(Preliminary Conference Report)
International Conference on Peace
16-19, August 2000
University of Ottawa
Canada
Purpose (summary) of the Conference:
(Note: Request input from participants and others)
Our main concern is to provide an opportunity for individuals from many nations to come to a central venue to participate in the conference. While visa problems prevented numerous representatives and presenters of the developing world from attending, the conference has none-the-less provided valuable guidance in:
In covering these areas, the conference has served as an important first step in
Note: Participants have indicated that they will help us forge links with
(Contact person: Dr. Shreesh Juyal, Director, Institute for United Nations and International Affairs)
Major Obstacles to Surmount
* Securing Visas. North-South cooperation is still fragile. This is evident in the experience of several people who had been accepted to participate in the conference but who were unable to obtain visas, despite the fact that many had to stand the expense of traveling to a neighboring country consulate (e.g., from Armenia to Moscow, Russia; from Nigeria to Accra, Ghana; from Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya and from Nepal to Delhi). This presents a challenge to both the Canadian government and to the GCOP and its potential participants in the developing world. (One of our Canadian conference participants indicated that he also encountered a "mass denial" of visas to people from the developing world who had been invited to participate in a conference in Canada.)
Canadian government officials are suspicious of the motives of people who wish to travel from developing countries to attend a peace conference in Canada. We recognize that this may be partially warranted in that people coming to Canada on a short-term visa do not always return to their country of origin. We also recognize that, should people from the developing world secure visas to attend the conference and then not return to their home countries, this would jeopardize the prospects of people successfully obtaining visas to attend future conferences. Yet it is also true that if the Canadian government continues to deny visas to attend a legitimate peace conference, this may cultivate the impression that Canada has little genuine interest in cultivating North-South dialogue. This in itself constitutes a barrier to peace.
Follow-Up Action: The consensus of those attending the conference is that we should do all in our power to rectify this problem by conveying our concern to the Canadian Government. It is hoped that by working together we may develop a set of policies/procedures that will help clear the way for future conference participation by our brothers and sisters in the developing world. We will put this to test when we host the November 16-19, 2000 Conference Follow-Up and the August 16-19, 2001 Second International Conference On Peace.
* Communication Infrastructure. Our efforts to coordinate conference participation and to communicate with potential participants in the developing world and/or with Canadian embassy or consulate officials overseas, we often experienced communication break-down. Phone calls and faxes often would not go through or were terminated shortly after the connection was made. Surface mail proved too slow to permit the timely processing of conference inquiries and applications. While many people did not have e-mail, communication seemed to work best with those who did. However e-mail communication was not granted the authenticity of documents that might be faxed or mailed by regular means.
Follow-up action: We will explore the feasibility of scanning letters and documents into the computer and then e-mailing them as attachments. We will also seek to determine whether these materials will be granted the same authenticity as they are when they are faxed.
We will also make additional use of country coordinators who provide a valuable means of disseminating and collecting information. Several people functioned as conference coordinators in preparation for the last conference. These people did an admirable job of contacting people in their respective countries, disseminating and collecting important information, and facilitating travel arrangements. While none of these coordinators was successful in getting their respective delegations to the conference, we wish to congratulate them on their diligence and thank them for their dedicated effort.
Follow-up Conference and Consultation in Preparation
for the Year 2001 Second Global Conference on Peace
November 16-19, 2000
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
The following topics represent a continuation of discussion on issues introduced at the August conference
Major Theme: Identifying the Roots of "Peacelessness"
National Security: What does it mean and on what does it depend?
Conflict Resolution: what are the barriers to moving from bullet to ballot in developing countries?
- The problem of mutual recrimination
State leadership: where is the problem?
- The function of leaders
The North-South Divide: How can it be bridged?
- Differences and disparities between North and South
- Human resources: responding to the ‘brain drain.’
Achieving a "Unified World": What are the obstacles?
- Variety within unity
Women: What is their role in promoting peace?
Global initiatives: How do we organize our collective efforts to respond to
- the aids orphans crisis?
- the refugee crisis?
Conference Delegates
Invitations are being extended to people from a wide range of backgrounds, including academicians interested in global politics, specialists in peace and reconciliation and representatives from government bodies and NGOs.
