Culture and Healing
While conflict resolution methods tend to be focussed on dealing with the present, the research of Professor Ed Cairns has shown that even after the fighting has stopped collective memory plays a role in passing enemy images from one generation to the next. These enemy images can then become central to a sense of identity. This theme will seek to deepen understanding of the cultural dimensions of conflict resolution and explore creative approaches to healing the wounds of war.
Speakers include:
- Abramovich, Dvir - I Have A Dream: Reconciliation Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
- Azar, Larissa - The Role Of Breathing In Peace-Building And Peace-Keeping (W)
- Cahill, Desmond - God And Globalisation: The Role Of Faith Communities In Building Social Capital And Constructing Peace.
- Cairns, Ed - Northern Ireland: Who Are The Victims?
- Donohue-Davutovic, Angela - Adolescents' Attitudes To And Experiences Of Growing Up In A Post Conflict Community.
- Ebert, Leonie & O'Brien, Lewis - Gift-Giving As A Path To Reconciliation.
- Ekanola, Adebola - Peace In Contemporary Society: From Group Loyalty To Human Loyalty.
- Fry, Ian - The Forgotten Fundamental: Theological Considerations And The Critical Need For Reassessment.
- Hatchman, Victoria & Labourmene, Laurent - The Application Of Second-Tier Approaches To Reconciliation And Healing.
- Huggins, Jackie - Keynote. Two Sides Of Reconciliation: The Practical And The Symbolic.
- Humphrey, Michael - Keynote. Reconciliation: Who's Burden, Who's Responsibility?
- Klein, Amelia - Rememberance And Reconciliation: Dialogue Between Third Generation Jews And Germans.
- Künkler, Mirjam - Despotism And Consent: Reconciliation In Post-Traumatic Societies.
- Lambourne, Wendy - Reconciliation As A Political Process.
- Mason, Christine - Different Notions Of Reconciliation In East Timor.
- McCowan, Tim - Working For Peace And Reconciliation Involves Spirituality As Well As Strategies: A Christian NGO Trainer's Perspective.
- Muluk, Hamdi - Collective Memory And Reconciliation.
- Murray, Kevin - The Contribution Of Craft To Reconciliation.
- Pellach, Peta - Living In A Multi-Faith World: The Challenges Of Inter-Faith Education.
- Saeed, Abdulla - Traditional Islamic Religious Education Institutions: Source Of Conflict Or Peaceful Co-Existence?
- Singh, Bruce - The Mental Health Consequences Of Modern Conflict.
- Sloggett, Robyn - 'Trust Me, I'm An Expert'. Issues In Post-Trauma Cultural Reconstruction.
- Simith, Virgilio - Reflections From An East Timorese On Issues Raised In Post-Trauma Cultural Reconstruction.
- Steward, John - Six Examples Of Healing From Postgenocide Rwanda & Peace And Reconciliation In Rwanda.
- Zable, Arnold - The Power of Storytelling
I Have A Dream: Reconciliation Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
The narrative of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one mired in death and suffering, containing within its midst two mutually exclusive versions concerning the reasons and consequences of this tragedy. Moreover, both sides boast their own extremists and self-righteous preachers who fan the flames of intolerance and furious hatred Indeed, more than any other clash in history, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a clash soaked in traumas and wounded feelings that seems to offer no hope for resolution. Throughout, commentators have observed that this was an ethnic conflict between two communities within one society or that it was a religious war, or a struggle for de-colonisation. Yet, in essence, this is anguished clash is between two peoples asserting a right to the same peace. As one Israeli author put it, "In this conflict, one has to be on the side of peace…This is not a Hollywood movie with good guys and bad guys. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a black and white film, but more like a Greek tragedy."
There is no easy answer. This paper does not seek to determine whose fault it was, or whose blindness it was that caused what the Israelis call "the situation". This paper maintains that the value that should prevail above all others, the value of life itself, is the key to solving this bitter struggle that has claimed thousands of lives over the last two and half years since the outbreak of Intifada II, and tens of thousand over the last 26. It will be pointed out that while the conflict is a political issue, there are also the moral, psychological and philosophical questions that reside within this discussion. For Israelis, the word peace is always associated with a wish, with a non-existent state of being, as if peace in the Hebrew language is a unique word. Life in a prolonged state of war has made the two nations forget the simple things.
In addition, the paper will argue that what both parties need to do is to declare that they are willing to make all the compromises that are needed to be made (as long as they are not dangerous to Israel's existence) to achieve real peace Above all, reconciliation is constructed with tangible building blocks, a dense network of partnerships and common goals that transform destructive relationships into commercial ones.
Dr. Dvir
Abramovich, the Jan Randa Lecturer in Hebrew and Jewish Studies, has
bachelor degrees in Arts and Law from Monash University, a Master of Arts
and a PhD from the University of Melbourne. He lectures in Modern Hebrew
Literature, Language and Judaic studies at The University of Melbourne
Centre for Jewish History and Culture, in particular the subjects Introduction
to Modern Jewish culture, The Modern Jewish World and Israel, Israeli
Cinema, Reading the Holocaust and Exploring the World of Jewish Literature.
