Two peacebuilders sit down to discuss just how they bring opposing groups into the same room to talk peace and to lay the foundations for a future that rejects all use of violence. Wendy Cuellar is from Guatemala. Jo\u00e3o Boavida is from Timor-Leste.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy in theory. In practice, however, it is a completely different story,\u201d opens Wendy Cuellar, Programme Officer for the youth initiative that Interpeace is currently running across Central America. Jo\u00e3o Boavida, Executive Director of the Interpeace local partner, the Center of Studies of Peace and Development (CEPAD), agrees. Both have tailored the Interpeace \u201cway of doing things\u201d according to their area\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n
Wendy explains the context in which she works: \u201cCentral America has the highest violence rate in the world, and that violence is constant and ruthless. We\u2019re working to ensure that all are involved in building peace: victims, perpetrators, the security sector, government representatives, NGOs and even those on the side lines. Together we come up with policy proposals to take to the top government decision-makers in order to adopt more effective policies that include prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the collective element and getting people talking that is key,\u201d Wendy admits. \u201cThat means opposing groups have to sit next to each other and talk. Imagine being a youth gang member and working constructively with a police officer. Imagine working for a charity on human rights and sitting down to work with a private security officer.<\/p>\n
When we are alone with youth, or a private security officer, they are OK with the idea of coming together. However, when the moment comes to sit down face-to-face \u2013 it\u2019s another story. They often don\u2019t show up, and even when they do, it\u2019s difficult to overcome the issues and to have everyone see common ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wendy explains how she and her team approach it: \u201cThis is when we have to be very clear about our role. We\u2019re there to enable \u2013 not to take one side or the other. We\u2019re neutral and there to facilitate. We promote dialogue and try to make them think in a more positive and future oriented way. We ask open questions: \u2018Where do you see yourself ten years from now? What kind of future do you want to create?\u2019 It is only when we get this type of conversation going that we can then start building a bridge of cooperation and achieve our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jo\u00e3o, on the other hand, takes a different approach to his work in Timor-Leste. This country became independent in 2002 and today has a population of about 1 million that is spread across 15,007 km2<\/sup>, much of which is unreachable by road. These facts have not, however, stood in the way of Jo\u00e3o and his team. Their five years of peacebuilding has enabled them to develop a stream-lined and efficient mechanism to bring people together.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have District Liaison Officers in each of the 13 Districts. I get on the phone and discuss with them who needs to meet whom, and what the topic of discussion will be for an upcoming event. They come to Dili for a full briefing and share their ideas on how best to achieve a particular goal and to pick up the invitations and then head back to their communities. I arrive on the eve of a consultation with a team to make sure that all those who need to be in the room are present, ready to begin building bridges by initiating dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n To help facilitate a culture of peace, Jo\u00e3o has also championed the construction of four Peace Houses, each in different districts, and there are more on the way. \u201cThis makes things even simpler for us,\u201d explains Jo\u00e3o. \u201cPeace has a physical presence. We have rules as to how the houses can be used, but they are in fact open for all. Dialogue takes place in this \u2018safe space,\u2019 where the rules of the game are understood. But most importantly we have to keep the space itself safe, too. A caretaker lives in each one, to literally \u2018take care of the peace.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Jo\u00e3o concludes: \u201cThe way we see it. Lasting peace must be grounded in getting people together to talk constructively and collectively agree. Doing this has to be tailored to the context.\u201d Wendy nods in agreement: \u201cIt can be difficult, but getting people physically together and talking, is in itself, a clear victory for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n Wendy and Jo\u00e3o were together in Brussels for a European Union Forum that talked about instruments for democracy and human rights.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two peacebuilders sit down to discuss just how they bring opposing groups into the same room to talk peace and to lay the foundations for a future that rejects all use of violence. Wendy Cuellar is from Guatemala. Jo\u00e3o Boavida is from Timor-Leste. \u201cIt\u2019s easy in theory. In practice, however, it is a completely different […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"globales":[],"initiatives":[],"news_type":[],"programmes":[],"resource_theme":[],"videos_vimeo":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n