Governance: Priority One

When it comes to what is important in society an efficient, strong and trusting governance system tops the list. As long as the system works, people trust the system and have respect for the system the economics, legal and cultural frameworks can flourish.

We can look at the situation in Egypt. The revolution was about governance. Now there is a new leadership that is different from the military. Now the world can witness what difference is made with this new style. We also have the opportunity to watch Paraguay deal with the recent impeachment of its President. In both situations the people shouted for a government they can trust. There was no large cry for religious, economic or cultural change. Although each has its impact on the overall circumstances, the largest item of want is good governance.

On a smaller scale we can equate the family environment to a country. If the children are brought up in an environment that is violent and unstable, chances are the children will carry on that culture of violent instability. This is one of the root causes for many of the violent societies such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Each society that has collapsed, has taken its very own unique path. Even though the broad scope of peace and conflict theory can make sense of these collapses and how to rebuild society, the family network will always provide a challenge. This is why the singular person is so important to global peace. The governance style of the home will be imprinted on the children, as will economics, culture and religion.

The larger area of governance is also one of how a person governs their own situations. Furthermore, how you treat others is a strong indicator of the society you are building. The web of responsibility is a large and it can be an overwhelming reality. For me that responsibility is taken with great enjoyment and pride.  I hope that in the end my efforts will ensure a world that is peaceful.

Tormented mind

No matter the situation of conflict I deal with or study there is always the same question, Why do people act in such ways? Having almost twenty years of experience in conflict resolution and peace the answer to why is always being sought for.

Each person has a unique view of the world because no one else can see the world as they do. For a society to remain peaceful there has to be a common vision. This vision is a constant struggle. Even in a personal relationship, such as a married couple a common vision is needed. This vision can not be faked or manipulated either. If such a situation arises where there is no common vision, tension and frustration will grow.

The tension and frustration of a loss of common vision is clearly seen in every conflict. Even in a peaceful country the struggle for a common vision is fought for during elections. The very reason for an election is to decide which vision the people best agree with. At the moment there are a number of countries that have to discuss how to decide to make choices of visions. Libya and Egypt are two that have been rebuilding society, constitutions and rules of process. Greece is another country that has a major discussion of how to proceed. In truth the entire world has an ongoing discussion of how and where to proceed.

Even though each one has to make their own decision there will always be outside influences. These influences often provide information and/or propaganda. Today the amount of information has been increasing rapidly. This change has given us more information than ever before. What has not changed is the reality.

The conflicts we have are similar to conflicts that have taken place thousands of years ago. Even though we have been developing in many ways, we have not progressed too far in our methods of resolving conflict.  What is our common vision for dealing with conflicts?

Everyone I discuss this topic with wishes to see a peaceful method. As the discussion progresses there are situations where violence is a difficult choice not to take. These situations are similar to what is going on in Syria or if there is gang violence in your neighbourhood. This is where the mind gets tormented.

Violence is ever present, however if you have the confidence and intelligence to abate violence it can be done.  I know it is possible because I have been in such situations and have ensured the safety of others without one moment of harmful violence.

Peace is political

South Sudan is now its own country. Although there is a line on a map, we are running the risk of creating another Western Sahara situation. The borders must be set and agreed to as soon as possible. On top of that issue there are the lawless areas of the countries, tribal clashes, reintegration/education programs and the economy of course.

The grand ideology of peace is easy to understand. The experiences, practices and dedication to be peaceful obviously offers challenges.  Many of the violent conflicts are completely avoidable yet the will to actually prevent such events is just not there. This is so frustrating for many reasons which everyone can point out.  What will it take to change that behaviour?

The number of frustrations has no limit. The entire society/country has a loose grip on a reality/culture without war. At the moment there are a vast amount of aid programs, some have been available for decades. However, chaos still exists.

Chaos is solved with understanding, order and with a good balance of predictability. The base root of change is education and action. As people evolve through the chaos of war there is a transition of physical and mental reality. The violence of war may diminish yet the distrust and knowledge of insecurity lingers for years. That protracted insecurity which is manifested in corruption of society and individual, needs education and action to change.

Programmes such reintegration (DDR) of former combatants is one that I have spent a great deal of time with. In Sudan these programmes have not been very well explained to the people.  “No one was familiar with the term DDR as referring to a process of transitioning from military to sustainable civilian life.”[1] This is a strong indication of a fundamental breakdown in peacebuilding within Sudan.

