Amongst Friends – February 2009
Before starting to write the main items that are to feature in this edition I thought I would tell you about two other ways in which we can communicate.
These are my pbwiki site which can be found at:
and contains lots of resources and gives you the right to edit and add pieces and my blog which can be found at: where I am encouraging us to write on such topics as what participants expect post attending a course and the current situation in Zimbabwe. You can also add postings to this blog.
Please take a few moments to look at these and experiment with how they might help us all to stay in touch, explore ideas and debate together.
John
Peaceful Co-existence – a personal reflection
I am writing this on a cold, wintery evening in eastern England and for most of those who will read it that is not your normal climatic surrounds. The challenge I have set myself is to think about and then try to communicate we might encourage people who have hated each other for a long period of time to come together and work towards a peaceful co-existence?
As long ago as 1954 China and India signed an agreement not to go to war and to respect each other, though their respective countries did not have a great deal in common They based their agreement on five basic principles, which were:
1) Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty;
2) Mutual non-aggression;
3) Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs;
4) Equality and mutual benefit;
5) Peaceful co-existence.
These apparently simple, yet complex principles need to be analysed in terms of how we can apply these to the countries in which we live and work.
The first has within it an inherent awareness of differences, which however difficult to appreciate need not cause tension between two groups of people. Though the original use of these principles was between two countries they can be applied to two people living together, communities, ethnic groups and many other situations where those with different cultural heritages, beliefs and social structures meet.
Should one ethnic group feel superior to another or an ‘educated’ person think that they can tell an illiterate individual what to do and when? In many relationships, such as the latter, status is a major factor in determining behaviour. This may take place between an employer and employee relationship in which instructions flow from one person to the other but the giver must have a respect for the person to whom those messages are being given. ‘Equality of being’ is an important concept to accept, else superiority will appear and then the risk of mistrust and even dislike may appear. Knowing who one is, being happy with this and respecting the rights of others is essential in any form of relationship. Trust has to be earned and is partly dependent on one or both parties clearly illustrating integrity. Accepting that we all have our own space and an awareness of our individual identity is essential to the development of any of us but we do not have the right to sole access to this and some form of co-operation is needed if we are to embark on a process that we hope will lead to the creation of a peaceful co-existence amongst those who had previously experienced tension and even violence towards one another.
It is doubtful if there will be peace in the Middle East until all parties accept the right of the other to exist and allow access to sufficient economic, political and social resources to allow the aspirations of all parties to be worked towards.
The second of the five principles is closely related to the ability of different parties to accept that they must work towards achieving principle one. Mistrust, hatred and even a desire to simply harm another because of their being who they are is possibly an instinct in us all and dates to our time as early primates trying survive in a world where death and disaster were a permanent feature of life. We all try to impose our will by force and when successful we grow to want to use it again because the reward is good and far outweighs any feeling of guilt we may experience. Talking with former combatants I noted that admitted to a feeling of elation during a bout of fighting but on reflection a large number came to regret what they had done and were in search of some form of forgiveness or reconciliation being shown towards them by those they had harmed. In some cases they had found those to whom they behaved badly and had asked for a sign that their actions have been forgiven. Those who have fought, killed and maimed others seldom talk of their actions and when they do they are full of remorse and a hope that such deliberate forms of violence will not be needed in the future.
The third principle is one that fascinates me, for a large number of the countries we call ‘developing’ are creations of Victorian cartographers. As such ethnic groups appear both sides of a political boundary, yet their cultural histories were ( and some like to think they still are), until recently, the same. I remember moving from Ghana to Togo and discovering that the Ewe people lived in both. Some of the older people I met in Togo could speak German, French and their own language, whilst their ‘relatives’ in Ghana spoke English and the same ethnic language. Culturally they remained Ewes, yet their recent history and politics were very different. I wondered just who received their true loyalty and was surprised by how much they knew of each other and how often they moved between their two countries and did not use formal routes and modes of transport.
