| |
CPS News from the consortium |
|
| |
International Day of Peace 2022
|
|
| The International Day of Peace was celebrated worldwide on 21st September. This year, the United Nations dedicated it to the commitment to a society without racism. In our many projects the Civil Peace Service and its partners advocate mutual understanding and contribute to eliminating prejudices, discrimination and racism every day. In the article of the consortium you can find three examples of CPS projects that are already concentrating on this topic. |
| |
| Groupfoto of the CPS-Workshop |
|
Mid of September members from all organisations of the CPS consortium came together for a three-day workshop in Hennef, Germany. This year’s gathering focussed on anti-racism measures and how the post-colonial legacy affects our work. Time went by quickly and we all went home with a lot to think about and interesting input from group-discussions, open spaces, and bilateral exchange. After years of digital collaboration, we enjoyed the opportunity to come together in reality, for subject-specific exchange, networking and to determine the consortium’s foosball-champion. |
| Climate crisis, peace, and conflict – the coherences are sometimes not easy to understand. In the quiz "Peace Improves the Climate", that was created by the CPS consortium, you can put your knowledge to the test. Eight questions on facts, research and practice are to be answered. Enjoy! |
| Clip: Peace Improves the Climate |
|
| Civil conflict transformation helps dealing with the climate crisis. It prevents violent conflicts over resources, improves the interpersonal relationships and promotes cooperation. Only in peace can we tackle the great challenges of the future together. This two-minute clip shows how this can be done. |
|
|
| |
CPS news from the GIZ' head office |
|
| |
|
In our new category "What happened to...?" we want to present projects, cooperation or people that were active in the Civil Peace Service some time ago or have left their mark in one way or another. What actually happened to the initiators of one of our most famous YouTube videos on the topic of Non-Violent Communication from Nepal? What happened to the winner of the national song competition in Cambodia? We would like to explore these and other questions here. In this issue, Michelle Simon conducted the research and takes us on a journey, which will lead us from Nepal via Great Britain to Nigeria.
|
A Space of Empathy
How a restorative dialogue workshop changed the perceptions of victims, state and ex-Maoist combatants in post-conflict Nepal and how its documentary travelled the world .
Addressing mistrust and trauma after a decade of war
After a decade-long civil war (1996-2006) fought between the Maoist-led People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Nepalese royal government, the violence ended with a Comprehensive Peace Agreement promising constitutional and political reform, reconciliation, and transitional justice. The wounds of the conflict however overshadowed hopes of moving on.
The documentary Raamro Aakha Ma (In the Eyes of the Good) emerged from the non-violent communication workshop that was held as part of the programme “Supporting the Peace Process in Nepal with Nonviolent Communication and Restorative Dialogue”. The week-long ‘International Training on Nonviolent Communication (NVC)’ took place in December 2014.
The training was organised by the Civil Peace Service (CPS) of GIZ together with its partner organisation Pro Public. This NGO is working on the reintegration of ex-Maoist combatants and stands in close contact with ex-combatants, conflict victims and local communities. Jeannine Suurmond, who was the CPS advisor with Pro Public from 2011 onwards, wanted to contribute to genuine reconciliation and believed non-violent communication might offer a way forward. |
| Click here to watch the documentation. |
A desire to reconciliation
In 2012, Pro Public conducted extensive research on the situation of ex-Maoist combatants and their surrounding communities in order to help integrate them into their host environments. They interviewed around 500 ex-combatants and observed the bad socio-economic situation and discrimination they were facing. On one hand, the ex-Maoist combatants, who were often from minority groups and joined the rebel group at a very young age, were still seen as enemies, which often prevented them from obtaining a proper job. A sense of hopelessness was widespread among the ex-combatants. On the other hand, victims of the conflict were still waiting for information about their missing family members and for recognition of and compensation for their losses. On both the public and the ex-combatant side was a desire to reconcile.
|
| |
| The close relationships Pro Public has developed to the local communities, conflict victims and ex-combatants over the years paved the way for a trustworthy environment. |
|
Therefore, Pro Public was asked in various occasions if it could provide training in mediation. Despite the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Pro Public noticed that nothing was done on healing from the governmental side. Punishing the perpetrators of violence was simply not enough for reconciliation. Likewise, the media reporting put a focus on human rights violations but forgot to include peacebuilding. The public was still contentious how reconciliation could look like.
