Submission to the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HEREM KAM: STORI BLONG MIFALA OLKETA MERE Women’s Submission to the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission REQUEST MUTUAL ION; SUPPOR AT ED FOR T TSUNAMI LL E IONAL THROUGH ERMING-WI INTERNAT 2007 IN DET NCE SHAR DO NTION WANTOK GAR STRON LIE MON INTERVE USE OF DENIN TEAC CHOISEUL ESI COM ES RK: G C FE R LITI MEN’S WO MOTHERLY HIL H SHORTLANDS DWI FACI , NE WHO ARD MI DDLE CANOE APPROACH TWO REN WESTERN KILLS S PA TER POSITIVEDE S BIE LD SHEL RKING OUT OF STRENGTH & SURVIVAL TAKE TITU BA BUI SCHOOL E E OF AT WHEN IN VIOLATIONS & IMPACTS CAR RN ADITIONAL SEEDS OF PEACE Y’S BO SH TR ICINE PEOPLE FAMIL BU MED MISTR KING DISPLACE UST SH COO ITE & FOOD SEXUAL D & FEAR OF FOR EL WH & FAMILI TE EN ABUSE ES TALK NEIGH WHO P R FLAG WH ING SEPARA ING TO EOPLE ; LLING & ASSAULT TED EACH OT BOU RA TATION AVE SHOOT HE RS ADAP TR HER EACH OTLP N CK TO IN CANOE I USE OF LIE TO GO BA RAPE NTE HE LO R-ETH R RESOU CAL PROTECT TRADITIONALS NO MARR NI HER PRACTICE SING BURIED IMPACTS IAGE C & S RCE OT GANI ALIVE DOM S KIL H MEN & FOODS OR N’S T FREE S HOUSEEAD OF WO ME LS LEAD, PROV MEN WO PS MEN TO MOVE & OU S HOLD, GR ASS AT NO GAR EXODUS ER, NO LA DO ST BU HAR HRE MURD INSECURITY SP DE & OR W VIOL ME RUN RA DG & T TY H AC N STIC TEG ET ID ER DEAT & SLEEPLESS DISPLAE FO DON’T TRDER, EN TO TO B E R R CE GE Y: BARTE M ITED PROP SS NIGHTS CE POLICE US TH USH UN URE IONS LO PEOPLE D T SYSTE & NO DOCTORS ER D LP EACH CE DISAPEARANCE HE TORT AT PROSTITUTION NU REVIVE HER EN OF NO WO GTHENED LOVE OT S HE ; RSE R & PHYSICAL LATIVE E AL NO INF FA UN SMAL STREN FO VIOL VIOL RE DUC TH, TELE LS HOUS D BU ATION CO PHON OR E VICTI DE IN SI ALL NO SERVICES MMUN MA D, ITIA NE L ES LI TION ED ING EEDOM IC , ES FORCE MS TIVE SS D STEAL FR SHAME & CU ATION , MA S NO ANCE CE HEFT OF T RR S PT D GE S & T FRUSTRATION C IA ARSON PRESSION AB HIL GE TIVE EX NO FOOD D BURNINGLLA ACCE A SHORT US TION & OF DISPLA E OF VI REL DIVORCE ; ALIA AG (I RAGE T - OF E CASES NDU SO PR TO RE FOOD ADITIONAL T COU PR TE GR AY TR ENTITY;KIR D UP NSIONED TO R ME ER ID Y AN S NO OM TE AT E: TRAU N EG EN & O SS S ST ANT IR REL AG MA NSIO NANC FA UP LIT FA TION ESPECT ECONOM THE TE APE) E IT GRA MI FREED SA NGU DISR STRESS IN H UN LA NO SALA ’S ROLE Y FOR SAFET ING OF CHOICE EN “01, 02” CR MEN MP ISIS WO WO Y L NO JOBS IC FORCE SHOOT AT TA CO : IN PA TO JOI MEN RS RIE WH FO SS MI BR EN RY MAN & TO SPLIT HOSPI DS S, RM ING D AI ILLEGALLOP OTE KE HU D AR ER ANTS NW LO E PEOPLAT N ET MOU TA TY SHIEL S E AS AR IE HI IO HA HNI RSONALER N Y HE ACCUSESP I DI TR WOMEN’S ROLE IN PE N C D, COUNSELLING SERVICES, E ED E AS T NG E Q FU PROP O PEACEBUILDING L PE L A U E D P HID EL CARITAS, TRAINING SS OF L TE C O A E.G., SA VE R RP KE A ING AG D K L NSION LO O ES E PEOPL B IN I ET LO E TH V & AID TA R T O PE T G WIVES OF O Y ANT ON T RA E WRON F L U L E R A L I TORS PEACE B YI R R N PETR I I T ADV NO T N NG C E HIN P R D D S E C T US ESS, S DEMONSTRATION E S O S AT G G M PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL - I TR EL C G O A D I OR E N PLES S N N REHABILITATION R I Y I S HOP T O A - L U I HEL L G N O C E A E E N T M U M S O O Q A E V PERPETRATORS - ACTORS OF TENSION T E K F N O MARKETING & INCOME I N WORKIN T G ON T T N MEF GRA/IFM/I BLACK SHARKS N E R O G B PASTORAL CARE: A S M GENERATION N JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS Y PROVINCIAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT RECONCILIATION WOMEN ARE D B R O S G Y E I FORT T , CARE & COM E BUSINE UNEMPLOYED YOUTH PRAY W O D I N MORE CREATIVE C O V I R A INT FORCE W E N V O T O R A R B I O RESTORING N NEIGHBOU SONS & HUSBANDS H L E N S M V A PEOPLE CARRYING GUNS RELATIONSHIPS E A & N L D N L E E L U CIVILLIANS & OPPORTUNISTS RIGHTS EDUCATION Y L Y E M T A E E WORKING O N A WOMEN