Reconciliation in Conflict-Affected Communities: Practices and Insights from the Asia-Pacific

242 Pages·2018·2.97 MB·English

by  Bert Jenkins

Bert Jenkins 
D. B. Subedi
Kathy Jenkins E ditors
Reconciliation
in Conflict-
Affected
Communities
Practices and Insights from the Asia-
Pacific
fl
Reconciliation in Con ict-Affected Communities
Bert Jenkins D. B. Subedi
(cid:129)
Kathy Jenkins
Editors
Reconciliation
fl
in Con ict-Affected
Communities
fi
Practices and Insights from the Asia-Paci c
123
Editors
Bert Jenkins KathyJenkins
Peace Studies Schoolof Education
University of NewEngland University of NewEngland
Armidale, NSW Armidale, NSW
Australia Australia
D.B. Subedi
Peace Studies
University of NewEngland
Armidale, NSW
Australia
ISBN978-981-10-6798-3 ISBN978-981-10-6800-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6800-3
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017955252
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Preface
Reconciliationisanimportantcomponentofconflictresolutionandpeacebuilding.
It is related to the crucial elements of conflict transformation where dialogue
betweenthoseindividuals,groupsand/orentirenationsinvolvedinviolentconflict
is necessary to bring about peace and harmony through understanding of the core
reasons for conflict and disharmony. Such understanding should enable the pre-
ventionoffurtherconflict.However,beforesuchanoutcomeispossible,rebuilding
relationships between people is a prerequisite so as to enable meaningful dialogue
to lead to healing and even the challenging but desirable aspect of forgiveness,
thereby creating an environment in which peaceful coexistence is possible.
Unfortunately, peacebuilding as this set of conditions has been labelled is plagued
withissuesthathavelittletodowithliberalpeaceandmoretodowithstatebuilding
programs infused with neoliberalism, economic rationalism and obsession for a
particular brand of state apparatus.
Conversations we have had with recently completed Ph.D. students at UNE led
us to seek spaces where unadulterated peacebuilding free from a liberal peace that
had been neoliberalised might be found. Emerging from these conversations were
some good examples of genuine peacebuilding free from the encumbrances of
neoliberalism. This is where local, community-driven efforts were aimed at rec-
oncilingdifferencesfollowingviolentconflict,ontheverygroundwheretheeffects
of that violence were experienced. In looking for examples of local reconciliation
attempts,wedecidedonresearchprojectscarriedoutintheAsia-Pacificwhereour
core interests lie, with studies concentrating on locally relevant community
peacebuildingissuesandlessonstatebuildingorinternationalconflict.Allthecase
studiesweselectedforthebookarebasedonfieldresearch,andthisinitselfmakes
this a unique book and worthy endeavour.
Afterawarendsorevenwhileanarmedconflictisstillongoing,itisdesirableto
bring about changes to relationships that will translate into peaceful futures or less
violence. This is about creating a culture of peace. This requires facilitation of
dialogue to address reconciliation, which does not necessarily require formal
involvementofthestateorinternationalactors.Manyofsuchreconciliationefforts
aregrassroots communityinitiativesthat setouttodealwith conflictandviolence
v
vi Preface
locally among the people affected directly. From the perspective of peacebuilding,
which gets hijacked by agendas for statebuilding so often, reconciliation involves
far less of these kinds of interventions which set out to develop a certain kind of
state that is acceptable to the global elite while sadly overlooking the community
levelwherepeoplereallyneedtoreconcileinordertomoveonwiththeirlivesafter
violent conflict. Indeed, many reconciliation initiatives are community efforts to
bring about healing and a normalcy of relationships in everyday interactions
between people and are largely independent of statebuilding agendas, although
contributing in significant ways to building a harmonious society after violent
conflict has ceased. Apart from community input, these reconciliation initiatives
could gain support from the UN and other international actors, aid organisations,
civil society groups as well as the state. However, through these supporting roles,
theseplayershavetobecarefulnottointerfereinortrytocontrollocallydynamic
effortstobringaboutpeacethroughpsychosocialhealing.Thebookexploresmany
of these issues and unpacks some of the contradictions surrounding reconciliation
as a means of building peace following armed violence in the Asia-Pacific.
Armidale, NSW, Australia Bert Jenkins
August 2017 D. B. Subedi
Kathy Jenkins
Contents
1 Introduction: Reconciliation—A Transformatory Process Across
Culture and Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Kathy Jenkins, D. B. Subedi and Bert Jenkins
2 Victims and Perpetrators in Cambodia: Communities Moving
