“The impunity of the past is today’s corruption” – Lessons learned in Guatemala’s path to build sustainable peace

In 1996 the Peace Agreements were signed in Guatemala, ending an internal armed conflict that lasted 36 years between the government and the guerilla movement. Interpeace’s 25 years of experience has taught us that signing a peace agreement is not the end of the process of building peace, but really the beginning of a long process to transform conflict and build sustainable solutions. Twenty-three years later and Guatemala continues to face widespread violence. Claudia Paz y Paz, Guatemala’s first female Attorney General, from 2010 to 2014, indicates that “impunity is one of the reasons there is so much violence in Guatemala.”

On 17 March 2019, Interpeace co-hosted an event at the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), entitled “Guatemala: For Memory, Against Impunity” with the World Organizations Against Torture, Casa Allianza, the Geneva Solidarity Delegation and the Right Livelihood Award. The event began with a screening of the documentary Burden of Peace, directed by Joey Boink, which illustrates the work of Claudia Paz y Paz as Attorney General in Guatemala and her fight against impunity, as she seeks to bring justice and truth on the crimes committed during the civil war.

“We cannot ignore the violations of human rights and the only way of dealing with them is through truth and justice.” Throughout the documentary, Claudia Paz y Paz highlights the importance of healing wounds of the past in order to build peace. During her mandate, a genocide trial against General Efraín Ríos Montt took place in Guatemala, convicting him for his role in the massacres of Ixil Mayas in the 1980s. Although the verdict was annulled at the time by the constitutional court, this process marked a changing point in the country. Providing victims with the opportunity to share their experiences during the armed conflict, contributed to a process of restoring trust between the people of Guatemala and the justice system, “there are still open wounds, but maybe we can heal them through justice."

Building trust is essential in the process of building peace. Trust gives institutions lasting legitimacy and helps individuals and groups remain engaged in the process. Claudia Paz y Paz took important steps in this direction. She was one of the most effective attorney generals in the country, but despite her efforts, was forced to leave office seven months early. She mentions, “the impunity of the past is today’s corruption.” Currently the fight against corruption in Guatemala has given hope to the population but has greatly increased political tensions.

Arnoldo Gálvez interviews Claudia Paz y Paz via Skype at FIFDH event. Photo credit: World Organisation Against Torture

“How do we keep this hope alive?” asked Guatemalan journalist, Arnoldo Gálvez, Global Communications Manager of Interpeace, during an interview with Claudia after the screening of the documentary. “After I left office, Thelma Aldana and Iván Velásquez continued with the fight against impunity. It’s not a one-person job. I have faith in the prosecutors and human rights activists in my country…we cannot let justice take steps back” she answered.

During the panel event, prominent figures in Guatemala’s political landscape discussed the current situation on the eve of the presidential elections on June 2019 and looked back on Guatemala’s fight against impunity and corruption after Claudia left office in 2014.

“Since 2015, when the arrests were made against very high officials in the government, it gave young people hope. Hope that justice could be done and especially that Guatemala’s reality could start to change.” Lenina García, Secretary-General of the Student’s Association of San Carlos University in Guatemala, was one of the panelists at the FIFDH event. She acknowledged the impact produced when President Otto Pérez Molina and Vice-President Roxana Baldetti, were forced to resign and were later convicted on corruption charges. These prosecutions were led by Thelma Aldana, former Attorney General and Iván Velásquez, Head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, known as CICIG. Working in conjunction with Guatemala’s Public Prosecutors Office and the National Civilian Police, CICIG is an independent international body that aims to investigate serious crime in Guatemala, to strengthen the rule of law. Established in 2006 by the United Nations in response to a request for assistance from the Government of Guatemala, CICIG has helped dismantle drug cartels, money-laundering rings and death squads.

Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez and Lenina García. Photo credit: FIFDH/Miguel Bueno

The convictions against former President and Vice-President of Guatemala, began a long process of high-profile arrests made against prominent figures in politics and the private sector, demonstrating a significant change in the justice system in Guatemala. Commissioner Iván Velásquez was also a panelist at the FIFDH event. He recognized the crucial steps made towards building democracy in Guatemala, but also acknowledged that civil society must continue to demand transformative changes, “the indigenous communities and students in Guatemala play a crucial role in the fight against impunity.”

Along with building trust, fostering local ownership is equally important to build sustainable peace. As Iván Velásquez expresses, all sectors of society must participate in identifying the challenges and obstacles to peace and must work together to develop their own solutions. This in turn, will ensure the sustainability of peacebuilding efforts. Those who are traditionally marginalized from politics in Guatemala – women, youth and indigenous groups – therefore, play a key role in bringing change to the country.

Arnoldo Gálvez, Lenina García, Iván Velásquez and Juana Baca Velasco. Photo credit: FIFDH

Juana Baca Velasco, Director of the Ixiles Association of Women’s Organizations, was the third panelist at the event. “Justice has been managed by the interests of the government. There is very little will to solve the complaints made by the indigenous communities. There are hundreds of violations against indigenous women that have not been brought to justice.” Despite significant efforts in the past 5 years, Juana Baca Velasco reminds us that there is still much to do in Guatemala.

After 25 years of working to build peace in conflict-affected regions in the world, Interpeace recognizes that the process matters and determines the result. There is a need not only to focus on the end goal of building peace, but also on making sure that the process leading to it is managed in a way that allows for inclusion, constructive dialogue and consensus-building – rather than confrontation and power games. Guatemala has taken significant steps towards fighting corruption and impunity, which gives other countries hope that change is possible. Notwithstanding, it is important to recognize that building peace takes time and that long-term commitment is necessary for change to be sustainable.

Watch the livestream of the event held at FIFDH on 17 March, 2019.

Interview via Skype with Guatemala’s first female Attorney General, Claudia Paz y Paz, begins in minute 2:36. 

25 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi, trauma healing needs to be at the centre of peace and development efforts

By Scott Weber and Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza

As Claudine draws water from the ground at her home in rural Rwanda, nothing in her demeanour suggests that she has been to hell and back. Her focus is intense as she works the hand pump to fill her bucket with water. As she pauses for a rest, the pensive look in her eyes somewhat betrays her journey from the embers of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which plunged Rwanda into one of the deadliest episodes of violence since the Second World War.

Rwanda’s Ministry of Local Government estimates that 1,074,017 people were killed in the space of 100 days between April and June 1994. For direct victims like Claudine, it felt like the end of times. “After the Genocide I fell into a sort of darkness,” Claudine says. “Most of my birth family were killed, and my husband belonged to the group that had killed them. I was not able to grieve. I hated my husband and became cold towards my own children. I belonged neither with my husband’s family nor with the surviving members of my birth family, who considered me a betrayer. I stayed alone at home, and often could not even summon the energy to take a bath. I simply gave up on life.”

The Genocide left Rwanda’s social fabric in tatters. A generation later today, the country is a resurgent picture of economic growth, national resilience and dynamism in Africa. One critical obstacle that could however threaten its positive trajectory is the post-conflict trauma that lingers within the population.

A World Bank report on the link between post-conflict trauma and development notes that the invisible wounds that etch into the psyches of victims and survivors of extreme violent conflict can impede sustainable reconciliation and development. Fortunately, Rwanda recognised the need for trauma healing in the immediate aftermath of the Genocide. Several trauma healing initiatives were launched, but only at a small-scale because the needs far outstripped the number of practitioners available.

A 2015 research study by Never Again Rwanda (NAR) and Interpeace showed that many Rwandans still carry wounds from the Genocide. In some cases, the wounds have been passed down to successive generations which—although not directly impacted by the Genocide—must contribute to the nation’s recovery. The Rwanda Biomedical Centre estimates an overall 3.6% incidence of trauma among the general population (aged 14-65 years), peaking at a worrying high of 27.9% among Genocide survivors.

