Engaging with Victims and Perpetrators in Transitional ... - FriEnt

More documents

Recommendations

Info

FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportThey are trained in non-violent conflict resolution and transformation skills inorder to lobby for their own rights during peace time and to provide services totheir respective communities. Thus members of the ex-combatant associationwere involved in resolving violent incidents during the UNMOZ mandate or incarrying out sensitisation campaigns against violence and small arms circulation.The message the community receives that way from the ex-combatants is: wecare to preserve lives and to contribute in non-violent ways.As a result, levels of violence in most conflict areas in Mozambique havedecreased and the involvement of ex-combatants as peace promoters hasstrengthened their form of organising (regional fora with a focus on peacebuilding).Recommendations for practice• Continuous ascription of ex-combatants as perpetrators can lead to theexclusion of this group and the eruption of new violence. It is important toconsider that issues of “dealing with the past” not only arise betweenvictims and perpetrators but also between society and bystanders who letit happen.• Consider small initiatives that are genuine and would like to overcomeconcrete difficulties ex-combatants have to cope with in everyday life likereintegration or poverty. They may be a good starting point to involve excombatantsin peace initiatives.• The work on identity transformation should be in accordance with localculture and practices. “Cleansing rituals” might be important in thiscontext.• Ex-combatants should think about what they have done to civilian victimsand how they could deal with them in peace times. Where necessarybecause crimes are involved, they have to be brought to court andinvestigated.• It is important to identify the values behind the violence and atrocities andwork on a reformulation of values in a joint social process. This could bestarted in small groups of trust and later on in the wider community.5 . S t r a t e g i c O p t i o n s f o r D e v e l o p m e n ta n d P e a c e B u i l d i n g P r a c t i t i o n e r sAfter the wealth of examples and experiences presented on the first day, the lastpart of the workshop was dedicated to working groups where participants couldexplore more in depth some of the issues presented with a view to considerstrategic options for their work. From the presentations, discussions and theresults of the working groups, a number of issues can be identified that may beimportant to consider when strategic options in development and peace buildingwork are developed.16
FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Report5.1. Matters of contextSafety is priorityIn many situations which we have to deal with as development and peacebuilding organisations, we intervene in the midst of an ongoing conflict. However,the most important precondition for the process of recovery and healing is safety.At the beginning it is vital to create protected space and to provide a safe andinclusive environment.Safety, however, may also have symbolic rather than physical connotations: Todevelop and assure social space to tolerate different narratives of victimisationand responsibility.Political definitions of victims and perpetratorsEven where violence has been stopped those responsible might still be in poweror may have come to power. Thus the definitions of who are perpetrators andwho are victims may be strongly influenced by political connotations. These maystand in the way of a serious peace and justice process.ComplexityRare are cases where victim/perpetrator lines are clear-cut categories. In mostcases we have to deal with grey zones of victims – perpetrators – victors inchanging combinations and sequences. Other roles have to be considered likebystanders and onlookers.5.2. Elements for considerationVictim orientation implies perpetrator orientationIndependently of a victim or perpetrator focus, transitional justice mechanismsshould always take into consideration the other category.Identities/ TransformationTransformation from the perspective of victims means being able to live aproductive life without the fear of re-victimisation and the need to take revengeagainst perpetrators; from the perspective of perpetrators, it means being able tolive a productive life without the burden of guilt and the danger of becoming aperpetrator again.However, transformation might not be the aim in any case. Sometimes it is,rather, the adoption of new roles (e.g. ex-combatants who become involved innon-violent conflict resolution). Also, sometimes it is hard to find options toaddress in cases where a strong polarisation between victims and perpetratorsexists.Value orientationIdentity shifts may have been brought about by the conflict itself (from defenderof a just cause to a human rights violator; from guerrilla to liberator…).17
Page 1 and 2: Sylvia Servaes, Nicole BirtschEngag
Page 3 and 4: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportContents
Page 5 and 6: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Report2 . V i
Page 7 and 8: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Reportmay be l
Page 9 and 10: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Report• Tran
Page 11 and 12: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Reportpolitica
Page 13 and 14: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportAt the s
Page 15 and 16: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportSince 20
Page 17: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Reportand reim
Page 21 and 22: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop Report6 . A p
Page 23 and 24: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportAppendix
Page 25 and 26: FriEnt/KOFF Workshop ReportShe was

Engaging with Victims and Perpetrators in Transitional ... - FriEnt

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?