Pieces of the Coexistence

Puzzle: Democracy,

Human Rights, Gender and

Development

March 15-16, 2007

CoexistenceInternational atBrandeisUniversity

ConferenceReport

OnMarch15and16,2007,CoexistenceInternational(CI)andtheInternationalCenterforEthics,Justice,andPublicLifesponsoredatwo-dayconference,Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle: Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and Development, atBrandeisUniversity.Theconferencewaspresentedincooperationwith thePrograms inSustainable InternationalDevelopment at theHeller School forSocialPolicyandManagement,theDepartmentofPolitics,andtheDeanofArtsandScienceswithsupportfromtheMartinWeinerLectureFund.

Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle examined the relationships that exist between coexistence,democracy, human rights, gender, and development. Coexistence is defined as achieving peaceful, positive,andequalrelationshipsamonggroupsofpeople.Whileeachofthesedisciplinesrepresentsa distinct area of work with particular frameworks and strategies, they share a commitment topeaceful, just, and sustainable societies. Resolving conflicts and creating lasting peace in divided societies requires the collaboration of specialists working in a variety of fields. These disciplines must interact and cooperate, or peacebuilding efforts risk falling short of their goals.During theconference, practitioners and scholars with a range of regional and thematic expertise reflected on conflict situations and coexistence initiatives from around the world and discussed the challenges andpossibilitiespresentedbyamoreintegratedapproachtocoexistencework.

CIwaspleasedtohavetheconferenceopenedwithakeynoteaddressbySenatorMobinaJafferofCanada,theformerSpecialEnvoyforPeaceinSudan.Aleadercommittedtoequalityforwomenand thepromotionofhuman rights,SenatorJaffer argued that truecoexistence is onlypossiblewhen basic human rights are fulfilled. To Senator Jaffer, living in peace despite differences requires that resourcesbe sharedand thatmoreequal accessopportunitiesbecreated forwomen,men,andchildren,illustratingtheneedforcomplementaritybetweencoexistence,development,genderequality,andotherrelatedissues.SenatorJaffer’skeynoteaddresssetthetoneforthesubsequentsessionsonFriday,whichrevealedourpanelists’strongcommitmenttoamorepeaceful,justworld,regardlessofthelanguagetheyusetodescribetheirwork.

The conference was organized around five critical questions:

•Whatisthepotentialforacomplementaryapproachtobuildingsustainablepeace?• What are the legacies of violent conflict in developing democratic societies?•Intheaftermathofhumanrightsabuses,whatrolesdojudicialinitiativesplayinboth strengtheningandcomplicatingcoexistence?• How do principles of gender equality factor into post-conflict reconstruction?•Doouracademicprogramsequipstudentswiththeknowledge,skills,andcapacitiestoworkinaholisticmanner?

Whileeachconferencepanelwasunique in itsfocus,someconsistentthemesemergedfromthepresentationsanddiscussionsthatfollowed.Throughoutthedayitwasclearthatpractitionersandscholars employ a range of terms to discuss their work in pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict situations.Butdespitetheuseofdistinctlanguageandapproaches,theparticipantssharedavisionofaworldwheregroupsrecognizetheirinterdependenceandactivelypursueequality.Theparticipantsacknowledgedthattomoveinthedirectionofsuchaworld,weneedtoeducatefuturepractitionersandpolicymakersinamoreintegratedwaythatimpartsaholistic,interdisciplinarylens.

Participants also raised questions about what constitutes a field, and whether there is, in fact, a coexistence or peacebuilding field. Most participants agreed that peacebuilding does exist as a field, but that it has fluid boundaries since it is working towards a broad goal. This means that the efforts ofacoexistencepractitioner,ahumanrightspractitioner,andanenvironmentalconservationistall

INTRODUCTIONJessicaBerns,CoexistenceInternational

haveanimpactonthesuccess,orlackofsuccess,oftheotherswhoareworkingtowardsrelatedgoals. Tomake these relationships productive and useful, conference participants agreed on theimportance of reflecting on, and learning about, how these fields interact. Those who were more skeptical about the coexistence or peacebuilding field argued that this work is a confluence of many things: history, political science, and language, among others. They contended that it is premature and unnecessary to define these distinct areas of work and strategies as a “field.”

Panelists constantly highlighted some of the challenges to achieving coexistence. These included:

• Attitudes: Conflict and unequal relationships are often driven by fear or a quest for power. This includes the thinking that “my ideas must prevail over your ideas,” or zero-sum thinking.• Structures and Institutions: National and foreign policy agendas that do not create incentives for promoting human security and development, as well as inefficient institutions, can harm effortstoachievemorepeacefulsocieties.• Historical and Cultural Context: Religious, sectarian, racial, ethnic, nationalistic, and ideological differencescanmakepeopleandgroupsfeelafraidandisolated;soinsteadofmovingcloser,wemoveapart.• Gaps in Access and Opportunities: Inequalities based on gender, economics, race, etc. inhibit thepossibilityofachievingcoexistence.Akeymessageofmanyparticipantswasthatuntilthereisincreasedeconomicjusticeandmoreequalopportunities,coexistencecannotbeachieved.

Ideasalsosurfacedabouthowtoovercomesomeofthesechallenges.Themost important ideasincluded addressing gaps in access and opportunities by collaborating with other fields. This may meanusingagenderlensinpeacebuildingsothatwomenareinvitedintopolicy-leveldiscussionsandgainthestatusandresourcestobecomelessvulnerabletoviolence.Itcouldalsomeaninfusinga democratization process with more conflict-sensitivity so that it is participatory and inclusive, and advocatinghumanrightsoptionsthathavethepotentialbothtoholdpeopleaccountableandhelprestoresocieties,bridgingwhatissometimesconstructedasapeaceversusjusticedichotomy.

Participantsalsoadvocatedtheimportanceofprioritizinglocalknowledge,experience,andcapacityinthequestforcoexistence.Engagingnationalgovernmentsandexploringthestrengthsandapproachesoflocalcommunitiesiscritical.Anentirepanelfocusedonhowdevelopingknowledgeandcapacitiesthrougheducationandtrainingisalsoachannelforimprovingcoexistence.Programsandcurriculathatbalance theacademicand thepractical,andencouragestudents to thinkandact inamorecomplementary fashionarecritical toestablishing thebuildingblocks foran integratedapproach.Panelistsalsostressedtheneedtoinfusecoexistencecurriculumintootheracademicprogramssothat students in public policy, sustainable development, conflict resolution, and other programs are familiarwiththetheoriesandmodelsofcoexistence–andvice-versa.

Theimportantideas,themes,andquestionsbroughtintofocusbyPieces of the Coexistence Puzzle continuetoinformtheworkofCoexistenceInternationalinbringingtogetherpractitionersandscholarsfrom a range of levels, regions, and related fields in order to explore the nexus of coexistence and otherareasofwork.Asafollow-uptotheconference,inOctober2007,CIconvenedPieces of the Coexistence Puzzle: Part II,adayofproblem-solvingworkshopsexaminingcreativeapproachestospecific conflict situations, including ethnic divisions in Sri Lanka and Serbia, transitional justice in WestAfrica,peacebuildinginEastAfrica,securityofimmigrantcommunitiesinWaltham,MA,andrelationsamongIran,Israel,andtheUnitedStates.CIbelievesthatconversationslikethesearethekeytounderstandingtheissuesthatpreventusfromrealizingtheworldweallenvision.Withmoreknowledge,integration,andcooperation,andwiththehelpofpractitionersandscholarsliketheoneswhoparticipatedinthisconference,wehopethatCIcancontributetochangesthatwillbringthissharedvisionclosertoreality.

We thank theparticipants,sponsors,andallwhoattended theconferenceandshared invaluableinsightsandexperiences.MostofallwethanktheAlanB.SlifkaFoundation,whosegenerousgiftandsupportenablesCItocarryoutimportantprogramssuchasthisone.

It is still very dark. Fatima cannot see aroundherhut.Shewantstowalktothewelltocollectwater.Itwilltakehertwohours.Lightappearsinherhut.Shegingerlyleaves,beingcarefulnottowake up the rest of her family. She placestwopotsonherheadandshewalks,andwalks,and walks. She continues walking until she finds somewater.Shemakesitbackintimetocookher familybreakfast.Shepreparesherchildrenforschoolandthengoestothemarkettosellhercrafts.Shehasagooddayatthemarket,sosheisabletobuyafewvegetablesandsomemeatfor her family. She picks her children up fromschool, walks home, cooks her family a meal,cleans,putsherchildrentobed,andcontinuesmakinghercraftsuntilitbecomesdarkagain.

Susan has just heard the alarm. She rushesdownstairs to try to fit in some exercise. She prepareslunchforherchildren.Shehurriesthemtoschooland rushes towork.There’sa lotoftraffic and she will be late. Susan has a very busydayatwork.Shegetssometakeout,andherchildren,herhusband,andherselfeataroundthetelevision.Shepreparesherchildrenforbedandcleansthehousewhileitisquiet.Sheworkslate on the tasks she didn’t finish at the office.

Both Fatima and Susan have full days in verydifferent parts of theworld.Bothof these areverystrongwomen,buttheyhaveverydifferentrealities.SoIamgoingtosaytoyoutodaythatwhenwetalkaboutcoexistence,Ithinkwehavetotalkabouthowweexistwitheachother.Wehavenotyetreachedthestageoftheexistence.I don’t have any of the answers. I am hopingthatwecancreatesomeoverthenextfewdays.Since Iwasgiventhisopportunity ithasmademe think about what my personal experienceshavebeen,andI’mhopingthatforthenexttwodaysyouwillchallengeme,andI’mhopingthatwecanexchangealotofgiftsandideas.

Sowhatiscoexistence?CI’sbeautifulbrochuresaysthatcoexistencemeanspeacefulandpositive

relationshipsbetweengroups thataredifferentfrom one another. My dictionary definition is to live in peace with one another despitedifference,especiallyasamatterofpolicy.Forme,coexistencemeanstoliveinharmony.Butharmony doesn’t just mean not to have conflict. Forme,itmeansthatthereneedstobeasharingofresources.ThenIthinkthatwecantalkaboutcoexistence.I’vebeenveryfortunatetorepresentthe Canadian government in Sudan and I willsharewithyouafewofmyexperiencesthere.Forme,coexistenceiswhenmyfriendAmina’slifewillbethesameasourchildren’slives.LetmetellyouaboutmyfriendAmina.Sheistwoyearsold.ImetherinDarfurinarefugeecamp.Amina’s mother was raped by the militia. Shewasabandonedbyherfamily.Aminalivesinthecamp,withwarwagingaroundher.Herchancesof receiving an education are limited. Whethershewillhaveanyaccesstoajob,oropportunityto improveher life,will dependonall ofus inthisroom,andothers,whocanhelpresolvethedisputeinDarfur.

In Canada and the US, how can we use ourdemocracy to tell our governments that wewanttoshareourresources,andthatwewantbasichumanrightsandgenderequalityforall?Coexistence means that Amina will receivean education, access, and experience like ourchildren. Presently, Amina just exists. In thisroom, I have complete conviction thatwe canstartasking thesequestionsaboutcoexistenceandabouthowweareusingourresources.Wecanchangethelivesofpeople.Letmetellyousomething about the realities that I have beenseeing lately. When I first went to Darfur, I was very naïve; I expected there to be UN tents when I arrived. I expected there to be sometypeof resources for thepeople inDarfur.Butthe reality was that Darfurians are very poor;they are working all day to collect firewood and meanwhiletheyarebeingattacked.This istherealityofpeoplewhoexistinDarfur.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: HOW CAN WE COEXIST?SenatorMobinaJaffer,ParliamentofCanadaCI was pleased to have Senator Mobina Jaffer of Canada, former Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan, as keynote speaker. Senator Jaffer spoke to conference participants about what it means to coexist and what it will take to get there. The following is an abbreviated version of her remarks:

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Ibelievethatthepathtocoexistence,eventhoughitisnotasstraightforwardaswemaylike,isonethatweallhavetowalksothatourchildrenandAminawillhavesomeofthesameadvantages.Thedifferencesthatwecanmakeareinhowweapproach being a part of our own democracy.Itmakesmeangrywhenpeoplesaythatwegoabroadandbringdemocraciestoothercountries,becauseinourowncountrieswedonotactuallyexerciseourrights.Weneedtovote.Weneedtolobbyourgovernmentandusethepowerofinfluence so that our government can decide howweprioritizeourresources.Doweuseourresources tobringstability toacountry,ordoweusethemtobringinstability?I’mapoliticianand I stand in front of you and say: “I feel that I have failed, because I havenot been able toconvincemyowngovernmenttouseresourcesto change people’s lives.” That, for me, is what democracy is: to control your own environment tomakechange;touseourresourcestocreatebasichumanrightsinothercountries.

In 1972, for a very short time, I became arefugee. I am almost embarrassed to tell you,becauseitwasnothinglikewhattheDarfuriansorotherrefugeesarefacing.Butforashorttime,Ihadnohome.Iwasbeingfedbyverygenerousgovernments.IhadalittlebabyandIwouldsaytoeverybody, because I was breastfeeding: “I have the milk. I need the diapers.” It was so difficult because people would say things like: “But we gaveyoudiapers yesterday,whydoyouneedthem again?” What it taught me is that when you reallygeteverythingtakenawayfromyou,Goddoesitforareasonsothatyoucanunderstandthe realities of other people. So I believe thatwhen you talk about coexistence, you shouldfirst talk about the right to eat, the right to clean water,andtherighttoshelter.Thereare16,000

childrenaroundthe worldwho die fromhunger everyday,morethanfromanyothercause. That isone every five seconds. 400millionchildren

aroundtheworldtodayhavenoaccesstosafewater. That is one in five children around the world.640millionchildreneachyeardonothaveadequateshelter.Thatisoneinthreechildrenin

theworld.SoIsaytoyouthatforcoexistence,weneed touseourdemocracies tomakesurepeoplehavebasichumanrights,tofood,water,andshelter.

