Post-war reconstruction in Central America: Lessons from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua Patricia Ardon Translated and adapted by Deborah Eade An Oxfam Working Paper This work was first published in Guatemala City in May 1998, on behalf of Oxfam GB, as Lapazy los conflictos en Centroamerica, © CIDECA (Consejo de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo de Centroamerica). English text first published by Oxfam GB in 1999 Reprinted by Oxfam GB in 1999 © Oxfam GB 1999 ISBN 0 85598 405 8 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. 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This book converted to digital file in 2010 Contents Acknowledgements 4 Preface 5 Introduction 6 Chapter One: The importance of analysing conflicts and peace-building processes 8 Chapter Two: The peace negotiation processes in Central America 15 Nicaragua 18 El Salvador 27 Guatemala 36 Chapter Three: International NGOs in Central America 48 Chapter Four: Conflicts and peace in Central America — some reflections 60 Appendix 1 70 Appendix 2 72 Notes 75 Select bibliography 75 Acknowledgements I learned a great deal during my years with Mexico and Central America regional team, for Oxfam GB, and had many remarkable the patience and support they gave me in experiences. I hope also to have made my own preparing this paper. contribution. I was privileged to know some This work is dedicated to all those who lived extraordinary people; not only did we share through the conflicts in Mexico and Central many things, we also suffered and laughed America, and who still hope for a better future; together even in the midst of situations that and especially to those who shared with me their were often difficult and dangerous. But above sufferings and their joys. And to Patricia Miller, all, as someone who was and remains part of the Adolfo Herrera, Luisa Maria Rivera, Martha process of change for the people of Central Thompson, Pauline Martin, Deborah Eade, America, I have had the chance to learn. My Morna MacLeod, and Guadalupe Salinas: for thanks to Oxfam GB, and particularly to the everything we experienced together. Preface This study originated as a proposal to reflect on without reason, given how seldom it is of any the experience of Oxfam GB ' in Central practical use). Thus I did not fully appreciate America during the 1980s, both to contribute to that the problem was not just one of time, but its 'institutional memory' of working in situations also one of having a sound research of armed conflict, and to trace the relationship methodology. It was also clear that it was not between its previous and current work in the feasible to produce something that would be of region. Oxfam's wider interest coincided with equal use to all the interested parties, for even if that of its Central American counterparts2 in we share a common purpose, our agendas, reaching a deeper understanding of conflict- priorities, and dynamics are all very different. resolution as a basis for their own work. This led As a result, this study draws on various to the idea of analysing the formal peace- different concerns, not all of which have an negotiation processes in the region and seeing obvious connection with each other. I trust, how civil-society organisations (CSOs) had nevertheless, that it serves as a basis upon which participated in them, particularly in Guatemala, to reflect more deeply on issues relating to El Salvador and Nicaragua. humanitarian endeavour in situations of armed During the course of undertaking this study, conflict, such as conflict-resolution, partic- I conducted more than 40 interviews with ipation, international co-operation and forms of members of NGOs, popular organisations:i, intervention, and the dilemmas associated with churches, grassroots organisations, women's the transition from war to peace. All these are groups, and ex-combatants. Sadly, much of this central to the work of Oxfam as well as to that of rich material was lost in a burglary. Therefore the organisations it supports around the world. the study draws heavily on other documents, as More importantly, these issues directly affect the well as on my own notes and recollections, and lives of the poor majority in Central America. on the limited amount of bibliographic research But the reality I present is itself part of a that I was able to conduct. history that is in so many ways still fragmented; It soon became obvious, however, that the both at a personal and at an institutional level, terms of reference were too wide and the study since so much experience remains locked in the proposal over-ambitious. In addition, having memories of those with whom we worked long been compelled to respond to events in during the 1980s. Let us hope that one day, Central America, 1 had rather under-estimated there will be a chance to bring together all these the value of 'academic' work (not entirely fragments within one institutional memory. Introduction Today, conflict and conflict-resolution have But with globalisation, those who are already become 'buzz words' — not only among marginalised will become even less visible, and international agencies, but also among the local have even less access to the resources that they and regional actors who are now facing serious need. In other words, what is taking place is the challenges on the difficult road towards very opposite of what experience tells us needs to transition. Transition to what, of course, remains happen. Unless, perhaps, this trend makes sense to be seen. One hopes that it will be a transition to those who are willing to let the weakest go to the towards societies that are just, in which people wall? Or, rather, who want to 'stabilise' the trend, are free to think and to make a real contribution given that without the 'small' people, the big ones towards building a new future, unhindered by cannot survive? If stability and the absence of war empty stomachs, by constraints on our right to have become a mechanism by which the world's participate, by repression, or by injustice. On the poor are reduced to becoming the slaves of the one hand, it is fascinating to see the way in which rich few, then we non-government organisations a growing number of people and organisations (NGOs) must ask ourselves very seriously what are internalising these issues, and finding ways to our role is: are we working to change the situation interpret and practise them in their lives and of people living in poverty and suffering as a result their work. On the other, I fear that we may be of conflict - or are we merely alleviating the worst preoccupied with the topic of conflict-resolution of their pain without addressing its causes? We for the wrong reasons — to demonstrate that we must therefore ask ourselves why, and how, we are not mired in the past, that we are capable of should help to resolve conflicts. putting forward realistic proposals, that we are not armchair radicals but know what we are International co-operation played an talking about. Most importantly, we talk the important part in supporting Central American language of conflict resolution in order to show NGOs, popular organisations, and grassroots that we know what we want to say in relation to groups, both during the wars and during the international co-operation.