These statistics indicate that trauma healing remains a pressing public health issue in Rwanda. NAR and Interpeace have contributed towards addressing this challenge by implementing a psychosocial support group therapy programme over a four-year period, fostering both individual healing and social cohesion. The results of the programme are both encouraging and instructive. Participants have gradually become able to express themselves in a group setting, resulting in greater empathy and tolerance. Data from the programme shows that the group approach has reduced the effects of trauma among participants by 25%, and a reduced likelihood to seek revenge through violence. More significantly, the number of participants with regular suicidal thoughts dropped by 66%. Participants also exhibited a more proactive attitude towards mediation and reconciliation efforts, and increased involvement in family and community affairs.

Claudine is one of the participants who have finally been able to face the past. “It is only when I joined this support group, and realised I was not alone in my sorrow that I let it pour,” she says. “Finally I can breathe again. I feel alive again.”

Rwanda is obviously not alone in its post-conflict trauma healing experience. Millions of people have more recently been affected by civil war in countries like Syria and Yemen. When the wars abate and reconstruction begins, Rwanda will certainly offer important lessons for these countries as they embark on their own trauma healing and reconciliation efforts.

Mr Scott Weber is President of Interpeace, an international organisation supporting more than 20 peace processes worldwide. Dr Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza is the Executive Director of Never Again Rwanda (NAR), a peacebuilding and social justice organisation formed in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

 

Read full report here.

Fostering sustainable peace in Libya – Managing tensions in the Nafusa Mountains

This is the story of Tamzin, a Libyan community that maintained its neutrality and peace in times of conflict. Located in the Nafusa Mountains of Northwestern Libya, Tamzin is a small town with a population of about 6,000 people, slightly more residents than Interlaken, Switzerland. Like Interlaken, Tamzin has a pharmacy, snack shops, stores, places of worship and occasionally snow in the winter. Amidst years of war, Tamzin has remained peaceful, fostering good practices and serving as an example for neighboring towns.  

The Nafusa Mountains Valley, home of Tamzin and its neighbors. Photo credit: Ahmed Labnouj

Communities divide as political tensions rise

Since 2011, the legacy of the Libyan revolution resulted in continued political and social tensions. Across the country, communities that once co-existed peacefully, suddenly began to resurrect old wounds, which were fueled by historical disagreements. In 2014, issues between various Libyan political camps resulted in violence, which spread from Tripoli to Benghazi and other parts of the country. As a result, new political bodies emerged, which competed for followers and power. Some communities stayed impartial, while others actively supported one party over the other. The competition between these political parties extended throughout different communities and inevitably tensions worsened. In this troubled time, the community of Tamzin remained neutral.

Tamzin has a history of fostering and sustaining peace. At the height of the revolution, it was one of the few communities that was not militarized. Unlike other communities across Libya, it did not develop a military council or a heavily armed local militia.

Reducing violence through inclusive dialogue

Over a year ago, violence erupted between Tamzin’s neighboring towns of Kabaw and Tiji. These two communities struggled with fights on and off since 2011. As a result, the people of Tamzin, who had developed their dialogue facilitation skills with Interpeace, decided to get involved and reduce the tension between their neighboring communities. The people of Tamzin took advantage of their good relations with both communities, as well as their impartial reputation during moments of conflict, and worked with the people of Kabaw and Tiji to end the fighting, as well as help prevent it from spreading to other neighboring communities.

Traditionally in Libya, elders in the communities are the ones tasked with reaching out to each other to resolve community problems. The Tamzin people put in practice the new skills learned with Interpeace and promoted the participation of all sectors of the communities to identify and resolve conflict. In an attempt to put an end to the conflict between their neighboring communities, peacebuilders from Tamzin held consultations in Kabaw and Tiji, inclusive of all aspects of society for over a week.