To make suggestions or obtain further information, please contact:
Dr. Dick Stellway, Ph.D
5/6 Ivy, Nampa, ID 83686 USA
Phone: 208 467-9428
e-mail: rjslink@mindspring.com
Highlights of Conference Papers
Wednesday, August 16
Keynote Address:
"Human Security: An Evaluation"
Professor M.V. Naidu, Brandon University
In this address professor Naidu examined
By process of elimination, intervention can not be made in a nuclear weapon state or big military power, or in a large geographical area of population. Consequently the only possible targets could be militarily weak, economically poor, small states.
Nonmilitary interventions include economic, political and diplomatic sanctions. These types of non-military interventions must be employed before resorting to military "solutions" which may actually jeopardize the prospects of achieving a stable peace.
Biographical note: Prof. M.V. Naidu teaches courses in political science and law at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba (Canada). His academic qualifications include: B.A. (Econ.). M.A. (Pol.Sc), LL.B. (Law), LL.M. (Constitutional Laws), Ph.D. (International Relations), He has authored ten books and booklets, 100 scholarly articles and 250 newspaper articles. Currently he is the editor of Peace Research, a Canadian journal that goes to 45 countries. He is a recipient of a number of awards including the Fulbright Scholarship, the McKnight Foundation grant, SSHRCC research grant, etc. Dr. Naidu was one of the 27 Canadians who were recently honoured by the Canadian government with the 1994 national "citation for citizenship".
"A Lid on the Boiling Situation of Somalia"
Ahmed Sheikh Abdirashid
** Note: need position title
It has been ten years since the start of the civil war in Somalia and despite some early attempts by the international community to restore peace, it has since abandoned Somalia and left it to the warlords. Anarchy, lawlessness and human rights abuses are the order of the day in many parts of the country. Floods, droughts and the outbreak of epidemics such as cholera, malaria and other communicable diseases are adding to the calamity and making life unbearable.
The Djibuti Conference on Peace, Reconciliation and Restoration of Democracy in Somalia has now been going on for several months. It has laid the foundations for the peace process by bringing together the various tribal elders, intellectuals and politicians representing different tribes. While the Conference has enjoyed popular support, without the international community’s support it is unlikely to have any long lasting positive results.
The warlords have felt challenged and threatened and have sought to subvert popular support by predicting that it will breed violence and bring renewed fighting.
The paper calls for the International Court of Justice and international human rights organizations to extend their mission to Somalia and collect evidence about the atrocities committed by the Somali warlords. This, it is argued, would help to end the anarchy, would cause the warlords to refrain from further human rights abuses, help to restore freedom of speech, and make elections possible. In this way the country would have a good chance of establishing some form of (tribal or non-tribal) democracy. It would also bring an end to human suffering and the refugee crisis.
"Metis Women Economic Development"
Ms. Sheila D. Genaille; President; Metis National Council of Women
This paper discussed the concerns related to intellectual property rights for indigenous peoples. Special consideration was given to how these property rights apply to cultural artifacts, arts and crafts, and to how the multinational corporations and other big business interests impinge on these rights.
Using the Metis experience as a case study, the role of the National Council of Women in advocating for the rights of the Metis people was highlighted.
Biographical Notes: Ms. Genaille, a seventh generation Metis from the historic Rupert’s Land, was born in Manitoba and has lived in Alberta for over 25 years. A strong advocate of Metis rights, a defender of the Canadian federation and a former constitutional advisor to the Metis Nation of Alberta, Ms. Genaille was named to the YES Canada Committee. Ms. Genaille akso received the Certificate of Recognition, Metis Nation of Alberta, the Governor General’s 125th Commemorative Medal, and the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Person’s Case 1997.
"Choosing Between Peace and Human Rights"
Zlatko Isakovic, Copenhagen Peace Research Institute (COPRI)
The paper elaborated on the actual and possible implications of the dilemma encountered when attempting to stress both peace and human rights as opposed to stressing just one or the other. The first part of the paper focuses on the main elements of the notion of peace in terms of it historical genesis and notes that the definition has occasionally incorporated respect for some human rights. The second part deals with the structure of human rights and particularly "third generation" human rights, which includes the right to peace.
The paper maintains that the dilemma as noted at the outset can often be avoided by the inclusion of peace (including peace organizations and movements) within the categories of human rights or the inclusion of human rights within notions of peace.
Where such inclusion is not acceptable (i.e., when the two are in collision) not only must one determine which of the two is more important, one must face the additional dilemma resulting from each (peace and human rights) being jeopardized through a violation of the other.
"Peace and Human Rights in Tanzania: A Success Story"
Dennis Muchuguzi and Carolyne Nombo
Tanzania’s habit of absorbing endless numbers of refugees from many countries for over thirty years provides a model of hospitality and generosity on a national scale. As such it has made a profound contribution to peace building.
