Transcript THE NEW SUDAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (NSCC) PEOPLE …

THE NEW SUDAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
(NSCC) PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE PEACE AND
RECONCILIATION PROCESS
A RENAISSENCE OF TRADITIONAL
AFRICAN CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION
IN THE SUDAN
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
• During last decades, the field of peace building has become
more and more important. While traditional diplomacy used to
be the most important approach to mediate between conflicting
parties to end wars and conflicts, in the last decade we could
see a tremendous increase of peace building activities by no
non-governmental organizations and actors. The New Sudan
Council of Churches (NSCC) is one of these organizations that
have been working in peace building since a long time,
applying traditional approaches and strategies.
• Conflict is part of social life in traditional as well as in modern
societies. Through conflicts we express different interests.
When dealt with in constructive way, conflict can lead to
positive developments both for individuals and the society as a
whole. Thus, conflict as such is not a problem. However, when
a conflict is dealt with in destructive manner, it can lead to
violence.
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
CONT.
• Therefore the aim of conflict transformation in peace building is
not to avoid conflict as such but to avoid having conflicts turn
into violence. Conflict can be either good or bad like fire, it
depends the way one manages it.
• Conflict is at every level of human life whether personal,
domestic, communal or at other levels.
• The overall aim of peace building is to prevent violent conflicts
into peaceful actions. The methodologies and concepts can be
adapted in any situation or context for better use for one
purpose of peace making and building whether for religious or
secular purposes.
• The world is full of violence and it needs attention of everyone
to be involved in peacemaking for a better society. The Church
should be in fore front as charge with ministry of reconciliation
and peacemaking
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
CONT.
• The protracted conflict in Sudan, now in its final phase,
has deeply divided the peoples of Sudan along cultural,
religious and ethnic lines. The conflict has especially
victimized the people of the south and marginalised areas
of Sudan. Constant military raids, helicopter gunship
assaults and aerial bombardments have devastated,
anguished and dispirited many ethnic communities who
erstwhile were living as one large family unit.
• The present humanitarian crisis in Darfur attests the
gravity of afflictions that the Sudanese people are going
through. In addition, the prevalence of intra and interethnic raids all made more vicious by the proliferation of
illicit Small Arms and Light weapons within and across
borders of Sudan, have immensely destroyed and
destabilized the harmony, security, health and traditions of
the communities.
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
CONT.
• More than two million persons have been killed by the
war and over four million displaced and disenfranchised,
victims of gross human rights abuses. As a result,
individuals and the entire communities are alienated,
traumatized, vengeful and fighting amongst themselves.
The situation is made worse by the struggle for control of
the oil fields in Southern Sudan.
CONFLICT DESCRIPTION
(CASE STUDY OF UPPER NILE)
• The Upper Nile Region has a unique and complex history which
is reflected in its continuing instability and fragmentation during
the course of this civil war. The insurgency that eventually
triggered the renewal of full-scale civil war in Sudan in 1983
began many years earlier with the emergence of Anyanya II
secessionist forces in 1975 in Akobo, eastern Upper Nile.
These Anyanya II forces, led by Akot Atem and Samuel Gai Tut,
had rejected the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972 which ended
the first Sudanese civil war (1955-1972). They continued to
struggle for the full political independence for the Southern
Sudan, but at low level. By the early 1980s, they had attracted
a significant number of southern Sudanese followers and had
begun to make intermittent raids on government locations and
garrisons.
CONFLICT DESCRIPTION
(CASE STUDY OF UPPER NILE) cont.
• However, it was the GoS’ move to abrogate unilaterally the
Addis Ababa Agreement in 1983, by ordering the transfer of
southern soldiers to the North that ignited wider
confrontations. A mutiny of southern troops in Bor and Ayod
during May and June 1983 ultimately led to the defection of
Col. John Garang, Major Keribino Kuanyin Bol and other
senior southern Sudanese officers from the Sudan Army. A
major influx of southern forces and civilians into the
Anyanya II camps previously established inside Ethiopia
ensued. This influx of new forces, many carrying high ranks
within the Sudan Army, necessitated a fusion and
reorganization of Anyanya II and Bor/Ayod forces. A power
struggled erupted, putting the forces of Akot Atem and Gai
Tut against those of John Garang and Keribino Kuanyin Bol.
CONFLICT DESCRIPTION
(CASE STUDY OF UPPER NILE) cont.
