Tyngdpunktsförskjutning rapport (PDF) - Sveriges kristna råd

Demilitarizing minds, healing psyches and fostering reconciliation.
While addressing the practical needs is imperative for sustainable peace, transforming conflict-­‐impaired
relationships can require even more complex processes that enable people to reclaim their dignity and
foster empathy across conflict divides. This may involve parties fully acknowledging their responsibility for
abuses they committed and taking steps to address past and continuing injustices.
It also requires a shift in the attitudes that enabled and sustained the conflict; a shift from seeing the
‘other’ as enemy – implicitly questioning their membership in the human community – to perceiving them
as fellow human beings with whom one can, at a minimum, co-­‐exist. Although such transformation may not
be necessary to ensure a formal end to war, the failure to do so can mean that underlying conflict dynamics
remain unresolved, potentially creating the seeds for future discord.
While governments can – and should – take a leadership role in fostering reconciliation, this involves a
transformation of the ‘hearts and minds’ of those who have been touched by the conflict and, as such,
cannot be engineered. These changes can be triggered by the authentic initiatives of civil society actors,
who rely essentially on creativity to generate experiences that allow people to connect across divides and
to spark changes in perceptions. This often involves activating cultural traditions and spiritual resources
that touch upon the deepest sources meaning for those affected by conflict.
Civil society groups have often found ways of fostering truth-­‐telling processes and ensuring that the past is
not simply hidden behind a wall of denial. Initiatives can range from documentation projects and academic
studies, to theatre and other artistic and literary projects, to memorials and symbolic or ritual expressions
of grief, atonement and recognition of those who suffered. All these forms can provide access points that
enable people to remember and to engage with the past.
Disarmament, demobilization and re-­‐integration
Protracted armed conflict tends to militarize significant sections of the affected population. Societies are
often saturated with military weapons, as well as with soldiers -­‐ sometimes including large numbers of
children -­‐ whose lives have been shaped by the experience of fighting. A significant factor in the success or
failure of DDR processes is the degree to which they are inspired by and respond to the ideas and needs of
those involved. Prospects of success are enhanced if weapons collection programs are seen as promoting
the interests and needs of community members from which the fighting forces are drawn. Local civil
society actors can serve as a kind of lightening rod to elicit and implement appropriate and sustainable
strategies.
Transforming values and cultures: educating for peace.
Many CSOs aim to address sources of structural violence and to promote human security. Through
participation in political processes, policy dialogue, monitoring, advocacy campaigns, and protests they
help to make governments and state structures more responsive to the needs of their citizens. They can
also play important roles in helping to alleviate social tensions and conflict. They challenge racism,
xenophobia and discrimination and promote tolerance and a culture of peace.
Person-­‐focused methodologies, such as prejudice reduction workshops and inter-­‐faith dialogue, can
complement efforts to address discrimination through policy reform and structural change. Often these
initiatives are focused on youth, who may have greater capacities for change than older generations.
Summer camps, integrated schools, and exchange programs can all promote what has become known
as ‘next generation work’. People of all ages can be empowered to address conflicts from the grassroots
upwards. As their knowledge and skills grow, it should become entrenched in the mainstream
consciousness. One of the means of doing this
is through changing norms and supporting constructive responses to conflict by systematizing peace and
conflict resolution education.
Partnerships for peace
In sum, civil society initiatives are often the source for innovative responses to conflict. While civil society
as a whole is not necessarily a force for peace, the debates and initiatives cultivated by CSOs are often the
motor for it. Their contribution to the underlying transformation of conflict and building peace extends
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