiamGerejaMelawanPerdagangan Orang, Jakarta:BPKGunungMulia, 2018. Page 114 of 156
World Council of Churches, Reflection on WCC 10thAssemly Theme, 2012, accessed on August19, 2018, https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wccprogrammes/unity-mission-evangelism-and-spirituality/just-and-inclusivecommunities/reflections-on-wcc-10th-assembly-theme Yewangoe, Andreas. Titik Pandang tentangPerkembangan Masyarakat Indonesia, Yogyakarta: Dian Interfidei, 2012.
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Brotherhood for Peace Indonesia: Fiza, Muhammad Syakir Niamillah
Growth I am graduated from Faculty of Education majoring Indonesian Language and Literature at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta. Now, i am taking my master in History and Cultural of Islam, specially Islam in Nusantara at Nahdlatul Ulama University of Indonesia Jakarta. Since 2013, I active in some organizations, like Islamic Student Movement of Indonesia (PMI), National Board of Student Union of Nahdlatul Ulama (IPNU), and Friendship Forum of my boarding school (Forsila). Every year, we held seminar to give knowledge and information for our younger brother and sister at their boarding school, like deradicalization, AFTA, danger of narcotics, and others. The events were always attended by more than 300 participants. Besides that, in PMII, i have an experiences as chairman of comittee for forming cadres. The tens participant received some materies about moderate Islam, knowing Indonesian map, how to act to prevent radicalism or counter radicalism, how to be a leader and other skill needed for organizing mass. I also ever as supervision in forming caders at IPNU. It is happened in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. During four days, i watch out the event. The materies are not far from PMII. I made report of students activities and everything related to students, education, and youth phenomenon. Now, i am a journalist of Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU). I have experience about covering dipersion of Hizbut Tahrir of Indonesia (HTI) session. That organization wanted to changing democracy system to caliphate system, changing Indonesian constitution from UUD 1945 to Islamic law, and changing Pancasila as ideology of Indonesia to Islamic ideology. PBNU against the idea through various ways until the government dipersed it with president regulation. NU Eforts for peace in Indonesia Indonesia is a diverse country. President Joko Widodo explained that Indonesia has 263 millions inhabitant who live in more than 17 thousands islands. This country has at least 652 local languages and consist of 714 ethnics with various religions and belief. Despite all the differences, Indonesia is a peaceful country. Horizontal conflict which happened in the past was personal action and drived by provocator who believed that they are the most right. In the name religion, they abused and killed others. Our teacher, KH Ahmad Shiddiq, general chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (1984-1991), formulate three brotherhood concepts, those are brotherhood in Muslim, brotherhood in a nation, and brotherhood in human. All the differences we have, ethnicity, language, or religion and belief, should not separated us as a nation. It is because we are still brother in humanity. God said in the Al-Qur’an, that He eulogize human. The Creator honors His creation, we have to do the same. We want to bring the idea above and make more people understand about the important of respecting others. A part from that, we also want to increase the awarness of the actor of intolerance about respecting others. This is can done through series of sermon, lecture, seminar, and other youth programs and events. These young people and cadres will continue the message to their neighborhood and will bring and create peaceful in this country. It is also important to consider local culture. When Islam was introduced in this country, they also accomodate the local culture. As we know, Islam came to Indonesia and intoduced by merchant who come from other country. It was hard to avoid conflict. But this is never happened in Indonesia.
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Therefore, we (NU) introduced the concept of ‘Islam Nusantara’. It is a methodology which accomodate culture as media for developing religion in order to be widely accepted. One of Islamic law principle mentioned that law can be generate from culture and tradition.
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Beyond The Limits Indonesia: Fridolia, Yessica Patricia
Fence We all ever doing wrong decision in our life. One of wrong decision I ever did is when I choose wrong major in university even I finished it. It was Ecumenism and Spirituality Lived and Practiced by Young People from World Council of Churches (WCC) in Salatiga-Indonesia three years ago which brings me to know about Ecumenical Movement, my new passion which I loved till now. It was led me to jump myself to another ecumenical programs, from Youth Exposure by Evangelical Mission in Solidaritat (EMS) in South India and be a steward last year for General Council Meeting of WCRC session in Leipzig. One of the most memorable was when I had the opportunity to spend six months in a hospital in Agogo, Ghana to teach the children who had to stay long enough in the hospital because of their illness and desease. Living in a place with different backgrounds, different languages and different habits teaches me many things, that difference is not an obstacle, the obstacle is the inability to accept and adjust to these differences. When I flashback to my childhood time, I was remember about the fence infront my house. I need to passing it everytime I need to go outside the area of the house. It’s also reminds me about how it will opens everytime I want it to be opened. So easily, just pass then go, a kind of definition about home. I wish I could turn back time and passing the fence of life everytime I want to. It’s always there Now, I jump to new step in my life to serve as assistant from head youth department in communion of churches in Indonesia. Wall Life is full of walls. This reminds me of the current situation in my own country, nowadays radicalism and apathetic is trying to solve the walls of peace that have been well maintained. This inability to accept differences is one reason radicalism is growing so rapidly. The birth of radicalism and terrorism which has recently been crowded in Indonesia is due to incorrect religious understanding. Then this is still coupled with a lack of inter-religious dialogue. Radical groups use the internet and social media seriously because they reach citizens widely. Of the hundreds of thousands or millions who watch or read the information uploaded, in a certain percentage there are those who are indoctrinated. From there, just fostering, building networks and caring for them to strengthen the position and one day be used for the benefit of the group. The issue of radicalism is further complicated by political interests. Certain political parties tend to allow or silence radical groups to develop because these groups constitute the basis of voters during general elections or the interests of pressure on other groups who do not agree with them. Teenagers and youth who are now indoctrinated by radical teachings are like new seeds to grow, now they do not cause any harm to society, but seedlings that continue to be nurtured and treated with radicalism will become very dangerous in the next 20-30 years when they are adults, have certain powers, resources or access. Totally, someone need to brave enough to do something with this walls. Everyone have an ability to bring something Talking about terrorism and radicalism, which is certainly not the responsibility of the government alone but the community also plays a role, especially youth. Youth must become agents of change, namely to become pioneers in combating terrorism cases which have often occurred. In addition, children who are still in their personal formation stage need special guidance from parents so that they will not be dragged into radicalism. The youth have an Page 118 of 156
important role in overcoming this problem, youth are always the main target of radical groups because young people have been easily incited. But youth also have the potential to eradicate the problems of terrorism and radicalism in Indonesia. Radicalism among youth is caused by a lack of understanding of religion. Acts of terrorism lately carried out by means of suicide. Terrorism acts in the name of Islam often associate their actions with jihad, even though they actually do not know the true meaning of jihad. For this reason a young man must study religion with an expert who knows exactly what the meaning of jihad really is.The young generation is the next generation of people who have the ability, intelligence, courage and have a strong determination to protect the Indonesian nation they love. The young generation are citizens who are an important element in a country. Demonstrating the current attitudes of the State of the Young Generation can be done by displaying positive behaviors that are in accordance with the Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution by upholding the unity of the nation which aims to fight all kinds of hate and violence that want to undermine the integrity of the Republic of Indonesia. To facing this radicalism problem, it won’t be enough just to have a lot discussion or seminar related to radicalism. Dialogues and seminars held will make a lot of people make people understand more about radicalism, but it should don’t stop there, it will need action together, to do something together. A new understanding brings a new perception of life. For young people in particular, it is very important for us to have a correct understanding of radicalism because it is the youth who are the cogs of present life. Correct understanding will make it easy for us to make the right decisions in life and Ecumenical movement is one of the place we can get that kind of understanding. It’s not enough just to say you’re a religious person but never start the small actions. Ecumenical movement not just bring me to have new understanding about other people lives, other religion lives. But it’s also help me to always open my mind, think in different perception and do everything with love. It’s really important because I live in Indonesia, country with many differences, from religions, tribe and background. I believe that every place has their own story where we could learn. And to get it, we need to keep walk, keep learn and let the journey show us the lessons. Jump out, pass the fence, break the wall and let life surprising us with all the beauty on it.