Thursday, August 17
"The Peaceful Solution: an examination of the intricacy of conflict resolution, the pattern of war and the delivery of ethics of peace"
Dr. Yisrayl Hawkins, Elder, the House of Yahweh (USA)
Teaching peace is much preferable to forcing peace. In this regard the leaders of the major religions have failed us. We must return to an examination of the moral truth that religion has to offer. Jewish law contains much moral truth and, as such, has a vital contribution to make toward establishing peace.
Our task as peacemakers is to carefully examine the implications of each component of the law and to teach these to the coming generations.
Biographical notes: Dr. Yisrayl’s life endeavour has been to make a concerted effort to bring about world peace. He is first and foremost a Biblical Scholar, a Doctor of Biblical Law and Author who is concerned with ethical principles, moral values and humanitarian practices. Dr. Hawkins has authored 53 books, including "There is someone Out There". "The End" and The Peaceful Solution, Volume I, II and III" which is the latest collection or works. These volumes outline an in depth educational proposal and guide which teaches individuals, neighbours, nations and countries how to have peace through non-violence. The peaceful Solution, examines the intricacy of conflict resolution, outlines the pattern of war, and delivers the ethics of peace. These particular volumes were written in response to the urgent pleas of international leaders who have expressed their fear and concern of a pending global nuclear holocaust.
"Peace and Justice: An examination of values inherent in liberal democratic theory from the standpoint of tension"
Sheila Suess Kennedy, Assistant Professor, Law & Public Policy, Indianapolis, Indiana (USA)
The tension between peace and justice is an enduring one in human history. The goal of civilized societies is to achieve a just peace; that is, to create institutions that allow citizens to settle even their deepest differences without violence or the disenfranchisement of dissenting voices.
This paper examines the values inherent in liberal democratic theory from the standpoint of that tension between order and justice. My thesis is that the creation of just global institutions—as justice is understood in the classic western liberal political tradition—offers the best chance to assure stability and peace in a world that is not only diverse, but increasingly interrelated and interdependent. In a global economy, where markets and technology encourage communication and interaction among previously insular populations, there are as many opportunities for increased friction as there are for increased understanding. The challenge of the twenty-first century will be to establish institutions that protect civil liberties and human rights while respecting, to the maximum extent possible, the sometimes bewildering array of cultural and normative imperatives that comprise the global village. The American experience with diversity is posited as one model for working out the tension between peace and justice.
"Quebec, Jihad and McWorld"
Christian Leuprecht
This paper examines the important relationship between nationalism and globalization. Rather than presuming a dialectical relationship between the two, the paper alleges that these phenomena are more intelligible when they are both understood in light of the process of modernization. This is significant because nationalism and globalization are frequently assumed to be a menace to liberal democracy.
The paper considers whether nationalism and globalization are necessary modern evils that will invariably cause democracy to wither away or whether they can be harnessed in a manner that effectively furthers liberal democracy.
Using the case of Quebec, it is argued that nationalism and globalization have the potential to coalesce in such a way as to advance liberal democratic values. Thus it is observed that
"Consciousness-Based Strategies for Education, Health, and Global Peace"
Dr. Rachel S. Goodman and Dr. David H. Goodman
This paper explores a systematic and practical Consciousness-Based approach to alleviating entrenched problems in society known as TM.
It was observed that the quality of collective consciousness is comprised of the quality of consciousness of all the individuals composing that society. TMs strength lies in increasing the capacity of the individual to promote harmony in the environment. Thus when consciousness is enlivened by groups practicing the TM and by the advanced TM-Sidhi programs, society is further enhanced. Findings in large-scale studies indicate a reduction of crime rate, accident and sickness rates, turbulence between and within nations, and increased in economic prosperity.
Friday, August 18
"AIDS Orphans: Meeting the challenges of the New Millenium"
Dick Stellway, Ph.D., Africa Area Representative, Grace Network Ministries; Director, COA (Children Orphaned by AIDS)
Major observations:
"Using Health as a Bridge to Peace"
Dr. Neil Arya M.D
Physicians for Global Survival is an organization dedicated to the abolition of nuclear weapons, the prevention of war, the promotion of non-violent means of conflict resolution and attainment of social justice in a sustainable world. Dr. Arya is a member of the Canadian affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985 for its work with nuclear weapons.