There are so many levels of focus a person can take with most conflicts, international, regional, national, community, tribal, religious and individual. The old saying “the fish rots from the head down” is very popular. Staying true to that saying results in focusing on the leaders/governments. This focus really puts an emphasis on how leaders are chosen, in other words politics.

The sad reality is that there is a large amount of distrust within the most senior levels of leadership as well. The most powerful group is the Permanent Five members of the United Nations Security Council and it has been East against West from the outset. This divide has impacted every conflict the United Nations is tasked with solving.

Starting with the head of the fish, we must choose leaders that actually have the will to solve war not prolong or instigate.

[1] Small Arms Survey. Human Security Baseline Assessment. Sudan Issue Brief #17 May 2011. Pg., 6.

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Garbage Leadership

The situation in Syria is one that was completely avoidable. However we have to put up with the lying sacks of garbage coming out. The lies are so gross that it is difficult to read/trust anything in mainstream media.

The information was clear from the outset that the Western powers did everything to ensure the violence escalated. All the while the Western powers blamed the Eastern powers for the escalation. Here in the West, the mass media has lapped up the rhetoric of the Western governing powers. That alone is heartbreaking, but not all that shocking.

The truth of the situation is that the Western powers put forth resolutions at the United Nations Security Council knowing it would never pass. Due to that, they are just as liable as the Eastern powers for what is transpiring today in Syria. Another truth is that the Western powers have been supplying training for rebel soldiers and communication equipment. Such support may not be weapons and bullets yet the impact remains the same, more death and bloodshed.

As the situation spirals into civil war, we may have to let it go. The momentum is of such force towards a completely failed state that I do not see any force on the horizon to stop it. This war will go on for the next two to five years at least. As for the regional stability, who knows? The situation is terrible to say the least. All because the world leaders could/have not stopped pointing fingers at each other.

All that is left are hopes and dreams for a miracle.

Systems of resolving conflict

The past two days I have been engaged in talks about process and systems to deal with conflict. Oddly enough the discussions were heated as some people were very rigid in their thought. There was a balance point that hinged upon consent of the people. The consent is an agreement between the parties as to the method of conflict resolution.

On the surface it is easy to agree that the people are the ones to choose the style of conflict resolution. Now this meeting was focused on issues in a Canadian urban setting. However, I had to point out that a few hundred years ago shooting each other was legal in Canada. I was quickly informed that such things do not occur anymore. In response I noted the fifteen murders that prove otherwise. Also I pointed out that our federal government has given tacit support for leadership change of the Syrian government.

The argument over process has been around for as long as people have gathered in communities. There are many governing systems, electoral systems, conflict theories and management styles. Within each of these is the common goal of peaceful coexistence. Even all out war has the grand goal of peace. Other commonalities rest in the reality of the aftermath of war.

Trust, respect, open communication and an open mind is essential for each of us to live peacefully. These commonalities embrace most procedures that frame a conflict resolution discussion. Even within the personal realm of inner conflict we must have these commonalities for our own self esteem. Without those components life can be stagnant, which will evolve into a sense of being trapped or not in control.

Being in control is the essence of peace. In the wider sense of society, consent and legitimacy are hallmarks of sound government. Who is the legitimate leader in Libya or Egypt? Who are the legitimate parties involved in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, etc…  In each of these countries legitimate governing powers have been questioned and consent of the people has been eroded if not completely withdrawn. In this circumstance we can become embroiled in violent conflict due to the breakdown.  

In order to evolve we must change. Society will not change unless individuals are able and willing to change. The individual must be open to new thought and new processes. Being self aware is vital to societal peace, this is the crux of the single person impacting international peace. For many of us we tend to use a single process/style of conflict resolution throughout our lives, although we may be aware of many others.

Dealing with conflict takes a flexible mind. As events unfold, the mind will process information using what it knows. Sometimes all it takes is a different view point, like turning the scrabble board or chess board.

Being peaceful

What does it mean to be at peace? Perfect peace is perfect balance. To put a number to that , it means nothing, zero, which is perfect balance. Alas perfection is a dream for most of us, including me.

Each one of us has a dream. No matter what you do to earn a living, you are supporting each others dream. You can counter that understanding because that is your own choice. However, if you believe in that you will see the vast potential of a support network. Life takes on a new vibrancy when you feel the reality that everyone is there to help.

If you do not believe that reality, every moment is a struggle. You have to fight each other because you believe you must. The only reason to fight rests in the fact that you believe you must. 

