No Reconciliation, No Peace

No Reconciliation, No Peace: Building Ways for People to Live Together After Violent Conflict

On the United Nations-declared International Day of Peace, September 21, USIP highlights an essential process for any country to heal from a violent conflict: reconciliation.

USIP is convening this reconciliation discussion as part of a daylong celebration of the international day of peace. If you would like to take some action for peace, share it with us at #PeaceDayChallenge on Twitter.

For a society that has lived through war or other violent conflicts, a reconciliation process is fundamental to finding a way to live in lasting peace. Reconciliation allows grievances to be heard and addressed, and the social contract to be renewed.

A forum led by USIP President Lindborg will explore how collaborative reconciliation processes can ensure a more inclusive peace for the community and for individuals. USIP practitioners will discuss their recent reconciliation work, which combines the Institute’s research and thought leadership with work alongside its partners in conflict zones.

USIP Panelists:

Nancy Lindborg
President

Elizabeth A. Cole
Senior Program Officer, Center for Applied Research on Conflict

Virginia M. Bouvier
Senior Advisor for Latin America Programs

Sarhang Hamasaeed
Senior Program Officer, Center for Middle East and Africa

Susan Hayward
Director, Religion and Peacebuilding, Center for Governance, Law and Society

[JimHaber]

The United States routinely ignores and undermines reconciliation efforts. The ideals and truth expressed in USIP and in this discussion so far are in direct conflict with US foreign policy under administrations of either party. Our policy-makers need to tune in, listen and take to heart rather than directing these lessons outward into the world. "The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my government." Martin Luther King Jr. said that in 1967. Looking at the numbers (foreign military bases; level of military spending; role in arms trade; other indicators), it seems clear that this has only become even more true!

[JimHaber]

I don't mean to de-emphasize the importance of local conditions and needs and conflicts and the need for support for reconciliation processes. I think without dealing with the destructive outside influences (which exacerbates local corruption thereby undermining reconciliation), including assassination of negotiators, we're just spinning our wheels.

[JimHaber]

How do we deal with the problem of the left hand working against the right hand? The USA ignores human rights and justice due to political considerations all the time, in conflict with the ideas of reconciliation and justice moving forward.

[abdalazizabdalmahmoud]

Wherever Conflicts existed between communities the government in charge should have clear responsibility to stop the level of violence and safeguarding of the people, and that can not be exist unless there was enough preparations and obligations to implement among the particular population, for instance if ministry of peace building and reconciliation's didn't exist before in particular country that could be a big problem like what happen in Sudan . I think sustainable studies should be teach to conduct better awareness among all the students, militarist and their leader, traditional community leaders, peaceful coexisting and potential conflict should be the majuro topic in our elementary schools additional to that let them know about consequences coming out of conflict from earlier stage of their age, I think that need global effort not only the existing regimes.

[williamtarpai]

Advancing Knowledge Management - Agenda of Citizen Engagement in peaceful reconciliations is an area where I am known as an expert.. Let me discuss Mozambique and the region around it; Bosnia & Hercegovina and the region of Former Yugoslavia; Central Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan (with almost 5 years in the field); and finally the Korean peninsula (where I had 18 months on the ground, but much more in the region. THANKS TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS even years later.... USIP can lead forward Myanmar-Burma/Bangladesh/India/Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam...

[JimHaber]

How can the United States promote peace even as it tries to keep opponents from sitting at the negotiating table? We need to deal explicitly with the US role in impeding reconcilliation worldwide. The USA has a particular role that people here need to contend with and address.

[williamtarpai]

I wanted to revisit this page on this date! 30 years ago, what was going on? I was in the field! Let's reflect upon the change which has occurred and why leadership has failed people in many places. Looking through the eyes of a dedicate servant of the County of Riverside (1 year appointment as Civil Grand Jury Panelist)