Dr. Abramovich has contributed to such publications as oxford, Routledge,
St James Press and BCL and has lectured in local and international conferences.
He is the editor of the Australian Journal of Jewish Studies and immediate
past Vice President of the Australian Association of Jewish Studies.
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The Role Of Breathing In Peace-Building And Peace-Keeping (W)
"There is no way to peace, peace is the way." - Mohandas K. Gandhi
For peace in the world to become a reality, whether in the family, workplace, community, or international context, inner peace - a state of mental calm and clarity - is prerequisite. Peacefulness needs to be embodied in the words and actions of a peace worker for them to be successful as an agent of change in the world.
This workshop will explore how breathing patterns affect our psychological health and contribute to inner peace. The relevance of breathing techniques in a conflict resolution setting will also be examined. The workshop will be both theoretical and practical, with participants being guided through the breathing technique.
The
Full Yoga Breath is a technique that can be used in any situation to calm
one's emotional state and dispel anger, nervousness or anxiety. Whilst
it is taught from a yogic perspective it is not an invention of yoga -
in fact physiologically it is a natural way for humans to breathe.
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God And Globalisation: The Role Of Faith Communities In Building Social Capital And Constructing Peace.
The events
of S11 in the USA and O12 in Bali have brought home the fact that religion,
whether transcendent religion or perverted religion, is now at world centre
stage. Contrary to the predictions of the secularists, religion and faith
are not drifting away into a privatised world and yet it is often the
forgotten element in nation building, and in peace and reconciliation
construction. This paper will explore the link between religion and globalising
forces, outlining the link between religion and social capital, the need
for a global-local faiths agenda and the challenge of faiths to interrogate
their own religious traditions. Finally, the paper will outline some recent
peace-building initiatives by the World Conference of Religions for Peace,
the world's largest coalition of faith communities working collaboratively
for peace, and the model it uses in areas such as Sierra Leone and Iraq.
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Northern Ireland: Who Are The Victims?
It has been suggested that in some senses everyone who lives in Northern Ireland can consider themselves to have been a victim of the 'troubles' of the last thirty years. In this paper we present empirical data from a random sample survey of the Northern Irish adult population. In this survey 1,000 respondents, age 18 years plus, were asked to indicate if they ever thought of themselves as a victim of the recent political violence. It would appear, that based on the results obtained, only a relatively small proportion (12%) of the population think of themselves in this way. On the other hand when these same respondents were asked to recall important events from Northern Ireland's recent past the vast majority (91%) recalled an event in someway associated with the "troubles" We therefore go on to consider in more detail the relationship victimhood and memory in a Northern Irish context and to examine the possibility that a sense of victimhood stems from memories of unacknowledged losses.
Ed Cairns
is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Ulster,
Coleraine, Northern Ireland. His academic career also led him to collaborate
with the University of Melbourne (1995), the University of Cape Town (1994),
the University of Florida (1980) and the University of Alberta (1976)
as a visiting scholar. Professor Cairns has been closely involved in the
work of Division 48 (Division of Peace Psychology) of the American Psychological
Association, a division he has been presided since 2001. Professor Cairns
has contributed to the publication of a substantial number of studies
focusing on the understanding of conflict and political violence by children
and young persons, as well as on the psychological impact of conflict
and political violence on social identity in Northern Ireland. He has
also researched extensively on collective memory and the passing of enemy
images to the next generation.
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Adolescents' Attitudes To And Experiences Of Growing Up In A Post Conflict Community.
The effects
of violent conflict on children and adolescents can be devastating and
debilitating. Research to date has primarily focussed on the types of
war trauma experiences that young people suffered, and the effects of
these on the development of specific psychopathologies, such as PTSD and
depression. However, exposure to violent conflict can also have lasting
effects on young people's attitudes to various aspects of life, such as
their views of the future, and their attitudes and ideologies about their
society. Based on the results of focus groups conducted with Croatian
adolescents, a set of questions addressing issues related to life in a
post-conflict setting were developed. The present study aimed to investigate
the factor structure of these questions, and investigate whether these
factors appeared to be related to adolescent psychosocial adjustment.
Data are gathered from two locations in Croatia; Rijeka, which was less
directly affected by the war, and Osijek, which was subject to direct
attacks during the recent war in Croatia. The sample consists of 326 adolescents
from Rijeka, and 331 adolescents from Osijek, aged between 15- and 25-
years. These data were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques.
The findings and implications of this study will be discussed.
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Ebert, Leonie & O'Brien, Lewis
Gift-Giving As A Path To Reconciliation.