Hence, Prakash Bhusal, who was working for Pro Public at the time, became involved in Jeannine’s idea of realizing a NVC workshop. The close relationships Pro Public has developed to the local communities, conflict victims and ex-combatants over the years paved the way for a trustworthy environment where all participants felt safe to participate in the workshop and share their stories.
Understanding but not condoning: When perpetrators also become victims
The NVC workshop mainly brought conflict victims, government representatives and ex-Maoist combatants together. |
| Duke Duscherer, main facilitator of the workshop |
|
|
During the first 4 days of NVC training the participants became more aware of their needs and emotions and learned non-judgmental communication and listening skills among other things. At first, the participants struggled to have a dialogue in one room with their enemies because of their personal trauma and strong emotions towards the other group. That is why the idea of having a dialogue all together right after the NVC training was revisited and the so called ‘pre-circles’ were held for one day with the individual groups. By listening and reflecting with empathy Duke Duchscherer, the main facilitator, created trust in his role and the process, so that everyone felt being heard and ready to open up before entering the restorative circles. At the same time, the interaction of Pro Public with the ex-combatants and conflict victims was crucial to win their trust of having a dialogue in the same room. The last 2 days were dedicated to the restorative dialogue and were guided by the following questions: How the participants felt in that present moment, what needs motivated them to engage in the conflict and which actions by whom and when need to be taken to reframe the current relationships and meet their mutual needs.
The approach of the restorative circles, a tool developed by Dominik Barter, created the safe space to share their personal stories. Each person could speak on each topic and choose a person besides the facilitator to listen with empathy. The space to clarify was given till the speaker felt understood. This approach encouraged the listener to be very attentive and the speaker to get clearer about the deeper meaning of his or her actions. The mirroring of each other’s perspectives within the restorative circles humanized the ex-combatants and conflict victims. The pain and needs they talked about were entirely different, but the needs they expressed felt relatable to the other participants creating a feeling of having something in common despite their differences and being enemies.
Capturing a unique setting
London-based Carolyn Davies, who directed and later edited the documentary captured the stories of the workshop participants, among which were former Maoist combatants, conflict victims and government officials. Curious to see if and how NVC could make a difference, she joined the workshop as an observer and voluntary assistant and offered to film the process. Jeannine reached out to her after 4 days because she saw the opportunity that capturing the workshop could inspire other people. This belief in a positive impact was shared by the participants, who decided unanimously that the workshop should be filmed. While the filming was relatively easy, Carolyn foregrounded that the documentary could not capture the huge efforts of Jeannine (CPS) and Prakash (Pro Public) to win the participants’ trust to join the workshop in the first place.
The documentary was first launched and screened on 29th of April 2016 at Hotel Himalaya in Kupondole. The workshop participants watched it and were moved by it. The main purpose of the documentary, highlighted Carloyn Davies, was “to capture what the workshop did” as well as “to inspire and go beyond the room and to capture and honor the risks and courage of the workshop participants.”
Restorative dialogue as a tool for healing, reconciliation, and justice
“The documentary was produced to inspire those involved in the transitional justice process in Nepal and to raise awareness about restorative dialogue as tool for healing, reconciliation and justice.” (Rita Shrestha, local Professional at Pro Public) |
| |
| The documentation was produced to raise awareness about restorative dialogue as tool for healing, reconciliation and justice. |
|
Since the NVC workshop has been continued in 16 districts across Nepal and served as the basis for other programmes emphasising empathetic listening. Furthermore, Pro Public continued to train TRC commissioners in non-violent communication, dialogue and how to approach both conflict parties.
But the documentary has also been spread into other conflict contexts and with the help of volunteers has been translated into several languages.
When NVC facilitator Al-Amin Sahabo first watched the documentary 6 years ago, he was so inspired that he decided to organise an Audio Dub in Hausa and played the film in churches and mosques across Northern Nigeria. In the communities he works in violence has often destroyed the social fabric and caused trauma and fear. During his NVC trainings the documentary served as a helpful material to make people understand dialogue as a powerful tool to promote peace and learn the skills to facilitate dialogue themselves. It also enabled them to reflect on their feelings, needs and actions. Seeing the value of dialogue, people now find it easier to come together and feel encouraged that a peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians is possible. A translation of the documentary into Fulfulde is also in progress.