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Peace Challanges and The Rise of Conservatism in Indonesia Indonesia : Tahalele, Christine Florenz, S.Si. Teol Introduction I grew up as a Protestant in Protestat Church in the Moluccas (Gereja Protestan Maluku/GPM). I studied Theology for five years and graduated from Indonesia Christian University in Maluku (Universitas Kristen Indonesia Maluku/UKIM) in 2012. During my study in university, I focused on New Testament Hermeneutics and issues of Gender equality and interfaith dialogue. As a student, I was also involved in Indonesia Christian Student Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia/GMKI), which is an affiliation of World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). I helped to run several programs that focused on helping young student to get their real experience with society in rural area, which in turn will help society and student to face challenges. After college, I immersed myself in church work. I am a Sunday school teacher, for children from 13 to 15 years old. This year our focus is to help young children live with tolerance and open for dialogue, not only interreligious dialogue, but also interdenominational. I am also a part of the board for Christian Youth organization in my congregation, where we arrange not only religious services, but also organize youth programs for capacity, character, and team building. During the time of conflict in 2011, in Maluku, Indonesia, young people gathered and helped. Several youth communities worked for peace in Maluku. I joined one of the communities whose program was to monitor news and posts in social media (Facebook and twitter) and verified any information that could lead to misunderstanding between two communities and more clashes. I also joined other group of young people in Maluku who helped Child refugees from both community to learn about tolerance in ways that are more fun. Children from two communities were gathered three times a week for English learning. We did not only teach English but also played games and sang songs with them. The aim of those activities was to make sure that the children were not contaminated and damaged by negative thoughts found abundantly in their neighborhood at that time. To encourage them to play and learn with other children from different communities without having any fear of conflict. Indonesia current situation Indonesia is a large, multicultural country. It consists of 34 provinces, with around 300 native ethnics and more than 742 different languages. The culture is a fusion of so many cultures, such as Malay, China, Arabic, Dutch, Portuguese, and others. Diversity is, as stated in the national motto, the identity of Indonesia. With this situation, friction could happen almost every time. Nowadays, the strongest friction that can be found in Indonesia is religious issue. Religion plays important role in Indonesia. In 2010, Indonesia’s population reaches 237 billion people, of which, over 87% is Muslim. This makes Indonesia the world’s largest Muslim-majority country in the world. Constitutionally, Indonesia is a secular state, that guarantees freedom worship of six religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hindu, Buddha, and Kong Hu Cu. The national ideology of Pancasila proclaims unity and equality between all recognized faiths. However, minority religion, especially Christian, often suffered from discrimination. There are plenty of churches that have been forcedly closed, even burned down in this country. The discrimination does not happen only for Christian. Other minority groups of Islam, like Ahmadiyah, also share the same experience. After the fall of president Soeharto in 1998, conflict arouse in several areas in Indonesia, including Maluku. Some believe that those conflicts were ignited by religion extremist ideology Page 120 of 156
that had been kept silence during dictatorship of Soeharto. Most of them are the one behind the shutting down of churches and many religious buildings of other faiths. The rise of Islamic extremist in Indonesia has also led to some deadly suicide bombing and terrors in Indonesia. In this year alone, there are, at least, four suicidal incidents in Indonesia. In May 13th, 2018, a Mother and her two daughters bombed three churches in Surabaya, killed and injured dozens of people. Extremist propaganda provokes people to do anything to defend or enforce their ideology at the cost of doing harm to others. This kind of ideology brings so much damage to interfaith dialogue and peace work in Indonesia. Religion friction entered new chapter as the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Known popularly as Ahok, was sentenced 2 years of jail time for desecration of religion, after citing Quran in one of his campaign speech. Prior to the verdict, Ahok was discriminated for his identity as a Christian and Chinese – a “double minority,” as many would exclaim. He often referred to as “Kafir” or Infidel by some conservative Muslims, because he is not from majority religion. Before the verdict, an Islamic conservative movement arranged a massive rally in December 2nd 2016, known as Aksi Bela Islam: 212 (Defend Islam Action). After the verdict, several mass rallies followed up the 212 movement demanding more severe punishment for Ahok. Although the negative sentiment to Ahok was so strong, there are people rooting for him since day one, because he is known as a very assertive and bold governor who is capable of handling Jakarta and its chaos. These people had their own way to support Ahok, by lighting candles in parks or open fields in several provinces in Indonesia. Muslim who supported Ahok were being deemed deserters by conservative. Indonesian conservative Muslim believes that it is very important to choose a Muslim leader despite their competency and track records. Some even believe that the government should prioritize Islam over other religion. In social media, the friction has gotten worse. Online religious extremism, the flood of provocative news, and hate speech on social media are three of Indonesia’s cyber nightmare. Social media is a communication platform that has been used by Religion extremist to spread their propaganda and shaping people mind. Fake or real account that spread negative disturbed content can be found easily on the internet – anyone can search for “Muslim Cyber Army” and read through their manouvers. Efforts in solving the problems The rise of extremist group in Indonesia creates more anxiety than ever. It brings horror not only to non-Muslim, but also Muslim themselves. Extremist groups have failed to portray a peaceful Islam and created more negative sentiment toward Islam and Indonesia. To prevent more extremist group threatening Indonesia’s peace and stability from flourishing, Indonesia government has already produced a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number Two, in 2017. This regulation was used to dismiss one of Islam extremist group in Indonesia, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia. In the future this regulation will also be used for other extremist group. Government has also arrested some people who created and helped spread fake news and hatred in social media, an internet search of this will, again, take one to an array of news about the Muslim Cyber Army. They also blocked several website that been used to provoke people to use violence or promote Ideology that is against Pancasila. There are also some groups, especially from young people who contribute and take action in fight against extremist ideology, hatred and fake news in social media. They educate young people to be more aware and responsible when they are surfing on the internet. To verify and filter every news and information before they share it in social media. Page 121 of 156
Interfaith studies, discussions and seminars is being held in many places in Indonesia, national and regionally. Religious scholars from every religion gathered and discuss their common ground and responsibility for humanity, and to take action against intolerance in Indonesia, helping to spread hope and positive spirit for their communities. In Grass root level, people are working side by side to keep Indonesia in peace, especially those who lived in areas where conflict with religion issue had happened. In Maluku for example, after suffering from bloody conflict for several years, people become more aware of their roots. They use local wisdom to protect their harmonious life. Living in the spirit of “Pela-Gandong”, where people in Maluku see them self as a family coming from one womb (“gandong” is the local word for womb). As a result, people are helping each other on daily basis, despite of their religion differences. In Maluku, if a Muslim village was building a mosque, people from that village will call people from Christian village to help them. Often, Christians from other village help to build the mosque, and vice versa. When a Christian Village build or renovate a church, they will call their Muslim brothers and sisters from Muslim villages to help them as part of traditional rites. People are also helping each other in national religious events, such as the national Quran reading competition, or national church choir competition. Muslim involved in Christian event, and vice versa. In doing this, people are motivated to live side by side in harmony. What can we do As a part of my congregation, I will start to execute my project within my community, focusing on youth, because I do believe that tolerance, respect and a non violence solution can be reach through education, especially at young age. Peace building and non-violence education through songs, games, story telling, sharing session and more. My project will also targetting on giving people from my community the more opportunity to interact with people from different religion to give them insight. It does not have to be something religious, it could be something that motivating young people to make this place a better place, to pursuit their dreams, and to give respect and to connect to anyone that can help them in life despite of their religion diffrences. I also want to help young people to manage their social media life for a good purpose. False news and hatred are widely and easily spread on internet, and it needs to stop. People need to be aware of the important of verifying every news on the internet before sharing it out to the world. Through YAPA, I also hope that I will gain more knowledge and help me find more creative ways to aproach people, especially young people to participate in helping this world to be the world of peace and justice.
References Lamb, Kate. (19 May, 2018) The bombers next door: how an Indonesian family turned into suicide attackers Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/19/indonesia-blasts-surabaya-familyfrom-good-neighbours-suicide-bombers Stroehlein, Andrew (12 March 2012) How 'peace provocateurs' are defusing religious tensions in Indonesia, retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-peaceprovocateurs-are-defusing-religious-tensions-in-indonesia-7562725.html Ramsted, Marshal dan Fajar Ibnu Thufail (Ed). 2011. Kegalauan Identitas: Agama, Etnisitas dan Kewarganegaraan Pada Masa Pasca-Orde Baru. Jakarta. PT. Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia Thompson, Neil,. (17 November 2017). Islam and Identity Politics in Indonesia. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/islam-and-identity-politics-in-indonesia/.
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Trofimov, Yaroslav. (28 Juni, 2018) Rise of Islamic Conservatism Throws Indonesian Democracy Off Balance. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/rise-of-islamicconservatism-throws-indonesian-democracy-off-balance-1530178201.
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Myanmar: Saw Aung Phyo Set Growth I was completed bachelor degree at west Yangon University and master of divinity in Myanmar institute of Christian theology- I am participated at Myanmar student Christian movement not only national level but also local level. When I served in student Christian movement such as chairperson of program committees (2010) and student secretary (2011) in Yangon unit. I got many ecumenical spirit management skill, leadership skill and communication skill. When I served at the time that it gave me new creative thinking. And also I deal with the ecumenical student and member of churches leaders" In addition, together with other religious groups with the work. Student Christian movement is interfaith student involved. And also, I was attending interfaith training, peace building training, dialogue program and training of trainer peace. Now" I am work in program assistant of Myanmar Student Christian Movement. Problems in one's country and community Our county and is surrounded by religious, ethnic conflict and civil war. And also other problems are, widespread of hate speech through social media prejudice among the community, misinterpretations of scripture are the challenging things for peaceful coexistence in Myanmar. These problems are important content. Are there reasons for the country's progress be delayed? I think, the problems in the most important is hate speech. In a grassroots area, many problems were started hate speech, arm religious conflict and ethnics conflict are included. (example, hate speech in Myanmar has been attracting increasing international attention since an image of U Wirathu appeared the front page of Time magazine in July 2013 with the headline), I think, hate speech to be reduced because the country will develop only when it is at peace. Government and religious leaders are often the best solution. However, problems still surface. Efforts needed and being made to address the problems A new approach is needed to build respect for pluralism and diversity in Myanmar, and open space for dialogue that genuinely has the potential to prevent violence and discrimination. So, build peace with in our country with mutual understanding, mutual respect and trust building among the diverse groups are the effective ways to solve the problems or challenges. References: Challenge of criminalizing hate speech / The Myanmar Times (https;//www.mmtimes.com) A cyberspace solution for monitoring hate speech/ Frontier Myanmar-( hftps:// frontier Myanmar net.)
