A theoretical framework for analysing the contribution of education to sustainable peacebuilding: 4Rs in conflict-affected contexts

This paper presents the theoretical and analytic framework for a Research Consortium on Education and Peacebuilding supported by UNICEF’s Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy (PBEA) programme which began in July 2014 led by the Universities of Amsterdam, Sussex and Ulster. The consortium seeks to build knowledge on the relationship between education and peacebuilding in conflict‐affected contexts and has emerged out of a long‐standing relationship between the authors, UNICEF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Netherlands that stretches back to 2006

Re-member: rehabilitation, reintegration and reconciliation of war-affected children

Reseña a cargo de uno de los co-editores,Prof. Dra. Cindy Mels.   Departamento de Psicología del Desarrollo y Educación Facultad de Psicología. Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Translating transitional justice: the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission

This paper contends that although the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission replicated the structure and operation of a truth commission based on a globalised and placeless theory of best practice in transitional justice, it was not adequately contextualised or integrated with local approaches to reconciliation and peacebuilding and therefore fell short of its ambitious mandate. Introduction The Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was the first truth commission in the Pacific, established under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2008  (TRC Act) in an effort to ‘promote national unity and reconciliation’ following the civil conflict which troubled the country between 1998 and 2003. The commission was publicly launched in 2008 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Chair of the South African TRC, and officially began operations in 2010 for two years. The commission presented its five-volume final report to Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo in February 2012; however, the report has yet to be publicly released or presented to parliament, despite requirements in the Act to do so. The ongoing silence of the government led to the editor of the final report, long-term Solomon Islands resident Bishop Terry Brown, unofficially releasing the report electronically in early 2013. The TRC conducted exhumations, research, closed hearings and statement taking across six of the nine provinces,  overcoming financial constraints, logistical challenges and difficult terrain. Several regional and thematic public hearings were also held and broadcast on the radio. The final report was handed over to the prime minister within the allocated two-year time frame. In light of these achievements, the Solomon Islands TRC could be considered a ‘success’ insomuch as it fulfilled its mandated duties and produced a final report — a challenging and remarkable achievement itself. This success, however, was arguably superficial, a performance of reconciliation in the theatre of post-conflict peacebuilding. A wider perspective of post-conflict peacebuilding and reconciliation in the Solomon Islands shows the TRC was a minor player on a crowded stage. Many Solomon Islanders were unaware of the TRC, and those familiar with its acronym or name were often unaware of its role or mandate. This paper contends that although the Solomon Islands TRC replicated the structure and operation of a truth commission based on a globalised and placeless theory of best practice in transitional justice, the TRC was not adequately contextualised or integrated with local approaches to reconciliation and peacebuilding and therefore fell short of its ambitious mandate. The commission did, however, produce a final report which in and of itself may serve as a positive outcome of the commission’s work. The experience of the Solomon Islands TRC demonstrates not only the conceptual and practical challenges faced and friction experienced of implementing a truth commission, but also the potential that truth commissions offer for promoting reconciliation and peacebuilding in post- conflict contexts in Melanesia. This paper is divided into six parts. First, a brief background of the Solomon Islands conflict is outlined. Second, the recent evolution of the peacebuilding and transitional justice fields are discussed to offer a background for the Solomon Islands TRC. Third, the various conflict management and reconciliation practices in Solomon Islands are outlined, leading to the fourth part which introduces and describes the background of the Solomon Islands TRC. The challenges of and failures to adapt the TRC to the local context are illustrated in the fifth part, with a discussion focused on the mistranslation of the meaning and value of both ‘truth’ and ‘reconciliation’ in post- conflict Solomon Islands. Finally, the sixth part argues that despite being initially championed by civil society actors, rather than becoming a ‘hybridised’ institution, the commission had a veneer of adaptation, and was ‘replicated’ according to normative transitional justice discourse

Perceptions of Peace and Reconciliation: Case of Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group in Paidwe Parish, Bobi Sub-County