Wealsohavetomakesurethatgenderisapartof that equation of human rights. We have towork towardsequalityofwomen.When Iwasin Southern Sudan, a woman said to me “I want you togoback toCanadaand tellpeople thatI want to be equal like you are and have thesame resources you have.” I want to share with youapoemthatanAfghanwomanwroteaboutgender, called “Speechless”:

At home, I speak the language of the gender that is better than me.In the mosque, I speak the language of the nation that is better than me.Outside, I speak the language of those who are the better race.I am a non-Arabic Muslim woman who lives in a Western country.

SenatorMobinaJafferKeynote Speaker Profile

Born in Uganda, Senator Jaffer was the first East Indian, first Muslim, and first African appointed to the Canadian Senate. From2002 to 2006, she held the position ofCanada’sSpecialEnvoyforPeaceinSudanandwasamemberof thePrimeMinister’sSpecial Advisory Team focused on theimplementationofthepeaceprocess.From2002 to 2005, she was also Chair of theCanadian Committee on Women, Peace,andSecurity.SenatorJafferisaremarkableleader, committed to equality and justiceforwomenofcolorandthepromotionandenforcementofhumanrights.

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“I believe that the path to coexistence, even though it is not as straightforward as we may like, is one that we all have to walk.”

ThehumanrightsthatyouandIneedtoworkonaretomakesurethatpeoplereachequality.Ifwedonotlookatpeoples’basichumanrights,wecannot speak about development. Think about it: thedaysthatyougohungry,doyoureallyworkatdevelopingyourmind,orareyouallthetimethinkingabouthowyoucanfeedyourself?

I want you to challenge me on this. I look atdevelopment very differently. The only reasonI can stand in front of you, and why I havemadetheprogressIhaveinmylife,isbecauseI have an education. When Idi Amin sent meoutofUganda, Ionlycamewithmybabyandmy husband to Canada. Amin even destroyedmy certificates, but he could not take away my education.Thatwasfortunate.SothereforeIsaythatwhenwelookatdevelopment,weneedtopromoteeducationsothatpeoplecanstandontheirowntwofeet.Buteducationonitsownisnotenough.Weneedtoworkataccessandthenexperience.IwasalreadyanadultwhenIcametothiscountryfromEngland.AndwhenIcamehere I saw that, in the law firm I worked for, men weregettingalltheaccesstocasesandtoothereventswhileIwasalwaystheresearchperson.Andbecauseoftheaccesstheygot,theywereable to get experience. So when people say “why aren’t women advancing as far as men are?” it isbecausewestillhavenotreachedaccessandexperience.Theygohandinhand.That’swhatfostersindividualrights,andthat’swhatfosterscoexistence: when you provide education, access,andexperiencetopeople.

InCanada,we lookat thechallengesfacedbywomenandminorities.Wehavereachedastageofeducation,wehaveevensometimesreachedastageofaccess,butwehaven’tquitereachedthestageofexperience.SothenIwantyoutothinkabouthowmuchworseitisintherestoftheworld.There’sonesituationIwouldliketosharewith you because, as aCanadian, I feelvery responsible.My nation (and I think yoursto a certain extent) is a consumer of trafficking. In theSenate Iwasthepersonthatsponsoreda bill to fight trafficking. One of the reasons we introduceditisbecauseitwassomethinggreattheUnitedStateshaddone.ThegovernmentoftheUnitedStateshadcreatedasystemofreportcards,togradedifferentcountriesonhowtheywere dealing with the issue of human trafficking. Todomyhomework,Iwenttoadetentioncampin Nigeria. When I arrived there I was taken to

a camp where forty little 7 year-old girls hadbeen brought from northern Nigeria because a United States office was set up in Nigeria to makesurethatgirlsweredetectedbeforetheydisappearedtoEurope.Tosee forty7year-oldgirls sitting there not having any idea ofwhattheyweregoingtoface,youfeelsoresponsiblebecause we in Europe and North America are the consumers of trafficking. I stand here before you andsaythat,inmycountry,millionsofwomenare coming from Asia and they’re being trafficked acrossCanada.Theselittlegirls,whathavetheydonetodeservethehorriblechallengesthattheyfaced? I believe that we in North America have the opportunity to change the lives of thesechildren.

But first, we need to start here in our own countries. I get very frustrated when peoplethink that bad things happen outside North America,andtheydonotlookatthingsintheirown country. When I first became a Senator in2001, Iwasveryshockedthatwomenwhowould never accept men to speak for themsuddenlytookuponthemselvestobethevoicesofAfghaniwomen.Wedecided thatweknewwhatwasgoodforAfghaniwomen.Ifoundthatveryoffensive.IwenttomyprimeministerandIsaid, “We have 40,000 Afghani Canadians. Don’t youthinkweshouldaskthemwhattheythinkshould happen in their own country?” Because theyare integratedintooursociety,shouldwenot ask them what should happen in theirs?TheStoneintheWaterReport,whichcameoutof a roundtable of Afghani-Canadian womendiscussing applications of UN Resolution 1325, wassonamedbecauseifyouputastoneinthewater,theripplesgoonandon.Weneedtostopthatcircle.Weneedtostopthatcirclewithinourcountriestoempowercommunitieshere,touseourhumanrightsinthesecommunitiesbecausethatiswherewehavecontrol.That’swherewefirst need to empower women. Let me share with

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youanotherpoembyanAfghaniwomancalled“The Blind Bird”:

The thunder of missilesblows away the Burqafrom my faceThe veil I had on from shame and sorrowDo you remember me as a bridewho was supposed to be unveiled by a proud groom?

At that time my eyes were closed from shynessbut now my eyes are closed because of the bareness of the truthFor the fire of shame that is burning

The Burqa is blown awayfrom a faceless bodyHow am I supposed to keep a face in front of the worldwhen you have denied me my dignity?How should I claim my dignity when all parts of it are destroyedby your wrongdoings?

Let me touch the wallsto find my way homeLet me find my way by the brightness of the explosionsLet me search for my children in neighbouring countriesLet me cry and screamfor the years we have lost at being apartLet me learn how to live in peace by peacekeeper troopsLet me eat from thrown food packages to survive

I am the Blind Birdwith a destroyed nestMy eyes need time to be familiar with the lightLet me touch my surroundings to know what I have lost

SoItalkedabouthowforcoexistenceweneedto use our democracy to look at basic humanrights and to empower women. Then look atthe communities that we live in to see whatshould be happening there before we run andtry tomakeadifference inothercommunities.Wehaveavery largeSriLankancommunity inCanada.TheSri Lankancommunity taughtme

thatwhenyoueducateaman,youeducateanindividual,butwhenyoueducateawoman,youeducateherfamilyandhernation.Thesewomenhavetriedveryhardtogivetothepeacetalks,andyettheyarenotincluded.Sowehavealotofworktodowithinourgovernmentstomakesurethewomenareinpower.OneofmymostamazingexperiencesintheSriLankancommunitywaswhenagentlemanatthebackoftheroomwantedtospeaktome,andherealizedIwouldnever speak until I had spoken to a woman first. SooneofthethingsthatIhighlysuggestisthatwhenwesenddelegateswemakesurethatwe“walk the talk” and that half of the delegates arewomen.Whenyouhaveamixofmenandwomenatthepeacetables,andalsofromothercountries,itcanmakeadifference.

So I leave you with this talk today that forcoexistenceweneedtouseourowndemocraticrights to get our government to prioritize howwearegoingtouseourresources.Howarewegoingtoempowerwomen?Arewewalkingthetalk? Are we doing the same thing within ourown communities? Are you going to believethat we have arrived at coexistence? I thinkwearejustexisting.SoIasktonight,whowillsleep comfortably? Right now we can createcoexistence in our communities by using ourdemocratic rights so that we can give securehuman rights to people around the world andempower them. Then we can develop equalrights in education, access, and experience.WhenIwaslittleinUganda,mymotheralwaystoldmetopracticepiano.I’msuremanyofyouhadasimilarexperience.AndtomakeherangryIwouldsometimesjustplayontheblackkeys,andsometimesI’donlyplayonthewhitekeys.Iencourageyoutotrythat;itdoesn’treallybringharmonywhenyouonlyconcentrateresourcesinonepartoftheworld.Tohaverealcoexistence,you have to be able to play on the black andwhitekeys.Thankyouverymuch.

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Participantsintheopeningpanelon Integrating Coexistence, Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and Development broadly introducedthe possibilities and challenges of coexistenceand related fields, setting the tone for the subsequent panels. Robert Ricigliano, Directorof the InstituteofWorldAffairsandthePeaceStudiesProgramattheUniversityofWisconsin,Milwaukee, moderated the panel and providedsomecautionarywordsthatasthecoexistencefield moves from the periphery into the center, practitioners and scholars need to be preparedto translate words into action to ensure thatthe meaning, and not just the terminology, ofcoexistenceiswholeheartedlyadopted.

Theodore Johnson, of the MA Program inCoexistence and Conflict at Brandeis, provided the audiencewith his thoughts on thebarriersand opportunities to coexistence work. First,Johnson reiterated the definition of coexistence advocated by Coexistence International: peaceful and positive relationships betweengroupsthataredifferentfromoneanother.Thisdefinition allows for a broader understanding of coexistenceasinvolvingnotjustsocialinclusionor integration,butalsopeace, justice,equality,security, and respect. Taking this definition as a startingpoint,Johnsondetailedthreebarrierstorealizing coexistence. The first barrier is attitude, particularly a “zero-sum worldview,” which divides people into “us versus them” and contributes to structural inequality and competition forpowerandresources.Fearoraquestforpowermotivatespeople tomarginalizeothers throughviolent means. Second, there is the barrier ofstructures and institutions. Structural barrierscrowd out the voices of the marginalized andmakeall actionsdependenton the institutionalpolicy agenda. The third barrier is historicaland cultural context, which can cause peopleto judgeothersbasedontheirdifferingbeliefs,norms, values, and practices. Historical and

culturalcontextenablesustofurthermarginalizethosewhowethinkaredifferentandthereforethreatening.Johnsonthenlaidoutsomewaystomeet and overcome these barriers: education and practice, developing conflict-sensitive skills, and mainstreaming coexistence. These approachesprepare practitioners and scholars in the field to challengethebarrierstoachievingcoexistence.Johnson further illustrated his points by usingthe example of Iraq, where he has workedon coexistence and conflict resolution issues since 2001. He warned that, in Iraq, “there is an opportunity for people to trust each otheroutside of their communities that isn’t beingaddressed,” but that could perhaps be managed withacoexistencelens.

Next, Madhawa Palihapitiya, a Sri Lankan student in the MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict, presented on human rights abuses and ethnicconflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese groups in Sri Lanka, which have been going on since1976.HebeganbyhighlightingtheamountandtypesofviolencethathavebeenoccurringinSriLanka recently.Since thepresidential electionsin November 2005, there have been over 3,000 peoplekilled,aswellashundredsofpeoplewhohave been “disappeared.” Civilian casualties are extremely highbecauseof aerial bombardment

INTEGRATING COEXISTENCE, DEMOCRACY,HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENTModerator: RobertRiciglianoParticipants:TheodoreJohnson MadhawaPalihapitiya SenatorMobinaJaffer

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and indiscriminate shelling. In terms ofhuman rights abuses, there has been a widegovernment crackdown on private media andnon-governmentalorganizations.ThePreventionofTerrorismAct,passedin1982,allowspoliceandsecurityforcestoarbitrarilyarrestciviliansand detain them up to 72 hours. PalihapitiyastatedthatboththegovernmentandtheLTTE(LiberationTigersoftheTamilEelam)nationalistgrouphavebeenguiltyofignoringinternationalhumanitarian lawsand recruitingchild soldiers.He painted a grave picture of the conflict in order to highlight the challenges in the field of coexistence today. He urged the audience to“spread the radar” by covering all conflicts in the world rather than just focusing on the newestor most visible. The challenge for the field is to continue,inthemidstofnewviolence,todevoteresources to long-running conflicts that it is in dangerofforgetting.

The final presentation of the panel was given bySenatorMobina Jaffer of the Parliament ofCanada,whogavethepreviousnight’s keynote address toopen theconference.SenatorJaffer first talked about the challenges of the global waron terror, and what this hasmeant for coexistence effortsinCanada.InthecontextoftheSri Lanka conflict, the Canadian government’s perspective isnow dominated by “how do we stop the terrorism?” rather than trying to negotiatewith all parties to theconflict, including guerrilla groups, in order to promotepeace.SenatorJafferalsotalkedaboutthe challenges of addressing diversity, both intermsofrespectforcultureandrespectforlocalstructures.UsingtheexampleoftheInternationalCriminal Court’s process in Sierra Leone, theSenator questioned the assumption that “the solutiontoallhorriblecrimesistotakepeopletothe ICC.” In Canada, she pointed out the success ofintegratinghealingprocessesoftheaboriginalcommunity,advisingthatthisstrategyshouldbeused in all conflict resolution in terms of looking at the processes that are already in existencelocallyandadapting them.However,using theexample of the debate around female genitalmutilation, she also cautioned that sometimescultureneeds tobequestionedwhen it comesinto conflict with non-negotiable international

valuesofequalityandrights.Eveninthiscase,however, theSenatorwarned that theprocessofchallengingculturalpracticesshouldbedoneinarespectfulandinclusiveway.

The question and answer session broughtout further challenges and opportunities. Oneparticipant advocated for earlier educationon conflict resolution as well as improving the overall access to education, so that theyoungergenerationcanbegivenwhatJohnsoncalled “a new secret weapon…the power of communication.” Panelists agreed that this is important,particularlysinceonepossiblecauseof conflict is the lack of educational opportunity. [Theeducationofcoexistencepractitionersandscholarswasfurtheraddressedinthelastpaneloftheday,Implications for Education and Training.]A lively discussion also emerged around thequestionposedbyoneaudiencememberabout“who is the ‘we’?” i.e. with the numerous hats thatapersonwearsaswellasnumerouspersonal,moral, and organizational considerations,

what are the real, rationalpossibilities for an individualto effect the type of changethe panelists are discussing?Johnsonrespondedtothisbypositing that thechallenge topractitioners is to realisticallyassesswhethertheyhavetheskills,capacity,andresourcesto do something, and, if not,whethertheyhaveconnectionsandpartnershipswithsomeone

who does. He added that “the more that we educate,andthemorethatwehavethesekindsof discussions, the more sophisticated andnuanced that analysis can be.” Other discussions related to engagement vs. intervention as theproper framework for describing coexistencework,subconscious racism in thedevelopmentand coexistence fields stemming from inability to relate to the “other,” economic exploitation as a source of conflict, and cultural relativism versus “deliberative universalism.” The panelists also discussed certain ways that related fields can undermine theothers,withoneexamplebeinghumanitarianormilitaryinterventionunderminingpeace and coexistence efforts. At the end ofthepanel,participantswereencouragedtoalsothink about “we” as a discipline or a field and the implicationsforthistypeofbranding.