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Just Peace Myanmar: Ting Ying Personal Background Both my undergraduate and master degrees are in Theology. As a seminarian, I had work experiences in social and academic settings in and outside of the campuses. During my undergraduate study, I worked as a teacher at two churches specifically for youth ministry. In 2012, I worked at a displaced persons’ camp in China-Myanmar border area to support displaced populations morally and spiritually for three months. During my master study in Northeast India, I had participated in peace meetings and seminars initiated by FNR (Forum for Naga Reconciliation) as a student of Theology. My academic background and social experiences have shaped me to become a youth leader, preacher, educator and social researcher. Ever since I had returned back to Myanmar in June of 2016, after completion of master degree in Divinity with Cum Laude, I have been actively working as a speaker, teacher and motivator for youth education and leadership empowerment programs throughout Kachin State and Northern Shan State. I am now working as the founder and coordinator of RSELP (Ramprat Shanan Education and Leadership Program) under Youth Department of KBC (Kachin Baptist Convention) which program’s philosophy is firmly grounded on “education for peace.” As a coordinator of KBC Youth Department, I have planned to do ecumenical meetings, interfaith dialogue and cultural exchange programs in coming years to promote peace and harmony among different denominations, different religions and different cultural identities living in the same region. Conflicts in a Fertile Land Myanmar is known for its longest civil war in the world. As a result of decades of political turmoil and civil war, ethnic areas in Myanmar are characterized by uneven development - economically, socially and educationally. The depth and scale of these impacts on the social lifeworlds of local populations, communities and societies have been catastrophic. On one hand, Myanmar is trying to become a democratic country. On the other hand, the armed conflicts among ethnic groups who fight for their autonomy and the military government are increasing day after days. On June 9, 2011 the 17 years of ceasefire between KIA and Myanmar Military Government collapsed and the atrocity-embedded civil war began in different parts of the Kachin State. Reportedly, up to 200,000 civilians have been resulted to flee mainly to the border areas (China-Myanmar) and urban areas to avoid the possible dangers of rape, portal, land mine, torture and genocide. Many of them are children of school age that desperately need the opportunity to continue their studies for the betterment of their own lives and for the Kachin region as a whole. The number of displaced people is increasing as the war goes on unceasingly. As symptoms of civil conflict, many of young generation dropped out of school before they could finish the basic education not only because their parents could not effort for the schooling fee but also they become the victims of drugs relationally. The percentage of unemployed, therefore, increases steadily. Consequentially, young people are led to the wrong ways to earn money in shortcuts and become prisoners of drugs or heroin easily. Finally, they died with disease such as HIV/AIDS in their early ages. It is reported that, in Myanmar, Kachin State has the highest rate of drug users and HIV/AIDS patients. As one of the results, participation of youth in any kinds of political and peacebuilding process is unseen in Myanmar especially in ethnic minority groups like Kachins. Light in the Jungle Page 125 of 156
I am convinced that peace is understood as more than simply the absence of violence, but addresses the immediate and future needs of those who have been oppressed in many ways of their lives. Therefore, peace is a liberating act which is intimately linked to a multi-focused approach to meet all of these basic needs for those who are oppressed as a form of justice. In a state where majority of populations is Christians, responsibility to be the light in a jungle of conflicts, violence and oppressions lays upon the Church. Youth Department of KBC, therefore, cooperates with youth communities from associations and churches of KBC in order to participate and strengthen the Holistic Development Mission of in advancement of spiritual, education, socio-economic and social justice aspects. Most recently, the KBC YD has been performing innovative educational programs directed at youth development to address the problems facing our communities. As a fulltime staff of KBC and a program coordinator of Youth Department, I am involving as the founder and coordinator of RSELP and Youth Information and Research Centre conducting research trainings to foster youth education and empowerment through increasing self-reliant participation in peace-building process, developing sustainable communities and creating drug free communities for it is undoubtedly believed that Education is the foundation to transform societies into a just and fair nation. Impacted Just Peace YAPA will continue to impact everyone and everywhere as I continue my profession as a youth educator, speaker and motivator in Kachin and Northern Shan States. As a concrete plan, I will organize a youth team which will be doing “listening project” mainly to conflict affected populations - specifically to drug users from rehabilitation centers and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) from IDPs’ camps. On behalf of drug users and IDPs, the youth team will in return voice out their problems, challenges and dreams in the settings of larger populations, perhaps in churches and education centers. Listening to and being a voice the untold and unheard stories of drug users and IDPs is expected to mobilize and motivate urban youth populations to get engaged in the flows of current political situations and in the struggle for just peace in the fertile land of Myanmar. References: Ei Thizar Kyaw. (2018 July 4). Drug abusers increase in Kachin State. Retrieved from http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/14267 David Shaw. (2018 July 4). Drugs and bullets in Myanmar. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/12/drugs-bullets-myanmar161220064632150.html David Brenner. (2018 August 3). The Breakdown of the Kachin Ceasefire and its Implications for Peace in Myanmar. Retrieved from https://isnblog.ethz.ch/conflict/the-breakdown-of-thekachin-ceasefire-and-its-implications-for-peace-in-myanmar Yaara Bou Melhem. (2018 August 3). Kachin IDPs face uncertain future. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/i-dont-land-kachin-idps-face-uncertain-future180402102238444.html
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Myanmar: Wynn Htut Aung Aggrandizement along growth After graduation with my doctor of medicine degree in 2008, I have had worked with some international non-governmental organizations and with some societies like Myanmar Red Cross Society for about 4 years, till I was being offered a scholarship from Open Society Foundation of America to attend to the Master of Public Health course at Thailand. Receiving my Master of Public Health, I have then joined the Alliance for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome in Myanmar for about one year and then I moved back to Bangkok for my PhD in Environment & Resource Studies, with scholarship from Norwegian People. I have certain experiences in various organizations and currently working as volunteering consultant at Ethnic Health System Strengthening project of Mae Tao Clinic at Mae Sot, whilst as a Quality Assurance Officer at the Thammasat University of Thailand. I actively participated in the activities of University Christian Fellowship (Student Christian Movement) since in my university years and the ecumenical movements of Myanmar Council of Churches. The spirit had been seeded from my mother church and the regional Churches Associations. I am now involved in the Health System Strengthening project’s strategies and its program implementations altogether with the 9 Ethnic Health organizations with our motto “Health as a Bridge for Peace” introduced by World Health Organization for the conflict and post-conflict areas which still is very reflective strategy for our country in the post-peace-process phase (literally still a conflict-prone and sensitive one). Not just Peace for Myanmar, but …? Myanmar is a state with the experience of power pluralism for about 30 years. Vivid definition of federalism is lacking while the people is not ready for the true democracy. Majority of the people is parochial with conservative bureaucratic authority and yet the strategic behavioral change communication used by the government officers nowadays is outdated from the currently practicing ones. Like mentioned above, peace is being fought to receive and not any authority of government or of the rebellions professionally define “peace” till this phase, after the post-peace-process strategies. The literacy and mindset of the communities living amongst the country had been being degraded along the time the military ruled. The knowledge management of young generation has been suppressed by the government policies and practices and that the majority of youths these days are reluctant to think out of box. The social determinants of peace for the specific country, Myanmar, haven’t been studied and published for the parts where there are less ethnic people are residing, comparing to that of those conducted along the refugee camps. The emergence of effort of current Government in the peace building processes but clearly seen that this still is hard to expect best results due to numerous soft and hard challenges. The drivers towards the unsafe, unsecure diverse political agreements, may become threats, in coming election period, might result in unpleasable peace. (Please see attachment) What others, as Health, can be bridges towards peace? A delicate but strong strategies should be utilized such as this training producing the young ambassadors for peace. Youths have particular idols in their mind, so that, training us would let us be being the idols around youths. Exploring the expected “Peace” from the youths and young adults of our country, and insisting to let the definitions of peace be concise and feasible for the next-gens. Awareness raising of key stakeholders (teachers in both basic and higher education sectors) can help addressing the information and knowledge gaps. The beauty of diversity is to be desensitized through complexity theories in the currently peace-builders. Putting feasible and dynamic theories and strategies, along with other factors gender, child rights, mainstreamed, the prioritized activities will be discussed there at your training. From the speech Daw Aung San Su Kyi just given at Singapore, we need to seek and solve the deep roots Page 127 of 156
of cause for the border peace problems. Not deciding upon the superficial presentations, we need time (as she described in clause for transition number 2) to reach to the sustainable and efficient “peaceful quality of life”. And the proper transparent and accountable negotiations should be conducted and following up on the National Cease-fire Agreement should be done (no more failed-cease-fire talks and actions). From the sentence mentioned above, we need to dig deep down to the root causes, but still ways to cope the drivers and pressures towards the problems and causes are needed to consider and be reconsidered to reach to our target in expected time. Most feasible youth-based peace approach: We are able. The youths are the future’s hope. They are fresh, energetic, enthusiastic, adventureseeking, flexible, trustworthy, easy and able to improvise, kind, intelligent, initiative and loyal, and have comradeship, idealism, preparedness to help, empathy, and many more. Characteristically, youths open up their arms welcoming the new things, and do always have the democracy in the groups, but hard to resist the peer pressure from his comrades. But the youths are very delicate and fragile to handle, thus the programs aimed for the youths need to be simple and innovative. The initiative and integrative programs can be beneficial if implemented within the youth centers or the gathering places. The concrete group pedagogy must be prepared prior to any approach. The introduction to Peace and the Ecumenism, the current worldly issues, the youths and their roles and responsibilities in various sector, the fruitful youths, etc., can be the topics we can choose to deliver to the youths gathered at university activities, like those of Student Christian Movement. Need assessment should be conducted prior to any project planning as the needs of youths of specific areas or places of each typical country might be different, and like in Myanmar, our, country, the beauty of her diversity is challenging in project designs. Followed by nurturing the youth advocates, by creating opportunities for youths to meet and have advocacy with the key stakeholders, would gain achievements of inclusiveness and harmonized youth-led peace processes. The propulsive emergence of innovative technology is an advantage for the peace talks amongst the youths. The social media, as a channel, to reach to each youth all over the targeted area and then could draw their attention and interest to the conflict and peace studies. The capacity building programs would help the youths to heal the conflict affected mindsets and to open up the educational and vocational, and employment opportunities. Soft skills usually brought up inside youths are more or less the same. Youth leadership and inclusive into governance, where the youths (aged between 20 to 29) covers the 16.6 percent (about 4.54 million female and 4.1 million male) of the total population of Myanmar in 2017, according to United Nations Population Fund, but not a single representing seat in the parliament is served for the youths. The empowerment of youths through youth engagement programs also are being required nowadays to the betterment of their decision making, field or community or religion immersions, self-dependency, etc., and would protect from and mitigate the consequences of conflict and confrontations. Entrepreneurship in the business sectors by youths could help the broken economy of the country. And the hardest challenge for youths nowadays is the substance use problems leaking in into the mainland of Myanmar from the border areas. Therefore, the harm reduction and education programs should be conducted, integrated to the existing youth empowerment programs. For me, I would like to integrate the programs mentioned above with the currently implementing and existing youth focused programs with the least financial requirement, through the process. There are many youth networks in Myanmar which we can have a link in designing, planning and implementing the activities, looking forward to the brighter future for themselves, created by their-selves.
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1. South, A. (2004). Political transition in Myanmar: a new model for democratization. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 233-255. 2. Leifer, M. (1999). The ASEAN peace process: a category mistake. The Pacific Review, 12(1), 25-38. 3. Huang, S., & Throsby, D. (2011). Economic, political, and social determinants of peace. The Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 6(2). 4. Oo, M. Z. (2014). Understanding Myanmar’s Peace Process: Ceasefire Agreements. Catalyzing Reflections. 5. Webel, C., & Galtung, J. (Eds.). (2007). Handbook of peace and conflict studies. Routledge. 6. Burguieres, M. K. (1990). Feminist approaches to peace: Another step for peace studies. Millennium, 19(1), 1-18. 7. Glowacki-Dudka, M., & Ward, A. (2018). Understanding Popular Education and Arts Based Learning Within Groups Through a Peace Workshop. 8. Blum, A., & Grangaard, R. (2018). Collaborative Design in Peacebuilding.