This is the story of the process of Reconciliation with the Kaurna people, the Indigenous people of the Adelaide Plains, undertaken by a non-profit, volunteer organisation, The Graham F Smith Peace Trust Inc. It addresses issues relating to cultural connections through Dreaming stories and providing opportunities to regain identity; synchronicity, negotiation, consultation, dealing with resistance and disagreements, partnerships with the public and other organisations, fundraising and education. The outcome of this process was the installation of an artwork, Kaurna meyunna, Kaurna yerta tampendi*, dedicated to Reconciliation, located in the forecourt of the Adelaide Festival Centre and a Walking Trail Guide which encourages further learning. The artwork incorporates the historical legacy and cultural heritage of the Kaurna people. The guide interprets the artwork and our shared history in the surrounding area with the hope of greater understanding, acknowledgment of the past and respect for all our future together. It is hoped that this story will inspire others to develop similar works of art dedicated to Reconciliation.
'The spirit still lives amongst the steel, concrete, roads and lawns. Learn about the past so that we can grasp the future.' *Recognising Kaurna people and Kaurna Land
Peace In Contemporary Society: From Group Loyalty To Human Loyalty.
The paper addresses the problem of how inter-group violence can be effectively checked and an enduring foundation laid for peaceful co-existence in society. People have been engaged in diverse forms of inter-group violence since the emergence of society [Gray 1976:10] and this has not abated in spite of the various efforts to avert the display of violence in society. The pacifist doctrine, peace treaties and efforts by organizations like the U.N.O have not recorded much success in abolishing inter-group violence. Indeed, humanity is now facing the risk of total annihilation if the problem of violence is not urgently resolved.
The methodology adopted is conceptual and analytical. On the basis of a critical analysis of the concept of war and empirical facts about the phenomenon of war, especially within the African context, we identify loyalty to groups at the expense of more fundamental human values as a major factor underlying inter-group violence in society. The paper maintains that inter-group violence would be adequately prevented and social peace guaranteed if we develop a sense of ecumenism transcending all group affiliations, and a widespread commitment to the rights, dignity and wellbeing of every person irrespective of race, color, tribe, sex, language, religion or political opinion. These may be achieved by the following:
- Encouraging actual persons and not just groups or governments to interact and communicate across group-divides using "citizenship diplomacy [Smoker and Gruff 1996:19, Pearson, 1972:1140]
- Educating people across cultures on the evils of war, the illusions upon which conflicts are based and the value of peace [Ambler, 1990:200]
- Developing educational programs to teach people about the unity of life, that people across group-divides are more interconnected and inter-dependent than they appear to be [Young, 2000:253,Campbell, 1997:74]
- Informing people about the ways political and group leaders idealize "group interest" and employ propaganda to incite and manipulate people to engage in inter-group violence [Pogge , 1994: 116]
- Teaching the general populace that no genuine human interest can be achieved through wars and that no government, group or leader has any right to ask individuals to do anything that might threaten their lives or well being.
- Persuading people that the human life has an intrinsic value and that people have a fundamental right to life that renders violence immoral.
The forgotten fundamental: Theological considerations and the critical need for reassessment
Panel
Abstract The current phase of the crisis in world affairs developed
rapidly due, partly, to the uneven and divisive impact of imposed economic
globalisation. This coincided with, and was facilitated by, the extraordinary
rate of development of communications during the past two generations.
However, a major factor in the crisis is the religious self-understanding
of communities at the centre of it.
Communities defined by a common cultural heritage tend to regard their
culture and their practices as the norm. Their norm becomes a standard
by which they judge others. This tendency contributes to the myth of superiority
and encourages demands that others adhere to, or submit to, the superior
authority system. This applies especially if one community acquires or
develops technology that enables it to impose its demands and its authority
on others who have acquired only lesser technology, making it necessary
for the different cultures to coexist within the same community. If religious
belief and practices are dominant components of the culture of either
one or both of the coexisting sub-communities, they encourage sub-community
cohesion. However, they also have the potential to inflame passions and
to trigger open conflict or oppression if inter-communal tension is generated
around other issues.
Thus, in present circumstances, world leaders have gradually become aware
of the need for an understanding of the full range of religious faiths,
for religious tolerance, and for reconciliation between coexisting or
competing faiths.
These papers review the current situation, progress that has already been
made, some major considerations and programs that must be tackled, and
the need for reassessment of critical issues, relationships and key fundamental
theological concepts.
Ian Fry Interfaith relations: Our Critical Place in Universal History and the Imperative Theological Reassessment
The crisis
in the Middle East, brought into sharp relief by the events of September
11, 2001, has focused attention on the influence and interaction of the
three faiths that dominate the region: Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
However, the Christian Western powers, led by the United States, appear
unable to comprehend that the origin of the crisis is essentially a matter
of theology. They seek to eliminate the major threat to their economic
and political pre-eminence, which they can comprehend, by suppressing
political and cultural-religious components of the crisis by the only
means they understand: military might.
By tracing universal history and relating it to projections of population
growth and use of resources, this paper proposes that we are at a critical
point from which we can only move towards an era of stability and harmony
if the crisis in the Middle East is progressively resolved through comprehensive
reassessment of the fundamental theological concepts around which the
three Abrahamic faiths divide.
It further proposes that we are also at a turning point in relations between
the Western Christian World and the rest of the world.