“The more that we educate, and the more that we have these kinds of discussions, the more sophisticated and nuanced [the] analysis [of how to approach a conflict

situation] can be.”

Breakout Session:DILEMMAS OF PEACE AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCEModerator: StevenBurgParticipants:MajaCatic AllenKassof GayRosenblum-KumarWhat are the legacies of violent conflict for states seeking to achieve democratic norms? Whatis the relationship between peacebuilding anddemocracy-building?Underwhatcircumstancesdoesdemocracy-buildingcontributetointergrouptensions? Panelists in the breakout sessionDilemmas of Peace and Democratic Governanceaddressed these and other questions aboutthe intersection of democracy-building andcoexistence work. Steven Burg, Chair of thePolitics Department at Brandeis University,structuredthesessionaccordingtothefollowingtopics: 1) engaging local political elites in a conflict situation,2)theprocessofachievingagreementon contentious policy issues, and 3) the role of external actors in facilitating and training localactorstocarryouttheseprocesses.

Allen Kassof, President Emeritus and SeniorAdvisortotheProjectonEthnicRelations(PER),spokeabouthisexperiencesintheBalkanstateswith that organization, working with politicalelitestoreachagreementstomanageinter-ethnicconflicts. Rather than the increasing diversity thatwastalkedaboutintheearlierpanel,Kassofnoted that the region has been characterized

formostof thepastcenturybyseparationandethniccleansing,and has thereforebecomelessdiverse.In Romania, whereit began its work in1991, it took PERabout half a year toconvincethepoliticalelitesoftheRomanianmajority andHungarian minorityeven to sit down tothe table and begina dialogue. Once it

waslaunched,however,itbecameapermanentfeatureofRomanianpoliticallifethatcontinuesto this day and that has significantly altered the approachtointer-ethnicrelationsinthatcountry.Thekeytosuccesswas inunderstandingthat,whilepoliticalleadershipismotivatedaboveallbyself-interest,theyoftenlackanaccuratepictureofwheretheirself-interestactuallyliesindealingwithacompetingethnicgroup.ThePER-initiateddialogueinRomaniahaseducatedeachsidetorecognizethatopportunitiesforcooperationcansometimes better serve their self-interest thancontinuingconfrontation.

In Montenegro, the conflict was between the majorityMontenegrins (Slavs) and theminorityAlbanian community. Here, the process ofaccomodation lay in persuading the Albanianleadership to move from reiterating generaldemandsforaspecialstatus,whichthemajorityMacedonians were unwilling to grant, andbreaking down their program into specific and practicalrequests(aregionalmaternityhospital,Albanian language faculty at the universitylevel, additional border crossings to Albania,participation in appointing local officials, etc.) When Montenegrins understood that suchrequests were moderate and non-threatening,they soon accepted and implemented them,greatlyeasingtensionsbetweenthetwosides.Kassofobservedthat,inthesecases,theeffortto promote democracy and justice was madeat the level of political elites,while grassrootsapproaches were either ineffective or absent.He raised the question of the comparativeeffectiveness of working top-down or bottom-up, and suggested that top-down efforts maybe more useful in highly organized modernstates,whilebottom-upefforts are appropriateinsocietiesthataredecentralizedorcommunity-based. In any case, he said, it is obvious that “the adventofdemocracydoesnot, infact,resolve

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these conflicts.” In some cases, democratization can make ethnic conflict worse because majority groups find themselves wielding electoral power thatperhapstheydidnothavebefore.Democracy-buildingeffortsmustthereforeincludeadditionalmeasures to ensure that the majoritarian statedoes not become abusive of minority rights.Finally,Kassofstressedthatdisputantsengagedin a dialogue must address the real, practicalproblems; it is not sufficient just to have them talktoeachotheraboutprinciplesofequity.Hepointed out that “inter-ethnic disputes are not…only about ethnicity,” but are about real, tangible claims.Kassofexpressedsomeskepticismaboutwhether to consider “peacebuilding” to be a field in its own right, saying “I think it’s a confluence of many things: it’s history, it’s political science, it’s language, it’s diplomacy.There is no suchthing as ‘peacebuilding.’” He advised students of peace and conflict to immerse themselves in the relevantcountriesandlistentowhatthepeopletherereallywant,andthentodeveloptheirowntechniques for addressing the problems in acommonsenseway.

MajaCatic,BoardMemberoftheCommunityofBosnia, spoke briefly about her study of ethnic divisions in Bosnia since the 1995 DaytonPeace Agreement. “The challenge of achieving agreementoncontentiousissuesrootedinalegacyof violent conflict is nowhere more obvious than in the constitutional realm,” she said. In the case ofBosnia,morethantenyearsafterthesigningofthepeaceagreement,thereisstillthechallengeofachievingconsensusonconstitutionalissues,especiallyasgroupssuchastheBosnianMuslimsframetheissuesinamorallight.BosnianMuslimgroupswish to re-negotiate thestatestructureputinplacebytheDaytonAgreement,claimingthat it institutionalizedand territorializedethnicdivisions by creating separate entities: one federationgovernedmainlybytheBosniakandCroatethnicgroups,andonerepublicgoverned

mainly bySerbs. TheBosnianMuslimelite,Caticsaid,are claimingthat the stateis illegitimateand wish toreconstruct itasacentralizedstatesuchasit

was before the conflict. Catic used this example to pose a question to the audience membersabout “the role of external actors in settling and negotiating the claims that are cast in moralterms.”

This question was picked up by the final panelist, Gay Rosenblum-Kumar, Senior PublicAdministration Officer at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.Speakingthematically,andfromtheperspectiveof a large external actor that is beginning tosee the value of complementarity betweendemocratizationandpeacebuilding,Rosenblum-Kumar claimed that both fields have similar challengesandneedtohavecomplementarityinorder to create the best outcomes. “Democratic practices like elections,” said Rosenblum-Kumar, “are competitions that can get violent and often do. Opportunisticpoliticiansorethnicentrepreneurssometimes heighten the level of conflict by using that ethnic card to bring votes towards them.” For this reason, the UN is beginning to change to amuchmoreintegratedapproachtodemocracy-building, realizing that “politics does not stand alone.” The UN’s integrated approach means fewer reactive responsescomingafter the factandmorelong-termproactiveinterventions;fewerelite-centeredapproachesandmoreapproachesdealingwithbothelitesandthegrassrootscivilsociety. “Democracy-building and confidence measures,” she said, “…need to be infused with a certain conflict-sensitivity… So that a) the processofhowthey’redoneisparticipatoryandinclusive,andb)whattheycomeupwithreallyreflects a new culture.”

On the role of external actors, such as the UN, Rosenblum-Kumar thought that “we can do very little.” The role of external actors should not be to come in and give answers, but to sharelessons learned from other places, as well as

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“The challenge of achieving agreement on contentious issues rooted in a legacy of violent conflict is nowhere more obvious than in the constitutional realm.”

traininginrelevantskillssuchascommunication,mediation,andnegotiation,and then toseehowitisapplicableinthelocalcontext,bylocalactors.“Indigenous solutions are the only sustainable ones,” she said, citing the example ofSouth Africa. External actors must be humbleandrealizethatlocalactorshavethemoststakein peaceful solutions.Institutions like the UN can help to institutionalize the agreed-upon localsolutionstohelpthembecomesustainable.Thesepieces may “not end the conflict that’s raging today,buthopefullyitwilllaythefoundationofwhat will sustain peace tomorrow.”

The panel was followed by a very fruitfuldiscussion period that was opened up forquestions from the audience. The first question dealt with how to arrange the “hierarchy of issues” that the panelists were talking about in any given conflict: the moral, principled, and practical issues. Kassof opened the discussionwith his opinion that “you have to start by doing what you can,” and claimed that “creative opportunism” (meaning one’s level of access, institutionalcapacity,andresources)isinvolvedin deciding what can or will be done. “I’m not sure there’s a systematicwayof sayingwhereandhowweshouldintervene,becausealotofitisreally accidental.” In the case of Darfur, political attention was not fully engaged until New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof focused public attention on the issue. Rosenblum-Kumar alsoweighed in with the concept of “the dilemma of the urgent versus the important.” In the context oftheDaytonAgreement,theurgentneedwasto stop fighting, but should it have been done at any cost? Rosenblum-Kumar again stressedtheneedforlocalstructuresandapproaches,as

wellaslong-termengagement,inordertoensurethat both the urgent and the important needsareaddressed.Thepanelistsagreedthat,whilenot a panacea to conflict, democracy can open thepossibilityofresolvingdifference,especiallywhen done with a peacebuilding perspective “so that people see democracy as a collaborative,tolerant way of operating…and so that structures are in place to channel conflict nonviolently in the future.”

One importantquestionwasaskedaboutwhatthepanelistshaveseenthathasbeeneffectivein addressing root causes of conflicts. This broughtaboutadiscussiononthesuccessesofpeacebuilding,whichKassofpointedoutwerefewand far between. “Now, why bother with them?” he asked, answering: “Because the payoffs for thefewsuccessfulcasestendtobevery,verylarge.” Burg offered one approach likely to bring success: “Persistence and presence. You have tobethere,youhavetobethereforalongtime.And you have to listen.” Rosenblum-Kumar ended on a positive note by remarking that “success takesalongtime,andwehavetomeasureitinincremental ways.” She cited the struggling UN project in Zimbabwe by saying, “But there are severalhundredpeoplewhohavebeentouchedbythisprojectwhoareinspiredandskilledandunited,andwhoarestickingtogetherinvariousways,andthey’regoingtobetherelongerthanany one elected official. And things are going to change in the future.”

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“Democracy-building and confidence measures...need to be infused with a certain conflict-sensitivity...so that a) the process of how they’re done is participatory and inclusive, and b) what they come up with really reflects a new culture.”

Pastinjusticesthatarenotaddressedcanbecomea source of renewed violent conflict. How can societies emerging from violence and divisionseffectivelymovetowardsreconciliationwhileatthesametimeconfrontingtheegregiouswrongsofthepast?Intheroundtableon Finding Justice and Reconciliation, seven experts grappledwith how to deal with these often competingconcepts in post-conflict societies. The purpose of the roundtable was to move away fromsimplifications and dichotomies, to a more nuanced and complex understanding of justiceand reconciliation. Eileen Babbitt, a Professorof International Conflict Management Practice attheFletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacyatTuftsUniversity,chairedthepanel.Sheframedthediscussionbyreviewingsomeofthestronglyheld convictions on these issues. The first is that “if you want peace, work for justice.” On the othersideistheconvictionthatinordertoobtaina cease fire, “justice must be postponed or even ignored.” According to this school of thought, saving lives in the present is a higher prioritythandealingwithissuesofthepast.Andathirdview is that the type of justice being pursuedmatters,andhasabigimpactonpeaceandtheachievement of coexistence and reconciliation.She then underlined that the purpose of thepanel was to explore the complexities of, andrelationships among, these various points ofview.

The first speaker was Abdul Wahab Musah, a Program Officer for the Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Musah began byhighlighting thedifferencesbetween theoften-oversimplified concepts of retributive and

Breakout Session:FINDING JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATIONModerator: EileenBabbittParticipants:AbdulWahabMusah LouisAucoin TimPhillips RomainRurangirwa AshadSentongo RobertoVarea

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restorative justice. For him, retributive justicefocused more on punishment. He warned thatthis path may be counterproductive, as it “fosters [a] hostile accusatory environment [where]prosecutions may be put ahead of support ofvictims.” Rather, he argued for the need for restorative justice in post-conflict societies. Restorativejusticeattemptstobringthepartiestogether to find the truth about the past and develop ways to achieve future coexistence.Whenrestorativejusticeprevails,Musahargued,theperpetratorsaremorelikelytoadmittopastwrongsandapologize.

LouisAucoin,Associate Research Professor ofthe Fletcher School in the Institute for HumanSecurity, thenspoke,drawingonhisextensiveexperience in East Timor with the UnitedNations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET). Based on that process, he argued thatreconciliationwithjusticewaspossible.Headvocatedatwo-tieredprocess. InEastTimor,a truth commission was set up in conjunction

with formal courts. Truth commissions offersomething not easily available in courts. Theyactivelyengagecommunitythroughconsultation.There are significant psychosocial benefits to large-scaletestimonyofvictimsandperpetrators.Specialpanelsreviewedthecasesofindividualswhowereaccusedofcommittingcrimes.Thosewho were deemed to have committed “serious crimes” were referred to the courts, while the truth commission handled others with lessserious offenses. The truth commissions usedlocalcustomarylawanddrewlegitimacyfromtheeldersinthecommunity.Theaccusedthatcamebeforethetribunalscouldaskforforgivenessfromtheelders.Often, theaccusedwere instructedto takesomeaction inorder toatone for theirwrongs.Aucoinstressed that theprocesswasforthewholesociety,aseventhosewhowerenot formally accused of wrongdoing had toappear before these commissions. He believedthat thisprocessensured that thecourtsdealtwiththemostegregiousoffenses.

TimPhillips,Co-founderoftheProjectonJusticein Times of Transition at Tufts University,addressed the value of institutions in bringingsocietal reconciliation. Phillips explained that

integration ofinter-communityinstitutions couldgreatly enhancethe prospects ofcoexistence. Hereferred to this as“bridging capital.” InElSalvadorafterthe civil war, herelated, a decisionwas made torecreate a policeforce made up offormer police andguerillaswhowerenot implicatedin human rightsabuses, with the

ideathatthepolicedepartmentitselfcouldbeavehicle for coexistence and reconciliation.Thisnewpoliceforceencouragedthesidestoworktogetherandalsotobetterunderstandeachother.He warned against pressuring for consensus: “To promote enlightened dissent is a means to build trust and establish firm communication.” Reconciliation,heargued,requiresthatthesides

befreetovoicetheirinterestswithoutfear.