Attachment:
Diversity Discourse & Cultural misbeliefs
Pluralism +
Conflict
Population Growth
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Violence Youth
Quality of Life Peace
Education Influence from Neighbouring Countries
Opportunities Business Unemployment Economic Growth
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Government
Institutions
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Nepal, issues and need for transformation Nepal: Acharya, Kshitiz Chandra
Bio: I have done my Bachelor in Pharmacy, a paramedical degree from JNTU, India under the scholarship of Indian Embassy, Nepal. Right now, I’m actively involved in volunteering the programs and plans of NCC Nepal to promote ecumenism, peace and reconciliation in Nepal which involves the participation of youth. I’m planning to form the national level youth committee, by involving almost all the youth from different denominations and churches which will be the voice of voiceless youth of the churches even other communities. Degradation: Nepal is an underdeveloped country with a great political instability. After the dismissal of Monarchy in 2008 A.D. Nepal is going through major political changes. At some major points Nepal faced the change in the Prime Minister time and again. After the establishment of Interim Parliament, Nepal was declared as a Secular Country, but some political parties still wanted back Nepal as a Hindu country, which caused various disputes between the political parties. Similarly, there are major problems of poverty and illiteracy in Nepal. After the major earthquake of April 2015 in Nepal, there was huge destruction of various religious and cultural heritages, which was a great loss for the country and the community. This loss was both economic and social. That time Nepal and its people faced a lot of crisis. Need of reconstruction: The major political problems faced can be solved by the direct election that should take place very soon. As well as the Youth of Nepal should be united and work together to preserve the Secularism and promote ecumenism in Nepal. There is need to bring all the youths together to make them understand the value of energy possessed by the youths, which is needed to reconstruct and establish the religious and cultural heritages that were destroyed by the recent Earthquake of 2015. As Nepal’s major economy depends upon tourism, thus the reconstruction of those heritages will help to reduce poverty in certain levels. To reduce the illiteracy rate, the youths should carry out the awareness programs regarding the importance of education in the remote villages of Nepal. If I will, everyone will: I have been involved with NCC Nepal and have learnt a lot through this organization. I’m very hopeful that after YAPA 2018, my knowledge and learning will be widen, which of course will be beneficial to implement my plans and vision to create peace, reconciliation and justice in the present context of Nepal. In establishing the social transformation, I myself will be fully involved and dedicated with the God grace. I will be involved in such a way that, everyone seeing me will be motivated towards my vision to create a peaceful nation. I will focus on the participation of the youths to fulfill my vision. Immediately, after returning to Nepal, to unite the youths of various churches as well as other community, I will organize a workshop on the topic “We Youth for peace, justice and Reconciliation” in all seven states of Nepal with the help of NCC Nepal. I have already talked with NCC Nepal regarding the same and have got a positive response that they will support me to carry out the same. After the workshop, I will be forming a youth council to organize the youth of various churches all over Nepal under NCC Nepal. I will use their skill, knowledge and
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strength to form a peaceful nation. I will dedicate myself towards fulfilling the vision and I’m sure I will be capable to do so with the grace of God with my continuous prayers. References: The Kathmandu Post (2018 June 12), Federal issues keeping national interests at core: PM Himal Khabarpatrika (August 2018 edition), Heritages in the dilemma The Himalayan Times (2018 April 7), Secularism: Good or Bad The Rising Nepal (2018 September 2), Before and after Monarchy The Kantipur Daily (2018 September 6), Long term effect of Earthquake in Tourism
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A Short Country-Report Essay Pakistan: Bhatti, Yasir Volunteer Experience and Interfaith Involvement: As I mention in my form in 2014 when I was volunteer serving in North Sports ministry movement our organization took an initiative with the collaboration of “Generation for Peace” https://www.generationsforpeace.org/en/about-us-page/ where we started mega project with IDPs (Internally displaced persons) and Afghan Refugees kids, “Peace through sports”. In this 6 month program we met kids twice a week where every child could share a short story about their lives. This small action led to the best session of our programme: these little children had lots of things on their hearts and minds, about the home they left, the family and friends they lost, the challenges they face in their future. Toward the end, a few of them came to us and said they had never had anyone come to them and listen to their stories with attention. We had helped them to stay positive and make things and situations better, just by paying a little attention. Since then, we started to spend more time listening to them and to share our lives and challenges we also face, with them. wen also encourage them for education because I believe that Education is the only tool that can transform our country. This 6 month program transform many lives in positive mindsets. As God blessed me with various opportunities where being the peace ambassador I am involved in many interfaith and harmony organizations, where I always raised my voice for peacebuilding in religions because as we are religious minority in Pakistan, I believe interfaith and harmony is a one of the platform where we as religious minority can talk on issues that is happening with minorities in Pakistan. Being a Youth MPA and a Minister of Interfaith & Harmony I got an opportunity to raise challenges which as a religious minorities are facing in different peacebuilding programs such like “Minority Youth Conference” http://www.disasters360.com/minorities-youth-conference-2016-peshawar/ and Interfaith Youth Conference” where high government officials were invited. Lack of Education (Country & Community Problem): Literacy rate is very low in Pakistan as compared to other countries. Pakistan’s literacy rate has declined from 60 percent to 58 percent, as revealed by the economic survey of Pakistan. Multiple factors act as the reasons behind this, for instance, lack of government funds to educational institutions. In 2017-18, the budget that government has allocated for education is Rs.902.7 billion. This is rather low for a country like Pakistan. Other than this, the low income level of Pakistan is also another factor. Another contributing factor is the landlord culture and feudal system that is a major part in our society. In addition, the other major reason is the curriculum, being taught in Pakistan’s educational institutes. It is not innovative according to our necessities and when students go abroad for higher education, they have to repeat the same course according to that country’s system of education. This is due to Pakistan’s low standard of education, which may prove harmful for their future. According to the education policies, there have been concerns regarding the need to reform education. But alas! There has not been any implementation regarding them. Especially in northern Pakistan, we have very few schools and colleges – and the existing ones are in poor condition. As a consequence, students have to move out to big cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. If they become deprived of getting admitted to a government institutes, due to a speedy increment in merits, they have to pay huge amounts in order to get admission in private ones. Page 132 of 156
Talking about the Christian community, education ratio is very low among them and only a low percentage of people get a chance to go to university and college level. And low education ratio is the reason that they are still suppressed by the majority community in almost every area of life. Mostly Christians are doing the low level jobs so most of the Christians are financially unstable and the average monthly income for a Christian family is about 100$ USD, they usually don’t care much about their children’s education and spent their money on basic needs like electricity, house rent etc. Although the awareness about education is getting better and now many Christian students are able to reach up to university level, still there is a lot of room for improvement and still most of the community is under the darkness of illiteracy. Efforts Needed to Address the Problems: I believe that peaceful community/country is need lot of potential of leaders who have passion of transformation. I believe education is main tool to make peaceful mindset/environment to transform Pakistan. We just need to aware our and next generation that why education is important for Pakistan. Although I with my team leader started an educational welfare organization name called “Farah Memorial Foundation” where we are helping some students finically and arranging various program to empower our Christian community for education and making our next generation transformed.
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Poverty and Minorities in Pakistan
Pakistan: Das, Avinash
Introduction: Poverty is a social problem of Pakistan with fact that the most of the people have limited economic resources and their standard of living is very low. The community which I belong is very poor and illiterate as well so they are facing so many problems like, lack of education, lack of income. Mostly people of my community are working as (class 4) called sweeper, driver and sanitary workers. Poverty is not the basic element but lack of awareness is the most important thing which I observe in my community. I took forward to some work for my community. Background: In introduction paragraph I highlight all the issues now coming to background of this problem. The people have deprived of modern facilities in education, health, communication and good food. Such people are worried due to lack of income resources and they unable to fulfill their needs. Poverty is called to be a social problem because these people lag behind the advancing people and do not understand the ways of progress: They are mostly frustrated when their need of life is not fulfilled. Causes: Being minorities in Pakistan we are very less in numbers and facing so many problems. Poverty is basic component in our community. They produce harmful effects in people like beggaging, lack of food once a day and most critical was attempt of suicide. In interior sindh province in Pakistan there is a place called Tharparkar totally poverty and drought and community live totally Hindu. Every single day there may be one death due to poverty or food. So for these horrible conditions going throughout in country I came across to do some work for better future of my community. Solutions: After observing all these causes in my community throughout in country I have solutions in my Personal Capacity. First of all provide a quality education to all community members specially their children’s through home tuitions and providing school accessories to children. A hygienic food for all community for this I arranged some shops for some earning and providing some loan as well. This is my aim to make my community Proud References: Google , Wikipedia
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If We Will, We Can Philippines: Celeste-Caver, Faye Grace A Passionate Young Woman A Pastor’s kid, born and raised in a rural place in Iloilo, Philippines. I finished my Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Management Accounting at Central Philippine University year 2009. For two years I worked as an Accounting Clerk in a private cooperative bank. Feeling the call to the ministry I enrolled in the College of Theology of Central Philippine University where I received my Master of Divinity degree in 2015. I am now currently a Christian Education Minister in our church for almost four years. I worked in different churches for more than 7 years with different tasks and responsibilities. When I was in the seminary I had various experiences in terms of peace building and ecumenical gatherings which helped me to be more open in the reality we are facing and struggling right now. It was during my seminary life, that I was able to see the deeper meaning of study, relationships and the whole of life. I was also able to interact with other denominations and learned the ways of doing, showing their faith and how they stand firm to their advocacies. Some of my professors encouraged me to deepen my spirituality and awakened my consciousness to the different social issues and struggles. I have also finished a ten-day course which was an intensive conflict transformation and peace building with the other participant coming from different countries in Asia. I have been attending National Ecumenical Youth Gatherings and I have a great interest in fostering better ecumenical relationships among different religious groups and denominations in the Philippines. The trainings and seminars I have attended gave me more opportunity to deepen my spirituality and understanding of the gospel. My attendance to the ecumenical gathering and peace building activities enhanced my knowledge and skills in doing collaborative work with other religious groups and in promoting peace and harmony among people. My exposure and community immersion opened my eyes to the wider world of theology. I have opened myself to be aware and be involved as well to social and environmental issues. Though I admit that I am still on the process and still need to learn and experience more.