It outlines the impact of the adoption of certain doctrinal statements,
claims of authority, and imperial alliances by the early church, and the
division of Yahwism into three parallel streams of faith. The subsequent
oppressive and exploitative conduct of the church, and imperial and economic
powers associated with it, then precipitated the establishment of the
modern state of Israel. The author characterizes this as the central fact
of the Christian or Common Era.
The paper then proposes that the church’s denial of both the ministry
of the Prophet Muhammad and the concept of ongoing roles for the Jewish
and Muslim communities of faith prevented it from understanding the impact
of its own decisions and the complex crises that would follow.
A review of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries indicates the convergence
of prophetic understandings generated within Judaism and Islam, and that
the State of Israel is an unwilling catalyst-under-covenant in precipitating
change which will benefit peoples who have been systematically oppressed
and exploited by the Western Christian World.
Finally, the paper proposes that comprehensive reassessment of the critical
theological concepts and relationships cannot be carried out in isolation
either by the church or one of its partner faiths. The process requires
that scholars from each faith community work systematically in intimate
collaboration. The current stance of Church authorities indicates that
only progressive deepening of the world crisis will persuade the major
umbrella bodies of the Church to agree to it.
Ian Fry
is an independent scholar and writer. He trained in agriculture, but after
eighteen years in that field he changed direction, and was appointed Communications
Officer for the Presbyterian Church in Victoria, Australia. When the Yom
Kippur War erupted he sought to persuade churches in Australia to initiate
a process for the reassessment of Messianic theology with Christian, Jewish
and Muslim scholars working in collaboration. Frustrated in that effort,
he resigned to research privately. An approach to the World Council of
Churches resulted in invitations to a consultation on the crisis in the
Middle East in Geneva and the WCC Assembly in Nairobi. He then visited
several Middle East countries for discussions with government and UN officials,
academics, and religious leaders in all three faiths. His decisions to
write Trouble in the Triangle, a reassessment of the relationship between
Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and another career change, to journalism,
followed. After editing suburban newspapers in Melbourne, he served first
as an Australian Volunteer Abroad to establish a provincial community
newspaper in Papua New Guinea, and then as general manager for a national
newspaper company jointly operated by the country’s major churches.
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Hatchman, Victoria & Labourmene, Laurent
The Application Of Second-Tier Approaches To Reconciliation And Healing.
The Australian reconciliation process has reached an impasse. It has become a highly compromised version of what it could be. As support for reconciliation in Australia has increased significantly over the last decade, serving to both raise public awareness and broaden the debate, we are now poised for the next stage in the reconciliation process.
The standardised, flatland narrative that has emerged over the last ten years has managed to capture only a small part of the story leaving many of the underlying possibilities not fully explored. The "first-tier" approaches used to facilitate reconciliation have paradoxically denied the emergence of a deeper level of reconciliation and healing. Because of an overly monological vision of reconciliation we have failed to see the need to map the bigger picture in which we - as individuals, as a culture and as a nation - have been involved.
This workshop forms part of an international initiative that begins to map this bigger picture and provides a template for other communities of practice around the world. Beyond Sorry reveals how hidden deep within the reconciliation issue lies a larger story not yet told; a story that evolves our individual and collective understanding beyond prevailing dynamics of blame and guilt; a story that illustrates how apology and forgiveness are stepping stones that eventually become stumbling blocks on the road to reconciliation and healing; a story which "brings back the knowing" and provides us with a doorway into ourselves; a story which, above all else, challenges us to be true to our own dreaming.
This workshop
invites key decision-makers, stakeholders, practitioners and leaders who
have become disillusioned with current reconciliation processes, both
within Australia and other contexts around the world, to explore the application
of "second-tier" approaches to reconciliation and healing.
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Two Sides Of Reconciliation: The Practical And The Symbolic.
This paper will attempt to explain how reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and the wider community has always had two sides: the practical and the symbolic. Both are essential to enable deep and lasting healing from past injustice. The Australian Government's focus on practical aspects of reconciliation is important but these aspects, on their own, do not constitute the 'true test' of reconciliation.
The true
test requires actions on all elements of reconciliation, including recognition
of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the
first peoples of this country.
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Reconciliation: Who's Burden, Who's Responsibility?
Reconciliation has become a major issue in societies whose recent or historical pasts have required them to face up to social exclusion produced by the state's past violence and atrocity. Reconciliation however has frequently been seen as an alternative to justice, part of a necessary political compromise to rehabilitate the state without threatening to destabilise it through the impact of prosecutions. The real problem with this compromise is not so much the failure to prosecute which can only be limited and largely symbolic but the discourse on mediation that underlies reconciliation. With the shift from law to mediation the discourse shifts from individual 'rights' to 'needs' and the truth about the violence is subordinated to the goal of societal rehabilitation.