Two students of the MA in Coexistence andConflict Program at Brandeis University also participatedinthepanel.RomainRurangirwa,astudentandaRomanCatholicPriestfromRwanda,addressedtheuseofthetraditionalgacacacourtsto obtain justice and reconciliation after thegenocide.Thegacacacourt isan institutionofcommunityjusticethatwasinspiredbyRwandantraditional methods. Similar to the two-tieredprocess inEastTimor, thegacacasystemwasnot mandated to handle the organizers of thegenocide, but those accused of less egregiouscrimes. Nevertheless, the gacaca courts had the jurisdictiontohandleseriousoffenses,includingmurder. The purpose of gacaca was to find truth andpromotereconciliation.Onapracticallevel,itwasa lesscumbersomeproceduretohandlethe large number of cases that were waitingfor review. However, despite good intentions,Rurangirwaarguedthatthepreparationofthoseadjudicating the cases was not always sufficient. He believed that, “there was no understanding of real justice.” He argued that the gacaca courts couldhavebeenmoreeffectiveiftherehadbeengreaterinvestmentincapacity-buildingfortheirleaders. Further, he argued that despite goodintentions, the gacacawere not a comfortableor accommodatingvenue forwomen testifyingabout rape and other abuses that took placeduringthegenocide.

AshadSentongo,anothermaster’sstudentwithextensive experience in Uganda, addressedcurrentpeaceeffortsinthatcountry.Hearguedfor a more enhanced notion of “justice” for the people of Northern Uganda, to embrace and address development, health, education, andhousingasintegralpartsofrestoringpeaceandreconciliation in the region.Whenone talks ofjustice,Sentongoargued, it isnecessary to tiethistohumanrights,economicrights,security,good governance, and access to resources.Regarding the indictment of Joseph Kony bytheInternationalCriminalCourtanditseffectonpeacenegotiations,SentongosaidthatUgandansdonotbelievethatKony’strialisnecessaryforB

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peace. Those affected by the violence wantprogressthroughsocialandeconomicrecoveryandgoodgovernance,butalsohavetraditionalapproaches capable of healing the effects ofcrimesperpetratedbyKonyandhismen.

RobertoVarea,AssociateProfessorof Theater and Chair of thePerformingArtsandSocialJusticeProgramattheUniversityofSanFrancisco,talkedabouttheroleoftheartsinpromotingreconciliationin Argentina and Peru. Throughthe arts, he argued, it may bepossible to imagine coexistence.He related that theatre can beused to present complex ideasthat are difficult to articulate. The arts provide space to reflect on behaviors and prejudices aboutothers, while “speaking the unspeakable” in the aftermath of violent conflict. In Peru, the Yuyachkani theatre group was formally invited by the PeruvianTruth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) toperformoutreachworkinthecommunitieswherepublic hearings were to be convened by theCommission. Indeed, the TRC understood thatYuyachkani’s history of over 30 years of socially engagedworkwouldlegitimizetheCommissionintheeyesofasuspiciouspopulation,andlendthepowerofperformancetothearduoustaskofreconstructingandrememberingthetraumasofthewar.Itwashopedthatthegroup’spresencewould raise awareness of the Commission’spurpose and facilitate public access to itscommunityhearings. Itwasalsoexpectedthatthepoweroftheatre,whencombinedwiththeritualnatureof theevent,mighthelpmarkthepostwartransition,dignifyitsvictims,honorthedeadanddisappeared,andthuspromptpeopleto come forward and speak publicly to theCommissionwithoutfear.

Afterthepresentations,thepanelistsaddressedseveral questions from the audience. Oneimportantquestioninvolvedhowtobetterinvolvethe victims in reconciliation processes. Musahbelievedthatitwasessentialtoconsultvictimswhentryingtodesignareconciliationstrategy.

Hebelievedthatanationwidepollwouldbeparticularlyusefultoget“buy in.” Rurangirwa reinforced this point by stating that large-scale participation of the victimscanassistthehealingprocess.

Another question concernedwhat is “truth” in the process of reconciliation. Several panelistsaddressed this issue. Sentongowarned that people sometimesneedtobepreparedforthetruthasitmaybeatoddswiththeirbeliefs.Aucoin stated that sometimesthere is not one truth but “multiple truths.” The populace may have to “understand various versions of the truth in each community.”

Phillips believed that truth is difficult to attain andthattherealfocusshouldbeontheprocessofthesearch.

Drawing from the experience and observationsofall thepanelists, the implementationof rigid“cookie cutter” justice mechanisms are unlikely toadvancereconciliation.Inordertodesignanappropriatestrategy foraddressing thewrongsofthepast,solidcontextanalysis,consultation,andactiveparticipationofthepartiesisessential.This includes attention and sensitivity to localpriorities and practices rather than imposinga standard set of norms. The sequencing ofstrategies and mechanisms is also vital to theachievementofjusticeandreconciliation.

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As is common in other fields, in coexistence and conflict work, both in theory and in practice, the discussion of gender and conflict is often mistakenlyseenasfocusingonwomen.ThethreepresentersinthesessionExamining Gender and Conflict, Martha Thompson, Program ManagerforRightsinHumanitarianCrisesattheUnitarianUniversalist Service Committee; HonorableAmongiBettyOngom,MemberoftheUgandanParliament;andSanamAnderlini,Gender,Peace,and Security Specialist from MIT, emphasizedthe importance of, and difficulty in, promoting a genderanalysisthatmovesbeyondthisimpasse.Aconsequenceofmistakenfocusonwomenisthefailuretoincludeagenderperspective that examinestherelationsbetweenmenand women, which hasseriously weakened thenatureoftheanalysisand,consequently,impededtheefficacy of the work at all levels: on the ground, onanational level,and inmultilateral organizations,particularly the UN.

The importance of the role of women aspeacemakers,thechallengesthatwomenfaceintakingthatrole,andtheinvisibilityofwomen’scontributionstopeacemakingwerethemesthatwere raised by all of the speakers. Thompsonbeganthediscussionbyprovidinganoverviewof the changing nature of conflict worldwide andthegenderedimplicationsofthesechanges.Ongomdescribed thesituation inher regionofAfricaandthechallengesshefacedasawomanand parliamentarian actively involved in peaceprocesses. Sanam Anderlini concluded with adiscussion of the difficulties in mainstreaming gender-sensitive approaches into all aspects ofworking with conflict.

Thompson began the session by pointing outthat the dynamics of war have changed sincethe 1980s and 90s. It had been increasinglyrecognized thatwomenshouldera tremendouscostofwarbutitwasalsonotedthatinpreviousconflict situations gender relations often changed dramatically, allowing women to enter spacesthathadpreviouslybeenoccupiedexclusivelybymen.Thechangeswereoftenchallengedaftertheconflicts ended, but Thompson pointed out that recent conflicts are not even generating these kinds of opportunities. To the contrary, theyare increasinglyerasingthestatusthatwomenhave achieved before the war. Waging war “on

the cheap” is another new characteristic of conflict. Theuseofnon-stateactorsto fight wars is increasing. Surrogate armies do notwork within the normsof government laws orinternational conventions.Relations between thegovernments, oppositionforces, and the militaryforcesonthegroundoftenlack transparency, which

makesitimpossibletoholdthemaccountableorto negotiate conditions which provide securityfor non-combatants. In addition, illegal meansto finance the conflicts including trading in arms and drugs, and trafficking humans, especially women,havebecomemoreprevalent.

Opposing forces in current conflicts do not have the political platforms that, in the past,wouldbe used to win the support of the population.Insteadweseeextreme forcebeingusedasamethodofcontrol,afactorthatmeansthatthetoolsthathavebeenusedtoprotectciviliansareincreasingly ineffective. The resulting inabilityofgovernmentsandhumanitarianorganizations

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“This one, her husband called and said he cannot allow his wife to go [as a representative of the Ugandan peace process]. This one has a 3-month old baby.”

toprovidesecurity tocivilianpopulationsmustbe looked at through a gender lens.While therecruitmentofchildsoldiersisnotacompletelynewphenomenon, non-state actors and newertypes of insurgencies are relying more heavilyonboysandgirlstoprovidearangeofsupportto the armed forces under exceedingly brutalconditions. Finally, Thompson pointed to theimpact of the “overarching paradigm of the global war on terror,” which has reframed the way that conflicts are seen and fought.

ThenextpresentationwasgivenbyOngom,whoasaUgandanparliamentarianduringatimewhenher country was involved in four conflicts, has facedmanyofthe issuesraisedbyThompson.Shedescribedhowresponsibilitiesthatwomenhave had to assume during the conflicts have exposedthemtomorerisks.Whilemeninvillagesweresusceptibletobeingkidnappedandforciblyinductedintocombat,womenwerevulnerabletootherkindsofabuse.Duringattackstheyweremore likely to be kidnapped because they notonly protect themselves but their children. Inadditiontobeingraped,womenwereabductedto be used as sex slaves or sold in exchangefor weapons or money. When families fled their villages to the camps for internally displacedpeople(IDPs),wheremanystillremain,womenfacedotherrisks.Becauseoffearsthatmenwillbeabductedorkilled,itiswomenwhotakerisksleavingthecampstogobacktotheirvillagesforfood or to look for water or firewood. The lack of healthcare inthevillagesandcampsisanotherproblemthatdisproportionatelyaffectswomen.Complications with pregnancies and deliveryare major causesof death amongwomen. In the IDPcamps,humanitarianaid agencies failedto understand thenatureofthefamilystructure in thesecommunities. Forinstance,theywouldidentifymen as theheadofahousehold.But when, as isthe custom, menhave four or five wives, the rationsthey receivedwere inadequate.

Distributionof rationsmust gothrough thewomen andeach womanmust berecogn i zedas her ownhouseho ld .When agencies provide services, more mustbe done to ensure that they address genderinequalities, rather than reinforce them. Forinstance when they put up learning centers intheIDPcamps,moreboyswereenrolledintheprograms while girls were compelled by theirfamiliestolookforfood.Interventionsareneededtoensureequalaccess.Womenandgirlsmustalsobeprotectedfromabusebythesoldierswhoaresupposedlytheretoprotectthem.

Ongomalsodescribedthechallengesofinvolvingwomen in the peace processes. When sheproposed inUgandathatthereshouldbeequalnumbersofwomenonthecommittee,shewastoldtoidentifypotentialfemalecandidates.Butwhen she put forward the names, they wererejected. She was told “this one, her husband calledandsaidhecannotallowhiswifetogo.This one has a 3-month-old baby.” However, the husband of the woman with the 3-month-old waschosentobepartofthedelegation.Anotherwoman was rejected because she had been aleader inanearlierroundofpeacenegotiationsand, as a result of her prominence, therewasconcern that if she was included she wouldbecomeaviablechallengerforthepresidency.

During post-war reconstruction other issuesarose.ThePeaceRehabilitationandDevelopmentPrograminUgandadidnothaveapsychological-social component, which meant that womenwho were raped had little or no treatment.When Ongom examined the reconstructionplan, it became clear that it lacked a genderperspective, so she met with World Bankofficials and convinced them to reassess how to include a gender component in their approach.Theotherissuethattheyfacedinthepost-warreconstructionwaswomenwhosehusbandshaddiedbeingdeniedtheirland.Traditionallywomendonotownlandandwhenahusbanddies,hislandandhischildrengotohisfamilywhilethewomenaresupposedtoreturntotheirfamilies

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oforigin.Ongomadvisedthatthesystemmustchangesothatthesewomen’srighttotheirlandissecured.

Anderlini took up the question of howwomenare treated in the post-conflict period by pointing to the treatment of women who have beenraped.Husbands,families,andsocietiesfailtorecognize thatbeing raped isnodifferent thanbeing shot. “The cheapest weapon of war is the penis,” she pointed out, so if there is no shame inhavingawifeordaughterwhoiskilled,thereshould be no shame if they have been raped.Addressing the question of whether gendermainstreaming in coexistence and conflict is beingdoneeffectively, her simple answerwasno. The passage of Resolution 1325 by the Security Council in 2000 recognized women’sroles in peacebuilding and pointed to thedifferential protection needs of women. Whiletheframeworkexists,governmentshaveyettoenforce it.Without pressure, it is unlikely thatthiswillbedone.

Anderlini identified the problem as institutional, what she calls “the three A’s syndrome”: apathy,amnesia,andad-hockery.Apathyisthe

“cafeteria” approach, i.e. “today is international women’s day so let’s make a statement.” Kofi Annan, formerSecretary-General of theUnitedNations, made tremendous statements; but he left office with zero of his eighteen special advisors being women. Amnesia occurs wheninstead of paying attention to case studiesof disarmament processes that went well, weignorethemandmakethesamemistakesagainand again. Lessons are not translated and wekeepreinventingwhatwedo.ThethirdAstandsforAd-Hockery,awordthatAnderlini inventedtorefertotheprocessofdoingaprojecthere,a project there, and failing to systematicallyreplicateorattempttoadaptwhatworks

Therewaslittletimeleftfordiscussionbutthecomments of the session participants echoedthe points that the speakers had made aboutthe differential impact of conflict on women and men and on the invisibility of women in conflict resolutionprocesses.

TheambitiousagendasetfortheroundtableonImplications for Education and Trainingwas toassessthesuccessofvariousapproachestothepreparationofcoexistenceworkers.Amongthedifficulties encountered by this area of study is the relatively recent origin of the field, as well as theneedtosimultaneouslyevolveatheoreticalframework for the academy, and a practical “field guide” for engaged professionals.

The world at large assumes that professionalstackling complex social tasks, such aspeacemaking, will have been trained in theskills and insights such tasks demand. Thecontributionsofpaneliststoourroundtablemadeit immediatelyobvious,however,thatselectingtopics, devising frameworks, and incorporatingfield experience in the education of coexistence workersisatallorder.

