Pursuing Just Peace: an Overview and Case Studies for Faith-Based Peacebuilders
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Pursuing Just Peace: An Overview and Case Studies for Faith-Based Peacebuilders Edited by Mark M. Rogers, Tom Bamat and Julie Ideh www.crs.org Pursuing Just Peace: � An Overview and Case Studies for Faith-Based Peacebuilders � Edited by Mark M. Rogers, Tom Bamat and Julie Ideh Since 1943, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has held the privilege of serving the poor and disadvantaged overseas. Without regard to race, creed or nationality, CRS provides emergency relief in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. Through development projects in fields such as education, peace and justice, agriculture, microfinance, health and HIV & AIDS, CRS works to uphold human dignity and promote bet ter standards of living. CRS also works throughout the United States to expand the knowledge and action of Catholics and others interested in issues of international peace and justice. Our programs and resources respond to the U.S. Bishops’ call to live in solidarity-as one human family-across borders, over oceans, and through differences in language, culture and economic condition. Published in 2008 by: Catholic Relief Services 228 W. Lexington Street Baltimore, MD 21201-3413 USA Edited by: Mark M. Rogers, Tom Bamat and Julie Ideh Graphic Design by: Valerie Sheckler, Sheckler Design Cover art: The ri-PeopleT Mural, Mindanao, The Philippines, Norberto Monterona (2000) © 2008 Catholic Relief Services. All rights reserved. Any ‘fair use’ under U.S. copyright law should contain appropriate citation and attribution to Catholic Relief Services. CRS Peacebuilding Principles � PeaCebuilding: • Responds to the root causes of violent conflict, including unjust relationships and structures, in addition to addressing its effects and symptoms. • Is based on long-term commitment. • Uses a comprehensive approach that focuses on the local community while strategi cally engaging the middle-range and top levels of leadership. • Provides a methodology to achieve right relationships that should be integrated into all programming. • Builds upon indigenous non-violent approaches to conflict transformation and rec onciliation. • Requires an in-depth and participatory analysis. • Is driven by community-defined needs and involves as many stakeholders as possible. • Is done through partners from the local Church and other organizations who repre sent the diversity of where we work and with whom we share common values. • Strategically includes advocacy at local, national, and global levels to transform unjust structures and systems. • Strengthens and contributes to a vibrant civil society that promotes peace. Table of Contents � acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................1 � introduction ..............................................................................................................................................................3 an introductory Overview to Faith-based Peacebuilding by david Steele ..................................................5 � Case Studies on education and Capacity building ..........................................................................................43 Rwanda: Church Action in Promoting a Culture of Peace .............................................................................................45 � Togo: Catholic Church Contributions to Overcoming the Socio-political Crisis ......................................................59 � Colombia: School for Peace and Coexistence in the Archdiocese of Manizales ......................................................71 � a Case Study on networking against gender based Violence .....................................................................83 � albania and bosnia-Herzegovina: Church Action on the Trafficking of Women and Girls .............................85 � Case Studies on ecumenical and inter-religious Collaboration ....................................................................99 � india: Ecumenism in Violent Conflict: The Joint Peace Mission Team ...................................................................... 101 � The Philippines: The Mindanao Bishops-Ulama Conference ..................................................................................... 117 � uganda: Alliances for Peace: the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative ........................................................... 133 � Synthesis: gleanings on Process-Structures — Currents, gravity, Streams and leverage ...................145 Contributors ..........................................................................................................................................................155 � list of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................157 � Acknowledgements acknowledgements � This publication is the result of the efforts of many people. The editors would like first to recognize and thank all of the church partners and CRS staff, as well as others who have committed themselves to working for a just peace in the contexts explored herein. Their efforts and daily struggles are invaluable in their own right, and are the principal source of our learning and inspiration. Without them this publication would not be possible. We acknowledge next the fine work of consultant David Steele, who prepared our introductory overview. In addition to sharing his considerable personal expertise, David was most gracious in working with all who offered inputs on early drafts. Critical to the task of collecting case studies from the regions around the CRS world was the CRS Peace- building Technical Commission, comprised of Senior and Regional Technical Advisors for Peacebuilding. This group developed the key learning questions and criteria for identifying the most appropriate examples of church action across the regions. CRS country program staff then carried the torch to organize writers, interviews and logistics; including careful review and final validation to ensure that the cases were submit ted and crafted in a timely and accurate manner. We salute all of the CRS staff and partners engaged in this process, for their input on substance and their attention to deadlines. The efforts, of course, were facilitated by CRS’ Deputy Director for Technical Excellence, and by the Country Representatives and Regional Direc tors who provided support and direction throughout the process. We are grateful to the original drafters of the case studies for taking on this collection of perspectives and history, and presenting the ideas as closely as possible to the case study guidelines. We also wish to thank all the individuals who were available for interviews. They not only helped to tell a story but also offered insights into the learning process. Special thanks are in order to Reina Neufeldt for her careful review of each case study and her percep tive suggestions for the final gleanings, and to Fr. Michael Perry, O.F.M., who willingly read and provided insights on nearly every piece of this volume. Finally, for the proofreading and design of the publication, we raise our grateful glasses to Leslie Blanton and Ashley Rytter of the M&E and Learning Group, CRS Program Quality and Support. 1 Introduction introduction In the eyes of many commentators, diplomats and ordinary citizens alike, religion appears to drive violence more than prevent or help overcome it. Indeed, from Northern Ireland to the Balkans, from North America to the Middle East, from Iraq to South Asia and across much of Africa, people have claimed and continue to claim religious legitimacy for violent acts against others. They are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Bud dhists and others. But as experience has shown us, and as historian Scott Appleby argues persuasively in The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconciliation, religion is also a potent resource and force for non-violent conflict transformation, and it has great potential for contributing to a more peaceful world. Catholic Relief Services (CRS), founded for humanitarian assistance in the midst of World War II, is one of many international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have added peacebuilding to their programming in the past twenty years (see Jonathan Goodhand, Aiding Peace? The Role of NGOs in Armed Conflict). For CRS, it was the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in particular that engendered a hard look at its prior vision and self-understanding. The ensuing evolution into peacebuilding has not only been a response to critical human realities or emerging opportunities, but also a response rooted in staff and partner reflec tion on Christian vocation, and assumed in the light of Catholic social teaching (CST). Justice and peace- building have become agency-wide priorities for CRS. Its staff and partner organizations around the world have gained practical experience over the past decade and more from which to speak about the power and potential of peacebuilding. In 2006 CRS prepared and adopted a new justice and peacebuilding strategy. The strategy has much in common with that of the worldwide Caritas Internationalis network of which CRS is a part. It also draws on several years of close collaboration with the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The strategy centers on promoting equity and social cohesion to address the root causes of conflict, and fostering