After two weeks of incredible sessions on various topics on peace-building, we had the opportunity to talk about who peace-builders are and what are the challenges. It was a great conversation we had a class as I was able to revisit the knowledge that I had acquired so far from the sessions. Below are my thoughts:

Who are peace-builders?

Peacebuilders are individuals (engineers, lawyers, religious leaders, academicians, human right activists, policy makers, trauma healers, social workers, law enforcement authorities, story tellers, journalists, civil society members, business leaders)  who use their position directly or indirectly to reduce and eliminate direct, structural and cultural violence with an aim to restore the social order and transform the existing human relationships for sustainable peace.

For some peace-builders peacebuilding is a life-long work and commitment. For some, it is a just job. However, once one is directly involved in the peacebuilding process and reconciliation, it is difficult to come out of the scene. I felt that one faces a moral dilemma when it comes to leaving the profession as one has heard the stories of the victims and perpetrators. While working with the victims, the peace-builders are in the risk of becoming victims themselves. One has to be careful in such situations and seek guidance and support from the colleagues. However, the there needs to a safe environment to talk and share.  It got me interested and I want to explore this topic further. Shall we take care of ourselves or the real victims of the conflict? However, I am learning that there is an opportunity cost in prioritizing self-care that involves leaving the peace-building process in the middle.

The majority of the speakers who shared their knowledge, wisdom, and experience with us so far can be categorized as peace builders. The majority of the speakers are using critical peacebuilding lens to seek solutions. It was quite comforting that individuals that constitute peace-builders come from a variety of sectors bringing diverse perspectives and expertise. However, the struggle is bringing all these perspectives together.

Challenges to peace-building?

Peacebuilding is tiring and a long process. One cannot hope to change the social order over night or in a year or two. It is a journey and not competition of race. However, the majority of the peace -building work followed DDR model, a liberal peacebuilding model.  When it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dayton Accords is an outcome of the liberal peace-building model that is based on the idea that democracy and liberal economy will build bridges between the communities in conflict and end violence. The accord failed to reveal the truth, bring justice and heal the wounds of the trauma the victims carry and transform relationships and the existing structures and systems. The critical peace-building approach got my attention and that uses people centered and bottom up approach to peacebuilding where people’s participation is the key. I am still thinking of this method and will continue to do so.

Political will is crucial in setting the tone and environment of trust that can help the truth come out.  Truth and Justice work in an interesting way. They can work against each other, while they can also complement each other. One has to think deeply about what kind of justice are we seeking when it comes to peacebuilding. Do we do injustice to one group by doing justice to another group are some of the questions one needs to keep asking ourselves.

Other challenges, that came out in the conversation are:

  • Budget
  • Patience
  • Neutrality (impartiality & Equi-distance)