Ethn icity : A Rich, Diverse World

The Violence and Development Project is a collaboration between the NationalAssociation of Social Workers, the Council on Social Work Education, the Benton Foundation and the US.Agency for International Development.

OFFICE OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS A Rich, ~iverseWorld

ur world is enriched by the Ethnicity and Ethnoviolence of economic resources and political ethnic and cultural diversity of Defined power. the people who inhabit it. Yet Ethnicgroup. Ethnic groups are made up W Repression and neglect of minority few countries are untouched by ethnic of people united by any combination of populations. and racial violence. Despite America's the following: culture, religion, language, H Competition over limited resources. claim to being a true melting pot soci- dialect, geographical origin, traditions, Prejudice and ignorance.* ety, the media is filled with accounts of values and symbols.' Estimates of the intergroup conflict, hate crimes and ran- number of distinct ethnic groups in the Ethnoviolence: A Global Problem dom acts of violence perpetrated on the world range from 575 groups which are Ethnic conflict worldwide is rooted in basis of people's skin color, ethnicity and either current national states or have the relationships in which one group domi- religious affiliation. Meanwhile, ethnic potential to claim that status, to 5,000 nates another based on an ideology of conflict is rife in many other parts of the different ethnic groups based on distinct superiority. The "superior" group seeks world - including the Middle East, lang~ages.~ to preserve its power and privileges Central Asia, Africa and post-communist Elaine Pinderhuges defines ethnicity through violence or the threat of violence Europe -sending a steady stream of im- as: against those perceived as "different" or migrants into the U.S. and other rela- Connectedness based on common- inferi~r.~Ethnoviolence on the personal tively stable countries. alities where specific aspects of cul- level, combined with collusion at the in- Ethnic violence is of particular con- tura1,patterns are shared and where stitutional level, functions as a kind of cern to the social work profession, which transmission over time creates a terr~rism.~Richard Wright, in his auto- has a long history ofworking to promote common history. . . Race, while a biographical novel Bhck Boywrote: "The social justice for oppressed populations. biological term, takes on ethnic things that influenced my conduct as a By working with people from different meaning when and if members of Negro did not have to happen to me di- ethnic groups, professionals in the field that biological group have evolved rectly: I needed but to hear of them to have developed an understanding of the specific ways of living . . . Ethnic feel their full effects in the deepest layers complex relationships between poverty values and practices foster the sur- of my consciousness. Indeed the white and prejudice and each group's role in vival of the group and of individu- brutality that I had not seen was a more interethnic conflict based on their his- als ~ithin.~ effective control of my behavior than that tory of domination or subordination. Ethnoviolence. Ethnoviolence refers which I knew . . ."' In this paper, we will explore some to violence perpetrated primarily on the A history of violence. In the U.S., of the various causes and consequences basis of one's ethnicity. There is no single whites became the dominant group of racial and ethnic conflict around the cause of ethnic violence. Rather, it stems through exploitation and force, begin- world. We will examine the link between from multiple, interrelated factors, in- ning with violence committed against ethnic violence in the U.S. and the glo- cluding: indigenous people by white European bal South. And we will look at how lack Hateful revenge and territorial settlers in the 1600s. For decades, hate- of development opportunities fuels eth- disputes, often based on a history violence was often institutionally orga- nic violence and at how sustainable hu- of dominant and subordinate nized and sanctioned by the government man development can help alleviate this relationships between two groups. and its agents. State violence was com- global problem. W Injustice and unequal distribution mitted not only against Native Arneri- PAGE 2 The Violence and Development Project

he Violence and Development Project, a collabo- I Meeting basic human needs for food, clean water, ration between the National Association of Social shelter, health care and education. TWorkers, the Council on Social Work Education, I Expanding economic opportunities for people, and the Benton Foundation, aims to educate social work especially the poor, to increase their productivity and professionals about the parallel conditions of violence in earning capacity in ways that are environmentally, the U.S. and less economically developed countries. To this economically and socially viable over the long-term. end, the project, with the help of funding fsom the United I Protecting the environment by managing natural States Agency for International Development has prepared resources in ways that take into account the needs a series of six papers focusing on violence as a global affliction of current and future generations. and sustainable human development as a global antidote. .I Promoting democratic participation, especially by poor women and men, in economic and political In this series, we will address the following questions: decisions that &ect their lives. What is the interrelationship between violence and I Encouraging adherence to internationally recognized related problems in the U.S. and less developed human rights standards.* nations? W What do social workers know about these problems, and what is the role of social workers in solving the global problem of violence? What can we learn from past and current interna- tional development efforts of the U.S. government and non-governmental development agencies? This paper provides an overview of the connections be- tween violence and development. The remaining papers in this series will focus on violence in relationship to five sub- themes: substance abuse, women and children, ethnicity, poverty, and trauma.