Attheoutset,MariFitzduff,DirectoroftheMAProgram in Coexistence and Conflict at Brandeis, introducedabriefhistoryofhowtrainingprogramswere shaped in Northern Ireland. Starting in 1983–1985, parties to that conflict began looking for alternatives to failed peacemakingattemptsthathadfocusedonincreasedsecurity,economicdevelopment,orguaranteesofequality.Suchapproachessimplydidnotwork,butwhatefforts could? Mobilizing academic “experts” (thosescholarswhohadattemptedtostructureabodyof thinkingaround topicsofpeaceandcoexistence) had started the shaping process.To facilitate exchange of these ideas a semi-independent funding agency was created andstaffed.Whiletheconsiderableresearchoutputof this agency was valuable, the format andlanguageofthepublishedworkthatemergedputitoutoftherangeofpolicymakers.Atranslation,orratheranewavenueofcommunication,wasneeded that could link academics with those

designingandimplementingpolicies.Thesenewmulti-talented professionals would be awareof both research findings and theory based on them, but would also know what it is like tobe a practitioner facing stubborn opposition. ItwasFitzduff’sviewthatmasters-levelgraduateprogramsarethemostusefulforpreparingsuchprofessionalsavoidingthenarrowspecializationofPh.D.s.

This brief history brought the development ofprofessional training programs to their presentstate where the academic/professional debatecontinues, but many experts are “straddling that divide.” At the heart of the dilemma is questioning which specific knowledge, skills, and values needed by practitioners are to beincludedineffectivetrainingprograms.Fitzduffsuggested that in the final analysis, a successful program also needs to stay in touch withnational,international,andprivateagenciesthatfund coexistence initiatives, in order to assesstheir needs in terms of theory, initiatives, andengagement possibilities. Her recent paper oncompetenciessummarizestheguidingphilosophyof the Master’s Program in Coexistence andConflict at Brandeis University.

Barbara Nelson, Dean of UCLA’s School of PublicAffairs,describedanadditionalapproachto preparing professionals for careers incoexistence and social cohesion: graduate and undergraduatetrainingthatnurturestheseskillsandthenintegratesthemintowell-knowndegreeprograms with additional skills and knowledgeplatforms. Nelson suggested that one way to scaleupcoexistenceeducationwastopromotecoexistenceandsocialcohesionconcentrationsin graduate-level professional degrees in publicpolicy, social work, and urban planning. Suchdegreeshavearecognizedaudienceandcareer

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAININGModerator: AttilaKleinParticipants:MariFitzduff BarbaraNelson StevenBurg RobertRicigliano DianaChigas

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route,andstudentscanusetheirdegreesinalifetimeofcoexistenceworkindifferentsettings. They also provide professional-levelskillsinappliedeconomics,statistics,policymaking and implementation,counseling, geographic informationsystems,internationalandlocaleconomicdevelopment,healthpolicy,andthelike.

Such an approach to coexistence andsocial cohesion education is beingconsideredattheUCLASchoolofPublicAffairs. This graduate school is distinctive forhaving three professional departments withinone school (public policy, social welfare, andurbanplanning)andnineresearchcenters.Theoveralleffortisaimedatscalingupcoexistenceandsocialcohesioneducationtomeetmulti-levelstudentdemand.Thereare1,400undergraduatestudentsenrolledinthevariousminors,and500graduate students, about 70 of them in Ph.D.programs. Many of the students attracted tocoexistence programs are “profoundly concerned about inter- and intra-communal violence.” A second realization motivating training inthese fields is the need to learn to deal with communitiespossessingdeephistoricdivisions.Experienceandprecedentshowsthatpeoplesodividedcancontinuetodisagreebutmanagetolive together in what Nelson calls “democratic accommodation” or “effective pluralism.”

Nelson considers such scaling up of training capacitytobetheequivalentofconstructinga“long lever” with which to solve big problems. Further, she commented on the question of“fields,” which she considers remnants of 19th-centuryGermanuniversitystructures.Herposition is that not only is a new field being invented, but the notion of a “field” itself is being redefined. Instead of fields being almost “geographical” with fixed borders like national boundaries, fields today have much more fluid boundaries and are organized around sets ofquestions, groups of concepts, and areas ofpractice. An example of flexible field boundaries isthecombinationofcoexistence-relatedcoursesincluding political, economic, sociological, andpsychological knowledge and practice. Finally,tomaketheleverevenlonger,thereareplansfor11 universities (8 in the US, 3 outside) to include acoexistenceandsocialcohesionconcentrationintheirpublicpolicymaster’sdegreeofferings,and also to form the InternationalCoexistence

Policy Curriculum Consortium. Ultimately, theinstitutions will be connected by a researchcenterandbyanInternetgateway.

Next, Steven Burg, Chair of the Politics Department at Brandeis, described the role oftheacademicscholar-specialist.Althoughhe isaBalkansspecialistlongexperiencedwithethnicconflicts in the former Yugoslavia, he constantly sees confirmation from far-flung trouble spots of the value of generalizations derived fromexperiencesinoneregionbutapplicabletomanyothers.Forascholartobeusefulandeffectiveinthetrainingofprofessionals,Burg’sprescriptionis to have actual experience in the field and then to act as a “translator” of complex social-sciencemodelsintoaccessiblelanguagewithoutabandoning their essence, the concepts, and,most importantly, the causal relationshipsbetweenpiecesofthemodels.Hethinkstheroleof the scholar embedded in a trainingprogramforpractitionersistoserveasaguideorscoutintothe literature. Ifboththeteachingandthelearning take place as advertised, the youngprofessionals will arrive at their field assignments witha toolkitof testedmodelswithwhich todescribeandevaluate situations theyneednothaveencounteredbefore. Inaddition, theywillalsorecognizedeviationsfromthefamiliarmodelsand will thus be prepared to recognize novelrelationships. As Fitzduff pointed out earlier,however,notallspecializedacademicshavethemotivation, or even the vocabulary, to act asguidesandtranslatorsfortheenlightenmentofprofessionalsintraining.

Next, Robert Ricigliano, Director of the Institute ofWorldAffairsandthePeaceStudiesProgramatUniversityofWisconsin,Milwaukee,returnedto the question of whether peacebuilding is a field ornot,particularlyasittouchesontheworkofthisroundtable.TheanswertothisquestionwilldependuponthekindofeducationpractitionersIm

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“To the empirical question, does peacebuilding look like a field, the answer is no. To the normative question, should peacebuilding be a field, the answer is yes. We need to know how to organize knowledge in the service of a fractious world if we wish to assist peaceful, just,

and sustainable societies.”

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will receive. He then proposed a distinctionbetween two forms of the “field” question: defining it as an empirical or a normative question, since each requires a different answer. To theempiricalquestion,doespeacebuildinglooklikeafield, the answer is no. To the normative question, should peacebuilding be a field, the answer is yes. Weneedtoknowhowtoorganizeknowledgeinthe service of a fractiousworld ifwewish toassist peaceful, just, and sustainable societies.Coexistence as a field would allow us to contribute tothesuccessofwidespreadhumaneffortsbyorganizingandknittingtheseeffortstogetherina conscious manner. At present many sub-fields impact each other in haphazard and randomways thus rendering them potentially (or evenactually)counterproductive.Bybeingorganizedinto a “field” we could anticipate how topics will interact,wecouldcollectbestpractices,successstories, setbacks, and build theory on how toachieveproductiveinteractions.

Evolving an organized system for defining and teaching this new field of coexistence, Riciglianocontinued,willalsoallowustotailorpresentations to those with varied preparations: undergraduates, practitioners, governmentofficials, graduate students. For example, we could sequencetheteachingofgeneralvs.specializedknowledge and alert potential employers ofour students (the policymakers, NGO leaders, and donor organizations) to what they mightexpect.Thiswaywecouldaimforimprovingthecapacity of field workers by providing them with interdisciplinarycompetenceratherthanlimitingthem to just a programmatic specialty. Finally,weneedtomaketheexperiences,theories,tools,anddesirablecompetenciesbroadlyavailabletopotential beneficiaries of such knowledge and skills,fromundergraduatestoseniordiplomats.

The last contributor to our analysis of peaceworker trainingwasDianaChigas,whosharedwith the group some of her frustrationswith existing approaches to teaching field interventions. Referring to a large, three-year project she led with Collaborative forDevelopment Action, Inc., she commented onthecontrastbetweenthededicationandtalentoftheworkers involved inseeminglywell-plannedprojects,andtherelativelymodestcontributionsthat resulted from these efforts. She pointedtotwofactorsthatmaybeatwork.Oneisthelimitedintegrationandsynergyexhibitedbythevarioussub-projects;theotheristheassumptionthat since “everything is connected to everything else,” we may assume that whatever positive effect is achieved, it will somehow add up topeacebuilding. She called for more rigor, more“glue” between components, more technical and professionalknowledge,andmorejointanalysisdone out in the field. The aim would be to create the whole picture of what led to the conflict, and asystematicanalysisofinteractingfactorsthatmayleadusoutofit.Chigas’emphasiswasonintegrationofthinkingandoftraining,includingthe training of donors (governments, NGOs, UN agencies), of field workers, and of theorists. Suchtrainingshouldresultinsolidlinkagesfromwhich both academics and practitionerswouldbenefit.

Avigorousgeneraldiscussionfollowedinwhichmanyofthepointsputforwardbythepanelistswere supported. Agencies are looking foreffectiveness in the field. Identification of core vs.ancillaryissueswouldbemosthelpful.Thereshouldbesensitizationofclientagenciestobothfield and core theoretical issues, perhaps under the leadership of “champions” of coexistence found intheir ranks.Theutilityofoptionstobetriedoutinrecalcitrantsituationssothepartiescouldemulate solutions successful elsewhere. Therewerealsowarningsagainstallowingcoexistencescholars to develop an opaque language sofamiliar in other recognized “fields.” The diversity ofemphasis,thedesiretobeeffective,andthecommitment to continueworking on importantbut difficult conflict areas bodes well for the near termadvanceofcoexistenceasanacademicaswellaspracticaldiscipline.

Professor Theodore Johnson of the MA Program in Coexistence and Conflict offered the closing remarks for the conference, reviewing key themes and questions. The following is an abbreviated version of his remarks:

Itfallstometotrytoputsomebookendsontheday,anditfeelsalittlebitoverwhelmingbecausethis lastsessionwassorich,andmysense isthatwecouldhaveprobablyspentthewholedaytalkingaboutthoseissues.Andevenatthatpointwewouldn’tnecessarilybeanyclosertoagreementonit.Butthenagain,maybeourgoalisn’ttocometoagreement,maybeourgoalistohavearichdiscussionaboutthesethings.Intheselastfewminutesasthingsbegintoreallygetanelevatedsenseofangstandpassion,letusnotforgetsomeofthethingsthatwehavedonethroughoutthedayandyesterday.

Therearealotofthemesthatcameoutofyesterdayandtoday.I’mcertainlynotgoingtotrytorehash everything, but just a few that I recall: one was language. How are we using language? Is our vocabulary clear? What are the definitions that are important to us as we approach this important work? What is a field? What is peacebuilding? Are we able to approach it with a new lens or are we stuck in our thinking about it? What is coexistence? We have dictionary definitions of it; we’ve talked about it from a variety of different standpoints. Who is “we”? All these are just some of my thoughts thatcameuparoundtheissueoflanguage.

Anotherthemewasgaps.SenatorJaffersaidthatwe’renotyetatcoexistence.Wellthenifwe’renot,whynot?Whatdoesittakeforustogetthere?Doesittakethekindsofdiscussionsthatwe’rehavingthiseveningjustnowordoesittakemorescholarship?Whatisthecauseofthegap?Whataresomeofthethingsthatwecando?Maybethosearediscussionsthatcanbebroughtforwardin future sessions. Senator Jaffer also talked about sharing resources. When I first heard her talk about it, it seemed like she was talking about just financial resources, but as we look deeper and as we begin to explore some of the things that came out, we need to explore other resources: our intellectualresources,ourpassions,thethingsthatextendus.Weneedtogettoanotherlevelofreachingouttothosethatsodesperatelyfeelaneedofourservices.Anothergap is in inclusionaroundgender,race,andequality.IlovedtheSenator’smetaphorlastnightaboutplayingthepiano.Thatsometimestoangerherparentsshewouldjustplayonthewhitekeysandsometimesjustonthe black keys. But that limits the music you play. You need to play on the black and the white keys tobeinclusive.

Barrierswasanotherthemethatwetalkedabout.Mindsets,dysfunctionalinstitutions-alotofthatcameupinsomeofthepaneldiscussionstoday.Internationalorganizations,statesystems,andsoon.Practicalrealitieswasanothersetofbarriersthattookustoanotherlevelofdistinction.Anothertheme was sensitivity: the value of recognizing local knowledge, local capacity, and local experience. IrememberasIwastryingtorushthroughmypresentationthismorning–oneoftheIraqisIworkwith said, “We want democracy in Iraq, but we want Iraqi democracy. We get to decide what it will be;wegettodecidehowitworks.Thankyouverymuchforyourmodelsbutletushavethedecisionon that.” This ties in with another wonderful example from the panel on justice and reconciliation aboutrestorativejustice,whereinsomeinstancespeoplewouldcometothelocaleldersandwouldtalkabouthowtogothroughaprocessofforgivenessandreconciliation.Sorecognizingthevalueoflocalexperienceandofhowpeacebuildingisconnectedwithabroadersetofissues.

We just concluded a stimulating discussion on education, training, and competencies for newprofessionals.Theconceptisextremelyvaluablebutitdoestakeleverage.Iseethataspartofouropportunitiestobuildrelationshipsthroughtheacademicworld,throughtheworldoforganizations,C

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throughtheworldofpractitioners,andsoon,andthat’spartoftheleveragethatweneedtohave.Linkingsolidscholarshipwithpracticalrealities.DifferencesinpracticeinteractingwitheachotherandhavingthingsthatimpactwhatwedointhepracticebeingpalpableandvisibleleadingtothisholisticpeacebuildingprocessthatRobRiciglianotalkedabout.Theimportanceofrecognizingthatjustbecausenowpeacebuildingismainstreamedthateverythingwedoisn’tnecessarilypeacebuilding.We really need those boundaries to make sure that we define the things that are in fact peacebuilding or not. That’s of course a larger discussion. But discourse over whether another field is needed is healthyandIthinkitmustcontinue.

