Participants at a Commonwealth roundtable on reconcilation from 1 to 3 May share their thoughts on garnering lasting peace after conflict
Reconciliation is possible because it is possible in Rwanda
Dr Jean Baptiste Habyalimana, Executive Secretary of National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, Rwanda
The most important thing to share with Commonwealth countries is the lesson that genocide comes from conflict and it can happen. The conflict in Rwanda between different groups lasted for more than 30 years so nobody should feel that genocide cannot happen to them.
The second lesson is that it is possible to rebuild a country, it is possible to rebuild society and reconciliation is possible because it is possible in Rwanda. I think meetings such as this are very important because we learn from each other. We have to work together to fight conflict and to prevent genocide. Never again should genocide happen anywhere in the world.
The importance of practical and well supported reparations programmes
Obi Buya-Kamara, Director of Reparations, Government of Sierra Leone
One of the lessons learned is that we are all victims but not all victims are equal so you need to first of all categorise them like we have done. We have just selected five categories to provide them with reparations.
The other lesson learned is that you should not be too ambiguous in deciding on reparation packages because while reparation is the responsibility of the government you are competing for scarce resources so it becomes difficult to fund it.
It is also very important to woo the international community so that the support can be there because the victims need reparation packages so that they can all carry on with their lives. Imagine someone who was a farmer before the war and now their limbs are all hacked off, they can’t farm anymore. Now how are they going to continue with their life? They have lost their dignity and that needs to be restored in some way.
Post-conflict reconciliation takes time and consultation
Dr William Dee Wee, Chief Operations Officer, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, South Africa
I think the most important point for one to remember is that reconciliation is not a one off event. It is a very long process and it involves a multiplicity of issues. What we have learned in South Africa is that even though the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) started around 1995, implementing the recommendations takes a long time simply because of consultation issues and bureaucratic issues.
We have also learned that it is important to consult broadly, including with civil society, but civil society must also accept that it is the responsibility of the government to lead because the government, in the final analysis, is accountable to parliament in particular, and to the nation as a whole.
If we don’t look at some of the root causes of the issues, they will continue
Michael Doherty, Executive Director, Peace and Reconciliation Group, Northern Ireland
One of the lessons I have learned about people’s expectations is that people think once you sign an agreement the work is over, but I believe once you sign an agreement the work is just beginning. It takes a lot longer than people think.
When you create an agreement that is creatively ambiguous people read it differently so their expectations are different. There is a view that you have to be creatively ambiguous to get over a hurdle but that creates another problem, which takes longer to get over.
The lesson that I have learned is that if you do not deal with the core issues that divide people then there is the possibility that you can slide back into violence again and that is something that I have also picked up from being at this meeting. If we don’t look at some of the root causes of the issues, they will continue.
Striking the balance between strengthening the state and reaching out to different groups in the society
Sharanjeet Parmar, former Head of Office, Democratic Republic of the Congo, International Centre for Transitional Justice, and international human rights lawyer
Periods of transition are often very unstable and it is easy for state actors to want to consolidate the strength and reach of the state. That is an incredible challenge because at the same time you want to foster and build an inclusive society. These two goals are not exclusive, it just requires being extremely creative and making sure that whatever reforms you are embarking on as a state actor that you do it in a participatory manner that is very inclusive: that includes the civilian members of the society, reaching out to the opposition, reaching out to armed actors who as a state actor you would never have thought to reach out to.
However in the aftermath of violence, it is important to understand why people participated in hostility and what happened to them as a result, and to use that knowledge in a constructive way.