Key Concepts Sustainable Human Development The term development may be defined as "meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations for a better life." According to this broad definition, development focuses on fostering eco- nomic opportunity, equity, human rights, dignity, democ- racy, peace, and spiritual and emotional well-being.' Social workers will readily understand this concept, for it is what they strive to do everyday in their work with individuals, families, communities and organizations. In this series, however, we will be examining development from Global North/Global South a national and international perspective. The term global North refers to the world's industrialized, Beginning in the late 1980s, a new consensus emerged wealthy countries, while the term global South refers to within the international development community about the world's poor nations. These terms are merely descrip- how to best achieve long-lasting, positive change within tive, as the split between rich and poor nations does not poor countries. The agreed-upon strategy, known as sus- fall along strict geographic lines. tainable human development, is based on these underly- ing principles: CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

PAGE 3 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE from several sources. Among them: social and economic According to per capita gross national product figures systems (deprivation, lack of access, oppression); the state from the World Bank, there are 24 high-income countries, (repression, torture, police brutality or inaction); other states with 15% of the world's people, including the United States, (colonization, war); other groups of people (civil war, eth- Switzerland and Japan. Sixty-three countries, containing nic conflict, discrimination, hate crimes); and individuals 29% of the population make up the middle-income cat- or gangs (homicide, muggings). Violence may be directed egory, which includes the Philippines, Romania, and Iran. against specific groups such as women (rape, domestic vio- The low-income sector, with a total of 45 countries and lence, lack of access to better education or jobs); children 56% of the world's population, includes Guatemala, So- (child abuse, neglect); and ethnic populations (genocide, malia, and Banglade~h.~ hate crimes, discrimination), or against the self (suicide, substance abuse). Violence Among the underlying principles of the Violence and Violence may be broadly defined as an act or situation that Development Project is that long-term solutions to violence harms the health and/or well being of oneself or others. must include permanent changes in structural and institu- Violence includes both direct attacks on a person's physical tional systems that give rise to deprivation and oppression and psychological integrity, and destructive acts that do and create a world of haves and have-nots. not involve a direct relationship between victims and the institution or person responsible for the harm.G NOTES (pp. 3-4) 1. Shuman, M. and Harvey, H. (1993). Securig without war: One of the goals of this project is to expand the com- Apost-cold warforetgnpolicy Boulder, CO:Wesrview Press. mon perception of violence to include such problems as 2. Bread for the world (1995), At the crossroaak The$ture offoreign racism, sexism, poverty, and hunger. These social ills grow aid. Occasional paper. Bread for the World, 1100 Wayne Avenue, out of institutions, governments, and economic structures Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 209 10, 30 1-608-2400. 3. Ibid. that encourage the domination of certain groups of people 4. Interaction (1995)./wt 1% brochure. Interaction, Suite 801, over other groups, perpetuating unequal access to wealth 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. 202- and other resources. Inequities, which may be based on 667-8227. class, race, gender, or ethnicity, are often enforced through 5. World Bank (1995). WorIdDevelopmentReport 1995. New York: Oxford University Press, Table 1: Basic Indicators, pp. 162-63. the use of violence by police forces, government troops or 6. Bulhan, H.A. (1985). Frantz Fanon amd thepsychology of their proxies, foreign powers, and other forms of sanctioned oppression. New York: Plenum Press. militarism. 7. Van Soest, D. & Bryant, S. (1995).Violence reconceptualized Threats to personal security and social stabiliry come for social work: The urban dilemna. Social Work, 40 (4), pp. 549-557.