My observation is that peacebuilding is something more than a lot of the defined fields that we have already.Itinvolvesacademicsbutitinvolvespractitioners,itinvolvestechnicalspecialists,itinvolvesorganizations,itinvolvesinstitutions.Allofthecurrentmodelsofacademicsandpracticeitseemsstillhaven’tyetbroughtustopeace.Somaybeweneedtoexpandwhatwe’redoing.Maybewhatwe have in place isn’t yet enough. Maybe this is the point of departure: we need to find another way,andbeopentootherapproaches.Thosearemyobservations. Ithink it’sbeenawonderfulconference.

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Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle:Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and DevelopmentQuestionsforDiscussion

• Is peacebuilding/coexistence a field? Should it be?

•Whatshouldbetheroleoflocalactors,mechanisms,andvalues?Howcancoexistenceworkersbesttaketheseintoaccountwhenworkingindifferentsituations?

• Who is the “we”? With numerous individual, organizational, and moral considerations, how doyouassessthepossibilitiesforaction?

•Whatisthelanguageofcoexistencework?Areweusingitinthemosteffectiveway?Howdoweavoidgettingboggeddownbyterminology?

•Whatcancoexistenceandrelatedareasofworkcontributetothesharingofresourcesandfilling of gaps in education, access, and experience?

•Whatarethebarrierstocoexistencework?Howdoweovercomethem?

•Whataretheopportunitiesavailableforcoexistencework?Howdowetakeadvantageofthem?

•Whatisthebestwaytoeducateandtrainfuturecoexistenceworkersinaholisticway?

•Whatindividualskillsandqualitiesareneededtobeaneffectivecoexistenceworker?

•Howdoweaddressandovercomesubconsciousracismincoexistenceandrelatedareasofwork?

• How can we integrate different related fields and different levels of work (local, national, regional,andinternational)tofostercomplementarity?

• To what extent should coexistence be integrated into related fields (and vice versa)? How canthisbedone?

•Howdowelearnfromoursuccessesandmistakesincoexistencework?

• How can we learn from the similarities in conflicts and approaches while acknowledging the importanceofcontextualdifferences?

• What should the role of external actors be in democratization, peace, and justiceprocesses?

• How should we determine what approach to take to a given conflict?

•Whatistherelationshipofpeacetojustice?Howdoweachieveboth?

•Howcanwemainstreamgenderconcernsintocoexistencework?

•Whatarethepotentialsand limitsofacomplementaryapproachtobuildingsustainablepeace?

Conference Schedule and Panelist Biographies

Thursday,March15,2007

Location: RapaporteTreasureHall,GoldfarbLibrary

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.KeynoteAddressandReceptionBySenatorMobinaJaffer,ParliamentofCanada

Born in Uganda, Senator Jaffer was the first East Indian, first Muslim, and first African appointed to theCanadianSenate.From2002-2006,sheheldthepositionofCanada’sSpecialEnvoyforPeaceinSudanandwasamemberofthePrimeMinister’sSpecialAdvisoryTeamfocusedontheimplementationofthepeaceprocess.From2002-2005,SenatorJafferwasalsoChairoftheCanadianCommitteeonWomen,Peace,andSecurity.SenatorJafferisaremarkableleader,committedtoequalityandjusticeforwomenofcolorandthepromotionandenforcementofhumanrights.

•ConferenceWelcome JessicaBerns ProgramManager–CoexistenceInternationalatBrandeisUniversity

•KeynoteIntroduction SanamAnderlini Gender, Peace, and Security Specialist; MIT Research Affiliate

•KeynoteAddress SenatorMobinaJaffer ParliamentofCanada

7:00 p.m.HonoraryDinnerLocation: Faculty Club LoungeByinvitationonly

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Friday,March16,2007

Location: Levine-Ross,HassenfeldConferenceCenter

8:15 – 8:45 a.m.RegistrationBreakfast(panelistsonly)

8:45 – 9:00 a.m.Welcome

•MariFitzduff Director – Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University ChairofAdvisoryBoard–CoexistenceInternational

9:00 – 10:30 a.m.Panel Discussion: IntegratingCoexistence,Democracy,HumanRights,GenderandDevelopment

Whatiscoexistence?Shouldcoexistenceconcernsandvaluesbeintegratedintoworkincomplementaryfields such as democracy, human rights, and development? To what extent? What are our common goalsandapproachestobuildingdiverse,equitable,andpeacefulsocieties?Whatarethepotentialandlimitsofacomplementaryapproachforbuildingsustainablepeace?

•SenatorMobinaJaffer ParliamentofCanada

•TedJohnson Assistant Professor – Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict, BrandeisUniversity

•MadhawaPalihapitiya MA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University

ModeratedbyRobertRicigliano,Director,InstituteofWorldAffairsandPeaceStudiesProgram–UniversityofWisconsin,Milwaukee

10:45 – 11:55 a.m.DiscussionGroups

1. DilemmasofPeaceandDemocraticGovernance(GellarClassroom,HassenfeldConferenceCenter)What are the legacies of violent conflict on achieving democratic norms? What is the relationship betweenpeacebuildinganddemocracy-building?Underwhatcircumstancesdoesdemocracy-buildingcontributetotensions?

•MajaCatic Member,BoardofDirectors–CommunityofBosnia

•AllenKassof PresidentEmeritusandSeniorAdviser–ProjectonEthnicRelations

•GayRosenblum-Kumar Senior Public Adminstration Officer – UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

ModeratedbyStevenBurg,AdlaiStevensonProfessorofInternationalPoliticsandChair–PoliticsDepartment,BrandeisUniversityRapporteur: Tzvetomira Kaltcheva, Ph.D Student - Politics Department, Brandeis University

2. FindingJusticeandReconciliation(roundtable)(Levine-Ross,HassenfeldConferenceCenter)

Wherehavedifferentcollaborativeapproachestojusticeworked,andwherehavetheyfailed?Whatarethekeyissuestoconsiderinrelationtorestorativeandretributivejustice?Whatarethetoolsforeachoftheseapproaches?Whatroledojusticeinitiativesplayinbuildingcoexistence?

•LouisAucoin InstituteforHumanSecurityAssociateResearchProfessor– FletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy,TuftsUniversity

•AbdulWahabMusah Program Officer – Ghana Center for Democratic Development •TimothyPhillips Cofounder–ProjectonJusticeinTimesofTransition,TuftsUniversity

•RomainRurangirwa MA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University

•AshadSentongo MA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University

•RobertoVarea AssistantProfessor–PerformingArtsandSocialJustice,UniversityofSanFranciscoModerated by Eileen Babbitt, Professor of International Conflict Management Practice – FletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy,TuftsUniversityRapporteur: Clementine Clark, Independent Consultant

3. Examining Gender and Conflict(FeldbergLounge,HassenfeldConferenceCenter)

How do various players grapple with assumptions that “women are more peaceful than men”? How does armed conflict affect gender roles and postconflict reconstruction? How has gender been mainstreamed in the various fields working toward peaceful and equitable societies?

•SanamAnderlini Gender, Peace, and Security Specialist; MIT Research Affiliate

•Hon.AmongiBettyOngom MemberofParliament,Uganda

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•MarthaThompson ProgramManager,RightsinHumanitarianCrises– UnitarianUniversalistServiceCommitteeModeratedbyKelleyReady,AssociateDirectorofAcademics-SustainableInternationalDevelopmentProgram,BrandeisUniversityRapporteur: Mariama Khan, MA Student – SustainableInternationalDevelopmentProgram,BrandeisUniversity

Noon – 1:00 p.m.PlenarySession,ReportingBackFacilitatedbyCynthiaCohen,ExecutiveDirector-SlifkaPrograminIntercommunalCoexistence,BrandeisUniversity

1:15 – 2:30 p.m.LunchBreakPleaserefertoon-campuslunchoptions

2:45 – 4:00 p.m.Roundtable: ImplicationsforEducationandTraining

Do changing practices in the field demand different approaches to educating and training students? Whatarethepossibilitiesandlimitationsofinterdisciplinaryeducation?Doouracademicprogramsequipstudentswiththeknowledge,skills,andcapacitiestoworkinacomplementaryfashion?

•StevenBurg AdlaiStevensonProfessorofInternationalPoliticsandChair– PoliticsDepartment,BrandeisUniversity

•DianaChigas Project Codirector, Reflecting on Peace Practice – CollaborativeforDevelopmentAction,Inc.

•MariFitzduff Director – Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University

• Barbara Nelson Dean,SchoolofPublicAffairs-UCLA

•RobertRicigliano Director,InstituteofWorldAffairsandPeaceStudiesProgram– UniversityofWisconsin,Milwaukee

ModeratedbyAttilaKlein,AdjunctProfessorandProfessorEmeritusofBiology-HellerSchoolforSocialPolicyandManagement,BrandeisUniversity

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.ConclusionsandClosingRemarks

SanamAnderliniGender, Peace, and Security Specialist; MIT Research AffiliateSanam Anderlini is an independent researcher, trainer, adviser and analyst working with the UN, WorldBank,andbilateraldonorsonissuesofgender,peaceandsecurity.AsdirectoroftheWomenWagingPeacePolicyCommissionfrom2002to2005,shedevelopedandeditedaseriesofcasestudiesonwomen’scontributionstopeaceprocesses.Between1998-2000,shewastheseniorpolicy adviser at International Alert, leading advocacy efforts to attain UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. Ms. Anderlini has written extensively on these issues, including Women at the Peace Table: Making a Difference (UNIFEM 2000), and Negotiating the Transition to Democracy and Reforming the Security Sector: The Vital Contributions of South African Women (Hunt Alternatives Fund 2004). In 1996, she co-authored Civil Wars, Civil Peace: An Introduction to Conflict Resolution. She was editor and lead contributor of Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: A ToolkitforAdvocacyandAction(WomenWagingPeace/InternationalAlert2004).In2005shewasappointedasResearchAssociateofMIT’sCenterforInternationalStudies.Sheiscurrentlyinvolvedwith coexistence and democracy efforts in the Middle East. Her new book Women Building Peace: WhattheyDo,WhyitMatterswillbepublishedbyLynneRiennerin2007.

LouisAucoinInstituteforHumanSecurityAssociateResearchProfessor-FletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy,TuftsUniversityLouisAucoin iscurrentlyAssociateResearchProfessorattheInstituteforHumanSecurity,TuftsUniversity. He was previously Program Officer in the Rule of Law Program, United States Institute of Peace (2000-2003); Supreme Court Fellow, United States Supreme Court Judicial Fellows Program (2001-2002);andConsultant,JusticeinTimesofTransitionProject(March2002-present).HehasalsotaughtatBostonUniversitySchoolofLaw(1984-2000);ESSEC(EcoleSupérieuredesSciencesEconomiquesetCommerciales);UniversitédePoitiers,andEcoledesHautesEtudesInternationales,Paris.HeisCo-founder,TheMekongDeltaRegionalLawCenterandMemberofTheAssociationofAmericanLawSchools,SectiononInternationalandComparativeLawandTheAmericanSocietyofInternationalLaw.

EileenBabbittProfessor of International Conflict Management Practice - FletcherSchoolofLawandDiplomacy,TuftsUniversityEileen F. Babbitt is Professor of International Conflict Management Practice and Director of the International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is also a Faculty Associate of the Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Law SchoolandamemberoftheCouncilonForeignRelations.Herresearchinterestsincludeidentity-based conflicts; coexistence and trust-building in the aftermath of civil war; and the interface between humanrightsconcernsandpeacebuilding.Herpracticeasafacilitatorandtrainerhasincludedworkin theMiddleEast, theBalkans,andwithU.S.governmentagencies, regional inter-governmentalorganizations, and international and local NGOs. Before joining the Fletcher faculty, Professor Babbitt wasDirectorofEducationandTrainingattheUnitedStatesInstituteofPeaceinWashington,D.C.andDeputy Director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Weatherhead CenterforInternationalAffairs,HarvardUniversity.ProfessorBabbitt’slatestpublicationsincludethe forthcoming book, Principled Peace: Conflict Resolution and Human Rights in Intrastate Conflict, University of Michigan Press; and Negotiating Self-Determination, co-edited with Hurst Hannum and publishedbyLexingtonBooks.Dr.BabbittholdsaMaster’sDegreeinPublicPolicyfromtheKennedySchoolofGovernmentatHarvardUniversity,andaPh.D.fromMIT.

PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES

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JessicaBernsProgramManager-CoexistenceInternationalatBrandeisUniversityJessicajoinedBrandeisin2005asProgramManagerforCoexistenceInternational(CI).AsProgramManagersheoverseesallactivitiesandprogrammingconductedbyCIandisresponsibleforprogramadministration, fundraising, communications, supervision of staff and students, reporting to theCoexistenceInternationalAdvisoryBoard,andliaisoningwithCI’slearningandevaluationpartners.Jessica also serves as the Convener for two specific areas of work: Strategic Networking and Donor EngagementinBuildingaComplementaryApproachtoCoexistenceWork.Atthestartofhertenure,JessicaledtheparticipatorystrategicplanningprocessfromJune-September2005thatcreatedthe framework for CI’s work. Before coming to CI, Jessica spent five years in Berlin, Germany at Transparency International, the international anti-corruptionnon-governmental organization.Whilethere,sheworkedcloselywiththeLatinAmericancivilsocietynetworkand intheproductionofcommunication and advocacy tools. Jessica developed and edited the Corruption Fighters’ ToolKit.JessicaholdsaMaster’sDegreeinLawandDiplomacyfromTheFletcherSchoolandaB.A.inSpanishfromtheUniversityofMichigan,AnnArbor.ShespeaksSpanishandGermanandhaslivedandworkedinLatinAmericaandEurope.JessicaisaBoardMemberoftheAllianceforPeacebuildingand sits on the Advisory Board of the 3D Security Initiative. Jessica is the Chair of the Board of the Children’sCenterofBrookline.