Together with Duke Duchscherer a NVC training and dialogue process between farmers (Hausa) and herders (Fulfulde/Fulani) in Northern Nigeria has been initiated. With the help of Al-Amin Sahabo’s contact to the head of the farmer’s and the head of the herder’s association the dialogue brought together 30 farmers and herders during Duke’s second visit to Nigeria.
Similar to the workshop in Nepal the restorative circles invited the participants to take ownership of the dialogue process and listen to each other with empathy. Listening to and understanding each other’s perspectives helped to surface a variety of systemic problems affecting the conflict context.
During the same time Carla Bach-Pröhl, working for GIZ in Burundi, used a version of the film for her peace work in Burundi and Rwanda. After watching the documentary, she tried the approach out with a group of Rwandan teachers during one of her peace building activities. Positively surprised by the success she worked to translate the documentary into French to use it for her work with her partner organisations in Burundi as well as their respective regional Congolese NGOs.
From buried needs to mutual understanding
Violence is used as a last resort when mistrust exists within the community and communication does not work anymore, explained Duke. Quoting Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of the concept of non-violent communication, he continued: “Violence is a tragic expression of unmet needs.”
From Nepal to Northern Nigeria and Rwanda the combination of NVC training and restorative dialogue contributed to uncover the unmet needs that motivated the perpetrators’ and victims’ behaviour. Having a platform to communicate our human needs effectively and peacefully is a powerful instrument to prevent the reoccurrence of violence and restore trust where it has been lost. The Nepal workshop and documentary showed that the healing of trauma is possible, and emotions can be transformed if people learn to be conscious about their needs and emotions and have a space to express them peacefully and clearly. When the context-knowledge of national professionals and the expertise from an CPS international peace advisor are merged and both work together to connect the conflict parties such a platform and space can be established. |
| DFP Workshop on Digitalization and Peacebuilding |
|
| When the pandemic started, the Digital Focal Points’ (DFPs) working group was established within the GIZ’ Civil Peace Service. Initially, the group’s focus was on providing technical support and advice to colleagues in the respective country programmes and projects to ensure smooth digital collaboration. However, as time passed by and the staff became more tech-savvy, the group’s self-perception shifted. To reflect this change and to discuss a possible new concept for the group, the DFPs met in September at the headquarters in Bonn for a workshop on digitalisation and digital peacebuilding. The aim of the event was for the group to receive joint training and to push forward with the new concept and vision development. The working group, which until then had only known each other virtually, used the five days intensively to frame its role in the CPS's digital strategy. We are looking forward to seeing how the participants will work with the results of the workshop to help the CPS in dealing with digital technologies - both as contextual factors and as conflict management tools. The mandate and the role of the Digital Focal Points is an essential factor in the development of the CPS´s digital strategy. |
| „What is the CPS actually doing in…?” Introducing Stories of Change |
The work of the CPS country programmes is sometimes a long and stony one, but one that is sustainable and successful in the end – transforming and changing people’s lives for the better. While small victories of daily work carve the way to the programme’s success, we would like to highlight the following three stories of change – reflecting not only the country programmes’ diversity in regions and topics, but also how the goals of the CPS connect to the latest trends in peacebuilding.
These stories of change were written by our country programmes and have been selected for the CPS’s aggregated outcomes documentation 2021, which is published internally on the CPS Public Page every year.
|
Palestinian Territories: The Psychological Mask initiative
The main goal of the Civil Peace Service’s programme in Palestinian Territories is to implement a Mental Health und Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) approach within all activities and projects of the CPS partner organizations. This includes the commitment of partner organisations to provide trauma and conflict sensitive activities and guarantee consideration for the needs of their target groups, who are highly affected by the ongoing conflict and the pandemic. |
| |
| How do you feel? A campaign to sensitise for psychosocial effects by the ongoing conflict and the pandemic. |
|
In 2021, the CPS partner organization Sustainable Change for Development (SCD) in Nablus conducted the initiative Psychological Mask for several communities in Nablus and its vicinity, including the refugee camps.