Truth commissions have come to be seen as a good alternative to trials by revealing the truth about past atrocities through inclusive victim-centred hearings. However the legitimacy of truth commissions rests not so much on their character as state initiated political compromises but as public inquiries which take place beyond the direct control of the state. The truth commission process is overseen by a moral elite whose integrity underpins the report on the investigations and is then given back to the state. The process of hearings and victims testimonies contribute to reconciliation by producing a 'democratising truth' - it changes the way people think about the past. Where the truth commissions have frequently failed is in translating the outcome of the broad participatory process into public policy - ie. effective symbolic and material reparations for victims. It is when the state becomes responsible for the implementation of truth commission recommendations that their potential for collective reconciliation falters. And when this happens it is the victims who are left holding the responsibility of bearing the burden of reconciliation.
Michael
Humphrey (BA PhD Macq.) is an Associate Professor, and Head of the
School of Sociology at the University of New South Wales. Michael studied
anthropology at Macquarie University and his PhD research was on community
formation and disputation in Lebanese Muslim immigrant communities in
Sydney and Lebanon. He was employed as a lecturer at the University of
Western Sydney, Macarthur in 1980-1982, 1986-90 and worked as a tutor
in Anthropology and Comparative Sociology 1983-85 and lecturer in Politics
at Macquarie University in 1988. He has published widely on Lebanese Muslim
immigrant culture and politics, Islamic movements, international labour
migration, globalisation & identity and violence. His current research
interests are in violence, voice and national reconciliation. He is writing
on issues of suffering, violence and bioethics.
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Rememberance And Reconciliation: Dialogue Between Third Generation Jews And Germans.
"Reconciliation demands a willingness to become vulnerable and honest in the presence of another" - Bjorn Krondorfer
In August 2002, I was a participant in the International Summer Program of the Holocaust - a one month dialogue on the legacy of the Holocaust. The group comprised of twenty students all in our 20's. I was the first ever Australian, Jewish participant. There were nine Germans, nine Americans (six of whom were Jewish), and one Czech student. The program took place in Washington DC, USA, Berlin, Germany and Kracow, Poland. Facilitated by Professor Bjorn Krondorfer, (Religious studies Professor at St Mary's College, Maryland, USA), the program, based on interactive and interpersonal learning in an international environment, offered a completely alternative approach to understanding the Holocaust.
Throughout this month of direct encounters and dialogues we explored our national and religious identities. Many questions occupied my thoughts: What aspects of the Holocaust did the German students struggle with? How did our perceptions vary when hearing Holocaust survivors personally retell their testimonies? What did it mean to the German participants to be post-Holocaust third generation Germans and me a third generation Jew? How do twenty people plan a commemoration in Auschwitz together? How do we learn to acknowledge and respect each others' different pasts - histories, cultures and family backgrounds?
This program
has had a profound impact on the way I understand Holocaust history, memory,
legacy and commemoration. My experiences on the program were enlightening
as I realised that a space could be created where Germans and Jews my
age could meet and discuss significant questions which impact our life
today. In this paper I will discuss issues and dilemmas surrounding the
meeting of third generation Jews and Germans. Through my personal experiences,
insight into the process of reconciliation between young Jews and Germans
will be illuminated.
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Despotism And Consent: Reconciliation In Post-Traumatic Societies.
Discourses on National Reconciliation aimed at generating consent in post-traumatic societies essentially follow two lines of argument. What for our purposes may be termed "Lincolnian Liberalism", as a constitutional politics based on identification, signifies a national rebirth grounded on a new post-traumatic identity - the national trauma is coped with as a unifying experience. "Cultural Wilsonianism" as a vision of constitutional politics based on representation, by contrast, emphasises the right for self-determination, the assertion of a repressed claim to sovereignty in a diasporic world.
This paper
examines the effects policies of Lincolnian Liberalism as opposed to Cultural
Wilsonianism implicate. It argues that the politics pursued in the aftermath
of civil wars and excessive contention often resemble the notion of Cultural
Wilsonianism: the apprehension that cultural difference is ideally a basis
for territorial self-government, or when this is not possible, for the
recognition that one cannot be judged by the standards of normality imposed
by others. The problematic implications of this policy become apparent
where self-determination becomes voiced as a perpetual claim, so that
those asserting protected minority status in one space have to imagine
themselves hegemonic in another. Whenever 'otherness' is asserted as a
counterhegemonic claim, a long-term cycle of mutual threat and reprisal
becomes a manifest danger. Drawing on evidence from South Africa and Nigeria
the paper concludes that to manage post-traumatic cleavages difference
must not be denied, but instead need to be transcended. In constitutional
terms, divergent cleavages must not be endowed with the static character
that is conferred upon them in permanent institutional arrangements. Such
cleavages must neither be politically neglected, but instead need to be
problematised, in the political as well as social sphere. Understanding
that failure to overcome divergent cleavages lies in the failure to reform
the mode of rule that reinforces dividing cleavages, the way ahead lies
in a systemic reform which addresses both the local and the national state,
the political sphere and the social sphere. It needs to be based on representation
as well as participation, on political conciliation as well as social
justice, diluting the dichotomy of beneficiaries and victims, citizens
and subjects, that are the prevalent characteristics of many, if not most,
post -traumatic societies.
