VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Alexandra Jacobs in DRC
Alexandra Jacobs is a intern with Search for Common Ground Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known locally as Centre Lokolé
The troupe freezes in a pose before asking for audience input on what decisions the characters should make.
During my first week here in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo I had the good fortune of witnessing two commemorative events in which Search for Common Ground (or “Centre Lokolé”) took part. The weekend’s events were especially exciting because the members of l’Association de Soutient des Opprimés (ASO – Association for the Support of the Oppressed) are children who have taken part in the conflict as child soldiers, or have been orphaned during the war.
Tuesday, June 16 was Day of the African Child across the continent. Here in Bukavu, the emphasis was placed on the rights of the child with special attention to the issue of child soldiers in the ongoing conflict and the sexual exploitation of children in conflict areas. Along with the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUC), Search for Common Ground organized an event complete with drumming performances, poetic recitations, and musical performances, all presented by local children’s groups and schools. The banner hung across the stage read “La Survie de l’Afrique c’est nous les enfant. Notre survie d’aujoud’hui depend de vous” (The survival of Africa is we the children, our survival depends on you [the adults]). The event’s emcee, Centre Lokole journalist Laurent Wabatinga, declared that the official language of the day would be Swahili, to emphasize the importance of the African child, the honorees of the day. The symbolism was not lost.
Saturday, June 20 was World Refugee Day, and Search for Common Ground once again played a large part in these commemorations, in partnership with UNHCR. The slogan for the day was “Des vrais besoins pour des personnes bien réeles” (real needs for real people). This statement gets to the core of the ongoing tensions within Congolese communities with regards to refugees who arrive as newcomers and are often mistreated. Over the weekend, the talented drumming/theatre troupe of SFCG’s partner l’Association de soutient des opprimés (ASO) put on several performances of participatory theatre to educate different communities about refugees’ needs and rights. I accompanied the group of teenagers and their troupe leader to a neighborhood in Bukavu called Bagira where many internally displaced persons (IDPs) have come to settle temporarily as violence continues to wreak havoc on their communities north of Bukavu.
The theatre troupe arrived just after 1pm, and though they had not advertised their performance, a large and attentive audience of children quickly assembled in the town’s main square. The troupe, whose talented musicians and actors range from the age of 8 to 18, quickly began their drumming routine. Once they had fully captured the attention of the audience they moved on to a comical yet informative sketch in which five actors depicted the arrival of a refugee into a community, while the permanent inhabitants struggled over how to receive this newcomer. Pausing every now and then for audience input, the five actors changed the narrative of their piece according to the advice given by young audience members, encouraging active participation among all.
These events illustrated that through artistic self-expression, the actors (and the audience members they touch) have found a new mission for their lives, as well as a way to educate their peers. It was a thrill to be part of such a transformative and exciting event.
VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Joschka Philipps in Guinea
Joschka Philipps is an intern with Search for Common Ground Guinea.
The Blind Leading the Way in Guinea
Amédé and his band play a concert representing the APAGF in their community
Amédé Pierre Koromou sings with his shades on. His band plays a beautiful tune. Spectacular West African rhythms and melodies, surrounded by the beautiful colors of a Guinean village. These colours are lost on the musicians, however, as they are all blind. So, too, are many of the people in the crowd, dancing happily on the uneven ground with movements as easy and secure as if there were no obstacles. “This is a community for and by blind people,” says Amédé. The singer and president of APAGF, the association behind this community, Amédé speaks proudly and clearly. Launched in 1998, APAGF (Association pour la promotion des aveugles de la Guinée Forestière) helps blind people in the southeastern forest region of Guinea to understand for themselves that they might have “lost their eyesight, but not their lives.” Living within a small community, they cook their own food, sell their self-made artisan work, learn and teach braille, and work to reintegrate blind people in other villages. “We have created our own autonomy. Now we can take charge of the problem elsewhere!” claims Amédé. With his band he has toured more than a hundred villages since 2005. “Every time we arrive in a village, we ask for the handicapped people to come and join us, dance and eat with us, share stories. We say ‘Your brothers are here, let’s do this together!’ And we reach them. We can do things that people who see cannot do.” APAGF’s outreach is not only meant for the blind and handicapped. Amédé and his band spread messages of tolerance, nonviolent conflict resolution, good governance and democracy. “We don’t sing for the sake of singing!” he says. “The people are thirsty! They want to hear more than just music, they want to hear messages!”
Ernesto Gemou, part of the young leaders that Search for Common Ground trained in N'zérékoré, translates the non-violence training (from Frech to Guerzé) to the 'blind' community after the concert, and initiates interesting discussions on good governance, communication and leadership.