Undeniable Truth I believe that our country is now more famous compare before because of our strong President and his political will. One of his contentious program the “War on Drugs” that has led to the deaths of thousands of Filipinos, mostly urban poor. Human Rights Watch research has found that police are falsifying evidence to justify the unlawful killings. Despite growing calls for an investigation, Duterte has vowed to continue the campaign. Another problem is that the Indigenous People’s Ancestral Domains were destroyed and taken away from them because of the big project of the government. IP’s have a small voice to the government and sometimes they were abused and feared by the military. We have the economic problem as well. Many Filipino people are suffering because of the low salary, no overtime pay and very expensive primary goods and materials, and currently the additional Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law or TRAIN Law. The law still burdens the poor majority of Filipinos with the higher costs of electricity, transportation and basic goods and services. It moves the government a step closer to even greater distortion of the country’s tax system to benefit the rich and burden the poor. The poor became poorer and the rich became richer. Another problem is the Environmental crisis. Huge area in mountainous areas are now in the mining industry and we the Filipino people are not the beneficiaries and we are the one suffering in the negative effect caused by mining activities, like pollutions, flooding, landslides and many more. Thousands of Filipino people lost their lives and suffered because of this illegal mining. The Human Trafficking and Sexual Abuse are some of the perennial problems in our country that our church in not so concern about. Even Page 135 of 156
our churches workers are now involved in some sexual abuse cases and we quiet discreet about it. In some area in the Philippines there are some war between government and terrorists that causes the instable education of children and stop the growth of the economy. Some Businessmen, foreigners and Politicians are enjoying our own resources yet millions of Filipino people are suffering. Let Us Face and Overcome Together I know that through the cooperation and unity of all the people we can address the problem in our society. We need more forums and trainings that help educate and open the mind of the individual that will lead to the more aggressive actions for them to have justice and peace. The more they understand the more they will stand for the truth. I believe that the most fundamental thing that we need to consider in doing peace building is the correct and proper education. Education can be done in different ways like, writing, use of the social media, trainings and seminars, exposures, church classes and can be included in the homily. We need to have youth empowerment because I know that they have a great role in the society in terms of peace building. We must work hand in hand as peace advocates and strengthen the cause for the benefits of the majority. Together, Let Us Take One Step As an active youth leader and former President of our youth organization I believe that it is now the time for me to share what I have learned and experienced. Through those trainings and exposures I was able to open my eyes to the real situation the Filipino people are in. As a young professional and Christian Educator I still have passion in doing peace building and willing to be involved in working for peace. I would include in our church curriculum the social concerns and issues that we had in our country for the church people to deepen their awareness and understanding of our current situation. It is one way of educating the church people and they will learn from it would realize what kind of role they are playing and what are their contributions in the society I believe also that youth are continuously striving for peace, justice and making efforts to be the catalyst of change in the midst of challenges and adversities. It was my experience that inspired me to do a simple step which is to organize youth forum, trainings and exposures which will give them learnings and awareness from our current situation. With the help of our national and local youth organizations we will create core group that will facilitate the forum and training for the youth leaders. This gathering will include the National Situationer, a talk about the situation of the country, the history, the hows and whys we are experiencing this kind of situation in our country. With exposure and immersion, it will provide a common experience and grounding to all participants. This will be the avenue for the common reflection and understanding on social concerns and issues that greatly affects the lives of the young people. This will be the time for them to experience, reflect and respond on the issues of peace and security. It will also provides opportunities for young people to share and explore their capabilities, strengthen their solidarity, expand their mission fields and engage them in different social realities as they seek to realize their prophetic role for the transformation of the church and society. Youth are active role players in creating conditions to establish justice and peace in our community.
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References: The Manila Times. (15 September 2017). ‘War on drugs’ becomes a war on human rights. Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/war-drugs-becomes-war-human-rights/350755/ Journal of Theology, College of Theology CPU. (January 2018). Engendering Gender Justice: Ending Sexual Abuse of Women in the Church. Volume 7 IBON Foundation. (01 December 2017).Four indicators that Duterte’s tax program is anti-poor. Retreived from http://ibon.org/2017/12/four-indicators-that-dutertes-tax-program-is-anti-poor/ IBON Foundation.(08 September 2018). 6.4% inflation hits poorest Filipinos the most. Retrieved from http://ibon.org/2018/09/6-4-inflation-hits-poorest-filipinos-the-most/ National Council of Churches in the Philippines. (29 August 2017). Work as one, work for peace. Retrieved from https://nccphilippines.org/2017/08/29/work-as-one-work-for-peace/
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Philippines: Sanchez, Faith Justice GTKMM (Getting To Know Me) Year 2013, I finished my college degree course, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Silliman University, Dumaguete City. On the same year, I took up Juris Doctor in the field of Law to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer – and thinking that someday, I would be able to help the people in need especially those who have been deprived of justice in a larger scope of legality. Yet, due to financial constraints, after the first semester, I was not able to pursue on the next semester and opted to work as High School teacher in my Alma Matter instead. Life’s twists and turns, I experienced working in an educational, banking and church institutions. I left banking and any kind of work that is always thinking of capital and profit, as it has always been my dream to have a job which is in line with what I truly believe in – a vocation that cares, helps and serves the people. An Educational volunteer. As a pastor’s kid, I’ve built my passion in teaching from different kinds of institutions and organizations with variety of roles in a not-so-long span of time. During my foundational years as a youth, it was truly a joy to teach the innocent children in Sunday School every Sunday in our local church. Right then, I also experienced a teacher in Compassion International children. Further, as a leader in youth organizations, it has and it will always be a continuing learning and nurturing program being in it – as I continue to help the members live the Vision, Mission and Goals of the same, educating them is never a part and one should always be ready on it especially in the aspect of orientation. Moreover, members or students wouldn’t be able to understand meaningfully and deeply the lesson I’ve been conveying to them if won’t let them practice the theory I’ve been teaching them, thus, exposures and integration to the real world are one of the definite tools of letting them experience the same. The long-time problem of my beloved country – Philippines. (1) Serious socioeconomic problems have long been problem of the Philippines, to wit: Joblessness and contractualization, poverty and inequities that in the current administration has even tended to oversimplify the same to justify authoritarianism. In fact, landlords and rural elites take the most of landless peasants and farm workers’ produce; capitalists exploit workers through low wages and scant benefits, and charge consumers monopolistic prices; and domestic agriculture and industry are stifled to preserve foreign big business’ markets and sources of raw materials. (2) Train Law. The rich and other higher income groups will have a take home pay than previously estimated under the new tax law, while the poor and even the common people will still bear the brunt of paying higher taxes. (3) Contempt for human rights is fast in the present regime. Over 10,000 people, mostly, poor, have reportedly been executed in its war against drugs. Extrajudicial killings, harassment and intimidation, illegal arrests and forced evacuation of communities have continued and recently started escalating. Big business- and foreign investor-biased neoliberal policies cause economy-wide violations of people’s economic, social and cultural rights while creating prosperity for a few. (4) Harassment and threats to church leaders. Alarming reports of harassment and intimidation hurled against the church particularly in Mindanao. Shameless affront to the church for its strong stance to defend the poor and powerless, a barefaced desecration of basic human rights. Firm Faith in God and Collective Action. Amos 5:24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness and ever-flowing stream, this verse is somehow the origin of my name according
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to my late father. The mere fact that we are still experiencing today the problems that our forefathers had been experiencing before is mere manifestation as well that we must continue what they have started. I believe that the efforts needed and are being made to address the problems that our society is facing now, were already done by those who have gone ahead of us – and even Jesus already died for us, and shed the light for us – for us to be enlightened and for us to continue His mission here on earth – that is for this world “to have an abundant and meaningful life for all.” Little by little, I know we can do more, and with God –
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nothing is impossible. By doing so, one cannot do it for oneself – this is a collective effort. As what Jesus did during His time here on earth – that is what we ought to do as well, where we feed the hungry, give light to the blind, water for the thirsty and liberty for the captives and oppressed. We must speak for the powerless and minorities and continue to help enlighten our young people the true happenings of our society. To continue until we can achieve the peace that is based on justice is what we are pursuing and praying for. Walk By Faith. As mentioned above, I will continue what I have been doing for the benefit of the many – even upon my return. Aside from a Peace Camp that I will surely implement when I get back to my country after the YAPA, I will also ensure to have a volunteer community project for youth and even young adults that will focus on social media and theatre. We will have an immersion to communities of fisherfolks, farmers, indigenous peoples and urban poor – for us to share and enlighten each one and from what we have learned from the peoples or masses – that is how we are able to come up with a concept for theatre or clip in social media and be able to share to our church, organization and even society the real situation of our brothers and sisters. And hopefully, by then, we will keep on spreading the light to others, to keep us burning in serving the least of our brethren – for I truly believe that peace cannot be attain without justice is served at hand. This will be tough, I know, but according to one maxim “One must endure burning, in order to give light to others.” Sources: http://ibon.org/2017/07/2017-sona-dismissive-of-ph-socioecon-problems-ibon/ http://ibon.org/2017/12/economic-rights-violations-also-worsen-under-duterte-admin/ https://uccpchurch.com/be-cautious-of-false-witness-against-the-church/