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Reconciliation As A Political Process.
This paper
identifies how the psychological process of reconciliation is transferred
into a political process at the national or international level. Reconciliation
at the interpersonal level is defined as a transactional process involving
apology and forgiveness, with the latter often taking on religious or
spiritual dimensions. This paper analyses how apology, forgiveness and
reconciliation have been translated into the political arena. Illustrations
include the Indigenous/non-Indigenous reconciliation process in Australia,
and efforts to heal the wounds of the past relating to the 1994 genocide
in Rwanda and the Cambodian "killing fields" of 1970-1975. Failure to
recognise the significance of intrapersonal and interpersonal processes
in reconciliation can lead to the failure of national or international
attempts to promote reconciliation in societies as a whole. If the essentially
personal process of reconciliation is politically coopted, this can undermine
the meaning and value of reconciliation and the prospects for building
peaceful societies.
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Different Notions Of Reconciliation In East Timor.
East Timor
struggled for 24 years for independence from Indonesia and suffered greatly
from internal militias backed by Indonesian military forces when a referendum
for independence was conducted. Following the horrific violence that took
place and more than a decade of genocide, a new era of freedom and reconciliation
was ushered in. Since East Timor became an independent state, an independent
Commission, CAVR, has been established for the purpose of truth telling,
reconciliation and interaction with the serious crimes tribunal. With
no amnesty legislation, East Timor is now one of the most complex cases
of reconciliation globally and this paper aims to look at its Indigenous
forms of reconciliation and compare these to the formal system provided
by CAVR and the legal system. The paper will look at issues such as ethnicity,
gender and western based reconciliation systems in particular, with all
research derived from field research in East Timor.
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Working For Peace And Reconciliation Involves Spirituality As Well As Strategies: A Christian NGO Trainer's Perspective.
Nature of the Problem The repair of human lives after situations of conflict, regime change or human rights abuses involves a spiritual as well as strategic process. NGOs and other outside agencies are often inadequately equipped for co-operating practically with this spiritual process in a local context, and not prepared for the toll on their psychological and spiritual wellbeing that work for justice and reconciliation takes on them. So there is a need for these agencies to recognise the validity of the spiritual dimensions of reconciliation for the healing potential they offer those individuals and communities, actively engage with them and provide resources wherever possible toward them.
Outline This workshop will explore the spiritual and strategic dimensions of social reconciliation in two cultural contexts. It will demonstrate the importance of the spiritual dimension operating alongside the strategic, arguing that the two are interdependent, and outline some practical approaches for how outside agencies can meaningfully co-operate with local, cultural healing traditions, for the benefit of the reconstruction process as part of social reconciliation. It will also identify critical issues to be addressed by the workers themselves for their own sustaining involvement.
The spiritual dimension of reconciliation pertains to those activities, agencies, spaces and resources within the traditions of a community or culture that facilitate healing or the capacity to make meaning out of their experiences of suffering, and to appropriately re-engage and contribute to the moral reconstruction of the wider society.
Basis This workshop will draw upon my own experience and research living and working alongside Filipino squatters in Manila, the Philippines for greater justice and peace in an NGO for eight years, and of facilitating intensive exposures among Native (Lakota) Americans in the USA, for two years.
Format of Workshop This workshop will explore two cross-cultural contexts seeking justice and reconciliation viz urban poor Filipinos and Lakota (Native) Americans. After outlining their particular needs for reconciliation, I will identify a variety of expressions of their spirituality aiming towards healing within their own cultural milieu.
I will then identify culturally sensitive ways that NGOs or outside agencies can practically support and reinforce the movement towards healing in structures congruent with the wider social reconciliation process, for example through the creation of mediating structures for the victims self expression and empowerment.
Finally, the workshop will outline some of the critical challenges faced by workers, such as apparent failure of the process, facing socio-political forces resistant to exposure of the truth and positive change, temptations to despair and burnout. It will explore elements of a spirituality that sustains workers in the face of these challenges.
By encouraging
greater understanding and cooperation between the outside organisations
and the existing local agencies for healing within those cultures, I contend
that there will be much stronger bases for peace and reconciliation to
be created in those contexts.
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Collective Memory And Reconciliation.
This study
attempts to address the issue of "voluntary reconciliation" between groups
divided by political conflict that happened 20 years ago in Indonesia.
The study took "the tanjung priok political violence" as a case study,
where the victims were civilians and the perpetrator was the army. After
the tragedy, there was a period of "silent memory" for more than 17 years
where the regime imposed strong and tight control over the official history.
The fall of the authoritarian regime opened the door for reclaiming collective
memory of past political violence. Public discourse about dealing with
legacies of the past raised questions from remembering to forgetting,
from discovery of truth to denial, from punishment to amnesty. Current
polemical discourse about the event prefers to bring the army to the trial.