The initiative was accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness of the psychosocial effects of the occupation and the pandemic. Especially psychosocial topics, such as gender-based violence, the impact of isolation and home-schooling, and online harassment were addressed.
Mental health issues are still a stigmatized topic within the Palestinian society. Therefore, one of the goals was to discuss MHPSS topics in public spaces. For this, with support from selected experts, several workshops were conducted, and a local radio show was produced.
A needs assessment was carried out to collect data from the participants of the workshops, all of them experts in the field of MHPSS. This data helped to develop a more comprehensive response to the current situation regarding the reduction of violence and to connect people with each other.
In retrospect, the main takeaway from the Psychological Mask initiative SCD is the following: self-care and psychosocial supervision (including daily advisory work) for the MHPSS experts (as the primary target group of SCD) is of vital importance in order to elevate their capacities and empower them to continue providing their high-quality support to their beneficiaries (the secondary target group). This needs to be expanded by providing self-care activities and regular supervision for MHPSS workers. |
| Uganda: Women´s Land Rights |
| Sharon Auma, CPS Interest Group Coordinator. |
|
|
“But, land is the affair of men!”, Christine Mego, a widow and mother of four from Pajule in Northern Uganda says out loud, as men and women begin gathering for a community sensitisation meeting conducted by the GIZ Civil Peace Service and partner organisations. Recently widowed, she is facing financial hardship to cover medical bills for a sick child. Selling some land would help her raise money for her son’s treatment.
“We grew up with the cultural belief that women do not have rights to land”, explains Sharon Auma, CPS Interest Group coordinator of Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) “It is only men that have access, ownership and control over land. And so, what we find is that women don’t even participate in discussions and decisions about land issues – it is just not our business”.
Statements like Christine’s represent sentiments of many community members across Northern Uganda, especially men, who still castigate equality in access, control, use and ownership of land, informed by the strong background of patriarchal society.
“This is a misconception we want to change through the community sensitisations we conduct with the Civil Peace Service. Working with female leaders, we discuss and share with communities on the topic of Women’s Land Rights. We inform them about the law and their rights, but also that culturally land issues do not exclude women. We tell them, in our local language our gardens are named after females i.e. “garden of mother of Okello - Okello or poto pa min Okello”). And it is us women who raise our families on this land, so of course it belongs to us too. This is what we talk about in our sessions, including everyone, and we hope to change their perceptions.” |
| |
| "Before I came here, I did not know I had the right to sell part of the land that belongs to me. After this meeting, I am now aware that women do have land rights" |
|
The example of fertile land being named after women, was an opening to changing Christine’s belief on women’s involvement in land matters. Actively participating in the discussion, she shared her story and saw an opportunity to tackle the challenges she was facing in her personal life.
Shortly after the sensitisation meeting and with the support of another son, Christine went to the district headquarters to ascertain procedures of how to sell parts of the land she inherited.
“The example of Christine shows, that there is still a substantial need to raise awareness around gender and land rights through access to information” says Julius Omony, Gender Focal Person of CPS Uganda, “and GIZ CPS activities are a step in the right direction”. |
| CPS promoting Women’s Land Rights in Northern Uganda |
| CPS is reaching a wide listenership through radio. |
|
|
As part of the program and in a joint effort with our partner organisations, CPS is promoting Women’s Land Rights in Northern Uganda and creating safe dialogue and discussion spaces to sensitise communities and share information. Men have pledged their commitments to this cause too. Through interactive community discussions and radio talk shows, we aim to raise awareness on individual and community shared land rights.
Reaching a wide listenership through radio, Alany Immaculate, a CPS Interest Group member is raising awareness on Women’s Land Rights as she elaborates on the laws in Uganda that protect women.
[I]The Stories of Change were provided by the country programmes and collected by Kerstin Gutte, CPS Bonn. |
 |
Who is behind the CPS? What does the daily work of our colleagues look like? What drives them? Where do they see challenges?