Beginning with the premise that a nuclear war has no medical response and therefore is not winnable (and reflecting the common commitment of the medical community of healing our planet) physicians from East and West united to convince the leadership of both political blocs of the futility of trying to win a nuclear war. Since that time we have expanded to countries of the South and have also expanded our mandate. We are now looking at linkages between issues of other weapons systems and of social injustice issues as being important antecedents to potential global annihilation and are continuing to work towards the prevention of war and conflict.
The experience of this organized movement highlights the potential and the challenge of using health as a bridge to peace.
Saturday, August 19
"The ‘Just War’ Doctrine from Grotius to the United Nations
Zlatko Isakovic
The policy of recognizing prescriptions concerning the conduct of just war is found in some forms across all cultures for which we have more or less detailed historical records. The break-up of the Catholic Church during the Reformation led to the Thirty Years’ War which was devoid of rules. This gave birth to Hugo Grotius’ famous work which made him ‘the father of international law.’ His work includes what are known as just ad bellum criteria which must be met in order for a war to be considered formally just. During the twentieth century, aggression was conditionally forbidden by the League of Nations and later ‘unconditionally’ by the United Nations (UN) and in more than twenty cases UN peacekeeping or similar forces were utilized. However the modern as well as medieval situation creates or provokes numerous theoretical, moral, practical and other dilemmas. (The paper examines each of these in some detail.)
"Conflict Transformation and Dynamics of Peace Education"
Vincent Peters, Bethel College
This paper focuses on how to conceptualize peace education. Ten key values are proposed as a basis for such education.
Peace education must seek to:
Several mechanisms for achieving these goals were discussed.
Additional Papers:
The following papers were submitted to the conference, however, the presenters were unable to attend due to one reason or another.
"Civil Society in South Africa: The Challenges in Evolving to be a Voice of the Voiceless"
Ebrahim Fakir—Institute for Democracy in South Africa
This paper attempts to chart the history of civil society relations vis-a-vis the State, which in South Africa is still in a period of transition and condition. The paper reviews the past legacies of civil society, attempts to dwell on present realities and examines possible future prospects for a successful structural and functional role for civil society in South Africa, particularly in relation to the State. In particular, the paper reviews the enabling environment created by the State, by virtue of the constitutional, legislative, procedural and political commitments to facilitate and enhance civic participation in governance. The purpose in large part is to identify the caveats, opportunities and constraints that face civil society as it seizes the opportunities to influence and participate in governance, in essence to build, consolidate, consolidate and strengthen a new social contract in South Africa.
The intent is to focus sustainability on the nature of the presently consolidating South African democracy and the opportunities underwritten as constitutional guarantees for the facilitation of public participation in legislative and the policy processes, as part of the opportunities created by the new political dispensation for inclusive and participatory governance. This obviously creates both opportunities as well as constraints for civil society. It also creates significant challenges. The challenges dwell on a presumption of capacity to interact with these processes and place the onus on civil society to develop, build and consolidate the expertise required to interact in processes and intents of governance.
The opportunities created are themselves significant. The previously marginalised are able to interact with governance and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. Social justice advocates and poverty relief activities are able to impact and shape policy to an extent that significantly impacts on society. The upshot though, is that participants lessen the opportunity to engage in direct action in protest against decision taken. This is so, given the legitimization of decisions made by consensus, where consensus is concluded by virtue of participants.
"Sustainability and the Dialectics of Globalization"
F.H. Knelman, Ph.D
The Evolution of World Order Conference - Introduction and Orientation:
The concept of a "world order" is pregnant with contradictions. The negative connotation of such a "world state stretches historically from Pax Romana to Pax Americana. In fact one dictionary meaning of the word "order" is "the state of being under control". Who is under control? What is the purpose of that control? Who benefits? What is being controlled? All empires of the past attempted to create such a state of being under control. The new world order, first mentioned by past U.S. President George Bush, was clearly the world of Pax Americana. The latest model of the U.S. World Order is one which at the same time imposes military solutions globally to maintain power, while leading the drive towards globalized capital—a world without economic boundaries in which the U.S., as the leader, would be the winner. Dramatically absent from this world is universal justice and equality, the protection of ecosystem integrity, global economic equity and planned paths to achieve these. But even in a world order of good intent and sound policy and planning, would there be room for social diversity, and could it ever be free of enforcement through the use of force, and how would such decisions be made? A globalized world requires global governance to mediate adverse global change. But the global tide has virtually eliminated the local and subverted the national. The info-communication revolution has unleashed the full range of insatiable greed for power and profit. Utopias tend toward uniformity and conformity. And while this may prevent anarchy and lawlessness, it stands on the slippery slope of Orwell’s world of Big Brother. To imagine a benign sustainable world order would surely require a psycho-social evolution within a dialectic of freedom and responsibility.