This is where Search for Common Ground (SFCG) becomes part of the picture. When asking Amédé what inspires him to write his lyrics, the singer points to his room. “Every morning I listen to the radio. It gives me a lot of ideas for my songs.” He especially likes Wantanara, the soap opera by SFCG’s Talking Drum Studio. “I love it,” says Amédé, “The people love it. Many don’t understand French, so they are happy about stories that are told in their native language. And the radio, just like music, is a great means of changing people’s behavior. They apply what they hear! In my village, I really can feel that things are changing. There are more and more organizations based on what the people hear on the radio. Women groups, democracy initiatives…Before, everybody had to go to the chief of the village for resolving domestic conflicts. Now, the people solve their problems on their own.” Similarly with SFCG’s radio programs, the singer changes his language to match the venue. French in urban centers, and local languages in the villages. The message remains the same wherever they play. “We want to raise awareness. Our task is to help other blind people out of their misery. We could help ourselves, now we want to help others. And we want to contribute to the socio-economic development of this country.”
The APAGF band currently faces a serious transportation problem. After a former supporter moved away with his jeep, they have lacked a vehicle to bring them to the villages. It can only be hoped that they will find a solution and be back on tour soon, not only for their own sake but for the effect that their message has audiences wherever they go. “In the beginning, people were afraid of blind people because they thought blindness was contagious. But the more and more we toured the villages, we have become an attraction, they all come to see us, the young, the old, women, men… They all want to see ‘these blind people playing this incredible music.’ And they stay until three o’clock in the morning! Indefatigable!”
Lisa Inks is an intern at Search for Common Ground Sierra Leone.
Search for Common Ground, known in West Africa as Talking Drum Studio, supports community radio as a tool for peacebuilding. Owned and operated by community members, these radio stations often serve as rural communities’ only means of communication, providing audience-generated content and programs on local issues. Radio Wanjei is one such partner station, located in Sierra Leone’s Pujehun District—considered one of the country’s most underdeveloped areas. Talking Drum Studio provides training, programs, and other support to Radio Wanjei, which, since its establishment in 2006, helps to inform and educate the Pujehun community.
Mohamed Massaquoi, Chair of the Amputee and War-Wounded Association, relies on the community radio to deliver messages to his fellow amputees throughout Pujehun District. He is pictured here with his son.
The Amputee and War-Wounded Association: Helping Survivors Keep Surviving
In Pujehun District, where the civil war in Sierra Leone began more than 18 years ago, the effects of fighting are still written on the bodies of hundreds of survivors. Amputee Mohamed Massaquoi knows as well as anyone how war can continue to devastate families long after the peace accord has been signed. As Chair of the Amputee and War-Wounded Association for Pujehun District, Massaquoi advocates for many of the hardest-hit families, most of whom live in “amputee camps” that were built by the government following the war’s end around 2002.
In order to perform his duties as Chair, Massaquoi relies entirely on community radio to mobilize amputees around the district. Support from the government has ceased, so he looks to outside organizations for help; finding work and food remains a daily challenge for the amputee community. When the association does receive food, building materials, or other support from NGOs, Massaquoi goes to the radio to announce a pick-up time and location. When the association holds meetings, Massaquoi goes to the radio. Radio Wanjei, Pujehun District’s community-owned and –operated radio station, has become the sole means of communication in a community where most lack both mobility and the funds to buy mobile phones.
In addition to helping facilitate the distribution of aid, Radio Wanjei also holds regular discussions on issues affecting amputees and war-wounded. Massaquoi says that Melvin Rogers, Radio Wanjei’s station manager, frequently invites him to the studio to participate in programs that include other leaders in the community. Most importantly, the radio is the only way for Massaquoi to get the word out when something is happening that affects them. “Whenever there’s an emergency,” Massaquoi said, “Melvin can help.”
VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Shana Kirsch in Côte d’Ivoire
Shana Kirsch is an intern at Search for Common Ground Côte d’Ivoire.
In February, I attended a workshop on civic education in Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire, west of Yamoussoukro, for SFCG’s community facilitators. The workshop was part of a 2-year project designed to support a peaceful democratic electoral process in Côte d’Ivoire. In addition to working directly with youth populations and women throughout the country to increase their knowledge of the democratic process and civic rights and responsibilities, SFCG engaged a network of volunteer facilitators who demonstrated an ability to lead activities in their own communities. By providing these facilitators with training and technical support, SFCG helped to develop local capacities to lead community trainings and events, assuring the sustainability and ownership of the project.