All countries need to have some knowledge of how their neighbours are behaving and this requires the collection of information, which may be interpreted as ‘spying’. The discovery of natural resources also causes problems as the deposit or shelf seldom conclude at just the point a political boundary appears. Co-operation at government and parastatal level is necessary and as we seldom totally trust our neighbour we tend to like to gather information that promotes our own self interest and security. However, deliberate attempts to influence events within another country are not to be condoned, though the advent of satellite television does allow for channels to be viewed in one country that may not be ‘friendly’ in content to the political regime of the receiving nation. One of the first actions of an invader is to neutralise the communications of the territory that have just invaded. This was the case in the recent Israeli invasion of Gaza. Mistakes can be made and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 was closely monitored by the outside world as the Russian troops had not cut the phone lines to Austria. More recently the introduction of an Al Jazeera English language TV service has allowed embedded correspondents to report from within Islamic countries and show a different portrayal of events. I note when travelling in Africa how many young people and those in influential positions watch this channel and care to ignore BBC World, CNN and Sky.
It is probable that most sovereign states accept, or tolerate some form of information gathering by their neighbours and others interested in events within their political borders but they will not tolerate overt or covert attempts to regime change or influence the outcomes of elections or important policies. Yet immediately I note some contradictions here. In some countries I have been aware that those campaigning for human rights, open government and other value changes have received funds from neighbouring nations. One of the first defences used by Israeli spokespersons when addressing their incursions in Gaza or Lebanon is that they are seeking out missiles and other weapons supplied by the Iranians. A charge which the latter always deny
The move towards more regional co-operation, many of which are loosely modelled on the European Union should reduce, though not remove, some of the fears that exist in many countries of neighbours spying and trying to influence events within another sovereign state.
One fact is certain and that is if we do not trust our neighbours then tensions build and violence is often the end result. That is why I always advise for greater understanding of neighbouring cultures and histories: ignorance has caused too many conflicts. I like regional co-operations and a sharing of information and resources. It lowers tensions, increases understanding and reduces the chance of confrontation and military engagement.
Harmony and constructive dialogue complete with rational co-operation is for me the essence of point four. Tensions arise when one country feels it is being exploited by another. Mistrust, jealousy and a desire to gather in what is thought to be legitimately yours have long been causes of wars. But working together towards the mutual benefit of both populations allows understanding to grow.
It must be possible for neighbours to live in peace but it does, in some parts of the world appear to very difficult to break down the barriers and conceptions that one has of the other. I saw that and alas sometimes still do in the behaviour of a catholic and protestant ‘discussion’ in Northern Ireland. Too often the ‘baggage’ of history comes to the surface and bitterness, recriminations and open hostility re-appear. The chance of peaceful co-existence is damaged and the younger members of an audience see at first hand the faults and failures of their opponents.
Possible places to visit:
UN Peace building Commission blog
Let’s finish this edition by thinking about wars and how these arise.
Root causes of war
When studying the ways in which peace and trust can be worked for it is essential to look at the main causes of war.
Culture of violence
The culture of violence pervades our society, glorifying war rather than educating for peace, non-violence, and international cooperation. Some are now asking if certain video games and some motion pictures portray violence as ‘normal’ and may encourage young people to see it both as something to experiment with and that the results of violence are trivial
Globalisation
Economic globalisation has marginalized broad sections of the world’s population, further widening the gap between rich and poor.
Use of environmental resources
The use of environmental resources is neither sustainable nor un-equitable. The world’s dominant consumers are overwhelmingly concentrated among the well off, but the environmental damage from it falls most severely on the poor.
Colonialism and neo-colonialism
Indigenous and un-represented peoples are suffering from the suppression of their right to self-determination, ethnic and cultural genocide, the violation of their cultural, language and religious freedoms, and the militarisation and nuclearisation of their lives, lands and waters.
Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender intolerance
Ethnic, religious and racial intolerance and nationalism are among the principal sources of modern armed conflict.
Gender injustice
The costs of the machismo that still pervades most societies are high for men whose choices are limited by this standard, and for women who experience continual violence both in war and in peace.
Lack of protection and respect for children & youth
Children and youth continue to be exploited and victimized, particularly in violent conflict a situation where harming children has become not only a consequence, but frequently a strategy of war.
Lack of democracy and just global governance
The promotion of democracy at all levels of society is a prerequisite for replacing the rule of force with the rule of law.