StevenBurgProfessorofInternationalPolitics&Chair-PoliticsDepartment,BrandeisUniversitySteven L. Burg isAdlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Politics andChair of the politicsdepartmentatBrandeis.Hismostrecentbook,co-authoredwithPaulS.Shoup,TheWarinBosnia-Herzegovina: Ethnic Conflict and International Intervention, was awarded the year 2000 Ralph J. Bunche Prize of the American Political Science Association for “the best scholarly work in political science which explores the phenomenon of ethnic and cultural pluralism”. Burg is the author of more than 40 published articles and more than 50 papers on Soviet, Yugoslav, and post-Yugoslav politics and on ethnic conflict. He is also the author of several books, including Conflict and Cohesion in Socialist Yugoslavia, and War or Peace? Nationalism, Democracy and American Foreign Policy in Post-CommunistEurope(ATwentiethCenturyFundBook).Heisco-author,withthelateRoyMacridis,ofIntroduction to Comparative Politics: Regimes and Regime Change. He served as co-chair of the 1993 InternationalWorkshoponPeaceinBosnia-Herzegovina.HeservedastheprincipalconsultanttotheprojectontheSouthBalkansoftheCenterforPreventiveActionoftheCouncilonForeignRelationsin New York, and was the principal author of Toward Comprehensive Peace in Southeast Europe: Conflict Prevention in the South Balkans, the report of the South Balkans Working Group, edited byBarnettRubin. Currently,Burg isparticipating inefforts to foster inter-ethnicaccommodationand prevent further ethnic conflict in the Balkans through his association with the Project on Ethnic Relations,andhasdocumentedtheseeffortsinaseriesofreportsavailablefromtheProject.BurgteachesgraduateandundergraduatecoursesonWestEuropean,EastEuropean,andBalkanpolitics;on ethnic conflict and conflict management; and on regime change and democratization. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, his M.A. in Russian Area Studies from Hunter College of the City University of New York, and his Ph.D. in political science from the UniversityofChicago.

MajaCaticMember,BoardofDirectors-CommunityofBosniaMajaCaticisaPh.D.candidateatthePoliticsDepartmentatBrandeisUniversity.Herdissertation-acasestudyofBosnia-Herzegovina-focusesonlegitimizationdebatesinthecontextofexternally-sponsoredstatebuildinginadeeplydividedsociety.From2005-2006shewasaSocialSciencesandHumanitiesResearchCouncilFellowinBosnia.Since2004shehasbeenamemberoftheBoardof Directors of the Community of Bosnia, currently a Sarajevo-based NGO. Her research interests includenationalismandethnicpolitics;statebuildingandexternalintervention;peaceimplementation,return,reconciliation,reconstruction,andreintegration.

DianaChigasProject Co-Director, Reflecting on Peace Practice – Collaborative for Development Action, Inc.Diana Chigas is currently Co-Director of the Reflecting on Peace Practice project at CDA-Collaborative Learning Projects since 2003, working with non-governmental and inter-governmental agencies to improvetheimpactofpeaceprogramminganddevelopmentandhumanitarianassistanceonpeaceand conflict. She was previously a Fellow at the Fletcher School’s Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (2002-2003). Prior to Fletcher, she was a Senior Associate and Regional Director for Europe and the former Soviet Union for Conflict Management Group (CMG), advising international organizations,non-governmentalorganizationsandgovernments inpeacebuilding,negotiationandconflict resolution. Director, program on Preventive Diplomacy in the OSCE at CMG (1989-1992); program on Conflict Management in Cyprus (1993-2003); facilitated “track two” discussions and provided training and advice to the negotiating teams of the government in El Salvador and the FMLN, andwithnegotiators intheSouthAfricanconstitutionalnegotiationsanandintheGeorgia/SouthOssetiapeaceprocess.

CynthiaCohenExecutiveDirector-SlifkaPrograminIntercommunalCoexistence,BrandeisUniversityCynthiaCohenisExecutiveDirectoroftheSlifkaPrograminIntercommunalCoexistenceanddirectorofCoexistenceResearch and InternationalCollaborations, provides intellectual and administrativeleadership for the components of the Slifka Program and manages the development of researchandactionpartnershipswithcoexistenceorganizationsaroundtheworldaswellasprojectsontheBrandeiscampus.SheoverseestheworkofCoexistenceInternationalandisprincipalinvestigatorinanongoing inquiry intoCreativeApproachestoCoexistenceandReconciliation.ShepreviouslydirectedtheinternationalfellowshipprogramRecastingReconciliationthroughCultureandtheArts.She teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Cohen was the founding director of theOralHistoryCenterinCambridge,Massachusetts,andhasfacilitatedcoexistenceeffortsinvolvingparticipantsfromtheMiddleEast,theUnitedStates,CentralAmerica,andSriLanka.SheholdsaPh.D. in education from the University of New Hampshire, and a master’s in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cohen is the author of Working with Integrity: A Guidebook forPeacebuildersAskingEthicalQuestions.Shewritesontheethicalandaestheticdimensionsofreconciliation and has published related chapters and articles in conflict resolution, women’s studies, and education; andmanages the virtual resource centerCreativeResources forCoexistence andReconciliation, where working papers, portfolios and other publications emerging from Brandeisprogramscanbeaccessed.

MariFitzduffDirector - Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis UniversityMari Fitzduff is currently professor and director of the internationalMA program in Coexistenceand Conflict at Brandeis University. From 1997 to 2003, she held a Chair of Conflict Studies at the University of Ulster where she was director of UNU/INCORE, which addresses the management of ethnic, political, and religious conflict through an integrated approach using research, training, policy, program, and practice development. From 1990 to 1997, she was chief executive of the Northern IrelandCommunityRelationsCouncil,whichworkswithgovernment,statutorybodies,tradeunions,churches,communitygroups,securitygroups,ex-prisoners,businesses,andpoliticians,developingprograms and training to address issues of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland. She has also worked on programs addressing conflict issues in many countries -- including the Basque Country, Sri Lanka, theMiddleEast,andIndonesia--andisutilizedasaninternationalexpertbymanygovernmentsandinternational organizations on issues of conflict and coexistence. Her publications include Beyond Violence: Conflict Resolution Processes in Northern Ireland (2002), published by the United Nations University Press/Brookings, which was winner of an American Library Notable Publications Award; Community Conflict Skills, which was first published in 1988 and is now in its fourth edition; and NGO’s at the Table, published by Rowan and Littlefield in 2004. Her most recent publication is The Psychology of Resolving Global Conflicts, a three-volume series which she co-edited with Chris Stout,publishedbyPraegarPressinspring2006.

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SenatorMobinaJafferParliamentofCanadaBorn inUganda,MobinaJafferwas educated in bothEnglandandCanada, earningher bacheloroflawsdegree(LL.B.)fromLondonUniversityinEnglandandgoingontocompletetheExecutiveDevelopment Program at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. The first East Indian woman lawyer inBritishColumbia,Mobinahas anextensive recordof achievement in the areasofequalityand justice forwomenofcolourand thestruggle toendviolenceagainstallwomen.Appointed to the Senate in 2001 as the first East Indian, first Muslim, first African, she continues to bringissuesofhumanrightsandotherimportantissuestohercolleaguesintheParliamentofCanada.From2002-2006SenatorJafferheldthepositionofCanada’sSpecialEnvoyforPeaceinSudan.AstheSpecialEnvoy,SenatorJafferworkedwiththeDepartmentofForeignAffairs,theSudaneseCommunityandtheDiplomaticCommunitytoassistthepeopleofSudaninthesearchforpeace.SenatorJaffertravelledtotheregionmanytimesrepresentingtheCanadianGovernment.FromMay2005toMarch2006shewasalsoamemberofthePrimeMinister’sSpecialAdvisoryTeamfocusingon the implementation of the Peace Process in Sudan. Senator Jaffer’s long-time advocacy ofenabling Sudanese women to participate in the Peace negotiations was finally achieved for the first timeinthefallof2005.SenatorJafferalsotookontheroleastheChairoftheCanadianCommiteeonWomen,Peace&Securityfrom2002-2005.Herbeliefthatthekeytopeaceistheinclusionofwomen in the peace process, was outlined in the United Nations 1325 (2000) Resolution. As Chair of the Canadian Committee of Women, Peace & Security she held roundtables on racial profiling, finding peaceful solutions to Middle-East warring, and the plight of Afghani and Iraqi women. Mobina hasbeenveryinvolvedwiththeLiberalPartyofCanadainvariousroles.SheservedastheVice-President (English) of the Liberal Party of Canada, as the President of the National Women’s Liberal Commission,ontheboardofLiberalInternational,andastheChairofthemanagementboardoftheInternational Network of Liberal Women. Within the community Senator Jaffer is a supporter of a vast array of local community-based organizations, firmly believing that it takes the concerted efforts ofacommunitytoachieveourcollectivegoals.

TheodoreJohnsonAssistant Professor - Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis UniversityTheodore A. Johnson is an assistant professor of conflict and coexistence in the Slifka Program for the2006-07academicyear.Inthefall,hewillbeteachingacourseinInternationalMediationaswellasashortcourseonResearchMethodology.Inthespring,hewillbeteachingashortcourseon Conflict and Deveopment and a short course on Trends in Diversity Management. Prior to his appointmentatBrandeis,Mr.JohnsonwasaSeniorProgramManagerandin-houselegalcounselwith Mercy Corps and Conflict Management Group managing the organization’s work with UN humanitarian organizations including WHO, FAO, UNCTAD, and UNEP. In his work at Mercy Corps, healsoservedasaconsultantandtrainerinnumerousnegotiationanddisputeresolutionprogramsin various conflict areas including South Africa, Cyprus, the Caucuses and the Middle East. In South Africahe assisted in building communitymediationprocesses in postAparthiedSouthAfrica, inCyprus,heassisted in aTrack II capacity-buildingprocessaswell aswith theCyprusAmericanScholarsProgram. In theMiddle East, hehasdone extensivework in IraqworkingwithKurdishuniversities to design and implement conflict resolution programs, and with regional and local leaders fromShi’itecommunities inSouthCentral Iraq. Ineachof theseprograms, theaimwas tobuildnegotiation,communication,andproblem-solvingcapacities.IntheCaucusesMr.JohnsonworkedwithyoungleadersfromseveralcommunitiesinArmeniatodevelopnegotiationandleadershipskills.Mr. Johnson has designed a nationally recognized community-based youth conflict resolution program whichhasbeenusedextensivelyinBostonandChicago.JohnsonholdsaJurisDoctordegreefromWesternStateUniversity,aMaster’sinInternationalLawandDiplomacyfromtheFletcherSchoolatTuftsUniversity,andisanABDforhisPhDalsofromtheFletcherSchoolatTufts.

AllenKassofPresidentEmeritusandSeniorAdviser-ProjectonEthnicRelationsAllenKassofisPresidentEmeritusandSeniorAdviserattheProjectonEthnicRelations(PER),whichheestablished in1991andwhereheservedasPresidentuntil2005. PERworks inCentralandEastern Europe to promote the peaceful resolution of ethnic conflicts and is a leading U.S. private organizationmediating ethnicdisputes in the region. AmonghisPERduties,Kassof chaired theroundtabletalksbetweenrepresentativesoftheRomaniangovernmentandtheDemocraticUnionofHungariansinRomania.HealsochairedtheSlovakiaroundtable,whichconductedthediscussionsbetween the ruling coalition, opposition parties, and the Hungarian ethnic parties of the SlovakRepublic. He headed the roundtables on Albanians and Their Neighbors, a key regional forum bringing togetherpoliticalleadersfromtheWesternBalkansandtheinternationalcommunity,andchairedthediscussionsbetweenrepresentativesoftheMontenegringovernmentandleadersofthatcountry’sAlbaniancommunity.HecurrentlychairstheMavrovoRoundtables,aseriesofdiscussionsbetweenethnicAlbanianandMacedonianpoliticalleaders.KassofwasfoundingdirectoroftheInternationalResearch&ExchangesBoard(IREX),apositionheheldfrom1968until1992.Hewasonthefacultyof Smith College from 1957-1961 and was a Princeton University faculty member from 1961 to 1973. HegraduatedfromRutgersUniversityin1952.In1954hereceivedtheA.M.degreeinRegionalandInternationalStudies,andin1960thePh.D.inSociology,bothfromHarvardUniversity.

AbdulWahabMusahProgram Officer - Ghana Center for Democratic DevelopmentAbdul Wahab Musah is a Program Officer at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana). He has been at the forefront of the Center’s programs on promoting National Reconciliation. A productoftheUniversityofGhana,Legon,hespecializedinPoliticalScienceandSociology.HehasaM.Sc.inInternationalRelationsandDevelopmentfromtheAalborgUniversityinDenmark.Hehasreceivedstrongtraininginsocialscienceandhasakeeninterestindemocracyandgovernanceissuesparticularlytransitionaljusticeandhumanrightsissues.HeisatransitionaljusticefellowandhasaDiplomainTransitionalJusticefromtheUniversityofCapeTown,SouthAfrica.

BarbaraNelsonDean, School of Public Affairs – UCLABarbara J. Nelson was named the first permanent dean of the UCLA School of Public Affairs (formerly the School of Public Policy and Social Research) on November 1, 1996. Prior to her appointment as DeanandProfessorofPublicPolicy,shewasVicePresidentandDistinguishedProfessorofPublicPolicyatRadcliffeCollegewhereherportfolio includedacademicprogramandstrategicplanning.Dr. Nelson’s fields of expertise include conflict mediation in civil society, social and economic policy, organizational theory and behavior, and social movements. Dean Nelson has worked or done research in24countries,andhasmademajorcontributionstopolicymakingandciviclifeintheUnitedStatesand abroad. She is the founder ofTheConcordProject,which conducts research andprovidesexecutiveeducationonbuildingbridgingsocialcapital—thehumanandorganizationalresourcesthatspan social differences. She is the Co-Director of the National Commission on Reducing Infant Mortality,sponsoredby theHealthPolicy Instituteof theJointCenter forPoliticalandEconomicStudies. Dr. Nelson is the 2004 recipient of Harry Scoville Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of ASPA,forheracademicandleadershipaccomplishmentsinstartingtheUCLApolicyschool.Dr.Nelson was a founding member of the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Task Force on Gender Equity in theCourts.SheconsultedwiththeSwedishGovernmentonitsParliamentaryCommissiononPowerand Democracy, and has worked with several United Nations organizations on questions of economic development and political participation. Before her appointment at Radcliffe, Barbara Nelson served on the faculties of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at PrincetonUniversityandtheHubertH.HumphreyInstituteofPublicAffairsattheUniversityofMinnesota,whereshewasDirectoroftheCenteronWomenandPublicPolicy.SheearnedherB.A.,M.A.,andPh.D. inpoliticalscienceatOhioStateUniversity,whereshewaselectedtoPiSigmaAlpha,thepoliticalsciencehonorarysociety.