We from the Bonn headquarters ask, CPS colleagues from all over the world answer! Whether CPS experts, interns, admins, or program coordinators – in our column "5 questions to..." we introduce people who are committed to the CPS every day. This is also the case for Sebastian Niesar – CPS coordinator in Lebanon. He has been working in the field of conflict transformation since 2011. In the beginning as an advisor for the ombudsman's office in Peru and Guatemala. During his time in Guatemala, he started a podcast on peace and conflict together with a colleague. In this issue we talk to him about his role in CPS Lebanon and about the podcast “Jetzt mal ganz friedlich”.
|
| Guest in this issue: Sebastian Niesar |
| Sebastian Niesar has been working in the field of conflict transformation since 2011. Copyright: CPS/GIZ |
|
|
After some difficulties you recently arrived in Lebanon. How did you experience your first days and weeks in the country (programme)?
Sweat is pouring down, summer heat and Mediterranean humidity accompany me on my search for a flat. Walking through the Beirut neighbourhoods, I come across beautiful ruins, modern skyscrapers next to buildings still marked by the civil war. Next to them are the traces of the disastrous explosion in 2020, even if the nightlife has meanwhile regained its places and joy.
I also break into a sweat during my first talks with the partner organisations. Marked by various crises, including an ongoing state crisis that only guarantees electricity for 1-2 hours a day, private generators are a luxury item. Banks limit access to US dollars, inflation exceeds that of Venezuela. Maintaining work in these conditions while meeting GIZ's requirements is a balancing act. Any delay in payments threatens to destroy this balance. My team is highly motivated and tries to support the partners where it can. However, the crises of the last few years and changing coordinators have left their trace.
My family arrives in Lebanon – as I do – with some delay. It is a completely new context for everyone. My daughter will have to attend a new school entirely in English. The friendly, almost somewhat Latino but very safe environment, fantastic food and great tourist destinations make the arrival easier.
In one sentence: a complex, challenging and exciting task.
You could be described as a prime example of a CPS advisor. What still excites you about CPS after all these years?
What motivates me most is the civil focus and the complexity of the work. Peace is not only the absence of war, but also coming together, creative design, changing positions, questioning, and reflecting. I see this in the work of the partner organisations as well as in the CPS itself. This almost automatically leads to meeting great people with high ideals and great expertise. It's an incredibly inspiring working environment.
Together with your colleague Jule Koch, you create and produce the podcast "Jetzt mal ganz friedlich”. How did you begin to produce the podcast? How did it all start?
The traffic situation in Guatemala often leads to two-hour stays in the car for a drive of only seven kilometres. I discovered podcasts and my stress levels dropped significantly. Some of my favourite podcasts were dedicated to education, like "Methodically Incorrect" or "Radio Ambulante". So, the idea of communicating peace work in a vivid way came naturally. The suggestion was gratefully received by the CPS colleagues, including my co-host Jule, and from then on it was a constant process of trial and error.
If you could choose a guest for your podcast, anyone you can image, who would it be?
Only one? That’s difficult. My favourite guests would be Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Albert Einstein, Bertha von Suttner and Rosa Luxemburg. Simply to get to know their perspective on civil resistance in violent contexts.
So, the last question is always a bit more detached from the context. If you had to choose one kind of ice cream, which one would you choose?
I had the best self-made almond ice cream of my life here last week. But there are still many flavours I would like to try.
We thank Sebastian Niesar for the interview and the trust! |
| In each issue of ZFDinfo we present you latest facts, figures and data from GIZs CPS. |
|
|
| |
What is the CPS actually doing in ...? |
|
| |
| Bolivia: Exchange of experiences in the context of socio-environmental conflicts |
|
As part of the project "Culture, Peace and Conflict Transformation in the Northern Amazonian Region of Bolivia", the Civil Peace Service (CPS) Bolivia and Fundación Construir organised an exchange on socio-ecological conflicts, which was attended by speakers from four of the country's nine departments.
The CPS project, in cooperation with Fundación Construir, aims to lay the groundwork for dialogue, empower young people and women to become indigenous leaders, raise awareness about socio-environmental conflicts in the northern Amazon region of Bolivia and mobilise people. The project works with public administration staff, youth groups and indigenous groups, focusing on three target communities. For this, trainings, workshops, and study- and exchange opportunities are organised and offered. Last year, two exploratory research trips were conducted to create a context analysis at the beginning of the project. The exchange of experiences in the context of socio-ecological conflicts is thus considered an attractive kick-off with good publicity for this project in the Bolivian Amazon and was well received by the local population.