Belief that violence and warfare are inherent in human nature
It is commonly assumed that violence and warfare are inherent in human nature.
Local community violence
Violence in local communities paves the way for conflicts at national and international levels.
Religions
Religions have been a cause of war.
Some other factors to consider
States that war is the outcome of the very nature of human beings.
Implication: to prevent war one must change human nature!
Optimists: human nature can be modified to make war less likely
Pessimists: Human nature cannot be changed and war is inevitable.
Things that could be done to Change Human Nature:
Education: humans to be educated with a love of peace and hatred of war (there are human societies where war is unknown)
Cultural exchanges (better understanding btw peoples)
Screen Potential leaders: ensure that they are not predisposed towards violence.
Human nature is infinitely variable.
If war is caused by human nature then so is peace.
War as the Result of the Internal Structure of States:
Some believe that wars caused by ‘bad states´ / i.e.: an unpopular government engages in a war against another state in an attempt to promote internal unity.
War as the result of the Structure of the State System:
This leads some to suggest that war is the result of the nature of relations between states, i.e.: Gov. of a state will represent its own interests and in the event of a serious clash in interests there will be war.
Peace building – an example
In the northern hills of Koinadugu District in Sierra Leone, the remote community of Kabala is rewriting a counter narrative that promises an alternative point of view to the dominant conflict laden headlines.
It is time for the world to tune in to these emanating rhythms, as cultural narratives are rising up from the war-torn legacies that have marked this region. The youth are catching the creative fire of this momentum and together with their teachers and elders are co-creating new visions for their nation through imaginative and artistic lenses. Their crude proximity to a decade of violence makes this burgeoning vision even more poignant.
Imagine alternatives
Over the past ten years while working in the context of the CAUSE Canada-Sierra Leone partnership, I have been fortunate to work alongside those who have retained their capacity to imagine alternatives in times of political, social and economic upheaval.
My relationship with Sierra Leone has been like a call and response song, as film and theatre projects have called Sierra Leone youth over to Canada to create public awareness programs on Africa, and in turn I have responded several times to gracious invitations to Sierra Leone (with hearty and delicious groundnut soup included).
In these exchanges, I have discovered that the midwives, social workers, educators, writers, artists, and local development leaders are just some of Sierra Leone’s heroes who often risk their lives for others, but their stories may never make it into the media spotlight. I always leave inspired by those who humbly uphold the daily call to preserve the narratives of justice and peace, even in the face of danger. These stories are the narrative backbones of Sierra Leone, and refuse to be overshadowed by the common subtexts of recrimination and cross border insurgencies.
In April 2008, the living narratives that dwell in the red African soil pulled me back once again. As I stood amongst the emerging generation of young leaders at the KabalaSecondary School, I posed a question to the student body that has dwelled in my mind since my last visit to Sierra Leone in 2003:
“How can we create a lasting narrative that will imagine possibilities and also address immediate priorities?”
Not a moment lapsed before waves of eager voices filled the room with countless ideas. The resounding excitement bounced off the concrete school walls, and I leaned forward to decipher the words in the spontaneous phrases.
Lasting peace
“Let’s create theatrical plays on lasting peace, a giant puppet show on the rights for education, songs that promote anti-corruption in elections, a parade on clean water, a cultural dance for development...”
All of these suggestions became the sparks for plotting out potential community performance pieces. In the centre of this frenzied brainstorming, the words “cultural celebration” continued to permeate through the ideas. We decided to explore the relevance of these two words in more depth.
The youth want Sierra Leone to be globally recognised as a nation that upholds values of peace. The ensuing dialogue amongst the youth point toward the fact that this particular town in Sierra Leone (Kabala, northern region) is home to several ethnic and religious groups that currently live alongside one another in peaceful coexistence
The Limba, Kuranko, Mandingo, Yalunka, Fulla and Susu ethnic groups all participate in this lively dialogue, and jump at the chance to animate and perform their interpretation of what peaceful co-existence means from a youth perspective. There are also the youth who express an interest in developing a more politicised narrative, and decide to write scripts for theatre and giant puppet performances that focus on the cultural roots of social justice.
Cultural celebration