PAGE 4 cans, but also captured and enslaved Af- tensive economic and social disparities. an ongoing struggle for control between ricans, African-Americans, and other After independence, systems of inequity the Tutsis and the Hutus. When a plane minority group^.^ continued, fueling ethnic conflict^.'^ crash in April 1994 killed the Hutu presi- Violence based on hate in the U.S. The violence goes on. Around the dents of Rwanda and Burundi, a wave has been both spontaneous and orga- globe, ethnoviolence has reached alarm- of ethnically-based killings was touched nized. Established hate groups have ing proportions. Most civil wars in the off that left 500,000 dead. Subsequently, played an integral role in perpetuating post-Cold War world have been ethnic, more than one million people fled to an environment of fear for minority tribal, or religious in nature. From Serbs Zaire in one week in July 1994. Decades Ameri~ans.~The Ku Klux Klan, one of practicing ethnic cleansing of Muslims of development achievements have been the better known organized hate groups, to mass graves being unearthed in Gua- destroyed." has been responsible for some of the most temala and El Salvador to Indonesian Ethnoviolence obstructs develop- brutal violence in American history. troops firing on unarmed protesters in ment. Ethnic conflict generates multiple Between 1889 and 1941, 381 1 black East Timor to police brutality in Los costs to society. Among them: people were lynched in the United States Angeles, hate violence remains a global Denial of fundamental human by the Klan.lo problem.I3As of 1992, twenty-nine wars rights and freedoms. In recent years, hate crimes in the between ethnic groups raged in the Breakdown of political order. U.S. have been on the rise. Klan mem- world. From these conflicts alone, Displacement of thousands of bers have developed ties with a number 3351,000 people have been killed, most people, mainly women and of other hate groups, such as Holocaust of them civilians.14 children, who are forced to flee denial groups, the neo-Nazi skinhead their homes. movement and the Aryan Nation. The Ethnoviolence and Development: Depletion of environmental movement as a whole has become more Making the Connection resources, reducing the land's sophisticated in it's organizing tech- Militarism @E ethnoviolence and im- ability to produce crops and niques. A survey of state and municipal pedes development. While the causes of sustain people. law enforcement agencies reported a ethnic conflict are usually domestic or Destruction of roads, bridges, food 19.3% rise in the number of bias crime regional disputes, escalation into armed supplies and other basic infrastruc- cases during 1992. Today only 25,000 confrontation is often made possible ture. Americans are hardcore ideological ac- when a wealthier nation provides weap- W Interruption of economic develop- tivists for the white supremist movement, ons or the financial means to purchase ment and individuals' efforts to however there are approximately 200,000 them.15 During the Cold War, both the provide for themselves and their people who subscribe to racist publica- US and the Soviet Union provided mili- families.lB tions, attend marches and rallies and tary assistance to opposite sides in con- Sudan is one example of a country donate money to the cause. There are 150 flicts in the global South. These former where interethnic war has had a devas- independent racist radio and tv shows superpowers had a hand in driving vio- tating effect on human and societal de- airing weekly, reaching millions of sym- lent ethnic conflicts in Sudan, Somalia, velopment. In 1984, after years of state- pathizers." Angola and Guatemala, for example. sanctioned religious and economic op- Like the U.S., the global South has Today, the U.S. continues to be one of pression, the people in the Southern half a history of hate violence. In many coun- the top producers of weapons and na- of Sudan (composed mostly of Christians tries, colonizing powers played a key role tions of the South are major purchasers.16 and tribal groups) launched a guerilla war in igniting ethnic tensions that still exist In some countries, governments and against the Muslim-dominated Northern today. In Africa, for example, from the militaries have inflamed historic ethnic half of the country, home of the national mid-fifteenth to the mid-twentieth cen- and religious tensions in order to con- government. Largely a subsistence agri- turies, colonizing powers redrew national solidate their power and elite status. In culture society in which people survive boundaries, ignoring, for the most part, Rwanda, for example, tensions between on the food they grow themselves, Sudan well established tribal cultural patterns. the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups have was thrown into famine when war broke People were counted and classified in been systematically heightened by differ- out and people were unable to plant or discrete and bounded groups, thus cre- ent rulers throughout history. German harvest their crops. So far, more than ating new categories of identity to replace and Belgian colonial powers favored the 500,000 people have died in the conflict. the overlapping and multiple cultural Tutsis for their lighter skin and greater Development advances, such as schools, identities that had existed before. Colo- height. At independence in 1962, vio- health clinics and agricultural research nial state policies promoted differential lence took the lives of 100,000 to programs have been destroyed through- treatment of ethnic groups creating ex- 200,000 people. The ensuing years saw out the country." PAGE 5 Lack of development opportunities Unjust development takes other nity, peace and economic security, we lead to etbnoviolence.The U.N. Devel- forms as well. Hoff and Polack (1993) must: opment Program cites lack of income point out that in order to meet interna- Encourage the redistribution of security as one of the main root causes tional demands for debt repayment, land, resources and income to of ethnic violence in many countries.The Southern governments often force peas- reduce the gap between the fact that, today, only one quarter of the ants to abandon their traditional, often wealthy elite and the vast impover- world's people are assured a basic, steady environmentally sound farming practices ished underclass. income helps explain why the planet is - or abandon their land all together - Promote strong, participatory rife with competitive, ethnic ~onflict.~' in order to produce cash crops for ex- democracies, where people are Social and economic inequity often port. The results: disruption of tradi- given ample opportunities to be correlate with racial and ethnic origin, tional ways of life, destruction of local involved in decisions that affect constituting what can be called passive ecosystems, hunger, deprivation, indig- their lives. ethnoviolen~e.~~ nity - all forms of violence. Such con- Promote vibrant civil societies. Consider these statistics: ditions ultimately give rise to political in- Provide constitutional protections In the U.S., the unemployment stability and physical violence.26 for minorities. Such protections rate for African Americans is twice make a pluralistic society possible. that of whites. Sustainable Human Development: The U.S. Supreme Court's enforce- Poverty rates among African- An Antidote to Ethnoviolence ment of the fourteenth constitu- Americans and Hispanic-Ameri- "It is not that peace is merely the tional amendment ensures legal cans are nearly three times those of absence ofwar, combat or conflict; protection for American minori- whites.22 rather, it is the absence of the con- ties. As a result, most civil rights During South Africa's apartheid ditions that give rise to war: intol- movements in the U.S. have regime, if white South Africa had erance, disrespect, arrogance, rigid- fought for pluralism and fairness been a separate country, it would ity-and most of all, indignity and rather than secession and separat- have ranked 24th in the world in hunger. When people's needs and ism. human development. Black South desires are satisfied, we can begin Help nations become self-sufficient Africa would have been placed to talk about building peace." in such basic areas as food, safe 123rd.23 - Rigoberta Menchu, 1992 water, shelter, clothing and health In Guatemala, where Mayan Nobel Peace Prize recipient care. Indians make up the majority of The basic premise of this paper is Foster greater understanding the population, life expectancy for that real solutions to ethnic violence lie among racial and ethnic groups Indian men is 48. For non-Indian in promoting sustainable human devel- and promote the peaceful resolu- males it is 65.24 opment. For the world to be a place tion of conflict^.^' Unjust development can lead to where all peoples can live in safety, dig- etbnoviolence. "Progress" itself can be- come a source of conflict when it serves the interests of wealthier people and ex- cludes traditionally marginalized groups. For example, indigenous people around II Find out how you can become involved in the International Decade of the the world have had their traditional lands Wbrld's Indigenous People, launched in December 1994. Contact: Julian and resources usurped and exploited by Burger, Centre for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva vast logging, mining and petroleum op- 10, Switzerland. Tel: 2 1/22/907/3413. Fax: 4 1/22/9 17/0212, erations in the name of economic devel- Prevent anti-immigration backlash by initiating community-based educa- opment. Their calls for justice have of- tion activities, such as cultural awareness days. ten been violently suppressed. In Nige- Get involved in grassroots organizing, intervention, and advocacy within ria, for instance, the extraction of petro- ethnic communities. leum from the lands of the Ogoni people Advocate for strong democracies thar include and involve all ethnic has made the country among the richest groups, both at home and overseas. in Africa, while the Ogoni continue to Promote peace and social justice in all practice settings through the use of suffer from extreme poverty.25 nonvioIent conflict resolution strategies. Vork to reduce violence and ethnic stereotyping in the media.