But surprisingly, a majority of the victims have chosen to forgive the
perpetrators and make reconciliation with their "enemies". It was called
"voluntary reconciliation" because the reconciliation processes were not
mediated and sponsored by a legal and political frame (e.g., TRC in South
Africa and in other countries). The processes of reconciliation have surprised
many people, because it was considered as spontaneous. After many years
of suffering, how can they easily forgive their enemies in the past? Moreover,
popular representation of this violent history has placed them as victims
and the army as the perpetrator. Observation and in-depth interviews with
victims revealed the role of forgiving, psychological distancing, and
healing as the prerequisites for building a new relationship with the
past enemies. But the changing of perspective in viewing one's own collective
memory is the necessary condition for the reconciliation process. It was
clear from this case study that collective memory or collective remembering
was best conceptualised as a conversational and discursive process rather
than an individual cognitive process. In this case, the community was
willing to "adjust" their collective memory in order to fit with their
current need: reconciliation.
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The Contribution Of Craft To Reconciliation.
Craft can
provide a lingua franca that connects otherwise separate cultures. The
Alice Springs Beanie Festival has become one of Australia's foremost reconciliation
events, with beanies providing a common process that can be shared by
indigenous and non-indigenous alike. The Melbourne Scarf Festival is based
on a similar model, though featuring the confrontation of Western and
Muslim cultures as its main game. While community events like this play
an important role in fostering cross-cultural dialogue, a number of individual
artists are exploring the common objects that connect modern and traditional
cultures. In South Africa, the horn is a potent metaphor for both Zulu
native and English colonising cultures. In fashioning these cultural puns,
artists play the role of tricksters that counter the static that builds
up with long-standing difference.
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Living In A Multi-Faith World: The Challenges Of Inter-Faith Education.
In each of the three Abrahamic faiths, education is of paramount importance. The faithful are called upon to study, to master the holy texts and to spread the word of the wisdom of their religious heritage. The mission of adherents is to learn and teach in order to enlighten the world - although Jews, Christians and Muslims have distinctly different approaches to that task.
It is not surprising that in this "global village," where peoples of different faiths live as neighbours, integrated into the same communities, there should be an interest in learning about each other. Ironically, this has occurred over a period which has seen a fall in favour of formal religious education within the faiths. Many educators in the field of theology give paramount importance to educating their own faith communities in a manner and with a knowledge-base they consider essential. In addition to this matter, there are significant theological, philosophical, educational and pragmatic issues surrounding the concept of teaching and research across faiths.
This paper
asks some of the difficult questions in relation to multi-faith and cross-faith
education, examining what is and what might be, in Australia and globally.
Can multi-faith education lead to greater understanding across religions?
Can religion be a tool for creating harmony or must it remain a source
of division and hatred?
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Traditional Islamic Religious Education Institutions: Source Of Conflict Or Peaceful Co-Existence?
In the post-September 11 period, considerable attention has been paid to the alleged links between (a) traditional Islamic religious education, and (b) militancy, extremism and anti-Western attitudes among Muslims. As a result, calls are being made to revise and modify the curricula of traditional Islamic religious education institutions in countries such as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and even in Western countries.
This paper argues that the current debate ignores (a) the considerable diversity that exists in traditional Islamic religious education institutions; (b) the variety of models of traditional Islamic religious education that exist in Muslim communities across the world; and (c) the emphases given to various aspects of traditional Islamic religious education in different social and political contexts. The paper presents a variety of models of traditional Islamic religious education that exist in a range of Muslim communities, in both Western and non-Western contexts, and then argues that in many cases factors other than traditional Islamic religious education are responsible for the presence of militancy, extremism and anti-Western attitudes. It then provides an example of a traditional Islamic religious education institution that has been successfully developed in Indonesia which could be a useful model for those who are keen to develop such institutions that promote peaceful co-existence (within an Islamic framework).
Associate
Professor Saeed is the deputy director of the Melbourne Institute
of Asian Languages and Societies and the head of Arabic Studies and Islamic
Studies at the University of Melbourne. His qualifications include a Ph.D.
in Islamic Studies from The University of Melbourne, and a B.A. in Arabic
language, literature and Islamic studies from the Islamic University,
Medina, Saudi Arabia. His research interests include Islamic hermeneutics,
modern Islamic thought with particular reference to modernity, pluralism
and human rights, reform projects in the areas of Islamic law and theology,
banking and finance from an Islamic perspective and Islam in Australia.
His current research projects include religious freedom in Islam with
particular reference to Malaysian experience, negotiating religious change
in Australian Muslim communities and he has made recent contributions
to Qur'anic Studies in Indonesia. He has written numerous textbooks, book
chapters and articles.
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The Mental Health Consequences Of Modern Conflict.
The ubiquity of collective violence is one of the most disturbing features of the late 20th Century. Wars, prolonged conflicts, terrorism and state repression lead to a flood of social and economic problems that affect mental health of individuals and particularly children. Studies, on the Mental Health of civilians affected by the major wars in Europe and elsewhere have generally found that although the frequency of mental distress increased during conflict, the distress is usually acute and temporary (with the notable exception of torture and holocaust survivors and prisoners of war). A very different pattern of distress is evident in recent studies of survivors of political violence, ethnic strife and low intensity conflicts that have affected significant proportions of the world's populations.