The Bolivian Amazon is a lowland region composed of territories from three departments: La Paz, Pando and Beni. The more than one million square metres that fall under the indigenous organisation of the CPILAP are characterised by a great biodiversity, exemplified by the Madidi National Park, the most biodiverse national park in the world. The area is also culturally very diverse and is traditionally inhabited by five indigenous peoples: Leco, Tacana, Esse Ejjas, Tsimane' and Moseten.
With the national government's new economic plan to boost economic development in the Amazon the region faces a conflict of interests between the conservation and protection of ecological and cultural wealth and the exploitation of goods such as gold, timber, or energy. BMZ Minister Svenja Schulze announced an investment of 200 million euros for the coming years and visited Bolivia in August this year. |
| |
| The expositors Climente Caimani (Asunción de Quiquibey), Zoila Ceballos (Chiquitania), Bertha de Antequera (Oruro) y Marcela Quispert (Zongo) advertise the exchange of experiences. |
|
Local people are on the other side of this exploitation of resources and see their livelihoods threatened. To face these large-scale projects, like gold mining, clearings of woodland or energy projects, in a more united and informed manner, and possibly reduce the hatred between the different parts of the country, an exchange of experiences on socio-ecological conflicts was organised in the community of San Buenaventura near Rurrenabaque with guests from Oruro, La Paz, Santa Cruz and a local speaker. This event was accompanied by a workshop the day before, which taught dialogue skills and an understanding of violence concepts, peace, and the culture of peace. |
| Building trust and getting to know each other through dynamics like the "spider web". As a side-effet of reflection, we talk about dialogical skills and group norms. |
|
|
The aim of the activity was to create a space for representatives of different indigenous nations to meet and strengthen the capacities of local actors in the field of non-violent conflict transformation by sharing experiences, insights, and perspectives. In this smaller, internal workshop, the focus was on trust building and training on issues that contribute to nonviolent conflict transformation.
During the second day of the workshop the four invited leaders shared their experiences in dealing with socio-ecological conflicts and possible agreements were discussed in small groups. Without any clear objectives, but with an emotional and fruitful discussion, many invitations were sent to the speakers from the interior and a combative atmosphere of hope was created among the locals, who asked to repeat this exchange next year in their own communities. |
| Nepal: Dealing with the Past Through Collective Healing and Storytelling |
|
A team of peace advisors of the GIZ’ CPS in Nepal with expertise in dealing with the past and psychosocial support organised workshops on managing the past and collective healing together with their partner organisations.
The workshops were conducted with members of autonomous support groups initiated by Kopila Nepal. Kopila Nepal, based in Pokhara, is an organisation dedicated to the protection of human rights and psychosocial well-being of children, women, and people with psychosocial problems. The main objective of the workshops was to use different creative approaches in working with traumas, enhancing resilience of the participants, and opening a space for dialogue and reflection of the past. Participants explored their inner strength, which helps to overcome obstacles and carry on during and after adverse situations that life presents. |
| |
| Group picture of the paricipants of the workshop on the topic of "Dealing with the past" |
|
Three different methodologies were used: working with the memory through senses and exploring their impact, narrative therapy approach to collect the stories, and expressive arts therapy to capture stories in different forms of creative expression.
Ms. Bina Kumari Silwal, the Executive Director of Kopila Nepal, shared her thoughts, impressions, and takeaways from the workshops:
"When I was talking with the workshop participants, most of them were very grateful for the time and the chance to participate. The workshop helped them to reflect on their past and the cycle of life. Personally, I felt it was a wonderful opportunity for the women, who work in the remote villages of western Nepal to address the issues affecting women and children. Their discoveries from the workshop can help them to treat their trauma and to take better care of themselves and their children. Citing the facilitators’ words and expertise emphasizes the importance of such work to continue."
