The first day of the program was long but I have enjoyed it and learned new things. The reading about the origin of peacebuilding and its history during and after the Cold War is very informative! The ice-breaking activities we had at the start of the day were entertaining. The little book activity where we had to identify our own definitions and our strengths was my favorite and I am waiting to see the changes that will happen at the program.
We figured out our conflict managment style with cute animal
The TED Talk video about using jobs as a way to stop conflict left me with a lot of thoughts. Jobs and economic opportunities may suppress conflict but does it really build peace? If the fighting stops but the roots of the conflict, whether cultural or structural, are still in effect then we are only pausing the violence not really stopping it. It might work in some cases of political conflict over power but conflicts based on identity can’t be solved this way. Can the Palestinian-Israeli conflict be solved by giving the Palestinian youth more jobs? -Probably not because the root of the conflict is ethnic, religious and all the other aspects of identity. Of course, the Palestinian youth want jobs but that won’t solve their identity crisis.
The discussion about the Gujarat massacre in 2002 was very interesting. The discussion involved the definition of justice and the ability of the “victims” to forgive. As a person who lived through violence and lost many loved ones in the conflict over the last 6 years, I find these two questions very critical. I understand that punishing the abusers will not bring the sense of peace and justice to every victim but I think it is important to happen. It doesn’t only send a message to future abusers that this behavior will be punished but it also makes the “victims” feel supported by their society.
My classmate (17 y.o.) was shot by the police in a demonstration 4 years ago, the police stopped the doctors from treating him, and made most of my class helplessly watch him die. It is impossible for any of us to forgive that while seeing this happen over and over again to other people and while witnessing these police officers getting promoted. It is unfair to put the weight of peace on the shoulder of the victims and ask them to “forget and forgive” and to “let it go”. Most of my generation in Egypt mocks the word peace because of that. They usually mock “peacebuilding programs” by describing them as a “give up on your rights” programs. It doesn’t helpthat the two words come from the same root in Arabic.
I can’t wait to learn and discuss more about peacebuilding from the professors, speakers, and my smart classmates.