In this paper, rather than deal with such Utopia, we will concentrate on the dystopia of current globalization. As we shall see, this state also carries the seeds of its own destruction, even as it breeds a globalized counterforce. However, an ecological principle applies which cannot be avoided. In a globalized world the dimensions of solutions must match the dimensions of the problem. You cannot solve the problem of global change in the bisphere at the local, regional or even the national level, but only at the global level. At the same time, nuclear technology has globalized war. Finally, the inequity of the gross division division between the worlds of the haves and the have-nots is a source of persistent conflict.
The ultimate solution is a comprehensive sustainability, which this author likeness to a tripod pesting on the three legs of peace, justice and ecological integrity. Possibly the most hopeful sign is the emergence of the globalized action of citizens groups dedicated to this trinity of goals. They now constitute a new political third force.
Biographical note: F.H. Knelman received his doctorate in Physics and Engineering at the Imperial College of Science, University of London, U.K. He has a long teaching career, having taught at McGill, York, Concordia, Simon Fraser, Langara and in the University of California teaching system. He is the author of over 500 articles, papers and studies on the subjects of common security, environment, energy and the social science and technology, as well as many technical papers and numerous keynote addresses.
"Aids in Africa: the Ugandan example"
Dr. Christian Fiala M.D.
To understand the present situation with HIV and Aids in Uganda, and to understand the reporting of it, a small excursion into the extremely tragic and turbulent history of the country is necessary.
"At the time of East African independence (in 1962), Uganda was hailed a s showpiece of British administration, far ahead of Kenya and Tanzania" and, for Winston Churchill, at the turn of the century the country was simply "the pearl of Africa", as the eminent historian Phares Mutibwa writes in his standard work on the history of Uganda: "It was one of the most vigorous and promising economies in sub-Saharan Africa. It had a good climate and fertile soil: it was self-sufficient in food, and its agriculture, along with textiles and copper, earned enough foreign exchange to pay for imports and still show a surplus.
The public health system, too, was exemplary for the conditions of the time. One sign of this is the introduction of an organized blood donor services as early as 1958. Within a short time, this form of medicine had become firmly established in the Ugandan public health system. This is explicable on the basis of the infectious diseases endemic to the region, which, among other things, cause anemia in large sections of the population. If there is heavy loss of blood, the victim’s life is very quickly in acute danger and can only be saved by rapid blood transfusion. This affects children, in particular in the frequent cases of malaria, and women who suffer blood loss after giving birth. But a blood transfusion is often also the only life-saver after accident injuries or armed conflicts. Thus, at the beginning of the 1970s, the blood bank for hospitals in the capital, Kampala, alone was organizing around 14,000 blood donations annually from 350,000 inhabitants. The majority of the donations came either from relatives of the patients or from paid blood donors, who were recruited either in front of the hospital gates or at well-know places like the bus station. In most cases the blood was not checked for pathogens.
The organization was autonomous and, under the prevailing conditions, exemplary. The blood bank used sterilized bottles and the needles were always re-sharpened when necessary.
There was not yet a central blood bank for the whole country, however, so outside Kampala every hospital was responsible for its own blood transfusions.
Another essential feature of European medicine is the administering of injections, either as therapy or as inoculation. This signified an essential advance, particularly in the treatment and prevention of widespread infectious diseases. Among the most common are diarrhea, respiratory diseases, syphilis, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases. Little account was then taken of the fact that unsterilized syringes can spread pathogens. Accurate analyses of the way syringes were sterilized at the time do not exist. Through anecdotal evidence alone, it is known that, in some cases, hundreds of people were vaccinated with the same needle, a practice which continues in some parts.
Today WHO confirms that at minimum 12 billion injections are performed out in a safe manner and throughout the world and at least one-third are not being carried out in a safe manner and may be spreading disease. The situation is particularly dramatic in Africa, where more than 80% of disposable single-use syringes are used more than once. And a recent investigation in Tanzania found that 12 per cent of the syringes being prepared for use in health care facilities showed traces of blood of the previous patient.