Ms. Maria Fanlo Torrecilla, peace advisor and member of CPS’ Dealing-with-the-Past-team commented:
"Working with memory through artistic means can enable violence survivors to express their life experiences without words. It helps to connect, to create safe spaces and solidarity, and it can contribute to their healing processes. During the workshop, we went through different symbolic actions such as rituals with personal objects or a senses’ journey. We sensed different smells, touches, listened to different sounds which evoked memories of our life. Together we created a safe space to share our stories. These actions can have an enormous effect on survivors of violence as a form of acknowledgement and symbolic reparation."
Mr. Ramesh Adhikari, also a member of the Dealing-with-the-Past-team, who collected and wrote the stories using the narrative therapy approach added:
"The Narrative therapy approach is beneficial for the storyteller, because it can transform their past sufferings and help realize their strength and resilience, which they have always had within them. They used this strength and it helped them in times of hardship."
Regarding the expressive therapy approach, the experience is that the need for self-expression is as old as humanity itself, and it is in every one of us. The symbolic use of images of the past and the present, when words were not necessary or not enough, was a way for the participants to reflect, explore and learn about themselves. This journey has helped us to create a book, which is a collection of stories, senses, images, and memories. We would like to share it with you for your own reflection and as an inspiration. Our GIZ colleagues can find the PDF-Version here. We wish to conduct many more such workshops in the future.
Written by Karolina Anna Buszko, CPS Nepal |
|
| A Cambodian Perspective: Integration of Transitional Justice into education. |
On 22nd September the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) issued its final judgement on the last surviving leader of the Khmer Rouge regime. Between 1.5 and 2 million people were killed under the Khmer Rouge through a combination of mass executions, starvation, and labour camps during 1975-1979. The ECCC, formed in 1997, has led to three convictions of those most responsible or senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge. While the ECCC may have ended its judicial phase, a new residual phase focusing on disseminating the legacy of the court, especially in the field of education begins.
Sim Sorya is a Legal Officer with the ECCC and has worked with the court since its inception. He emphasizes that there is still work to be done and that it is more important than ever to integrate the lessons and challenges of the court process into education. During his early work he was often confronted with difficult questions from victims and survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime and made efforts to explain the complexity of the court’s mandate and its contribution to reconciliation in Cambodian society.
|
In 2006, at a public forum in Cambodia about the future Khmer Rouge trials (ECCC), a participant asked why only “senior leaders” and those “most responsible” for crimes would be prosecuted. Another responded: “that would be great because then those to be prosecuted by the tribunal were responsible [for crimes] and our neighbours wouldn’t point to each other anymore.” I imagined a father would be relieved to hear this, if he considered marrying off his child to his neighbour, a former Khmer Rouge cadre. He would want no stigma for his child.
This is one of the ways in which the complementarity of peace and justice reveals itself in everyday Cambodian life. People’s reflections on real life repeatedly show that limited justice has enabled peaceful co-existence. This simple aspect is the most important, but least discussed, contribution of the ECCC’s legal work.
However, a long road remains to maintaining sustainable peace. Why? The Khmer Rouge were a symptom, not the cause. Maintaining a peaceful society is a daily challenge, not a one-day job. Marginalized groups operated underground, educated supporters through manipulation, political violence, rote learning of guerrilla tactics and authoritarian management. The legacy of colonization, racial injustice, social inequality, and exclusion were the root causes of the problem. Thus, even though the country has rid itself of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia must ensure it is free of these root causes to prevent a future Khmer Rouge. Only by learning from past mistakes can this be achieved. Education must be a major contributor.
