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Peace -

signs along the road

Enver Djuliman

Norwegian Helsinki Committ

www.nhc.no

Content

• Reconcilation, Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice - Clarification of terms.

• Demands of peacebuilding

• Peacebuilding at various levels

• Carriers of reconicilation

• Exempls from West Balkan and South Caucasus2

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Intruduction

• It is said that a war has its past, its present and its future

• A man can get out of a war, but the war never comes out of man

• War continues his own life after they have taken part in it is dead.

A war is a result of forgetting what happened in the past. Srebrenica happened because we/Europe

forgot Holocaust.

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When end a war

• During the siege of Sarajevo, in April 1992, an old man named Cedo, armed to his teeth, is approaching the Serb positions. Serb soldiers throw a question at him: ”What are you doing here, old man?” ”I came to fight” – the old man replies. ”Go home old man, we’ll take care of this!” – soldiers say dismissingly with a big grin on their face. ”Are you nuts?!” I had waited for this for fifty years, and now you tell me to og home!” – the old man protests.

• Why did Cedo wait? Was it possible to do something for him and many others to make them leave the World War II behind them and break the chain of continuous revenge instead of living in anticipation of new conflicts?

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Reconicilation

• It is a choice that parties to the conflict take

• An answer to society and individual's needs in order to proceed the life

• This means that they can agree on common values, as a basis for community and a new life together

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Peacebuilding

• Peacebuilding is the process of creating self-supporting structures that “remove causes of wars and offer alternatives to war in situations where wars might occur.” Conflict resolution mechanisms “should be built into the structure and be present there as a reservoir for the system itself to draw upon, just as a healthy body has the ability to generate its own antibodies. J.G.

• Peacebuilding requires values, goals, commitment to human rights and needs.

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Transitional Justice is

• a set of judicial and non-judicial measures that have been implemented by different countries in order to redress the legacies of massive human rights abuses. These measures include criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations programs, and various kinds of institutional reforms.

ICTY.

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Transitional Justice

• Transitional justice is not a ‘special’ kind of justice, but an approach to achieving justice in times of transition from conflict. Aim is to achieve accountability and redressing victims, provide recognition of the rights of victims, and promotes civic trust and strengthens the rule of law.

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Reconciliation

• To early?• For wich period? • Who formed the process?• Wich way?

• Who are carrier of reconciliation? • Who are opponents• Is it posible?

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Norway stil reconcilies.

•Arcitect story •The Norwegian soldiers in SS were never investigated for what they individually might have done at the Eastern Front.•Hamsun

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Demands of reconicilation

1. Determination to reconcilation and accept of the idea of necessity of co-existence

2. Balance between sides in conflict that enables them to act as equal partners both in negotiations and in reconciliation process itself

3. Agreement on the definition of reconciliation (a stolen bike)

4. Mutual understanding of each other's needs

5. Structural changes, a new value system and culture of peace

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The future and the need of reconcilation

Movie ”The Defiant Ones” Starring Sidney Poitier. Two prisoners, a white and a black man, have escaped from prison. They are chained and handcuffed to one another. While running away they fall into a pit with smooth walls, just like the ones we have. One prisoner manages to climb to the top of the pit, but he cannot get out because the other is laying at the bottom of a pit. The only way for them to get out of the pit and survive is to climb together.

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Demands of reconcilation

6. Changing the conflict ethos.Individual people's beliefs contribute to the shaped reality in conflict divided societies. Tese consist of: perceptions, attitudes, motivations and behavior of society membersReconciliation requires the psychological changes - the transition to the beliefs and attitudes that support peace and demand establishiing of new goals and new affiliations releted to these goals.

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Demands of reconcilaton

7. Agreeing what truth is ... Concept

8. Truth, acknowledgment, awareness, acceptance, justice

9. See the historical context of conflict and stood a "common context

10. Positive cavity and new positive experiences

11. Deconstruction of collective

12. Re-humanisation of "the others".

13. Trust

14. A specific type of knowledge.15

Reconcilation

on different plan

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Reconcilation on the political plan

- Identifying sources for the conflict

- Give up the political project or part of it

- Legal proceedings- Lustration- Other

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Reconcilation on social level

Transition from political system dictatorship/war/ •History•Culture•Education•Language•Sports•Economy

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PastRegime of truth.

The culture of lies- The terror by oblivion (forgetting)- The terror by memory- In the former Yugoslavia, you cannot talk about

yourself without touching the subject of History.

- Past is not over as long as we remmember.

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Terror by memoryTerror by memory is also a war-time strategy, which erects barriers and creates differences. We are different from THEM (Serbs). OUR history, religion, tradition and language is different from THEIRS. In a war-time version this structure, which is seated deep in the Croatian public opinion, is used in the following way: We are different from them (Serbs) because we are better, which is proved by our history , WE always build while THEY only destroy since the time immemorial ; WE are the European Catholic culture while THEY are nothing but illeterate Orthodox barbarians. Following this transformation of truths into lies and lies into truths, citizens will support those who are in majority.