• The Anyanya II forces become disintegrated after the death of
Akot Atem and Samuel Gai Tut. Many went and joined GoS
forces but others remained within SPLA ranks and file. These
events, among other incidences sawed seeds of instability in
Upper Nile Region. In summary, lack of unity of vision for
prosecution of the war and use of ethnic differences within
southern fighters fuelled major differences.
• Upper Nile has always been the main battleground for the
northern front. The fact that it has oil, it became a fertile ground
for greater split as the GOS exploits such differences to a
maximum degree. Because of lack of central authority (neither
from SPLA nor GOS), leaves little room the non-military
attempts to resolve issues and local problems.
NSCC INTERVENTION/INVOLVEMENT
• Peacemaking became NSCC’s priority, particularly from
1995, because of the church’s deep religious
commitment to justice and peace, and out of the
realization that there can be no solution to the many
problems in Sudan until there is peace. It also believes
that there is no conflict whether latent or violent is small
enough to be ignored.
• NSCC has taken a leading role in facilitating peace and
reconciliation at grassroots and community levels with an
innovative approach, which is referred to as the Peopleto-People Peace Process, following unsuccessful
attempts to reconcile Southern leaders after the split of
1991.
NSCC INTERVENTION/INVOLVEMENT cont.
• Landmark events in the People-to-People Peace
Process that have been organised and facilitated by
the NSCC in Southern Sudan include:
– SPLM/A and NSCC Dialogue (1997);
– Traditional Leaders Meeting, Lokichoggio (1998);
– Wunlit Peace Conference (1999);
– Waat Peace Conference (1999);
– Yirol West Bank Peace Council (1999);
– Liliir Peace Conference (2000);
– Wulu Strategic Linkages Conference (2000);
NSCC INTERVENTION/INVOLVEMENT cont.
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Ganyiel West Bank Peace Council (2001);
Kisumu Strategic Linkage II (2001);
Chukudum Meetings (2000 – 02),
Wunlit II peace conference (2003),
All Upper Nile Nuer peace conference (2004)
and other follow up peace meetings such as peace
councils, peace monitoring and regional peace
meetings.
• These events have fundamentally contributed to the
renaissance of peace values such as restorative justice,
reconciliation, forgiveness and spirit of ethnic coexistence in southern Sudan.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation
• People –to- People peace making initiative draws upon
traditional, modern and Christian values, principles and
approaches for applications of peacemaking in southern Sudan.
It is a unique process that synthesizes modern, Christian and
traditional techniques of conflict resolution to manage tensions
and ethnic conflicts that ravage communities in Southern
Sudan. All these sources provide an innovative synergy that is
essential in the application, understanding and interpretation of
People-to-People Peacemaking processes and methods
• Notwithstanding, many peace approaches exist in conflict
management realm. Such approaches include shuttle
diplomacy, problem solving workshops, Christian conciliation,
negotiation, mediation, arbitration, litigation and court system
which follow particular western procedures and systems that
require a small elite group of representatives to articulate the
problem on behalf of the aggrieved parties in the presence of a
mutually agreed third party.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• Along ago, many traditional reconciliation systems were
defined of unique and complex features that contrasted
with People - to -People Peace making process.
Peacemaking through traditional approaches called for
the recognition of social relationships and leadership as
sole instruments for lasting peace. The success of these
approaches relied on the level of confidence and trust
that were vested upon key institutions such as council of
elders and spiritual leaders who were believed to be
custodians of communal wisdom necessary for
peacemaking. Peacemaking approaches such as
gathering for peace, story telling and signing of peace
agreements were informal and enriched with proverbs
and riddles.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• In the recent times, NSCC together with communities in
south Sudan have initiated a people based conflict
resolution, People - to – People. Peacemaking process
that uses traditional techniques of conflict resolution. The
facilitative component of People - to - People
Peacemaking process that was apparently lacking in the
past traditional conflict management system is a major
paradigm shift in analyzing modern ethno national
conflicts whose dynamics are shaped with cultural
practices and norms.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• People -to -People peace making process gives people
affected by the conflict an opportunity to articulate their
concerns in the presence of a facilitator who guides them to a
mutually agreed outcome that would restore and rebuild the
broken relationships. On the other hand the traditional conflict
transformation systems did not approve of the sending of
convicted law breakers to jail or putting them to death. This
approach is analogous with the People - to -People
Peacemaking process, which similarly does not sentence
offenders to death, but accords them space for introspection
and self-analysis that heralds willingness of offenders to
embrace reformation measures such as compensation, fines
and exclusion from the community until one is cleansed from
the wrong done. These penalties were meted in offences such
as murder, theft, elopement and disobedience to traditional
laws.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• The similarity between the old traditional system and People to - People Peacemaking process is that in both approaches,
people are deeply engrossed in religious and superstitious and
in almost all cases comply with decisions of the traditional
courts.