Stephanie, one of my colleagues from the Abidjan office, facilitated the 1.5-day workshop, and I supported her by taking notes and helping to organize the activity-planning portion of the session. The workshop was intended to equip the participants with content (such as principles and definitions of civic education, democracy, and good governance) as well as facilitation skills so that they can lead effective civic education activities in their own communities. It was a lively group, and everyone really participated fully, which was great to see. Although the subject matter was rather serious, there were some lighter moments as well.
At the beginning of the workshop, the participants all agreed upon a set of rules to abide by during the meeting – typical things such as turning off cell phones, respecting the opinions of others, etc. However, they also agreed on a “punishment” for anyone who failed to abide by the rules during the workshop: the guilty party would have to dance and sing a song in their mother tongue in front of the whole group! Stephanie had a great rapport with the participants, and when one man showed up late to the training after a short break, she enforced the law, and we were all treated to a spectacle! This happened 2 more times throughout the workshop, and each time was funnier than the last.
Towards the very end of the workshop, one of the two “elders” in the group broke one of the rules by forgetting to turn off his cell phone, and when it rang during a presentation that Stephanie was giving, the group was faced with a dilemma. While some participants insisted that the offender should lead by example and accept to the same “punishment” as the three participants who had already sung and danced, others argued that he should be exempt because of his status in the group as a well-respected elder. The debate and decision-making process that ensued proved to be a relevant exercise, as concepts inherent to democracy – liberty of expression, majority rule, respect of others rights – all came into the discussion.
In the end, the culprit in question was let off the hook. But the moral of the story is not so much about what decision was reached, but how it was reached. By putting newly acquired skills and concepts into practice, the community facilitators were strengthening their understanding of democratic principles, engaging in conflict resolution, and facilitating community decisions… Not just any old song and dance!
CG NEWS ARTICLE OF THE WEEK: Repairing the Dilapidated Syria-US Relationship
Thomas A. Dine, senior advisor of SFCG’s US-Syria Program and Sonya Reines-Djivanides, director of SFCG’s Track II Mediation Unit discuss the warming of relations and growing common interest between the United States and Syria.
Photo from Flickr used under a Creative Commons license.
Like a dilapidated house, the US-Syria relationship has been in need of repair and renovation for years. Since President Obama’s 20 January inauguration call for engagement with “adversaries”, slow but steady and serious work by both sides has begun to restore the structure and substance of the ramshackle relationship.
It is old news that bilateral relations had crumbled, lacking the essential cement of mutual respect and trust. For instance, a March 2009 Gallup poll surveying Syrian public opinion found that 64% of respondents had an unfavourable view of the United States and 71% disapproved of America’s leadership. Comparable results could be expected from a survey of the American public’s views towards Syria.
If we were to take a poll today, however, it would likely show a shift in perspectives. An interest in working towards common goals has been expressed by both governments — small steps toward repairing the house’s broken windows and doors.
Both countries have taken these steps. Pejorative terminology in Syria’s diplomacy has been dropped and calls from Washington for regime change have disappeared. Instead President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem have called for a new start.
The Obama team has acknowledged Syria’s importance and its part in forging a region devoid of brutal and costly conflicts. Jeffrey Feltman, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and Dan Shapiro of the National Security Council have visited Damascus twice, a US Central Command military delegation met with counterparts in Syria to discuss security matters concerning Iraq and Mouallem and Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, had a productive phone call designed to pave the way for further bilateral engagements. And now in a long-awaited move, the United States has announced it will be sending an ambassador to Damascus, a position purposely left vacant for four long years.
The prospects for rebuilding a functional relationship are looking up.
Damascus will see this appointment as strengthening the foundation of the relationship. But this is only the beginning of a series of diplomatic steps required to rebuild the house.
While the US and Syria strongly disagree on how to address many of the challenges before them, they also have defined areas of common interest.
One of these is Iraq. Trilateral counter-terrorism cooperation between Syria, the United States and Iraq on border security is a critical area of cooperation.
The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) provides for the withdrawal of American armed forces, but it does not cover many important issues that only US engagement of Iraq’s neighbours, beginning with Syria, can resolve. Syria has not been shy about its desire for a peaceful Iraq, with a stable and secure central government. What Syria most fears is a country with a weak central government and sectarian civil conflict on its western flank. Syria could help the United States find a constructive military exit from Iraq. And the United States could support enhanced economic cooperation between Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, through Special Envoy George Mitchell, the United States is changing its hands-off policy toward Syrian-Israeli negotiations, mediated by the Turkish government over the last year and a half. Indeed US policy makers are finding ways to work with Turkey to help facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and create a new demilitarised space in return for peace and normalisation between the two countries.
Moving forward, it will be important for Damascus and Washington to acknowledge positive developments when they take place, instead of repeating the pattern of making non-negotiable demands.
