The United States routinely ignores and undermines reconciliation efforts. The ideals and truth expressed in USIP and in this discussion so far are in direct conflict with US foreign policy under administrations of either party. Our policy-makers need to tune in, listen and take to heart rather than directing these lessons outward into the world. "The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my government." Martin Luther King Jr. said that in 1967. Looking at the numbers (foreign military bases; level of military spending; role in arms trade; other indicators), it seems clear that this has only become even more true!
I don't mean to de-emphasize the importance of local conditions and needs and conflicts and the need for support for reconciliation processes. I think without dealing with the destructive outside influences (which exacerbates local corruption thereby undermining reconciliation), including assassination of negotiators, we're just spinning our wheels.
How do we deal with the problem of the left hand working against the right hand? The USA ignores human rights and justice due to political considerations all the time, in conflict with the ideas of reconciliation and justice moving forward.
Advancing Knowledge Management - Agenda of Citizen Engagement in peaceful reconciliations is an area where I am known as an expert.. Let me discuss Mozambique and the region around it; Bosnia & Hercegovina and the region of Former Yugoslavia; Central Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan (with almost 5 years in the field); and finally the Korean peninsula (where I had 18 months on the ground, but much more in the region. THANKS TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS even years later.... USIP can lead forward Myanmar-Burma/Bangladesh/India/Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam...
Wherever Conflicts existed between communities the government in charge should have clear responsibility to stop the level of violence and safeguarding of the people, and that can not be exist unless there was enough preparations and obligations to implement among the particular population, for instance if ministry of peace building and reconciliation's didn't exist before in particular country that could be a big problem like what happen in Sudan . I think sustainable studies should be teach to conduct better awareness among all the students , militarist and their leader , traditional community leaders , peaceful coexisting and potential conflict should be the majuro topic in our elementary schools additional to that let them know about consequences coming out of conflict from earlier stage of their age, I think that need global effort not only the existing regimes.
I wanted to revisit this page on this date! 30 years ago, what was going on? I was in the field! Let's reflect upon the change which has occurred and why leadership has failed people in many places. Looking through the eyes of a dedicate servant of the County of Riverside (1 year appointment as Civil Grand Jury Panelist)
How can the United States promote peace even as it tries to keep opponents from sitting at the negotiating table? We need to deal explicitly with the US role in impeding reconcilliation worldwide. The USA has a particular role that people here need to contend with and address.