• In the traditional reconciliation system what the spiritual leaders
such as kings, elders, prophets, who sat in judgment over
people said was believed to be the wish of God and no one
dared challenging it. Presently the People -to -People peace
making operates under the same principles. After reaching
agreements and signing peace resolutions and covenants,
communities or individual persons who grossly violate the
verdict of council of elders and spiritual leaders risk expulsion
and ostracization. This practice is very common among all the
communities of south Sudan.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• Today, the situation has been compromised by the availability of
western methods of coercion, imprisonment and execution,
which have been adopted by the national government and
introduced to traditional societies. It is these approaches that
have immensely contributed to the severe breakdown of
traditional values that long ago held traditional community
together. The coercive approaches seek to punish the convicts
without reforming them, which in the long- term builds into
vengeance and hatred, which perpetuates inter ethnic tensions
and fights.
• In Christianity, for example, confession leads one to recognize
that Christ is the leader of his/her life. The act of confession and
forgiveness reunites the sinner with Christ and God and joins
him/her with a community of believers. In People-to-People
Peace process, confession and forgiveness restores and unites
the community member with the community and with God.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• Assisting people in conflict to learn new ways of seeing
themselves and their adversaries and invent new ways of
coexisting comprises pedagogies that engage people through
multiple ways of learning. A ritual environment created for
people in conflict enables them learn to empathize with the
worldview of the other through the involvement of their entire
bodies and all their senses and emotions as opposed to
western notions of conflict resolution that involve solely rational,
verbal modes.
• Activities that encourage people to interact physically and
emotionally with each other and to act out in new ways of being
with each other can facilitate a shift in perception. This could
include activities such as problem solving games, singing,
dancing, sniffing tobacco, eating, going fishing or cooking with
each other.
People-to-People Peace Process as
Instrument of Conflict Transformation cont.
• People-to-People Peacemaking takes advantage of
similarities to innovate and integrate features from
traditional, Christian and modern approaches of
peacemaking built on each other through integrating
same values and principles of peacemaking, which
fundamentally makes it a useful methodology for conflict
resolution.
REALIZED OUTCOME/SUCCESSES

Establishment of peace constituencies in Southern Sudan; Presently
there are many committed individuals and civil groups who are articulating
the significance of social harmony and peaceful coexistence among
various and diverse communities in southern Sudan. This is being done at
grassroots, national, regional and international levels thus creating more
voices for peace.
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Increased awareness of peace as key to a better future and
transformation of conflict values to peace values; the in-depth
retrospection of "other" communities as "us" has significantly contributed
to the peaceful integration of the "other" into the "us" community through
inter and intra-ethnic grassroots dialogues initiated within and between
communities. The violent intra and inter ethnic conflicts that have
decimated the social, economic and cultural foundation of south
Sudanese communities have been transformed into lenses for mapping
out opportunities for peace. Indeed communities that erstwhile were
hostile to each other have realised that peaceful coexistence promotes the
establishment of stable means of livelihoods that creates hope for better
future where the economic, political, social and cultural contribution of
south Sudan citizenry is valued and treasured.
REALIZED OUTCOME/SUCCESSES cont.
•
Advocacy for recognition of traditional conflict resolution
systems; the resuscitation of extinct African tradition conflict
resolution structures represents a tremendous recognition
and role of African traditional peace values and tradition. The
Wunlit peace agreement signifies a best practice of African
conflict resolution process with clear steps and principles.
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Development of Synthesis of and Synergy for traditional,
modern and Christian methodologies of peacemaking;
The exclusive application of mono conflict resolution methods
has immensely resulted to the collapse of many peace
processes in the world. The People-to-people peacemaking is
a unique mosaic of Christian, traditional and modern
approaches of conflict resolution patterned to reinforce the
gradual process of ethnic reconciliation. This is done in
cognisant that, amidst true reconciliation there is a restoration
of symbolic justice dispensed in acceptance of guilt and
willingness to pay the debt of injustices.
REALIZED OUTCOME/SUCCESSES cont.