PAGE 6 6. Sheffield, C. (1995). Hate-violence. In Rothenberg, PS., Race, class andgender in the United States: An integrated study (p. 439). New York: St. Martin's Press. 7. Wright, R. (1937). Black Boy 8. Weiss, J.C. (1990). Violence motivated by bigotry: Ethnoviolence. In L. Ginsberg et al. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Work, 18th edition (pp.307-319). Washington, D.C.: National Association of Social Workers. Sheffield, C. (1 995). Hate-violence. 9. Sheffield, C. (1995). Hate-violence. 10. Ibid 11. Center for Democratic Renewal (1994). White supremacy in the 90s. PO. Box 50469, Atlanta, GA 30302. 4041221- 0025. 12. Jalali, R. & Lipset, S.M. (1993). Racial and ethnic conflicts: a global perspective. In D. Caraley (Ed.). New worldpolitics: power, ethnicity, and democracy (pp. 5 5- 76). Montpelier, VT: Capital City Press. 13. Shuman, M. & Harvey, H. (1993). Security without war: A post-cold war foreign policy. Boulder, CO: Wes~iew Press. 14. Sivard, R.L. (1991). World military and social expenditures. Washington, D.C.: World Priorities. 15. Deng & Zartman (1991). Conflict resolution in Africa. Cited in Conf2irt and development (l994), Washington, D.C.: The Panos Institute. 16. Hartung, W.D. (1994). And weaponsfir all. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, Inc. 17. Panos Institute (1994). ConPict and development. Strong democratic systems and sus- ENDNOTES Bread for the World Institute (1995). tainable human development can go a 1. Thernstrom, S., Orlov, A., & Handlin, 0. Hunger 1995: Causes of hunger: Baltimore, MD: Communications Graphics. long way towards eliminating sources of (Eds.). (1 980). Harvard encyclopedia of American ethnicgvoups. Cambridge, MA: 18. Panos Institute (1 994). Conflict and conflict. Nonetheless, some groups and Belknap Press of the Hanard University development. nations will inevitably have disagree- Press. 19. Ibid Bread for the World Institute (1995). ments with other groups and nations. 2. Nielsson, G., &Jones, R. (1993). Cited in Gurr, T.R., Minorities at risk: A global view Hunger 1995: Causes of hunger: When conflicts do occur, every attempt of ethnopolihcal conflicts., p. 5. Washing- 20. United Nations Development Programme should be made to resolve them through ton, D.C.: U.S. Institute of Peace. (1994). Human development report 1994. nonviolent means. Nietschmann, B., (1987). The third world New York: Oxford University Press. 21. Dasgupta, S. (1968). Gandhian concept of We can reduce ethnic tensions war. CultzlralSurvival Quartwly, 11 (3), 1- 6. nonviolence and its relevance today to through programs that foster a greater 3. Pinderhughes, E. (1989). Understanding professional social work. The Indian understanding of the different cultures race, ethnicity andpower: New York: The journal of Social Work, 29 (21, 113-122. and life experiences of various ethnic Free Press, MacMillan, Inc. 22. United Nations Development Programme (1 994). Human development report 1994. groups. Whenever possible, ethnic 4. Pacific Northwest NASW Center on Violence, Development and Ethnicity Weiss, J.C. (1990). Violence motivated by groups should be encouraged to discuss (1994). Research brief summary report bigotry: Ethnoviolence. their historic differences-and to forgive submitted to the Violence and Develop- 23. Bread for the World Institute (1995). Hunger 1995: Causes of hunger. (p.75). each other for past mistakes. ment Project. Panos Institute (1994). Conflict md 24. Ibid. development. Washington, D.C.: The 25. Panos Institute (1994). Conflict and Panos Institute. development. 5. McLemore, S.D. (1 994). Racial and ethnic relations in America. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