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Terror of oblivion• The country in which they have lived for years suddenly is no longer

theirs. Citizens will have to forget about their past lives in order to make room for a new life.They will adapt,conform, acquire some things and renounce others in order to survive, and to provide for the survival of their children – so that space is freed on some ”higher” state level for the NEW ( this time, truly new) BRIGHT (this time, truly bright!) FUTURE (this time, true future!)

• ”Terror by memory” has it’s parallel process in ”terror by oblivion”. Both processes serve to build a new distorts, resketches and falsifies historical authenticity. Thus, the most recent history textbooks for elementary schools replace former heroization and fetishism of Tito with fetishism of the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman who is described as the ”architect of Croatian defense”, ”great Croatian statesman” and ”Croatian man for all times”.

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Reconciliation on the individual level

• Both abuser, the victim and society needs reconciliation

• Who is your enimy• Experiences of; Betrayal. Dehumanising. Loss.

(the story of two mothers). Guilt. Pointless. Emptinens.

• Memories – What do we do with them?• Reconciliation with oneself• Reconciliation with the new reality and the new

identity.

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Adisa, a refugee from Bosnia, once said to me:

• ”How can one explain something that is inexplicable or irrational? There are many things that one cannot explain or control, or do anything with it. It’s beyond me. It’s a difficult question. It’s healthy to cry… Over and over again. I have to talk about everything that ails me. I have to get it out. It’s important to be able to cry. As I mature I find it easier to cry. I couldn’t cry before regardless of how sad a thing might have been. Now, one text or one song is enought to stir it. It lays within and it can attack me whenever it wants!” Another refugee from Bosnia said: If I start talking about ”it”, I will live through it again. Even nowadays, a few years after, ”it” is sending signals in the form of nightmares. It is a burden one has to carry in all spheres of one’s life.”

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Traume

• Many are ashamed because of what they were exposed to. "I can not go back there and once again live with them when I think about what they did to me, for I am ashamed that," said an acquaintance. People were made to the hard hearted. The result is that victims must live on one or the other way with the many traumas whole life. These are perceived not only as life events, but as something that defines life, which forms the further life.

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Reconciliation with oneself

• Significant relationships in existence changes - relationships with oneself, one's body, to other people, to life, to the future and to society.To deal with this later and regain a belief that something of this can be restored, involves an extensive process that requires adjustment and processing of the individual.

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Reconciliation with the new reality

• You are not from here?

• She does not know the about my river!

• New names of cities and streetsDestruction of cultural memories

• Exclusion from the cultural community.

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Life after:

Ardita, a 20 year old refugee from

Kosovo, said by her arrival in Norway in march 1999 the following:

• ”I will never trust Serbs and I will teach my children to never trust them. That way it will continue through generations”.

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• Who are your enemy-ies?

• This reconciliation. If the meansthat this being is human again,if it gives us back our ownhuman dignity, then I accept it

• What do I get out of reconciliation?28

Some storyes from the war.

- Indifference

- The traffic of war

- Nothing is like a pair of soldier boots

- Losing ones voice

- Next time we come

- An afternoon of ”ethnical cleansing”

- About my father

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Dilemmas

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Guilt• An unavoidable question• Harmonization of guilt• Relativization of guilt• Denial.• Who is here to blame? • Individual/colectiv guilt• Jasper’s perception of guilt- Criminal guilt- Political guilt- Moral guilt- Metaphysical guilt

- How can we draw a line between common responsibility and common

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De-nacification and de-collectivisation of guilt

• National elites try to densificate guilt: But:

• Atrocities occurred to those who belong to another ethnic group

• War crimes were done on behalf of their own ethnic group

• Individuals are product of comunity

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Denial

We’ve all read the same books, listened to the same music, played the same games.

- Didn’t they see what I saw?- Didn’t they care?

- Did they think it wasn’t wrong?• Denial: Complete denial, discreditation (?) of

those who ask questions, change of meaning of terms, relativisation, justifying.

• Accept?

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Truth

- The culture of truth

- A developing culture which will explain history- -------

1. Denial

2. Acknowledgement

3. Research

4. Awareness/Consciousness

5. Accepting ones guilt

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Justice• Delay of legal proceedings may delay or even prevent

restoration of trust.• To abstain from justice in the name of reconciliation has

been proved to give no result. It leads to equalizing of guilt.

• Without legal proceedings the perception of justice might change.

• Facing the past creates space in the society where trust and reconciliation is possible.

• Legal proceedings are not cases that only concern the victim and the criminals, they are vital for the entire society and will become a part of a common history.

• Reconciliation or justice?• Diferent types of justce.

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• If only it were that simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

Alexander Solsjenitsyn

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The international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in Hague

Advantages- Reveal the actual truth- Qualifies crimes - Results can found basis for common

understanding of what has happened.