The Obama administration’s process of engagement alone will not restore the crumbling building. Positive steps will wax and wane, in need of reinforcements. But mutual constructive engagement is the only way forward. In this regard, Syria cannot ignore American requests to invoke positive change in the region.
It will take time to restore the essence of the relationship, commencing with trust and then pursuing a two-way engagement process. Let the rehabilitation and restructuring continue, brick by brick.
* Thomas A. Dine is senior advisor of Search for Common Ground’s US-Syria Program. Sonya Reines-Djivanides is director of the Track II Mediation Unit at Search for Common Ground. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
Read the full edition of this week’s Common Ground News Service.
CG NEWS ARTICLE OF THE WEEK: Islam’s Next Democratic Test
Brian Hanley, the Country Director of Search for Common Ground – Indonesia, discusses the high stakes of Indonesia’s Presidential election in the On Faith section of the Washington Post and this week’s edition of the Common Ground News Service.
Jakarta, Indonesia — On 8 July, Indonesia will hold its second direct presidential election since embracing democracy in 1998. As the world’s fourth most populous country with more than 240 million people, Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world, and home to the world’s largest community of Muslims. The stakes are high.
Photo from Flickr used under a Creative Commons license.
Religious extremism in particular has become a significant concern to Indonesians, and by extension to the world, as exemplified by the recent conviction of a terrorist cell in Palembang, South Sumatra. A group of ten men stand convicted of killing a local Christian educator and for conspiracy to carry out large-scale attacks on other civilian targets in Indonesia. This case illustrates the relative ease by which small groups of young men can be recruited and motivated to participate in political violence, but also the commitment of Indonesia’s government to tackle terrorism.
Java, the world’s most densely populated island with more than 130 million inhabitants, is an area of particular concern. The extremist organization Jemaah Islamiyah, often referred to as “Indonesia’s Al-Qaeda” due to their training style and role in the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005, has set up a thriving publishing industry aimed at recruiting new followers to advance its radical agenda of establishing a world caliphate uniting all Muslim nations. Millions of young people across Indonesia are the targets.
From Aceh, where Islamic principles have been integrated into local law, causing disagreements among the region’s diverse population; to Central Sulawesi, where Christian and Muslim communities have become increasingly polarized since violence wreaked havoc on the region several years ago; to Papua, where Christians and animists square off with Muslims in a battle for a “Christian island in a Muslim nation”, religious tensions have the potential to seriously set back development efforts in Indonesia.
Prisons, universities, and pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools) are particularly vulnerable to radicalization. Extremist recruiters trigger young people’s disdain for the government and the West and build on that resentment to promote their values, packaged as the only authentic Islamic discourse.
Although the problems seem daunting, many groups are already working on solutions.
Numerous Indonesian civil society organizations are working to promote religious tolerance, pluralism and understanding through education, media, and public awareness activities in the most vulnerable areas in Indonesia. This includes curricular programming in pesantrens and universities to educate students, scholars, journalists, and religious leaders about the compatibility of Islam with human rights and religious pluralism.
The government is also working in some of the thorniest places to combat radicalism. For instance, the Indonesian Corrections Department has initiated innovative projects aimed at countering and preventing radicalization in prisons, through a combination of theological and conflict management training for administrators, guards and inmates.
With anecdotal evidence of tens of thousands of youth engaging in “self-radicalization” on the internet – hits on radical websites are skyrocketing in Indonesia – it is critically important for Indonesia’s next president to prevent extremism from taking root by supporting innovative media and grass-roots dialogue initiatives aimed at national reconciliation and violence reduction.
The international community can further help offset the rising tide of radicalism. Development assistance, technical support to Indonesia’s nascent media – the fourth pillar of democracy -, cross-cultural study and exchanges and long term peacebuilding support is much needed in conflict-affected areas, to bring together disparate communities and heal the wounds from years of violence.
Taken as a whole, these initiatives will help Indonesia realize its full potential as a modern, pluralistic society.
All indications suggest that the incumbent president will do well in July’s polls, mirroring the notable performance of his Democratic Party in April’s remarkably peaceful legislative elections. Whoever wins, however, the next administration must be more forceful in standing up to religious extremism and violence, in all its forms, and will need the support of Indonesia’s civil society in meeting these challenges.
During her visit to Jakarta in February of this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that “if you want to know if Islam, democracy, modernity and women’s rights can coexist, go to Indonesia”. She is right to highlight Indonesia as an example for the Muslim world. But now is not the time for complacency.
Brian D. Hanley is the Country Director of Search for Common Ground in Indonesia, an international peacebuilding NGO. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews). It can also be seen in the On Faith section of the Washington Post.
Read the full edition of this week’s Common Ground News Service.