Towards Reconciliation on a Rocky Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Laura McGrew
3 The Nexus Between Reintegration of Ex-combatants
and Reconciliation in Nepal: A Social Capital Approach . . . . . . . . 41
D. B. Subedi and Bert Jenkins
4 Building National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace in the
Solomon Islands: The Missing Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Louise Vella and Jack Maebuta
5 Truth and Reconciliation in Timor-Leste: Reflections
Ten Years on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Paddy Tobias
6 Sri Lanka’s Developmental Path to Reconciliation: Narratives
and Counter-Narratives from the Margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
D. B. Subedi and Frances Bulathsinghala
7 The Spatial Dimensions of Conflict: Initiating the Process
of Reconciliation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
of Pakistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Saira Bano Orakzai
8 Transcending Conflicts, Transforming Relations: Finding Peace
in India’s Northeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Uddipana Goswami
vii
viii Contents
9 Religious Leadership and the Forging of an Enduring Narrative
of Peace in the Aftermath of the Bougainville Crisis. . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Scott Fisher
10 MovingTowardsAmicability:AnInsiderPeacebuildingPlatform
as a Means to Reconciliation in the Patani Conflict in the Deep
South of Thailand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Nansiri Iamsuk
11 Reconciliation in Australia? Dreaming Beyond the Cult
of Forgetfulness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Julie Collins and Warlpa Kutjika Thompson
12 Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific: A Concluding Review
of Ten Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Bert Jenkins, Kathy Jenkins and D. B. Subedi
Index .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 235
Editors and Contributors
About the Editors
BertJenkins isaSeniorLecturerinPeaceStudiesatUNE,intheSchoolofHumanities where
hewasconvenorofdisciplinefrom2008to2015.BerthasaPh.D.fromUNEandB.Sc.honours
degree from Griffith University, Brisbane. He has a background in environmental studies, eco-
logical restoration and peace education. His research interests include environmental peace,
spiritual ecology and subtropical forest gardening. His research has focused on environmental,
developmentandpeaceissuesontheislandofBougainvilleinPapuaNewGuinea.
D.B.Subedi hasPh.D.inPeaceStudiesfromUniversityofNewEngland(UNE),Australia.
HeisanAdjunctLecturerinPeaceStudiesdisciplineatUNE.Hisresearchinterestsinclude
peacebuilding and conflict transformation; post-conflict recovery; disarmament, demobilisa-
tion and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR), post-conflict reconciliation;
conflict, security and development; and peacebuilding approach to de-radicalisation and
countering violent extremism (CVE). His research focuses on South and Southeast Asia,
especially Nepal,SriLanka,Bangladeshand Myanmar.
KathyJenkins isaSeniorLecturerinandTeamLeaderoftheLearningandTeachingTeam,
SchoolofEducation,UniversityofNewEngland.Shewasapracticingteacherpriortothisinboth
Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, and spends her time teaching and researching in
order to link theory to effective practice in education. Kathy has also researched in the area of
EnvironmentalEducationandPeaceEducation,whichamongotheradjectivaleducations(Human
RightsEducation)arecloselylinkedtoeachother.Duringthistime,Kathyhaspublishedabout
howcooperativelearningprovidesasoundtheoreticalandeffectivepracticalbasisforthefacili-
tationofPeaceEducation,aswellashasworkedonthedevelopmentofthe‘PeaceCurriculumfor
Bougainville’, the direct result of a lengthy dialogic processes in the post-conflict society of
Bougainville.
Contributors
Frances Bulathsinghala Stratford Avenue, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Julie Collins University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Scott Fisher Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Hawai, USA
ix
x EditorsandContributors
Uddipana Goswami University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Nansiri Iamsuk Bangkok, Thailand
Bert Jenkins University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Kathy Jenkins University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Jack Maebuta University of the South Pacific, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Laura McGrew Bolton Landing, NY, USA
Saira Bano Orakzai Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations,
Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
D. B. Subedi University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Warlpa Kutjika Thompson Mutawintji Land Council, Wilcannia, NSW,
Australia
Paddy Tobias University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
Louise Vella Sawtell, Australia