According to Hassan[1], a Tamzin peacebuilder who facilitated discussions, “several methods and tips from Interpeace were used during those dialogue sessions. One of them was to trigger 'behind the scenes', informal moments to improve interpersonal relations over common values. After sharing traditional dates and buttermilk during a break, participants smoothened their tones and declared that since they had broken bread together, they should not leave the room without an agreement.”

By gathering all sectors of the communities, a clear peace plan between Kabaw and Tiji was established. To this day, the peace plan holds because it was lead and  developed  by the very people affected by the tensions, and as a result guaranteed its sustainability.

Asked about the evolution of the situation over the past year, Hassan reflected that “the dispute resolution enhanced stability in the whole Nafusa Mountain region.” According to him, improved relations between Kabaw and Tiji trickled down positively on the economic trade and social linkages of all communities, as illustrated by a rise in inter-communal marriages.

Change agents designing their community dialogue sessions during an Interpeace workshop in February 2018. Photo credit: Interpeace

A peace mapping process

Interpeace and its local partners have worked in Libya since 2011, with the aim of building an architecture for peace in the divided country. Through a peace mapping process, the views on obstacles to peace and stability of hundreds of Libyans have been documented, with the objective of highlighting the numerous, but less visible communities, that have remained relatively stable despite the conflict in the region.

Interpeace began working with the people from Tamzin in 2016, to better understand the conditions and coping mechanisms developed in the community to deal with the conflict that surrounds them – extracting the lessons learned from this community and others like it can help others across Libya build their own peace and stability. With the help of Interpeace, women and men from Tamzin were able to build on their own peaceful history and study more ways to help others engage in inclusive dialogue, without resorting to violence. For the past two years, community members learned to lead and facilitate dialogue to resolve problems, and created a group gathering over 200 people from the city, Tripoli and the diaspora, to mediate conflicts and seize joint opportunities for local regional development.

Learning from communities like Tamzin, that remain peaceful in conflict-affected environments, can help contribute to the overall peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts in Libya. By strengthening their capacity for resilience through dialogue and inclusion, violent conflict can be reduced in the region.

[1] The name has been changed to protect the identity of the dialogue facilitator.

Peacebuilding leadership is not about solving problems – Learning to navigate between polarities

Peacebuilding leadership is not about solving problems – whether within a team, organization or society –, but about navigating the polarities or contradictions that such a context and undertaking inherently pose.

Together with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and UNITAR, Interpeace’s International Peacebuilding Advisory Team (IPAT) offered its annual week-long senior level training on peacebuilding leadership in November 2018, supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. While a series of discussions enabled critical reflections on the sustaining peace paradigm, gender in peacebuilding, the inter-cultural dimension of peacebuilding leadership, and local ownership, the most thought-provoking concept introduced to participants was that of ‘managing polarities vs. solving problems’.

Coined by Dr. Barry Johnson, polarities are about “managing unsolvable problems”. This immediately resonated with participants, who in their roles as peacebuilding leaders are confronted with unsolvable problems on a daily basis. The approach to managing polarities highlights that such complex challenges do not have a right answer or a solution. Rather, they are enduring challenges and dilemmas containing two polar opposites, that need to be constantly navigated and not solved once and for all. Focussing on either pole to the exclusion of the other one is counterproductive; effective leadership in the context of polarities requires maximizing the benefits of each pole while mitigating against the other’s potential negative or adverse effects.

The leadership literature identifies a number of such polarities that are commonly encountered by any leader, such as: planning and flexibility; decisiveness and participation; control and empowerment; caution and risk; repetition and innovation; etc. In addition, leaders in peacebuilding contexts and endeavours face a number of specific polarities that make their roles particularly challenging, including:

These polarities are deliberately not framed as A vs. B, but as A and B because the answer to the challenge lies neither in A nor B alone. The peacebuilding leaders participating in the course considered that the notion of ‘managing such challenges as ongoing polarities’, rather than having to find the one ideal solution, relieved some of the pressure they are under. It is also a concept particularly suited to peacebuilding which by definition takes place in highly dynamic contexts as it is an equally dynamic leadership approach.