Post-1979, after the end of the murderous Khmer Rouge era, Cambodian education on the history of the Khmer Rouge has improved in terms of school lessons in high schools as well as, through arts, media, and literature. With the ECCC completing its work, the time is ripe for education to take the next step by focusing beyond the Khmer Rouge. Judges have determined who did what to whom and why. The record is set. Now is the time to address lessons learned such as reconciliation made possible by peace negotiations and the extent to which gender, youth engagement, justice for human rights violations, methodologies and approaches have played a role in the homegrown peacebuilding model. Cambodia has adopted all this against the challenge of crowded classrooms, rote learning, lack of facilities and qualified teachers. |
| Here you can see Sim Sorya (left), the author of the text. Thematic group discussions, ECCC Workshop on Victims GIZ CP SSAUP Regional Conference on Transitional Justice, Phnom Phen, 12th September 2022 |
|
|
The ECCC’s unique and successful model can be drawn upon in pedagogical contexts: sensitivity to conflict; critical, innovative, and comparative thinking; and inclusion of all stakeholders, from victims, students, and families, to teachers, academics, and wider cambodian and international communities. If it was possible in transitional justice, Cambodia can do it in higher education. The ECCC is in a position to bring communities and experts together to design educational materials and programs. But it cannot – and should not – do this alone. As a new partner to the GIZ CPS’ Southeast Asian University Partnership for Peace program, and together with the wider peacebuilding network in Cambodia, ECCC will work on the integration of the court’s legacy into the curriculum of higher education in Cambodia.
There is a popular saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” The ECCC is that child in a peaceful village of 16 million Cambodians. It is time for all of Cambodia’s brothers and sisters to come together to understand how this legacy was shaped and will continue to benefit their lives.
To read more about the ECCC and its most recent judgement visit: Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Written by Sim Sorya, Legal Officer ECCC, CPS SAUP |
|
|
|
| |
Further training possibilities |
|
| |
| ■ |
forumZFD - Akademie für Konflikttransformation |
|
|
| |
Reading, video and web hints |
|
| |
| ■ |
Podcast "Jetzt mal ganz friedlich"
Episode 22: Liberia |
| ■ |
CPS Library
In our CPS library you will find many exciting articles and files on the topics of the Civil Peace Service. |
|
|
| |
At this point we would like to draw your attention to interesting documents within the TOPIC PAGES. 54 subject- and 14 method-TOPIC PAGES bundle knowledge from all over IDA and beyond. In this issue we want to highlight the TOPIC Page regarding inclusion of disabled people.
“Inclusion of People with Disabilities”
The TOPIC page “Inclusion of People with Disabilities” aims to emphasise the relevance of inclusive services. To this end, it offers brochures and factsheets to implement, so people with disabilities are also included in international cooperation.
To the TOPIC „Inklusion von Menschen mit Behinderungen“ |
|
|
| |
| ■ |
VOLT
10th – 21st October 2022 |
| ■ |
RFT Jordan
30th October – 04th November 2022 |
| ■ |
Global PME Meeting
06th – 09th November 2022 |
| ■ |
CPS Preparation Course
14th November – 06th December 2022 |
|
|
| |
New in Bonn
Leonie Opelt joined the steering team in Bonn beginning of September and will be the interim communication and digitalisation expert until the end of the year. After finishing her joint-bachelor’s degree in Creative Media in Lüneburg and Hong Kong she started studying Business Information Systems at the Technical University Munich and developed a keen interest in the interdependence of modern media, technology and political or social developments. In her Bachelor thesis about community radios in Kenya she examined the possibilities of using traditional media development work in inaccessible areas with insufficient infrastructure. She already interned with the steering team last year and is very excited to be back and support GIZ’s CPS in projects to come.
|
Kerstin Langmantel is supporting the CPS team in Bonn as intern since September. She recently completed her Bachelor´s degree in Media and Communications in Passau and is now working in the communications area of the Civil Peace Service. During her time at university, she was an active member of an university group that concentrated on managing Public Relations for local companies and start-ups. Through her work in that department, she was able to gain some of her practical communications knowledge. In addition, she used to work as student assistant where she organized events.She is excited to do this in her internship as well. While working with the CPS, she is not only looking forward to deepening her knowledge in public relations, but also to gain more insight into the development cooperation, as well as peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
|
| Participants of the CPS Preparation Course in August 2022 together with their trainer Fanie (Stefan) Dutoit for “Dealing wih the past”. |
Amelie Bischoff (Rwanda), Sascha Böhme (Lebanon), Kia Hem (Cambodia), Rojgar Hussain (Iraq). Arne Kohls (Cambodia), Timo Leimeister (Cambodia), Ute Meinel (Jordan), Julian Rojo (Honduras), Heike Salvador (Honduras)
We are very happy to welcome our new colleagues and wish them much success! |
|
|
|