PAGE 7 26. Hoff, M.D. & Polack, R.J. (1993). Social FURTHER RESOURCES Center on Rights Development dimensions of the environmental crisis: Panos Institute Graduate School of International Studies Challenges for social work. Social Work, 1025 T. Jefferson St., Suite 105 University of Denver 38 (2), 204-211. Washington, D.C. 20007 Denver, CO 80208 27. Shuman, M. & Harvey, H. (1993). 2021965-5177 3031871-2523 or 2313 Security without war: A post-cold war Educational materials about the development International human rights program, focusing foreign policy. process, including social conflict. on Afiica and indigenouspeoples' movements. 28. Not In Our Town. A video produced by We Do The Work production company, U.S. Committee for Refugees Center for Democratic Renewal 5867 Ocean View Drive, Oakland, CA 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 701 PO. Box 50469 9461 8. 5 101547-8484. Washington, DC 20036 Atlanta, GA 30302-0469 1 2021347-3507 4041221-0025 Documents conditions of refigees, asylum seekers A national clearinghousefor information about and persons disphced by violence or persecution. the white supremist movement in the United Presses for humane treatment and human rights States. protection.

EDITOR Jane Cros With special thanks to the Pacif c Northwest NASW Center on Violence, Development and Ethnicity, Dorothy Van Soest and Eileen Kelly. This publication may be copied in part or in full. Please credit the National Association of Social Workers.

This publication was made possible through supportprovided by a Development Education pnt, number the ofice of Private and Valuntary Cooperation, Bzareau for Foodand Humanitarian Assistance, US. Agency for International Development. NationalAssociation ofSocja1 Workers 1995