Disadvantages- Covers mainly the juridical part - Limited number of cases

- Understod as political and unjust- Far from those who were involved in the conflict

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National Court

• Lack support• Lack co-operation between states. (Extradition

problems - Bosnia-Croatia-Serbia)

• Lack of trust • Lack of resources• But yet there is progress

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The international legal proceedings weaken

Authorities in different countries on Balkan use:• USA and ICC- Law about court- Bilateral agreements • International alliance in war in Iraq an Afganistan • Use of torture in war against terror

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War criminals

• Lustration• They still rule in the political life.

• Idealized as heroes• They and their families receive economical

support• Reside in wealthy countries

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Special half day tour- Radovan Karadjic

Departure from Belgrade city center – Nikola Pasic Square. Arrival at New Belgrade, where last Radovan Karadzic residence was – Block 45 and Jurija Gagarina St. First, we will follow Karadzic morning and go to the bakery shop for a breakfast - home made potato pie, which was his favorite morning meal, since he was well known by eating mostly ascetic food. Of course, morning is a right time to check daily news and after crossing a street from bakery shop, we will say good morning to the local kiosk and buy some newspaper. By walking through the park, we will visit grocery shop where Karadzic was favorite customer. After a short break in a park, checking newspaper and chat with his neighbors, maybe with one cold beer on foot, we will end up on front of the building where he used to live as well as bus station of 73 city bus line and take some photos for a memory. Luda kuca local pub is waiting for us as a best part of a tour. So, in this rustic ambient, we will try to enjoy like he used to, maybe catching some memories and moments of his stormful life,with glass of wine– (Bear’s blood), snack and sounds of Serbian national stringed instrument called – gusle. Before ending this fabulous tour, we need to check famous pancakes in Pinocchio pancake shop, located in old town of Zemun. Of course, specialty that waits for us is Karadzic pancake.On our return to the city center, we will have panorama sightseeing of Special Court, where, after he was captured, Karadzic stays before going to Hag.

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Truth Comisions: Goals

Cast light on historical, political, social, ethical, economical and other environments which took place pre and during the conflict

• Contributes to facts being confirmed and for the truth coming out.

• Decolection of guilt • Being part of building a minimal of common

understanding of what has happened so that this will be the foundation for common history.

• A part of restoring the value of justice • Both victims and offenders get seen and heard• Shows us how a society works in connection with assaults

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West Balkan

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Immigrans

• Think with their legs

• With one leg in two boats at the same time• No mans land/ Neither here nor there.

The new ”place” is often in contrast with his nature. The architecture isn’t “hes”

Is an indefatigable collector of the dust of his memories• Works with refugee tourism

• Does not consider oneself equal to others (because of the history he carries) It might attack him anytime

• It’s very lonely in exile• Never goes back to what he once left• This is an identity

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Losses in connection with the escape

• Majority - Minority• Network• Psychological mirrors (All those who were around and

used to speak the same emotional language ) which gave the right response to what they said and did- a new group of people arrive and they think and act differently

• Often have resurces wich er no needed • Role Identity:In his home country Ali was a father, a brother, a uncle, a

cousin, a nephew….In Norway he’s an immigrant, a person who applied for political asylum, a Pakistani and a minority.

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• Status• Education• Language• Work ”refugee professions” • One feels one is a ”reduced” person• Social competence• History – No one is familiar with your history• AuthorityWhen Immigrants become aware of all of these losses they

begin to long back home. Then one can start talking negatively about Norway instead of finding a solution to the problem.

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Arriving to Norway

• Refugee, for the first time in ones life• Are you a Muslim?• Immigrants have become Muslims• Tabula rasa• You have skills which Norway has no need for.• You are reduced to being a refugee and immigrant• They write about you, positively?

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Western Balkan - Two long term programs

1. Peace schools for Youth in Former Yugoslavia: 1999-2014.

•350 schools.

•12 000 participans.

2. Build Bridges, Not Walls – Intercultural Understanding and Human Rights at Universities in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia and Kosova

-14 semesters held at 5 partner universities.

-Corner of Human rights and Peacebuilding

-5 conferences on Role of universities in peacebuilding

-book with recommendations of Role of Universities..Sarajevo Declaration… •http://www.nhc.no/no/vart_arbeid/prosjekter/The+role+of+universities+in+peacebuilding.b7C_wlfS3a.ips• http://nhc.no/no/nyheter/Strengthening+the+role+of+universities+in+peacebuilding+in+the+Western+Balkans.b7C_wlrOZ3.ips

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• There’s a strange situation on the Balkan between the ethnic groups. They like each other and hate each other, but are unable to reach each other. (Merlin)

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South Caucasus

• Project: Coalition for trustThe “Coalition for Trust”, a three-year regional project funded by the

European Commission and co-funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, started in late 2012 and it operates in all the entities of the South Caucasus. It aims to restore trust and build people-to-people contacts by opening up new perspectives on conflict transformation.

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THANK YOU!!!

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