Peacebuilding leadership is not about solving problems – whether within a team, organization or society – , but about navigating the polarities or contradictions that such a context and undertaking inherently pose.

Applications for the 2019 edition of the Senior Level Course Enhancing Leadership for Peacebuilding will open in April and close on 15 August.

Investing in youth for peace and development – A call to action

“If we fail to harness the potential of youth for peace and sustainable development today, we are basically nurturing marginalization, further mistrust and even radicalization in the future, when we could have empowered generations of peacemakers.” - Forest Whitaker, March 8, 2019

In early March 2019, Forest Whitaker visited Geneva to advocate for youth empowerment, accompanied by young peacebuilder from South Sudan, Magdalena Nandege, member of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI). Together they participated in a series of events with Interpeace, in the context of the UN Human Rights Council and the
Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), addressing the need to invest in youth for sustainable peace. 

Magdalena Nandege and Forest Whitaker. Photo credit: Mark Henley for Interpeace

WPDI works with former child soldiers in post-conflict countries like Uganda, with youth in conflict-affected regions like South Sudan and with former gang members in Mexico and South Africa. Their methodology values the importance of working within communities, fostering local ownership and inclusion – peacebuilding principles that are at the core of Interpeace’s DNA.

We are proud to have joined forces with WPDI to advocate for youth leadership and promote peacebuilding approaches that have proven to be effective during Interpeace’s 25 years of experience.

A call for the international community to make transformative change

President of Interpeace, Scott M. Weber, was joined by Actor, Director and Founder of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), Forest Whitaker, at the Association of Correspondents to the United Nations in Geneva on March 8, 2019. Together they made a global call to action, urging governments, the private sector and civil society to invest resources and funds to specifically mobilize young people in the service of peace and reconciliation in their communities. 

Scott M. Weber and Forest Whitaker at ACANU press conference in UNOG. Photo credit: Mark Henley for Interpeace

Although half of the world’s population is under 30, the role of youth leadership in peacebuilding processes remains largely unrecognized and unacknowledged. Forest Whitaker expressed that too often youth are seen as the problem and not enough as part of the solutions. Notwithstanding, young people are working collectively and independently for peace and sustainable development in many conflict-affected regions: “I created WPDI precisely because I view young women and men as doers, as potential partners in the creation of positive change who deserve to be supported, trained and accompanied.”

A strong commitment from the international community is needed to invest in the capacities and agency of young women and men. Scott M. Weber added, “Young people want to be heard, they want to be part of the decisions that affect them, their communities, and their countries – they have an immense ambition for action that we must put to the service of peace. We must go beyond the current ad-hoc efforts and achieve the catalytic scale to make real, transformative change happen.”

Forest Whitaker at ACANU press conference in UNOG. Photo credit: Mark Henley for Interpeace

Efforts to build on youth leadership in contexts like South Sudan are essential for sustaining peace

Following the Press Conference, Forest Whitaker and Scott M. Weber were joined by Magdalena Nandege, and representatives of UNHCR and the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and the Netherlands in a Human Rights Council Side Event, to discuss the peacebuilding issues in South Sudan.

South Sudan is not only the youngest country in the world, it is also one of the poorest. Internal conflict has caused nearly 380,000 deaths and more than 2.4 million displaced. The panel discussion addressed the strategies and actions that are needed to ensure peace and prevent human rights violations in the long term. 