This research project explores perceptions of peace and reconciliation among female members of the Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group in Paidwe Parish, Bobi Sub-County, Gulu District. It aims to understand how women define the concepts of peace and reconciliation and how women currently perceive peace and reconciliation within their community. It also attempts to further understand these perceptions through examining the women’s past experiences and current challenges. The project displays the impact of women’s involvement in peacebuilding and conflict mediation in a region that is desperately trying to recover from decades of destruction and violence. Research was carried out at two separate but related locations in Gulu District: the home of the Lokokwo Peyot group’s Chairperson in Paidwe Parish within Bobi Sub-County, and the main office of Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) in Gulu Municipality. Eleven individual interviews and two group discussions form the foundation of this project. The focus on the Lokokwo Peyot Women’s Group was made possible through the assistance and cooperation of GWED-G staff members, and the interested group members who so generously donated their time and experiences. This study discovered that women in the Lokokwo Peyot group have witnessed significant changes personally and locally since the group’s founding in 2009, and they feel that an environment of relative peace has developed in the community. Although traditionally women do not speak publicly or actively participate in community meetings, the women’s involvement in the group challenges such cultural norms and allows them to feel empowered and respected. By promoting a peaceful environment from within their individual homes and villages, group members have succeeded in decreasing the level of conflict and violence present

National Working Conditions Surveys in Europe: A Compilation

[Excerpt] Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) has been measuring working conditions across the European Union for the past 20 years. It is a unique instrument for better understanding the quality of work and employment and the factors influencing it. Eurofound is committed to improving further the quality of the EWCS and strengthening its relevance for Eurofound’s tripartite stakeholders. Some of the most important sources of information for the development of the EWCS questionnaire are the national surveys on working conditions. This compilation is a follow-up of a study of working conditions surveys commissioned by Eurofound in 2006 which covered both national and transnational working conditions surveys (Eurofound, 2007). The main goals of this inventory are to: update the background information on existing national working conditions surveys; create a source of basic information from national working conditions surveys related to methodologies, quality control procedures, fieldwork and findings; provide a practical resource for researchers, policymakers, social partners and others with a professional interest in working conditions

State-Society Relations and Intangible Dimensions of State Resilience and State Building: A Bottom-Up Perspective

Crucial social and cultural elements underpin state institutions and ensure that they function. This is true in any context, but it is even more important to understand and truly acknowledge in fragile ones. Conventional perspectives need to be broadened and need to look at the multiplicity and diversity of political institutions (formal and in-formal), cultures and logics through which state resilience and state-building processes may be supported. Such an approach would help re-integrate the intangible dimensions that constitute the substantive content of institutions, their ethos, beyond their mere forms. Based upon concrete experiences in different African countries, this paper explains what these intangible dimensions are in three of the sectors usually concerned with reforms (politics, justice and security), and why they are important and should be better integrated in analyses, intervention strategies and aid programmes. An equally important dimension of such integration is that it would also allow better consideration of local capacities and resources to be taken, in particular in terms of resilience, and would allow it to go beyond the impression of vacuum or chaos too often given to situations of fragility. Finally, the paper presents some concrete recommendations to integrate these dimensions better into the priorities and modalities of European aid, as well as suggest a few avenues for further research on the subject.state building; institutions

Civil Society and Conflict Transformation in Abkhazia, Israel/Palestine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria and Western Sahara

The paper describes and analyses the role of civil society in five conflict cases – Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Western Sahara and Israel/ Palestine. It evaluates the relative effectiveness of civil society organisations (CSOs) and assesses the potential and limits of CSO involvement in conflicts. In particular it concentrates on civil society activities in the fields of peace training and education, including formal and non-formal education, as well as research and media work. The research also identifies the obstacles that local third sector is faced with, examining experiences and lessons learned. The study then presents critical assessments of local CSO contributions to conflict transformation and concludes with a set of suggestions for local and mid-level civil society actors involved in these five conflict cases and beyond. This paper is an overview study, to provide ideas and documentation to the more detailed empirical research carried out in the context of the MICROCON Work Package ‘Conflict in the European Neighbourhood’.Civil society, European Union, European Neighbourhood, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Western Sahara, Israel/Palestine, violent conflict, conflict transformation