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South Korea: Choi, Euihyun Educational, volunteer, professional experience - Journey to find how the Religion can be compatible with the Society I was born and raised for the most of my life in Korea. Since both my parent was Christian, I could easily accept the life as a Christian and was nurtured with the value and doctrine of Christianity. I was a happy child under the warming circumstances at the church where I had been growing up. And I wanted and decided to be a someone to give the comfort to the people around me. That vague impression led me to the door of Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary to study Theology. During my study in Korea, I was interested in searching what makes people happy in their lives under the Christian circumstances. However, I found that theological vocabularies and messages from the church were distant from people’s lives and instead focusing on the what does the bible say. From that moment, I felt curiocity and necessity to figure out the gap between the society and the religion; what makes those separate and what the status and role of the religion are in the world. Thankfully I had an opportunity to experience the public sector from and in other countries by working as Chaplain’s assistant in the United States Army and as Children’s Director in Sydney. It seemed they had started and brought out the worship service from their lives, whereas in Korea we started and ended the worship service with the Bible. In the last year in my university, I was engaged in the international internship heading to New Zealand: It was programmed to visit Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland and to experience the peace in the circumstance of mixed diversity. There were different races were living together; however, they’ve found out the conflict-free way to communicate and live together. Also, I had an international experience that I could have been as a global citizen from South Korea. It was the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games held in PyeongChang. As I was assigned to work for Department of Press Operations, I could encounter and talk with the thousands of journalists from most of whole around the world. Moreover, one of the issues they were interested in was every each move and speech of North Korea. It was a great chance to see how the Olympic made the Korean peninsula as a place for peace that gathers South and North Korea and the USA. They wouldn’t and how it affects the political situation in the Korean peninsula after the Olympic and Paralympic games. So, this was not only a huge challenge and also opportunity to figure out how the whole world could get united under the circumstance out of religious exclusiveness and politics and re-achieve the moment as Human Being. While stepping along where my life has been led, the experiences in the social fields stated above have broadened my view of the social aspect; how the society cooperates the other systems, what effects to the people, and what the role of religion is in the context of the postmodern era. Moreover, I believe that this YAPA 2018 program in Thailand, the middle of Asia, would be another great opportunity to contemplate and elaborate the possibility of the Religion compatible with the society. Problems in South Korea and community - Conflicts in the Social, Ethnic, International perspectives – A first problem is the aggregation of social conflict and chaos for social integration. The Korean society has been getting more tensed and anxious under the social status. Eventually, it led to the crime. Compared to 2000s, people easily express their suppressed stress and anger to
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one another, and according to the 2014 crime statistics by the National Police Agency, two-fifths of a crime of violence was accidental, and it was getting increased. Each generation has different types of education for each era, such as the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. It has brought different life patterns and mindset for each generation; however, these three different generations currently exist in the same era. We have been with the premodern Confucian tradition as social background, have learnt modern education system and its contents, and have been living with the post-modern era that it makes national borders incapacitate and us be able to connect and communicate with all over the world. Thus, even though each generation lives in the same space, because of the rapid development for each decade, it brought the difference in each generation’s value and directing goals towards the same issue and eventually the rupture of communication between ages. Second is that we are yet under threat from the breakout of the Korean war in 1950. The status of war is not concluded, though Moon-Government currently goes on the peace process towards the North Korea issues. Based on previous North Korea’s speeches and behaviours, its difficult to predict to prepare. Moreover, this is not just an ethnic division; there are ideological conflicts, and several political hegemonies are involved. The integration of social opinion on unification like the case of Germany has not been arranged in South Korea. Third, there’s increasing anxiety toward refugees and its aftermath of the acceptance. One of the definite proof was considerably hostile reaction regarding the acceptance of refugees from Yemen on Jeju island. While Europe was on the process and was dealing with the adversities of the issue for refugee, people knew what was happening via media, but hardly considered it would happen inside of Korea as our task to resolve. Most people have a vague fear of the refugee and the aftermath of the acceptance which was relayed by the media. Efforts needed and being made to address the problems As all the social issues and conflicts need to be approached with diverse perspectives, we need a particular place to communicate with each different stakeholder and clarify the agenda. Also, Korea has been considered as a racially homogeneous nation, though other diverse cultures and races have been in Korea. We need to be more open-minded to understand the difference and to embrace its diversity and uniqueness. Also, recently the most of the conflicts were led by the religions that are granting sole justification for its belief. Now it is necessary to discuss whether the peace of humanity can be given priority over the gospel of each religion.
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Towards One Korea South Korea: Choi, Sungwoo The frog in the well does not look right in the well I grew up as a typical ordinary Christian youth with conservative environment who was born in the faith of Mother and grew up on the fence of the church and entered the university. It was a significant turning point of my life. When I was studying of bachelor majoring in Sociology at Hanshin University which is one of the Christian universities has most ecumenical and liberal academic traditions in Korea, I discovered that there are a lot of problems that cannot be resolved by system or structure of the society. I become engaged with voluntary activities as a board member of social volunteer corps of Hanshin University and got chances to do a voluntary service both domestically and internationally. The chances inspire and guide me to address about the peace, conflict, justice, unequal structure of world society in an ecumenical point of view as one of the Christian youths. I went to Kenya as one of the members of school voluntary team for 2 weeks. I regret that I had lived as locked in how much small world until now. I hoped to experience a new world and explore the chance myself. I took a leave from the university and headed to Kenya with no plan for one year with a bag for my life study before graduate. I used to meet a guy who comes from South Sudan who has been stayed in refugee camp for 3 years and heard the story about not only his tough life as a refugee but also his homeland South Sudan which looks seems to be the vulnerable and fragile country forever because the nation was collapsed from the armed-conflict and still be in a trouble of civil war. Surprisingly, Young Refugees who I have met in Kenya from South Sudan have an objective sight that watches a phenomenon, a unique optimistic personality and even fluent foreign language abilities no less than the elite of developed countries. I saw a hope of South Sudan through them. After I graduate, I become to have a strong motivation to work in the humanitarian field in South Sudan which is ranked No.1 country of Fragile States Index 2014. I got a chance to work to join community development and rehabilitation projects which are mainly through Education in Tonj, one of the remote areas in South Sudan as a project manager. Nine months later, I totally failed the projects which I had tried to implement because the majority of people believe that fighting is the best solution to make all the problems clear. They could not think about their constructive and foreseeable future themselves, and it is not possible to plan for the future because they are faced with today. At the same time, I got serious malaria and panic disorder so that could not be with them anymore. I left South Sudan with debt in my heart which I promise them false hopes. Currently, I do an internship at Red Cross Timor-Leste in First-aid department after one and half year field experiences in Myanmar both Internship program at MCC (Myanmar Council of Churches) with Youth department in particular and GCS (Global Civic Sharing) which is Korean NGO working for an income generation for the neglected class of people both urban and rural Areas in Myanmar as a coordinator. There is one thing that I have clearly realized through my experiences. We can live happily in even if we are poor, and ironically we can live a tragic life in conflict with wealth but, nothing can be achieved without peace. Finally, the tragedy and pain of my homeland Korea began to slowly appear.
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Wounds of division that cannot be filled with money in Actual Island Anybody who wants to leave from South Korea must go through sky roads or sea routes like an island. There are problems in my motherland Korea regarding the issue of the Peace, Justice and Human Security mostly directly or indirectly connected to the division into two countries. There are two Koreas in the world. One is the Republic of Korea and the other is the People's Democratic Republic of Korea. The Korean peninsula is still considering as one of the potential “powder keg” of the world. There is a tragic situation in which people have the same nationality, language, and appearance but they are completely separated and even the life and death of family relatives is not confirmed. In light of my past, I studied drills as a compulsory subject when I was in high school. It mainly focused on ideology education against North Korea and injected hostility and division into students rather than teaching peace and harmony in public education. This situation was similar in the army that all men had to fulfill. Since the Korean War, the economy has developed rapidly, but it has had a side effect. Quantitative economic development has been achieved, but the polarization of the economy has been intensified due to the adverse effects of the rapidly developing economy in a short period of time. Now, the rapid collapse of the middle class is becoming a cause of human security threat. During the Korean War, many Korean citizens escaped to foreign countries to save their lives. Now South Korea had rapidly developed with the help and support from the international community. Even today, conflicts continue throughout the world, mostly in poor countries. This year, about 560 Yemeni refugees came to Korea due to the armed conflict and collapse of their nation. Ironically, some of the conservative Christians in Korea, they tend to be more exclusive to them entering Korea and even feel disgust towards them. Small but from where I belong Even after a long period of time since the truce agreement in 1953, the wounds of the Korean War are potentially inherent in the hearts of Koreans, and the South and the North have been divided so far and the wound of the conflict has grown deeper over time. I believe that peaceful unification is still the only way to cure the pain that persistently afflicts the Korean people. The role of leaders is crucial for that. The new South Korean President was elected last year. The relationship between the two Koreas, which have been frozen for previous 10 years, has been rapidly recovering and creating an atmosphere of peace by the two bilateral talks and the historic summit between the USA and North Korea. Currently, there is a significant period between the two Koreas and the peace process is underway. I do not expect that we cannot do it all at once, but I believe that if the unification effort through dialogue and compromise lasts, most of the four Korean social problems I mentioned above will be resolved and improved. Christianity has made a great contribution to the role of Christianity through our history in Korea, especially the peace-building between two Page 144 of 156
Koreas. Furthermore, I hope that Christian youths will play a significant and crucial role in the future as what Christianity did in the history of Korea. The biggest motivation to be a participant of YAPA-2018 is that there are various beneficial and constructive programs which will be sharing ideas on the topic „Towards Peace with Justice and Human Security‟ which will be helpful for both me and other distinguished youth leaders from all over Asia to learn by interacting from both listening from others and sharing my ideas so that we together could learn a global harmonized mind in true Christianity. The number of Korean people who live here in Timor-Leste is about more than one hundred, of which more than half are young. Many of the young people are Christian missionaries or volunteers who are willing to come to help Timor-Leste. Among us, there are many who are in negative stance of the current peace-process of South Korean government and insist to force unification. Conversely, people with thoughts on the other side interact with each other in their group only. It is a small youth community, but does not try to understand each other. As a Christian youth, I am confident that I will be able to start peace-building activities for a peaceful youth community in Timor-Leste that will try to communicate and understand each other through experiences I have experienced both in Korea and abroad. Now, I have a new dream that someday in the future I hope I will be able to work for our people in the other side of Korea, in order to do this, I do not doubt that the change in perceptions towards peace of dozens of Korean youths in Timor-Leste where I live will be a cornerstone. References: Elise Hu. (2018), “Anti-Refugee Backlash In South Korea Targets Yemenis Fleeing War And Seeking Asylum”, NPR, July 4. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2018/07/04/625915526/anti-refugee-backlash-insouth-korea-targets-yemenis-fleeing-war-and-seeking-asy EMS. (2016,) “NCCK International Peace Forum” May 24. Retrieved from: https://ems-online.org/en/active-worldwide/ecumenical-coworkers/blog-korea/karinaschumacher/24-05-2016-ncck-international-peace-forum/ Galtung, J. (1969), Violence, Peace, and Peace Research, Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 167-191