Many people view peace as being obtained through sacrifice and difficult work. Such a mentality can have negative connotations. Negative ideology in the mind has come to be understood as bad. However when peace is truly in the mind good, bad, right, wrong are indicators of your own personal directions.

The knowledge of right, wrong, good or bad are there to inform you of patterns/methods of understanding. Being at peace does not mean you will no longer feel anger, frustration or confusion. However it does mean that you will be more at ease with those emotions. You will develop different patterns of venting such thoughts and emotions in a more balanced manner.

One of the toughest parts I have found is that there is a constant need to be mindful of others emotions plus your own. Being peaceful means knowing the consequences of actions and weighing the impact against the overall goal of peace. There are times when others actions are so selfish that an entire relationship or society is harmed, even though what was said or done had justification.

Managing your speech and actions are skills that take a great deal of energy to do. The popular term is being diplomatic. Being a peaceful person takes great skill and energy, mostly due to the managing of emotions and desires to trade “shots” with someone that has caused you harm. In such situations it is very difficult but when everything is understood, rarely has those moments of trading shots ever improved or helped solve anything. The immediate gratification is quite irresistible but the overall impact is more harmful. Thus, such actions will only prolong the unwanted conflict.

As you become embroiled in such conflicts, often the battle is so brutal that you can lose sight of the overall goal. The immediate goal of ending the conflict soon escalates into annihilation of your opponent. Due to the violent conflict there develops a wider impact on society. These impacts can take more resources and energy to resolve than the original conflict.

For example the destruction of entire towns, child soldiers, lost economies, racism and many other factors will take generations to heal. Even in our personal lives there are situations where a great deal of hatred can be carried towards others for entire life times. Carrying such hatred will destroy you. We have Palestine and Israel as an example on the international scale.

It takes time and energy to be peaceful with others. I have not even mentioned inner peace.

Lost and too apathetic to find a way out

Knowing where you are is vital to knowing where you are going. That simple phrase is as important with directions to a location as it is with matters of the heart. Sometimes you have no idea where to go but you have an idea or wish about how that destination feels. For the most part the articles I write deal with the destination of peace in all its definitions.

I believe very much that society will not be at peace if the individual is not at peace. The chaotic portion of that reality rests with the fact that everyone will have a different vision of what peace is. That vision of peace will change as a person ages as well. Due to all those changing and differing opinions of peace, it is a difficult task to have a common goal or vision of peace on a societal level.

Within Syria, the cycle of violence has been spinning for months now. Neither side can be trusted nor can the “outside leaders”. Both the leaders within Syria and the leaders outside of Syria have only managed to ensure the collapse of society. No one has a clear idea of what they are doing. Furthermore, none of them are even listening or seeking ways to resolve the situation. Well in reality the one method to solve the situation that is being used is to kill as many as quickly as possible.

Even more frustrating is the constant attacks heaped upon the United Nations, as every nation in the world has worked to ensure its failure. At the moment there is no clear vision other than the ceasefire agreement. No one has even bothered to support that plan with any real effort. Honestly, what are a handful of Monitors going to do? The leaders of the world have no courage to resolve anything yet feel completely justified in blaming the United Nations for a failure that is clearly the fault of those that have their hands in this event. All we are getting is constant finger pointing as to who is responsible for the worsening situation when the answer only takes a mirror to solve.

What needs to be done? We need a strong leader that can work the back channels to end the rhetoric, save the face of all the leaders involved and finally get the ceasefire agreement in place. The level of frustration is so great that I truly understand the insanity of why Nobel felt the best path to peace was to build the largest weapon. I understand the insanity of how nuclear weapons can bring peace. The philosophy of fear is understandable. However, that method has rarely worked, if ever.

I am tired of dealing with such inept leadership. We are okay with prolonging the slow death of society as we bicker about who to blame. Yet we are not okay with strongly enforcing sovereignty laws, securing borders, almost completely banning weapons for conflict zones and upholding the most basic foundations of a free society.

I have written the plan for peace many times and at this point all we can do is wait until enough people are killed before that plan will be implemented. The sad part is no one knows how many deaths are enough. We are without leadership here when leadership is most needed. The society is lost, the individual has no idea of a future nor any rational cause to even believe in a future outside of a month or so.  

With the Syria situation, we know where we have been, we know where we are yet no one wants to do what is needed to get to where we have to go.