"We have to go to the grass roots to understand the problem or implement a programme. Find out who are the conflicting people, who are the trusted people and work with them. You need to adapt and put yourself at the level of people you talk with." Magdalena Nandenge, South-Sudanese midwife and peacebuilder working for WPDI, asserted the importance of investing on local capacities for resilience. As a 25-year old, Magdalena is a clear example of how the international community must rely on the dedication and courage of young people living in conflict. “From the very beginning to the very end, there needs to be a partnership with the community,” Forest Whitaker added. 

Human Rights Council Side Event. Photo credit: Mark Henley for Interpeace

The conversation continued the next day, at the Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), in an event co-hosted by Interpeace: “South Sudan: World’s Youngest Nation at the Crossroads to Peace”.

"In South Sudan young people make up over 70% of the population, but they are marginalized. They are not included in decision-making in their communities.” Scott M. Weber was the moderator of this event with Forest Whitaker and Magdalena Nandege as the panelists.

A short film was screened, illustrating the work WPDI has done in South Sudan to empower youth with peacebuilding and conflict management skills, to help build a peaceful network of young leaders who have the ability to strengthen their communities. "Youth are trained to be leaders. We help them see the problems and be able to act on them. Trauma work is a key focus to deal with the conflicts they are facing," explained Forest Whitaker.

A powerful discussion was undertaken, emphasizing the need to focus our attention to preventing the violence of exclusion, by empowering youth living in conflict. The factors of exclusion will push or pull individuals to engage or reject their community, and as a result the international community must seek to design and implement approaches that are inclusive and locally-owned.

Investing on our collective future

WPDI and Interpeace recognize the growing evidence base that shows that the empowerment of young people is the key factor to peace in many of the most fragile and conflict-affected settings in the world today. As a result, we encourage a transformative change to the way we engage young people in peace and development.  This is particularly critical across Sub-Saharan Africa where 71% of the population is under the age of 29.

Interpeace was privileged to stand besides WPDI Founder, Forest Whitaker and peacebuilder Magdalena Nandgege, promoting a collective shift in the way we perceive young people and invest in them and their agency to build long-term sustainable peace.

Magdalena Nandege at the Human Rights Council Side Event. Photo credit: Mark Henley for Interpeace

Watch the full event held at FIFDH on March 9, 2019 -

Women's needs and interests at the forefront of peacebuilding

Interpeace is honoured to share a high-profile platform today – International Women’s Day 2019 – with a remarkable young woman and peacebuilder, Magdalena Nandege. Our event focusses on peacebuilding and human rights in South Sudan; our venue and audience is the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva; our practical call for meaningful action beyond words is that young women and men must be able to play a full role in building peace and development.

Magdalena is 25 years old and is both a midwife and a peacebuilder with the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), promoting women’s empowerment and peace by passing on her skills and being an inspiration to others. She exemplifies how all levels of society – from local communities to the decision-making halls of the UN – can benefit practically from having women’s experiences, knowledge and passion at the heart of peacebuilding.

Photo credit: Mark Henley

Interpeace’s recent work in Burundi has reinforced the importance and relevance of viewing peacebuilding through gender lenses. It has questioned gender stereotypes and ensured that our future peacebuilding is sensitive to vital gender nuances that take into account other aspects of women's identities. That said, more needs to be done worldwide: all too often efforts are made to ensure the participation and representation of women in peacebuilding process design, and yet women’s particular needs and interests too rarely then emerge at the forefront of peacebuilding delivery.

Everyone has a role to play to ensure that there is genuinely a better balance in the roles, responsibilities and benefits for women through peacebuilding – so that peacebuilding itself is better. #BalanceforBetter. Interpeace is playing its part: we remain resolutely committed and are practically implementing gender sensitive programming at all levels: from project design to practical implementation, from our work in the field to our work in the corridors of international rule setting and policy making. We are also committed to continuing our own institutional journey to achieve staff gender parity. We celebrate the progress achieved even as we recognise the need to do much more, and we celebrate especially the role and potential of young women worldwide.

Scott M. Weber

President of Interpeace and International Gender Champion