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Let Peace be Our Blood Sri Lanka: Joseph Premkumar, Anna Claudia
“I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.” Leviticus 26:6 I thank God for this great opportunity which is opened for youngsters who would like to be a part of peace reconciliation of their country. (a) Introduction About Me, My name is J.P.A.Claudia. from Sri Lanka ,Colombo. I am a Christian and following Methodism. My race is Tamil. I have completed my primary and secondary education at Methodist College Colombo. I did my advanced level examinations in the commerce stream. I am currently following a course at The Open University of Sri Lanka on Pre early Childhood and Primary Education, Diploma in Western Music at Institute of Western Music and Speech and Diploma in Christianity at the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. My profession is teaching and I am currently teaching at a famous and well reputed catholic school in Colombo. I have a great involvement in building up youths for ministry work and to bring up a good social impact in the community I live in. As I am the Youth Secretary of my church (Pettah Methodist church). I was a member of the Student Christian Movement of my school and now a member of the EXCO committee of SCM of Sri Lanka being the Colombo coordinator. Further I have served in the following association at school level they are, President of commerce and arts association ,Sri Lanka Girl Guides association ,Tamil union, Student Christian Movement ,Sri Lanka Unites (a branch of UN) ,member of the Choir and Western Band Leader 2016. Speaking on my working experiences , I have served at an international school in Colombo and now teaching at a semi government school in Colombo. Voluntarily now I am serving at the Student Christian Movement of Sri Lanka which is a branch running under the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. I have been nominated as the commission of Youth ,Children and Women affairs for the 2018 AGM of SCMSL Next moving on to church involvement as I have stated above that I am the youth secretary of my church and currently have begun ministering among the youths and solving the issues faced by them we recently organized a program on ‘Stand Firm’’ Ephesians 6:13.and have participated in many school based scm camps and all island youth camps too. I am also the worship team coordinator of my church. I have participated in many youth ,children and women related inter church programs (eg. vacation bible schools, women cooking sessions, training the women choir and youth bible studies, matches and quizzes) .I have voluntarily involved and conducted English classes for poor children at outreach Sunday school in Wattala ,Sri Lanka. I have done a area clean up session at a boys home called Mow Sevana in Colombo-15. I Participated for the Isa Viswa Prajana Trust and The Interfaith Coalition for the Peace of Sri Lanka at the Global Energy Parliament 2016 “Habitat Harmony”. I was a member of the United Nations association at school and conducted programs with the children affected by LTTE war in the northern province of Sri Lanka .( Killinochi and Mulaitheevu). Page 146 of 156
(b) Problem is One’s Country and Community. 1. Reconciliation and Accountability An absence of war or armed conflict in and of itself does not automatically lead to peace and reconciliation. Sri Lanka remains a post-war as opposed to a post-conflict country. Consequent to the change of government in January 2015, a foundation has been laid for peace and reconciliation in our country, but even after two years much yet remains to be done on these fronts. Most citizens seem to feel that an externally-driven accountability process with the participation of foreign experts and supervision by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights may militate against national reconciliation. There seems to be a general feeling, if not a consensus, that the citizens of Sri Lanka are more likely to accept an independent domestic mechanism, perhaps with foreign technical assistance. This whole issue of participation of foreign personnel has been politicised beyond recognition to the point of absolute distortion by bankrupt and hypocritical politicians on both sides of the divide. 2. The Sri Lankan Diaspora The overseas-based Tamils and Sinhalese seem even more divided than those at home. The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and the British Tamils Forum (BTF) work together while the TGTE is pulling in different directions. Likewise there are hardline Sinhala nationalists in North America, Europe and Australia who are at loggerheads with their more moderate counterparts both at home and abroad. The notion of an over-arching Sri Lankan identity does not seem to sit well with either the extreme Sinhala or Tamil nationalist constituencies. This state of affairs is compounded by extremists both within the government, the opposition as well as in the society at large. 3. The Civil War Supported by the ongoing politics of conflict in Sri Lanka, politicised Tamil youth in the north and east started to form militant groups. These groups developed independently of the Colombo Tamil leadership, and in the end rejected and annihilated them. The most prominent of these groups was the TNT, which changed its name to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or the LTTE, in 1976. The LTTE initially carried out a campaign of violence against the state, particularly targeting policemen and also moderate Tamil politicians who attempted a dialogue with the government. Their first major operation was the assassination of the mayor of Jaffna 1975 by A.D. Prabhakaran. Still the lands used by the local army has not been returned back to the native people. Information regarding the lost people have not yet been released and continuous protests are been taken place . 4. Teldeniya Sinhala -Muslim Attack Teldeniya is in shock after a man succumbed to injuries sustained after being attacked by a group of men. The identities of the victim and his assailants have raised questions whether it was a racially motivated attack, but this has not been established.Kumarasiri, a Sinhala resident of Ambala, Teldeniya, is alleged to have been accosted by a group of Muslim men who had Page 147 of 156
followed his vehicle to Teldiniya from Kumbukkandura and then assaulted a few days ago. Allegedly, Kumarasiri had angered the group by not allowing them to overtake his vehicle. The man was admitted to hospital and later transferred to the Kandy hospital where he succumbed to his injuries that last night and passed away as the treatment failed. 5. Clashes Between Businessmen of Different Races There have been close to 50 incidents of racially motivated clashes between the Muslim and Sinhalese community since Independence, said Prof. M.A. Nuhman, a retired professor in Tamil at the University of Peradeniya. community in Sri Lanka noted that every single time such a clash occurred, it almost always revolved around business. The incidents of violence in Galle, Puttalam and Mawanella centred on conflicts between local businessmen or traders of the two ethnic groups which later inflamed into a wider ethnic conflict. 6. SAITM Issue The controversy over the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) has been prolonging for some time without an end in sight. While the government is unwilling to budge an inch from its stand in allowing the institute to operate as a private medical university the opponents on the other hand are bent on disrupting its smooth operation. Unavoidably the security cost of safeguarding the institute is rising. This is basically a fight between government university medical student and private medical students. Whereas students with low financial stability studies hard and get a seat at the government university and the private students pay a huge amount and study the medical courses and easily become doctors and the local students are left out without any jobs. (c) The efforts made to address the problems Cases have been filed in the higher courts and UN forums . against all these conflicts and temporary solution have been given they are such as,Housing schemes being provided by government to the people affected by war- Janasevana Scheme.A9 road (Colombo to Jaffna ) has been reconstructed well and left for use.Some lands of the Tamils have been cleared of landmines and been handed over to them. New water irrigation systems have been introduced in Kilinichchi along with huge water tanks are been built up.The family of Late.Mr.Kumarasisri who got killed by the Sinhala Muslim clash was compensated with a cash amount by the President of Sri Lanka.The civil war cases are still upheld at the UN parliaments but a permanent solution has not been raised yet.SAITM issue still exists in Sri Lanka. Chairman of the Presidential Committee on SAITM, Dr.Harsha de Silva stated that through the legal handover of all assets and liabilities, students and staff of SAITM to the new institution, SAITM will be abolished. He added that it is the legal situation, they had given a deadline that this must be completed by the 31 st of December. There MP Nalinda Jayatissa stated that this government attempted to introduce private medical universities to the country through SAITM and now they are attempting to take the Kotalawala Defence University which is a state university and open it to the private sector and privatize it. Page 148 of 156
Based on my opinion I would say that no of these conflicts /anti peace situation came to an end ! though it might be seen as I has come to an end , NO ! is the real truth. Every conflict has an inter-relationship between each other and has been converted into a chain of continuous conflict. Either the government or the public are not taking decions pure and straight to their hearts whereas they are just putting forward only wordily statements saying that the conflict has come to an end. (d) Things that have decided on to work on after attending the YAPA -2018 program. Plan out on a SCM camp (quarterly) based on the advice, experiences and lessons learnt from the peace forum. This camp will be for 3 days with an intention to advice and practicalize children on the peace factors that should be followed. -This will be carried on public holiday followed with a Saturday and Sunday in the month of December. Inviting different religious background children from slums ad street areas and organize an one day fun school. Which will teach them on how to live in peace and do team work with different religious groups. - this will be done mostly in the end and start of months of January and February (based on the permission granted by the higher officials). Planning out an exposure to the Northern part of Sri Lanka and visiting the areas affected by the civil war and helping them out with providing dry rations, stationery, solving water related problems and providing temporary solutions to their personality problems. The money need for this will be collected by doing fund raising event via churches and the Youth Department of Methodist Church Sri Lanka will hold in hand for this project. This will be mostly around the months of April and during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations. As I believe all religions speak of Peace but I have seen less of them practicing it amongst themselves. Peace is the concept of harmony and the absence of hostility. In a behavioral sense, peace is a lack of conflict and freedom from fear of violence between individuals and heterogeneous social groups. This meaning of the real word ‘peace’ must be enhanced, implemented with love for one another. Lord Jesus himself has said ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 ,therefore if we love one another automatically peace will fill our minds and we will never think of hurting our neighbor. James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. and this is what I expect to receive by attending the CCA YAPA-2018 program. References:
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2018/05/28/saitm-issue-gets-even-more-complicated/ Page 149 of 156
http://www.dailynews.lk/2018/04/11/features/148098/muslim-%E2%80%93-sinhaladivide-dilemma https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/teldeniya-killing-racial-motivation-notestablished/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War