•
Promotion and building of local and international partnerships for
justice and lasting peace in Sudan; Collaboration and building of
networks through sharing best practices and lessons learnt about
People-to-people is the basis on which NSCC promotes cooperation
with organizations and governments that have shown commitment and
willingness to facilitate the halt of protracted civil war in Sudan. Over the
years the NSCC has established good working relationships with church
and inter faith based civil organizations in an effort to upscale and
articulate the human dignity of the Sudanese peoples.
•
Development of People to people peace making process as a
systematic process and foundation for peace making in Southern
Sudan; Appropriate and sound systems have been designed by
grassroots people of southern Sudan in consultation and facilitation of
the NSCC. Indeed there are four major systematic steps that define how
best People-to-people can be implemented and practiced in an active
violent conflict. The same steps can also be replicated in conflict
situations that manifest latent conflicts e.g. conflict prevention and early
warning systems. The four generic steps include Awareness,
Mobilisation, Activation and Peace consolidation. These four steps build
on each previous step and can be subsequently adapted in other
conflict situations.
REALIZED OUTCOME/SUCCESSES cont.
• Initiation of the desire of other peace stakeholders to
emulate the people –to-people peacemaking
process; The number of NGOs and faith-based
organizations that have integrated principles and
concepts of People-to-people are spiraling day by day.
Indeed some international organizations have put it as a
matter of policy to integrate grassroots conflict sensitivity
as a pre condition for qualifying for aid. This desire has
come about as a result of the good stories around
People-to-people for instance Wunlit peace initiative held
between Nuer and Dinka communities in 1999.
CHALLENGES/FAILURES
Enormous challenges have often threatened the social and cultural stability of
southern Sudanese peoples resulting to wanton losses of life and destruction of
private and communal property. Among the setbacks that derail the grassroots
peace processes include;
• The availability and proliferation of small arms and light weapons
exacerbates escalation of insecurity and ethnic tensions within and
between communities. At least every homestead in southern Sudan owns
a firearm. With increasing insecurity and lack of government protection,
many families have opted to provide themselves security by owning guns.
Some of the guns are used to commit heinous crimes such as murder and
abductions.
•
Interference and intransigence of the Government of Sudan, which has
been a key, factor in stirring and perpetuating conflicts in southern Sudan is
still a factor in the broader social, economic and political context, which must
be overcome for genuine peace to be realized. The present Darfur
humanitarian crisis where 1 million people have been displaced represents
one of the worst forms of social and economic order "interference and
belligerence" orchestrated and perpetuated by legitimate government
against its own citizenry.
CHALLENGES/FAILURES cont.
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Incessant inter and intra ethnic conflicts within and
between pastoralists, agro based and agro-pastoralists
communities in some regions of Sudan i.e. the Moru
and Dinka Bor IDPS, Apak-Agar conflicts imbue hatred
and tension which is against the spirit of people-topeople peace process of peace and reconciliation.
These conflict patterns result from deep-rooted cultural
practices such as cattle raids, revenge raids and
competition over natural resources such as grazing
land, watering points, fishing grounds.
CONCLUSION
Promoting systems that develops and nurtures a peace culture
that crosscuts the diverse heritage of Sudanese peoples calls for
patience. Indeed people-to-people peace process is a gradual
process that builds on one step to another. Therefore it is a
process that has the potential to bring order to societies and
cultures that are in conflict through;
• Consolidation and sustainability of all peace initiatives into
tangible social and economic results that would contribute to
uplifting living standards of the people. The establishment of life
support systems such as commerce, agriculture, education,
security and provision of health facilities is paramount and
significant for a lasting peace management.
• Dissemination of best practices of people-to-people peace
process so as it can be replicated to other communities in south
Sudan would lead to the promotion of a peace culture and
reconciliation among south Sudan communities.
CONCLUSION cont.
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NSCC would continue to organise and facilitate more
people-to-people peace conferences and workshops so
as to avert simmering ethnic tensions among various
ethnic groups in southern Sudan
Advocacy and lobbying for the cessation of human rights
abuses and other forms of oppression committed
against the Sudanese people must be up scaled in order
to inform the national, regional and international
communities on grassroots peace processes and
violations of peace agreements.
Formation of community supported peace structures to
monitor and implement peace agreements offer
excellent opportunities for the affected communities to
consolidate their own peace initiatives.
Provision of civic education and training on conflict
transformation skills would be valuable tools for
internalizing peace values and concepts in the minds
and hearts of the larger southern communities.
GROUP QUESTION
•
What is the parallelism between African traditional
peacemaking approaches and Christian approaches
and how does this parallelism address the issue of
restorative justice in post war societies like the Sudan?