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Hon.AmongiBettyOngomMemberofParliament,UgandaActiveinbothhernation’sparliamentanditspeaceprocess,BettyAmongi-OngomhasservedUgandain a variety of ways. She is the chair of the Uganda chapter of AMANI, also known as the Great Lakes ParliamentaryForumonPeace;andshechairstheobservermissiontotheJubapeacetalksbetweenthe government and the LRA. She is also Uganda’s delegate to the African Caribbean and Pacific-EuropeanUnionJointParliamentaryAssembly(ACP-EU-JPA).Asanoppositionmemberofparliament,Ms. Amongi-Ongom was one of only five women who agitated for the Ugandan constitutional change fromone-partysystemtoamulti-partysystem,whichwasintroducedinUgandain2005.Sheisawomen’srightsadvocate,apeacebuilder,andacriticofthecurrentgovernmentpoliciesinUganda.Sheisanindependentmemberofparliament.Ms.Amongi-Ongomhasalsoservedasthecoordinatorof the Northern Uganda Women’s Forum since 2004. She has been Uganda’s expert on democracy, good governance, and gender in the UN/African Union Conference on Peace and Security in the Great LakesRegionsince2004. From2001to2004,Ms.Amongi-Ongomwasthepublicitysecretaryfor the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association; as of 2006, she is the finance secretary for the Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians. Ms. Amongi-Ongom holds a master’s degreeininternationalrelationsanddiplomaticstudies.

MadhawaPalihapitiyaMA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis UniversityMadhawaPalihapitiya isanativeofSriLanka,whereheworkswith localpopulations inordertobuild communities, settle conflicts, and cope with natural disasters. He is presently employed by the FoundationforCo-Existence(FCE),whereheisaProgramsManagerresponsibleforanEarlyWarningand Early Response system for preventing conflicts, a Land Rights program, and many other peace buildingandreliefefforts.HeearnedhisBachelorofArtsdegreefromtheUniversityofColombo,wherehemajoredinEnglishwhileminoringinInternationalRelations,Economics,Demography,andJournalism.

TimPhillipsCofounder-ProjectonJusticeinTimesofTransition,TuftsUniversityTimothy Phillips is a founding co-chair of the Project on Justice in Times of Transition at TuftsUniversity, a project recognized globally for its significant contributions to the field of transitional justice, the Northern Ireland peace process, reconciliation in El Salvador and Nicaragua, and the establishmentoftheTruthandReconciliationCommissioninSouthAfrica.Mr.Phillipshasservedasaconsultanttonon-governmentalandgovernmentalorganizationsintheUnitedStatesandabroad,including USAID and the Council of Europe, on democratization, conflict resolution and human rights initiatives.Mr.PhillipsisamemberoftheBoardofDirectorsandAdvisorsoftheFoundationfora Civil Society, the University of the Middle East, the International Rescue Committee, Club ofMadrid,andtheInstituteforGlobalLeadershipatTuftsUniversity.Mr.Phillipsisalsoco-founderofEnergiaGlobal,Ltd.,apioneeringdeveloperandownerofprivaterenewableenergyfacilitiesinCentralandSouthAmerica.HeservedasanadvisortotheGovernmentofSriLankainthedesignandimplementationofitspeaceprocessandhasworkedcloselywithleadersinseveralcountriesonconflict resolution and reconciliation initiatives. He presently serves as an Advisor to the William J. ClintonFoundation.

KelleyReadyAssociateDirectorofAcademics-SustainableInternationalDevelopmentProgram,BrandeisUniversityKelleyReadyisAssociateDirectorofAcademicsattheSustainableInternationalDevelopmentMasterofArtsProgram.ProfessorReadyisananthropologistandhumanrightsactivistwhohasworkedonissuesofgenderandsexualityinCentralAmerica.Shehastaughtatavarietyofuniversitiesinthe CUNY system as well as Northeastern University and Holy Cross College. Her work with women andsocialmovementshascenteredonCentralAmerica.ShewritesandspeaksonhumanrightsandwomeninElSalvador.RecentlyKelleyhasbeenmonitoringtheCentralAmericanrecipientsofa

small grant program of the Women in Development Office of USAID. These grants were provided to organizations working to improve women’s labor rights in export industries. Her essay “La Ciguanaba y el espíritu de las relaciones de género en El Salvador” was published by Plumstock Mesoamerican Press and UNIFEM in 2002 in Mujeres, Género e Historia: América Central Durante los Siglos XVIII, XIX,y XX” edited by Eugenia Rodríguez Sáenz.

RobertRiciglianoDirector, Institute of World Affairs & Peace Studies Program – University of Wisconsin, MilwaukeeRobertRicigliano is theDirector of Institute ofWorldAffairs, and thePeaceStudiesProgramatthe University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee where he teaches International Mediation and Negotiation throughtheDepartmentofCommunication. Mr.RiciglianowasafoundingBoardmemberof theAlliance for Peacebuilding, a consortium of leading U.S.-based conflict resolution NGOs and academic centers.Mr.RiciglianohasworkedmostrecentlywithpoliticalpartiesinthenewIraqiParliamentandonthepeaceprocessintheDemocraticRepublicofCongo.HehasbeeninvolvedinpeacebuildinginterventionsinRussia,Georgia,Colombia,SouthAfrica,andelsewhere.Mr.Riciglianoservedonthe first U.S. team ever to teach negotiation at the Soviet Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy in Moscow and has trained diplomats and other government officials from Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. He was also selected by the Secretary of the Interior to lead a first of its kind mediation of a land dispute. He was Executive Director of the Conflict Management Group and Associate Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project. He has developed core programs in diplomatic and governmental negotiation, preventive diplomacy, and inter-group conflict management.

GayRosenblum-KumarSenior Public Administration Officer - UN Department of Economic and Social AffairsGay Rosenblum-Kumar is a senior public administration officer in the Governance and Public Administration Branch of the UN Secretariat’s Department. of Economic and Social Affairs. She works with government officials and their civil society counterparts in divided societies to enhance their understanding of and capacities for mitigating and managing conflict constructively. The purpose of this work is to empower local stakeholders who would benefit from the peaceful resolution of conflict by imparting: skills to analyze, anticipate and respond to crisis; insights into how to defuse tensions in conflictual environments; and the ability to strengthen their country’s development and governance with conflict resolution tools and techniques. This is done primarily by imparting skills for dialogue processes, consensus-building, participatory problem-solving and by organizing specific training in facilitation, mediation, negotiation and conflict transformation. Such capacity-building projects focus on: creating a cadre of skilled individuals; strengthening governance institutions in publicMinistriesorinthemajorbranchesofgovernmentsuchastheParliamentandthejudiciary;and, promoting conflict-sensitive development practice and democratic governance. Ms. Rosenblum-Kumar is currently advising on UN conflict prevention/transformation projects in Bangladesh, Ghana, Guyana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Prior to joining the United Nations in 1989, she worked with several international NGOs on anti-apartheid and development issues.

RomainRurangirwaMA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis UniversityRomainRurangirwa is anordainedpriest for theRomanCatholicDioceseofButare in his nativeRwanda.RomainwastheChancellorofButareDioceseandSecretarytotheBishop,wherehehadtheopportunitytomeetwithvariouspoliticalandreligiousleadersinRwanda.Healsoorganizedthe2000 Year Jubilee of the Church. Romain became involved in the field of coexistence and conflict throughhisworkwithprisonerswhowereperceivedasperpetratorsinthegenocidethattookplaceinRwandain1994,andwidowsandorphanswhowerevictimsofthegenocide.Romaingraduatedfrom the Nyakibanda Major Seminary and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

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AshadSentongoMA Student - Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis UniversityAshadSentongohasspenthisprofessionallifeworkingasateacher,peaceactivist,andcommunitybuilderinhisnativeUganda,aswellasinSouthAfrica.ForthelastsixyearshehasbeenapartnerwithCommunityDevelopmentConsultancyCo. Ltd.,whichworkswith various organizations onpeaceandeducationaldevelopment.Inthepast,AshadalsoworkedfortheAfricaEducationAgencyand the Southern Africa Dawa Network, and has been a consultant for various forums, including thePeaceEducationForumandtheGovernmentandPoliticalPartiesConsultativeForum.In2004,Ashad organized a national conference and five seminars on democracy and human rights, one in each of the five regions of Uganda. In 2005, Ashad worked with schools in Entebbe Municipality to generate knowledge and promote skills in resolving conflicts among teachers, students, parents and governingbodies.HewaseducatedatIslamicUniversityinUgandaandattheDamelineSchoolofManagement.

MarthaThompsonProgramManager,RightsinHumanitarianCrises-UnitarianUniversalistServiceCommitteeMarthaThompsonisprogrammangerforRightsinhumanitariancrisesfortheUnitarianUniversalistServiceCommittee.SheworksonprogramsinAceh,SriLanka,DarfurPakistanandtheUSGulfCoast.UUSC is developing a strong focus on how gender affects access to aid in conflict and emergency ShehastaughtintheSustainableInternationalDevelopmentatBrandeisUniversity,onDevelopmentin Conflict Situations and Cuba as a Development Model. Thompson has lived and worked in Central America for 13 years, working in conflict situations there, specifically with displaced, refugees and population in the conflict zones. She spent four years working in Cuba for Oxfam Canada, setting upandimplementingtheOxfamInternationalCubaprogram.Shehasdoneworkoncomparingandanalyzing NGO experiences in conflict situations in Latin America, Southern Africa, and Asia and has published on work in conflict, gender issues in conflict situations and on various aspects of the Cubadevelopmentmodel..ShereceivedherB.A.fromUniversityofTorontoandherM.P.H.fromtheUniversityofHawaii.

RobertoVareaAssistantProfessor-PerformingArts&SocialJustice,UniversityofSanFranciscoRobertoVareabeganhiscareerasanactoranddirector inhisnativecityofCórdoba,Argentina.Upon receiving his MFA in Theater/Directing from UCSD in 1992, he moved to San Franciscowherehemakeshishome.Hisresearchandcreativeworkfocusesonissuesofperformanceanditsrelationshiptostateviolenceandresistancemovements,issuesthathehaspresentedandlecturedaboutintheUSandabroad.Hehasdirectednumerousproductionsandworkshopsassociatedwithnewplaydevelopmentandcommunity-drivenissuesandprojects,particularlyintheLatino-Chicanocommunity.Hisdirectingwork,whichincludesworldorwestcoastpremieresofworksbyCherrieMoraga,MigdaliaCruz,JoseRiveraandArielDorfman,hasbeenpresentedatBrava!,CampoSanto/IntersectionfortheArts,TheLorraineHansberryTheater,theMagicTheaterandElTeatrodelaEsperanzatonameafewBayAreavenues.RobertoisthefoundingartisticdirectorofSoapstoneTheatreCompany,acollectiveofmaleex-offendersandwomensurvivorsofviolentcrime,andofElTeatroJornalero!,aperformancecompanythatbringsthevoiceofLatinAmericanimmigrantworkerstothestage.HeisaprofessoroftheaterattheUniversityofSanFrancisco,whereheisco-founderofthePerformingArtsandSocialJusticeMajor,andteachestheatertoincarceratedwomenattheSan Francisco County Jail’s Sisters Project. He also serves on the board of the Yerba Buena Gardens FestivalandTheConsortiumonLatinAmerican Immigration,and isanAssociateEditorofPeaceReviewaninternationaljournalonpeaceandjusticestudies,publishedbyRoutledgePress.

CoexistenceInternational415SouthStreetMailstop086Waltham,MA02454781-736-5017781-736-5014(fax)coexistenceintl@brandeis.eduwww.coexistence.net

CoexistenceInternationalisfundedthroughagenerousgrantfromtheAlanB.SlifkaFoundation.

AbouttheConferenceResolving conflicts and achieving sustainable coexistence in divided societies require the integrated, complementary efforts of professionals in relevant fields. Working across various disciplinessuchasdemocracy,humanrights,gender,anddevelopmentallowsthemanyfacetsof a conflict to be addressed. Without such cooperation, key players often work in isolation from one another, which can lead to missed opportunities or unsustainable responses to conflict and tosocietalorglobalcoexistenceneeds.

Democracy,humanrights,gender,anddevelopmentarejustsomepiecesofthepuzzlethatmustbeassembledinordertoformamorecompletepictureofequalityandrespectfordifference.Inthistwo-dayconferenceatBrandeisUniversity,CoexistenceInternationalanditscosponsorsexploredthewaysinwhichthesepiecescaninteractandcooperateandtheextenttowhichcomplementarity is a useful approach to peacebuilding work. The conference provided theopportunity to reflect on how these conclusions affect the way we should train and educate the nextgenerationofcoexistenceleaders.

Conveningadistinguishedsetofpanelistsrepresentinganexceptionalrangeofscholarlyandfield-based work, “Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle” provided an opportunity for reflection on, andin-depthanalysisof,thepotentialforcooperationinbuildingamorepeaceful,justworld.

CoexistenceInternationalBasedwithin theSlifkaProgram in IntercommunalCoexistenceandBrandeisUniversitysince2005, Coexistence International (CI) is an initiative committed to strengthening the field of policymakers, practitioners, researchers, advocates, organizations, and networks promotingcoexistenceatlocal,national,andinternationallevels.CIpromotesacomplementaryapproachto coexistence work through facilitating connections, learning, reflection, and strategic thinking between those in the coexistence field and those in related areas.

InternationalCenterforEthics,Justice,andPublicLifeTheInternationalCenterforEthics,Justice,andPublicLifeexiststodevelopeffectiveresponsesto conflict and injustice by offering innovative approaches to coexistence, strengthening the work ofinternationalcourts,andencouragingethicalpracticeincivicandprofessionallife.ThecenterwasfoundedatBrandeisUniversityin1998throughthegenerosityofAbrahamD.Feinberg.

ReportdesignedandeditedbyKristinWilliamsTextcontributedby:JessicaBerns AndrewGinsburg AttilaKlein KelleyReady KristinWilliams