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A Path to Freedom Sri Lanka: Wickramasinghe, Ravishka The Advancement within Me: I had my primary and secondary education at “Ananda College, Colombo 10” which is a premier Buddhist school in Sri Lanka. I had my Buddhist spiritual upbringing at “Sri Naga Viharaya Kotte Wijeya Dhamma School”. I am currently an undergraduate in “Multimedia and Creative Technology” affiliated to “Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia”. In which I’m currently the Secretary of the NSBM Media Club. I play an active role in interfaith forums which advocates dialogue. I’m also involve in movements of protecting people from illicit drugs & narcotic trafficking. As a founding board member of ‘Youth Forum for National Reconciliation’ which has its mandate in the vision of building bridges of trust in creating national harmony and reconciliation through continuous interfaith and ethnic dialogue by instilling peaceful ideas among youth with youth leadership. I’m also a part of the Youth Department of Young Men's Christian Association, Colombo Sri Lanka serving the nation in its principles focusing on the improvement and fulfilment of mind, body and soul of youth living in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious community. Obstacles in the Country As I put forward the facts of the current situation in my country, there are few major issues that intervene the peaceful journey and co-existence of Sri Lanka as a nation. The long prolonging ethnic conflict arising currently through different dimensions. Religious conflicts and religious extremism beginning to erupt in the post-civil conflict era. The other main issue is the political instability. The dearth of authenticity of political leaders and of the bureaucracy. The political immaturity of a majority of citizens is the reason which obstructs the development and the progress of socio political economic of Sri Lanka. Last but not least one of the biggest issues in our country is the economic instability and its impact to the present and future generations. There are considerable number of people living in poverty in Sri Lanka. A Genuine Compromise As a nation the initial step forward towards peace and harmony is by halting religious conflicts, religious extremism and ethnic conflicts through building bridges of trust among ethnics and religious communities. Continuous dialogue and implementation of activities of common stand, mutual recognition and understanding sister faiths and acceptance of diverse identities in the context of Sri Lanka is much needed. Awareness should be made to create political stability of the country for its citizens to make the correct choice and motivate the young, knowledgeable intellectuals to actively engage in giving political leadership. Another main element is the need of abolishing poverty in Sri Lanka in which the poor should be trained and skilled enough to make themselves suitable for the available job opportunities and also through empowering them in their search of new creative sources of production and inventions. Blowing with Thought In the aftermath of my arrival first and foremost I’ll take necessary steps in organising forums to share my experience and knowledge gained at the conference. I’m planning to commence a new project through “Youth Forum for National Reconciliation” to build bridges of trust among ethnic and religious communities. The methodology is as follows; our target audience is the Page 151 of 156
diverse communities of youths based on religion, ethnic, gender etc. in Sri Lanka. I’m planning to commence a three months long continuous training course for youths themed “Learning to Live Together an Intercultural and Interfaith Programme’ based using guidelines of ethics education and knowledge received from the conference which will be implemented in educational institutes and together with faith based youth movements etc. I strongly believe we will be able to shape up the minds of the youths in making a peaceful nation with acceptance of justice to all which will be the long term result of this project. Let’s strive for a better future in peace and harmony..!!!!!!!! References: 1. Benner, Jeff: Ancient Hebrew Research centre: http://www.ancienthebrew.org/27_peace.html 2. "Vision of Humanity". visionofhumanity.org. 3. “Learning to live Together – An intercultural and interfaith programme for ethics education” – UNICEF 4. Donald Markwell, John Maynard Keynes and International Relations: Economic Paths to War and Peace. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. 5. “Peace” Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace#References
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Thailand: Abdulloh, Danyal
In 1909 a treaty was signed between representatives of the Royal Thai Government and the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom in the name of Anglo-Siam Agreement to negotiate the distribution of spin to search for a drink. End of boundaries of Kingdom of Siam in which unit of the world map. So there is understanding and agreement that. Ask the city of Rajasthan. Where does this border end? But the chaos ensued when the treaty was split into two. One kingdom is two kingdoms. The kingdom of Patani was divided into two parts. One part was shared with the United Kingdom and the other part was divided to the Kingdom of Siam. At that time, Terengganu and Kelantan were so angry that the governors said: "We did not get angry at England for doing this. But we are angry with our fellow people, we share them with others. " The main problem is that the argument that When the Anglo-Siamese treaty came into effect, the Patani land was in power during the rule of the signatories of the treaty. The Kingdom of Siam considers that the signing of the treaty. It's a political advantage. And the Patani / Southern frontier was just as decisively righteous as before. Patani is still a city with good relations with Ayutthaya. Until Siam was ruled in the Ratanakosin period, but it cannot rule it all. Unless there is only power. If you look in geography, compare distance from Bangkok to Patani, the distances make the Siamese sovereign power so weak compared to respect for and trust in the Patani ruler. In terms of arguments, the Kingdom of Siam, Patani argued. We have a good relationship with Siam. It does not mean that our land is part of the Kingdom of Siam, although we are under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Siam or not. Controversy may be concluded. Jurisdiction is not equal to the territory, although Patani is still under Siam. In the end, Patani became part of the kingdom which is considered to be a marching band that has been in the Kingdom of Siam has come to the land many times. In the days of the popular government, the government in those days tried to reform the country to a modern and historic. Create a new social value that is what is good value right and wrong. Every movement moving in the southern border under the Thai government. It seems to be out of sight of the state and the Southern Frontier has a culture different from the central power. Being a stranger or outsider or not Thai people there. To create the righteousness to use the state power to deal with the various conditions that the state claims to be an unsettling and abnormal condition for the Thai people. When the state is able to create the value of the Malay people in the southern border, it is a different person from the Thais who can create a concept for the Thai people, most of whom look at the Malayan people in the southern border. The state is more inclined to establish a fear for people in general. The Malayan people and the southern Malay movement are threatening the Kingdom. And the success of the government in the days of Field Marshal Strange Pibulsongkram is still present. Malay Muslim Refugee Response in Southern Border from National Swamp Policy Islamic Guardianship and Fostering Group to keep Malay and Islam in the southern border. Page 153 of 156
Finally, such peaceful responses ended with the loss of prominent intellectuals in the southern border, such as Haji Suhr, Tommyna, a religious teacher and a social rehabilitator. Offer to remain a Malay Muslim Patani to the government. However, they were forced to be lost by the state or pardoned at Saiburi, a member of the Narathiwat Provincial People's Council. Use political channels to fight for the right to religious freedom for Malay Muslims in the southern border. As a citizen of the state but the Thai parliament is seen as a mere alienation of the nation. In the end, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives. And armed forces have been formed. When peaceful means cannot be used as a tool in political struggle. Violence is an interesting choice to come up soon of the repressed embarrassment. Violence seems to be a very effective political channel and affects the knowledge and reflection of oppression. The armed group is armed to fight the political unrest. Or fight to change the political structure. And maintain their own culture. The dynamics of the battle are very interesting and shocking for the security forces. Down from his military operations in the metropolitan area. Or city center for whatever reason. But the incident on January 4, 2004, is very striking. Because of the idea that the armed movement died from the border with the South. Communist Party of Malaya and Amnesty in Order 66/23 To fall from the forest to fight in the city. It is a city that has an exotic effect. Violent fighting in public areas. The political effect changed. And hope to elevate the fighting in the South is a war of the people rather than the struggle of the armed forces. Cause bloody event Krueger Mosque with more than 100 dead and more than 70 in three southern provinces. But this operation cannot be aroused as a central war or a public revolution. Why? At the police station of Tak Bai but then the intentions of the fighting movement failed in the war strategy. Peace building may take a long time and may have its own conditions in which direction it will go. Johan Kung Tung offers peace that there are two types of positive peace. And negative peace Negative peace is the proposal or view of peace situations without violence. Positive peace is the view of the changing political, social, and economic situation that leads to a society of justice or social justice. So peace talks must not be talked about in arms, but that is a negative peace, at least to reduce it. But if peace talks lead to positive peacebuilding. Peace be far longer than course. There is justice in both the economy, society and culture. Bibliography บรรณนุกรม รุ่งรวี เฉลิมศรีภญ ิ โญรัช.(2558).เส้ นทางกระบวนการสันติภาพ.กรุ งเทพมหานคร:สถาบันสันติศึกษามหาวิทยาลัยสงขนคริ นทร์ process of peace process. Bangkok: Institute of Peace Education, Songkran.
The
บุษบง ชัยเจริญวัฒนะ คานา.(2558).ใน รุ่งรวี เฉลิมศรีภญ ิ โญรัช. เส้นทางกระบวนการสันติภาพ.(6-7)กรุ งเทพมหานคร:สถาบันสันติศึกษา มหาวิทยาลัยสงขนคริ นทร์ Kasetsart Introduction. (2558). In Rungrawee Chalermsriyaphruek. Process of peace. (6-7) Bangkok: Institute for Peace Studies. Songkran University Page 154 of 156
ศรี สมภพ จิตร์ภิรมย์ศรี , และรอมฎอน ปันจอร์ .(2557)บทเรี ยนสันติภาพ : เรี ยนรู้กระบวนการสันติภาพใน ประสบการณ์ความขัดแย้งร่ วม สมัย.หจก.ภาพพิมพ์ : โครงการจัดพิมพ์ดีพบุค๊ . Sri Somsomjit Chiribhirom, and Ramadan Punjad. (2557) Peace Lesson: Learn the Peace Process. Contemporary conflict experience. Graphic Printing Co., Ltd. นอร์เบิร์ต โรเปอร์ .ความเข้าใจเบื้องต้นต่อศัพท์ เฉพาะด้านสันติภาพและสถานะองค์ความรู ้ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการวิจยั กระบวนการสันติภาพ. Norbert Rooper Peace and knowledge related to research. Peace process. กระบวนการสันติภาพปาตานีในบริ บทของอาเซียน(23-42).ปัตตานี : โครงกรดิฟบุคส์ (Deepbook) ศูนย์เฝ้าระวังสถานการณ์ภาคใต้. Pattani: Deepbook Project, Southern Surveillance Center (23-29) รอมฎอน ปันจอร์ .(2559).การเมืองของถ้อยคาในชายแดนใต้/ปาตานี : การประกอบ สร้าง “สันติภาพ” ในความขัดแย้งชาติพนั ธุ์การเมือง. รัฐศาสตร์มหาบัณฑิตการปกครองคณะรัฐศาสตร์มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ ,ปทุมธานี The Politics of Words in the South / Patani: The Creation of "Peace" in Ethnic Politics, Political Science Master of Political Science, Thammasat University, Pathumthani. Johan Galtung. (1967) THEORIES OF PEACE A Synthetic Approach to Peace Thinking. Oslo: International Peace Research Institute.
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My Story Thailand: Phuangthong, Tanaphat
My Education I studied in New Zealand for 10 years. During that time, I studied in a primary school called Spreydon School, an intermediate School called South Christ Church Intermediate and a high school called Cashmere High School. Environment of Thailand Having been living in New Zealand for ten years, I realized that Thailand is much polluted. The air is very bad which make and the living conditions of most people are also bad as well and the heat in Thailand are just unbearable. Conflicts/Violence There has been a lot of more conflicts/violence around the world recently. For example, the violence I have heard about is the U.S school mass shooting all over the U.S from 2017-2018. A lot of poor innocent kids/students have died because of this. Peace If there is more peace in this world, I’m certain that the world would be in a lot better place. People would be more reasonable and a lot more understanding than using violence for their answer. Nowadays, some people would kill each other about their beliefs.
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