FOR PEACE PL N O S D BOUGANVILLE ARMY & AWARENESS EM O W D B ER OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR JUSTICE LE UN M D Y S EOP F I G BA NG P O S OV D P TO FEED MILITANTS YOU S N L P E OLI AREA O A U RN TICAL WOMEN SPEAK OUT AL SI G C TE MENT LEADE & BUILD CONFIDENCE REACHING RUR CLU IN K S GUNS RSH S NOT EX AD OF IP CE GUNS TR TRA NOT BOUG VI WER OF AL NS LIST AIN MORE OPPORTUNITIES ER PO EG PA ENING TO NEE VI WOMEN INVOLVED GRADUAL R S LERS ILL REN DS O LLE C & LOOKING AHEAD ETURN TT CY F TH RISIS NEGOTIATING AS CEASE-FIRE IN SETTING UP TRC SE E P OF SERVICES AL EOP PEACE ADVISORS TALKS EG LE ILL “WE ARE SURVIVORS, NOT VICTIMS.” “DURING THE TENSION, WOMEN PLAYED A ROLE IN MAKING PEACE, “WE SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE CAN DO.” BUT NOW WOMEN ARE FORGOTTEN.” Written by Judith Fangalasuu, Ruth Maetala, Patricia Rodi, Anah Vota, and Elsie Wickham on behalf of Stori Blong Mere Workshop participants. 28 September 2011 Honiara About the Cover Dear Reader, When asked to write this letter, I found it difficult to choose from my many experiences of post-conflict work for the past fifteen years. Therefore, with all due respect to my elders—Dr. The image on the cover is a re-creation of a graphic that was developed collectively by Alice Pollard, Ruth Liloqula, PS Joy Kere, PS Ethel Sigimanu, Martina Ului, Martha Horiwapu, women participants during the national workshop. Representatives from each regional Eunice Mudu, Sisters of the Church, and those unnamed women who worked tirelessly for workshop shared their region’s findings with the group and as they spoke, the burning tree peace—I salute you for being our heroines, our champions of peace. Here is my humble was created. The roots of the tree represent the root causes of the tension according to attempt to share with you the impact the Stori Blong Mere Workshops had on my life. the women participants. The flames represent the violations and the impacts. At times the fire fuelled itself as violations caused impacts, which led to further violations, and so the I want to begin by sharing a childhood memory. Many times as a young child, I lay on my fire got bigger. With increased violations and their impacts, drops of water started to fall mother’s lap listening to mother singing a Gula’ala lullaby (suraikwaikwai, suraialiboko— on the fire. Initially they were the women’s tears, but eventually they gathered in strength warrior parrot, deaf parrot). This poetic song tells of a woman begging her sons to return to become bigger drops of water—modes of survival that drew on women’s determination to life. Desperately she tells of her sons’ disappearance and the woes of truth-seeking. She and innovation—that ultimately put out the fire. From this, seeds started to sprout, seeds sings to the ocean, divulging her empty cradle, and calls frantically for the wind to sympathise of peace, reconciliation, and renewal. The women wish to thank Galuh Wandita, ICTJ, for with her. After a long wait her life returned to normal. Suddenly the lost sons returned to leading them in this activity. their humble beginning guided by a lae (i.e., the Willie wag tail). At the appearance of the lost sons, the distraught mother cried with a surge of joy, thus her lyric that was once of gloom changed to one of empowerment. My experience over the last three months was a maze of interesting events—a rare opportunity through which I learnt by listening to the women’s painful past. The space created by the workshops accommodated faith, tears, laughter, jokes, singing, healing opportunities, and personal stories of bravery. Crying women poured out feelings of frustration, ethnic differences, ethnic allegiance, Christian faith, and determination to participate in decision- making as a key ingredient to women’s advancement and national development.