Written by Aye Brandon Kiven
One of the reasons a conflict would spring up again after it was believed to have been resolved is because the people affected or the affected areas are not given the opportunity to contribute to seeking a genuine solution to the conflict. We keep having authority-imposed solutions; authorities would choose what they believe is the solution to a conflict and impose it on the people. It is not helping us. And it is high time we had a rethink.
In seeking a solution to a conflict, we must consider an approach that at least softens wounded hearts, enhances the spirit of togetherness, that kills hatred, that calms down tension. To achieve this, many people must be given the opportunity to participate in seeking the solution. Many people must be given the opportunity to express themselves; to make proposals that must be taken seriously, and to pour out their misery. There are always people with good ideas that can kill a conflict but they choose to be silent when they are not given the chance and when they think that their proposals would not be taken seriously. The community approach is also good because it sets a good environment for the pursuit of justice – it enhances the spirit of cooperation.
With the community approach, someone is assigned to bring the people in the affected area together to brainstorm on the way forward. This person must carry out this exercise in the spirit of humility and honesty and empathy and open-mindedness. The proposals are then sent to the authorities.
The community approach requires patience. Patience must always be embraced because it is better to spend months or years brainstorming on how best to resolve a conflict than to spend these months or years committing atrocities. Patience must be embraced because more than the expected number of people may want to participate.
The community approach would begin with an address like this one (from the general coordinator):
“We have been wicked to one another and our land. Let us stop it. Now. We must stop doing to others the things we do not want others to do to us. My people, it is time to come together and end this conflict. We cannot continue to do less or fold our arms or be silent while expecting this conflict to end. And we must stop expecting solutions to come from elsewhere. The solution is in us, and it is time to bring it out. We have handled our injury poorly for too long. We look forward to your cooperation because your ideas matter too, but we must be truthful. Thank you already.”
It is necessary that warring parties apologize for the atrocities committed. And there should be a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives as a result of the conflict.
We must always remember that it is never enough for warring parties to meet, talk, shake hands, hug one another, eat and drink. The same thing must happen among a good number, at least, of those affected. They must never be ignored. Truly, it would never make sense that after inflicting severe pain on people, you give them a solution that they did not partake in seeking.
