1 / 58

In Gandhi’s Footsteps…

In Gandhi’s Footsteps…. Nonviolent Peaceforce: Another Tool For Human Security A Presentation by Rolf C. Carriere, Frank O’Donnell, Mel Duncan and Lucy Nusseibeh Human Security Forum Initiatives of Change International Caux, Switzerland 14 July 2010. Outline.

alissa
Download Presentation

In Gandhi’s Footsteps…

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. In Gandhi’s Footsteps… Nonviolent Peaceforce: Another Tool For Human Security A Presentation by Rolf C. Carriere, Frank O’Donnell, Mel Duncan and Lucy Nusseibeh Human Security Forum Initiatives of Change International Caux, Switzerland 14 July 2010

  2. Outline • The Global Context: War and Peacemaking, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding • Limits to Armed Peacekeeping • Costs of War and Cost-benefit of Peace Package • The ‘What’ and ‘How’ of Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping • Why Does Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping Work? • Examples of Nonviolent Peaceforce’s Work • Challenges and possibilities in the Middle East

  3. Much War, Little Peace • Scarcely a generation passes in any country without experiencing war or armed violence • Between 1500 BCE and 1860 CE the known world experienced on average13 years of war to every year of peace • During that period, more than8 000 peace treatieswere concluded • Each of them meant to remainin force for ever • On average they only lastedtwoyears Source: Anthony Stevens, The Roots of War– A Jungian Perspective (1989), page 5-6

  4. One Conclusion • Peace treaties don’t guarantee peace. At best, brief interlude without violence. • But since Roman times, that window of opportunity was almost never seriously seized. • Si vis pacem, para bellum!has remained, the prevailing adage: If you want peace, prepare (for) war!

  5. In the 2nd part of 20th century… Even after the United Nations had solemnly declared to be… “Determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…” More than 200 wars were fought! Source: Helen Yanacopulos & Joseph Hanlon, Civil War, Civil Peace

  6. Of the contemporary peace treaties concluded or ceasefires agreed, almost half collapse before a decade is over, with conflict parties relapsing back into violence and war.

  7. The Rising Cost of Armed Conflict and Violence to Civilians In the course of the 20th century: • 160 million people killed in wars and armed conflicts • Percentage of civilians killed increased from 10% to 90% • Conservative estimates: 100 million non-military casualties, or: • 2,800 a day throughout the century • Not to mention: life-long disability, trauma, guilt, sorrow, anger

  8. Changed Nature of ‘New Wars’ • Increasingly intra-state, notinter-state • 17 out of 19 wars in 2003 were intra-state • So-called ‘low-intensity’ conflicts • On average, civil wars last ten times longer than international wars • And are less noticed Sources: Paul Collier, World Bank/Oxford; 2007 Human Security Brief

  9. Our new action motto: • Si vis pacem, para pacem! • Or: If you desire peace, prepare (for) peace!

  10. The Good News is… • Over the past 20 years, number of wars and war fatalities have come down • This is attributed to: • More active diplomacy • Better mediation • Military peacekeeping • Spreading of democracy Source: 2007 Human Security Brief

  11. But still… • Too many civilians get killed • Potential for future violent conflict high • Growing ethnic tension • Competition for scarce resources • Ubiquitous presence of small arms • Growing population pressure • Wider income disparities • 21st century may well become more dangerous than 20th!

  12. Another Conclusion • World more successful in peacemaking (signing peace treaties) than in peacebuilding(solving conflicts, addressing deep causes) • Effective peacekeeping has been one critically missing link to: • Stop war and deter violence • Stabilize environment • Start and deepen peacebuilding process • Monitor ceasefire • Protect civilians

  13. Peacekeeping as a concept was not mentioned in the UN Charter. It is truly an invention of the United Nations itself!

  14. Current UN Peacekeeping: Controversies • Over 115 000 armed peacekeepers in 17 conflicts • Budget over US$8 billion/yr • If Somalia is added, numbers will rise to well over 120 000 • In any case, a daunting challenge of logistics and management • Consider this: the UN’s ‘Pentagon’ consists of 2 crowded floors in the NY Secretariat building! Source: UNDPKO

  15. Limits to UN Peacekeeping: • Blue Helmets often simply not appropriate instrument to deploy in ‘new wars’ • Failure to protect civilians • Takes too long to deploy • Guns impede good relations w/local comm’ty • Exorbitant costs, returns not commensurable • Sexual abuse and exploitation • UN is soul-searching Recent new doctrines of Human Security, Responsibility to Protect, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding would require more, not less peacekeepers!