In this paper I describe why this change has taken place and review some of the recent findings on post traumatic stress disorder and other consequences of modern conflict.
Professor
Bruce Singh is the Cato Professor of Psychiatry at the University
of Melbourne. In that role he is Head of the University of Melbourne Department
of Psychiatry and has expanded considerably the academic activities of
the Department. In 1996 Prof Singh was appointed as Associate Dean (International),
responsible for international matters in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry
and Health Sciences, including the establishment of the Australian International
Health Institute of the University of Melbourne. He served from 1997-2000
as Assistant Dean responsible for North Western Health Care Network. Professor
Singh consults for both the State and Commonwealth Governments and has
held numerous positions. He is currently Senior Medical Adviser to the
to the Mental Health Branch of the Department of Human Services in Victoria.
Professor Singh has had a longstanding commitment and interest in psychiatric
services, particularly their move into the General Health System. He is
also active in promoting psychiatry in the Asia Pacific Region and he
is the President of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists (2001-2003).
He has published extensively in the psychiatric literature and has co-edited
five books.
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'Trust Me, I'm An Expert'. Issues In Post-Trauma Cultural Reconstruction.
International agencies have an important role to play in national post-trauma reconstruction. However, in terms of cultural programs, expertise and knowledge rests most obviously with the local population. The use of 'experts' and the need for international agencies to ensure accountability and appropriate use of resources presents a dichotomy that is difficult to manage. In addition there is a need to act quickly for a number of reasons, including the need to capture and maintain donor interest. The need for speed and issues around project 'worthiness' can be problematic.
This paper
examines some of the issues relating to post-trauma reconstruction and
the role of cultural activity and agency aid in this process. Issues of
competing priorities, the role of donor bodies, and the acknowledgement
of local expertise are also addressed.
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Reflections From An East Timorese On Issues Raised In Post-Trauma Cultural Reconstruction.
Six Examples Of Healing From Postgenocide Rwanda & Peace And Reconciliation In Rwanda.
World Vision has been active in Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, working in relief and rehabilitation and seeking ways to support movements towards reconciliation. World Vision Rwanda staff have worked with a Rwandese psychologist and a Welsh psychiatrist who have each developed and tested separate processes aimed at bringing Rwandese of both ethnicities to a point of facing their own truth, honouring their emotions, and finding forgiveness for their shame.
This paper presents six examples of Rwandese who have begun a process of healing within themselves which has led them to various degrees of restoration in relationships. They in turn become models of new possibilities for others. The examples show the complexity that exists in present day Rwanda.
The paper
suggests practical insights for responsible human behaviour change in
the postgenocide setting. While only in two of the cases is a relationship
actually re-established with the person who killed their relative, it
is suggested that each person who has faced their pain is now demonstrating
a commitment to participate in rebuilding a peaceful nation.
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Zable, Arnold - Dinner Keynote
The Power of Storytelling
Award winning author and story teller, Arnold Zable, weaves tales of love, migration, Greek madness, Yiddish curses, wanderers and dreamers, displaced peoples, and epic voyages to the Great Southern Land. To be a story teller requires first, an act of listening, and an entering into relationships over time. Zable has listened to countless tales told by refugees, asylum seekers, holocaust survivors, travellers, street people, family and friends. He has listened in living rooms, cafes, kitchens, pubs, detention centres, on the road, on boats and trains, in hospital corridors, and the various places where people meet. Stories identify moments that are both terrifying and wondrous, and the shades of light and shadow that make up all our lives. We are, as a nation, the sum total of all our stories.
Arnold
Zable is a writer, storyteller and educator. Formerly a lecturer at
Melbourne University, he is the author of numerous essays, columns, novels,
works for theatre, and short stories. He is the author of six books. They
include the award winning 'Jewels and Ashes', which depicts Zable's journey
to Poland to trace his Jewish ancestry; 'Wanderers and Dreamers', tales
of Yiddish theatre in Australia; and 'Cafe Scheherazade', a novel that
tells the story of a group of refugees who meet in a St Kilda cafe where
they weave their tales of displacement and flight. His most recent book,
'The Fig Tree', is a book of true stories set in the Greek island of Ithaca,
Eastern Europe, Melbourne and Outback Australia. It too depicts tales
of journeys from the old world to the new. Zable has written extensively
on the migrant experience and the plight of refugees. His books have won
numerous awards, and he is one of the co-writers of a play 'Kan Yama Kan'
in which Middle Eastern and Afghani asylum seekers tell their stories.
Directed by Robin Laurie, the play was staged in 2002. In recent years
he has appeared as a story teller in a range of venues including the Melbourne
Concert Hall,Melbourne Town Hall, and writers' festivals throughout Australia.
He is currently completing a novel depicting the lives of an immigrant
community in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton.
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