Then came what are described in Uganda as "the two lost decades". This was the period under alternating dictators between 1966 and 1986, when there was a chain of economic mistakes, mass executions, civil war and war with neighbouring Tanzania. Some one million people met a violent death in this period. (in 1980, there were some 12.6 million inhabitants). In addition, the country was so fundamentally destroyed that afterwards it was one of the poorest in the world. Thus, government expenditure on health at the end of this period was some nine per cent of the expenditure 20 years earlier.
"A Peace and Development Network for Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means"
Prof. George Kent
A proposal to establish a global network of cooperating individuals and institutions concerned with conflict transformation by peaceful means. This will work through action, education, dissemination, and research. The proposed TRANSCEND Peace University (TPU), described here, constitutes TRANSCEND’s education arm. It builds on TRNSCEND’s established experience in offering intensive Skills Institutes at:
United Nations Training Section, Geneva
Conflict and Peace Courses, Taplow Court, London
International Peace and Conflict Resolution, American University, Washington, D.C.
The International Winter University, Center for Development and Peace Studies, Moscow
Central European University, Budapest
The Social Pedagogical High School, Sandnes, Norway
TPU will be a network of educators and practitioners in peace work. Its purpose will be to prepare participants with the knowledge and skills required for undertaking professional peace work, emphasizing the creative transformation of conflicts through transcendence of the contradictions underlying conflicts.
TPU will support cooperating universities and other institutions in offering graduate education in peace studies. To this, it will organize high quality programs that will be made available to the entire network. Some programs will be offered through distance education. All TPU programs will be available to participants from all the Network Sites, and thus will expand the capacity of the Network Sites to offer advanced training in peace studies. Moreover, the opportunity to study through distance education will allow both participants and instructors to minimize the disruption for their families and their employment. TPU programs will be designed to serve participants throughout the globe, and they will be of the highest quality, drawing on the best professionals in peace work.
All programs will place heavy emphasis on professional practice. Most participants will have had relevant experience in the field. They will be expected to be not only learners but also teachers and resource people, drawing on their own experience as they expand that experience through the program.
"Nile University: A Progress Report and a Project Proposal for Consolidated Funds"
Fr. Adiga Nakari Cyril
The Central Organizing Board Executive has with the decision and approval of the Board representing the people of West Nile (Uganda), taken this positively ambitious decision to establish and build the Nile University to the fullest realization. Nile University shall be regional institution to help West-Nile and its people towards their integral development.
The idea of a University in West-Nile Region was conceived way back in the 1970s during the regime of Former President Iddi Amin Dada. But the situation that time couples with the toppling of Iddi Amin as President of the Republic of Uganda could not allow this university to take off. Unconfirmed information say that this university was then later transferred to Mbale, today known as the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU). This university was supposed to be at Arivu (Enemva)-which land was leased. Cries and aspirations for a University in West-Nile region did not stop nor end with the failure to establish the Islamic University, but these cries and aspirations continued and are still continuing to date. We are very optimistic and hopeful that these cries and aspirations will become tangible reality in the proposed Nile-University.
"The Challenges of Bringing Durable Peace and Socio-Economic Development: The Case of Pastoral Tribes in the Somali Region of Ethiopia"
Raage Mohamed and Abdikani Abadinasir
Constructively addressing the problem of chronic vulnerability, social decay and food insecurity in a highly volatile and conflict-prone pastoral context has confronted both the national and global development agencies in the Somali region of South-Eastern Ethiopia. Customary conflict resolution, management and prevention strategies have emerged in past years. However such things as the presence of firearms in the region and the ethnodiversity between pastoral minority tribes in the low-lands and the predominant ethnic groups in the Ethiopian highlands have introduced new dimensions into the conflict resolution equation.
Clan conflict in the Somali Region context is due to the fact that people’s basic or essential needs are at stake. Judicial settlement and obligatory processes are not "effective" even within the same domestic political system when these institutions are weak and inefficient and severely lacking resources and policies and basic legitimacy.
Recently a momentum has built and a consensus established on a community national and global level concerning the provision of basic social service and livelihood opportunities to the vulnerable communities around the globe.
The introduction of practical reconstruction, rehabilitation and socio-economic development will provide a necessary foundation for pursuing a lasting peace in the area.
Conference Evaluation:
Our main concern is to provide an opportunity for individuals from many nations to come to a central venue to participate in the conference. There were visa problems and many participants could not attend.
Issues and Suggestions for the Conference Planning Committee:
Organization of the Conference
Focus and Content of the Conference
Conference Sponsorship
Timing of the Conference
Location of the Conference
Other Issues and Considerations