  16. URGENTYLY NEEDED:ANOTHER TYPE OF PEACEKEEPING

  17. “The cost of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding pales into insignificance compared with the cost and consequences of violent conflict and war.” Kofi Annan

  18. Cost Of Wars… “The total national and regional cost of a single war is more than US$ 64 billion.” Additionally, global impacts include: International terrorism Production of hard drugs Spread of HIV/AIDS AUS$5 billion investment in international peacekeeping and well-targeted aid would deliver a return of US$397 billion in post-conflict countries Preventing a (repeat) war clearly pays off hugely! …and Benefits Of Their Prevention Source: Paul Collier, World Bank/Oxford

  19. Copenhagen Consensus • Peacekeeping (armed) is one of ten ‘best buys’ if the world wanted to spend another US$50 billion in ODA

  20. Financial Value of Peace • A cessation of violence worldwide would have an annual economic impact of US$7.2 trillion • With US$4.8 trillion of new business created each year. Sources: Economist for Peace and Security; Global Peace Index, Institute for Economics and Peace 2009

  21. Missed Opportunities • Somalia: pre-famine appeals vs. post-famine collapse • Situation in Rwanda before genocide

  22. Many civilians and organizations, all over the world, are convinced they, too, can contribute to peacekeeping Unarmed Impartial Int’l third-party presence On invitation In cooperation with CSOs With consent Non-threatening Working For PeaceOnly Men and Women in Military Uniform ?

  23. Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping • Specific, proven, nonviolent methodologies: • Proactive presence • Protective accompaniment • Creating safe, neutral spaces to solve local conflicts • Monitoring/verifying violations of local ceasefires and human rights abuses • Rumor control • Local early warning systems + quick responses • Inter-positioning • Building resilience and local capacities in dispute resolution

  24. Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping • Gives shelter to threatened individuals • Gives protection + voice to marginalized people • Must work in strict impartiality • Is based on relationships with all conflict parties

  25. Former UN Secretary General To The Global Partnership For The Prevention Of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) “I look to civil society to act as our partners in helping to defuse potential conflicts.   As experience tells us, you will be most effective by coordinating with bilateral and intergovernmental actors -- and with one another.”

  26. Unarmed Peacekeeping is… Soft power Benign & humble Hard-nosed Proven effective Courageous Professional Sophisticated & subtle Hard work Low cost Low key Disciplined Cooperative Impartial Not naming & blaming Cutting edge Working within the nation-state system Making peace practical & real Peace by peaceful means

  27. Unarmed Peacekeeping is not… Wooly-headed idealism Naïve pacifism Romantic For the timid or weak Glamorous

  28. Why Should Unarmed Teams Be Able to Deter Armed Violence and Human Rights Violations?

  29. Why does it work? • All parties have multiple sensitivities, vulnerabilities and points of leverage. • International presence’ impact is implicitly linked to these vulnerabilities • Leverage is global, national and local • Leverage is political. Leverage is personal.

  30. Why abusers pay attention • personal or political reputation • access to political and economic benefits– goods, money, political support, weapons… • international prosecution; avoiding blame; sustaining options for a political career. • ‘comparative image’ relative to opponents • ideological alliances • orders from superior officers • individual moral concerns

  31. Perpetrators work at end of a chain of command • Decisionmakers • worried about their international image Chain of command Perpetrator Targeted Civilians • does not want witnesses Proactive Presence

  32. International pressure targets decisionmakers Decisionmakers International Pressure X Chain of command Perpetrator Targeted Civilians Proactive Presence

  33. Decision-makers evade pressure Decision-makers International Pressure It’s not really me! Deflectors Chain of command Buffers Smokescreens Perpetrator Targeted Civilians Proactive Presence

  34. Presence targets decisionmakers AND perpetrators Decisionmakers International Pressure X Chain of command Proactive presence X Perpetrator Targeted Civilians Proactive Presence

  35. …and all abusive links International Pressure Decisionmakers Chain of command Proactive presence Perpetrator Targeted civilians Proactive Presence

  36. Nonviolent Peaceforce • Enhances work of local peacebuilders and human rights defenders • Protects threatened populations • Reinforces the public’s impulse to nonviolence and reconciliation • Helps change ‘the atmosphere’ when people are committed to strategic and disciplined nonviolence

  37. To be sure… Unarmed civilian peacekeeping does not work everywhere or every time…

  38. Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping • Cannot stop many of these atrocities But… • It is a highly appropriate first response… • To prevent, contain, manage violent conflict • To create space for more diplomacy

  39. And… • Its tremendous potential has simply not yet been recognized, or tried at scale… • 116 000 Blue Helmets vs. 1 000 unarmed civilian peacekeepers • Budget of US$8 billion/yr vs. US$8 million/yr (NP) • For what the world spends on its militaries each day, we could field 50 000 well-trained unarmed peacekeepers for one year!

  40. Nonviolent Peaceforce examples of strategies • Accompaniment: Guatemalan human rights defenders • Protective Presence: • Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority find refuge in church • Sri Lankan mothers reclaim their kidnapped kids • Creating Space: Businessmen in Valechennai • Inter-positioning: Buddha statue in Trinco • Bridging Local-to-Global: Mindanao & EU

More Related