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This Week in Peace #60: November 29

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
US President Joe Biden announces ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, screenshot from BBC video.

This week, a ceasefire begins for Israel and Lebanon, only for fighting to resume. Bishops cry out for peace in Haiti. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda take a step forward in the peace process.

A ceasefire begins for Israel and Lebanon, only for fighting to resume

A 60-day ceasefire took hold between Israel’s military and the Lebanese Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on November 27, only for fighting to resume the next day. The ceasefire initially allowed thousands of displaced residents of southern Lebanon to return to their homes, although the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents not to go towards villages that it had evacuated, or towards its forces in the area.

However, Israel carried out another airstrike on November 28, saying in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire. The IDF opened fire toward them.” While Lebanese state-run media said that it was civilians who were wounded, Israel said that the wounded were suspects who had violated the ceasefire’s terms.

The ceasefire came after 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with US president Joe Biden saying that it aims to permanently end hostilities. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called the ceasefire the “first ray of hope” after the “darkness of the past few months,” as quoted in The Guardian. 

According to a US senior administration official, Israeli forces must withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days, and Hezbollah forces are expected to retreat 25 from the Israel-Lebanon border, CNN reported. 

Meanwhile, Biden says that he will again push for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. Biden said on X, “Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power.” 

Bishops cry out for peace in Haiti

Amidst Haiti’s gang violence crisis, Bishops in the country are crying out for peace. The Haitian Catholic Bishops’ Conference released a statement urging people in powerful positions to bring safety back to Haiti. 

The statement said that there is “no real peace in the country,” and that Toussaint Louverture International Airport is closed, “cutting off Haiti from the rest of the world,” as quoted by the organization Aid to the Church in Need. 

The statement went on to call for the government, civil society members, and actors on all sides, whether armed or unarmed, to realize that the problem of violence must be resolved. 

Last week, a UN official called for funding for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti to be converted into a UN peacekeeping operation. Armed gangs have gained more and more territory, now controlling an estimated 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, he said. The humanitarian situation is “severe,” and 20,000 people fled gang violence in four days this month, he added. In September, the total number of people internally displaced in Haiti had been 700,000. To learn more, read here. 

DRC and Rwanda take a step forward in the peace process

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are taking a step forward in the peace process. The two countries signed a document crucial to advancing the peace process in DRC’s conflicted eastern region on November 25, with Angola’s mediation. A statement by Angola’s foreign ministry said the document aims to set terms by which Rwandan forces will disengage from the DRC. 

This news comes after last month, DRC’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of creating barriers to peace talks with M23 rebels. Wagner said Congo had drawn up a plan for its side of the deal, but accused Rwanda of offering only a promise of withdrawal “with no guarantees or concrete details,” Reuters reported. 

Both M23 rebels and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have committed grave war crimes and violations of international law, including unlawful killings and sexual violence. DRC’s crisis has left over 7 million people internally displaced, accounting for 10 percent of the world’s internally displaced people (IDPs). This follows a number of failed peace efforts between the DRC government and M23 rebels. To learn more about the human suffering caused by this crisis, click here.

Zimbabwe Youth Inclusion and Participation Key to Election and Political Stability and Peace

By
Enock Ndawana
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Zimbabwe during the 2018 elections, screenshot from SABC News video.

Prior to 2013, youth in Zimbabwe were often employed as the foot soldiers of senior politicians and political parties in order to weaken their competitors through voter intimidation and politically motivated violence. 

Furthermore, many youth feel marginalized and believe that the dominant political parties are not interested in including them in the decision making and agenda-setting processes. The perception in the political sphere paints youth as naïve and too young and inexperienced. Youth, from this angle, are taken for granted and only viewed as supporters without any real input.

Over the last three general Zimbabwe elections, however, youth participation has changed and become more constructive. Youth have campaigned for peaceful elections, while participating in new and innovative ways. In particular, youth have partnered with civil society organisations and churches and used social media platforms to promote youth-oriented messages, sharing  voter information to mobilize other youth, especially in urban areas. This has gone a long way towards contributing to the generally peaceful environment experienced in recent elections. 

The increased participation and mobilization of youth has led to significant interest in elections, with 76% of those between 18-35 registered to vote in 2023, and 78% intending to vote, according to an Afrobarometer survey. With Zimbabwe’s youth currently constituting 67.7% of the country’s entire population, the prominence of their participation in electoral processes cannot be underestimated. Though the youth’s underrepresentation in parliament is still an issue, considering their large demographic representation, it is worth noting that there were improvements in the 2023 election when 35 young people were elected to the National Assembly, making up 12.5% of the allocation. This improvement was largely a result of a newly introduced youth quota. This is because out of the 35 youth legislators, 17 were openly elected while 10 and eight went through the youth and women’s quotas respectively. Before that, only five out of 260 parliamentarians were youth, representing 1.92% of the total.

Despite these recent successes, the youth continue facing several impediments encumbering them from fruitfully participating in electoral processes, with far-reaching negative implications for peace. This includes marginalisation, lack of resources, and a restrictive and harsh political environment. The more the youth remain without a voice in decision-making processes, the more they are alienated, exploited, and vulnerable to commit violence.

In this regard, Zimbabwean youth can work to build peace by not only turning out to vote in large numbers, but also effectively participating as candidates and taking action to prevent or respond to electoral violence. When the youth successfully participate in electoral processes beyond simply turning out to vote, the decision-making processes become inclusive, resulting in political parties’ election programmes, policy formulation, and implementation processes reflecting the needs and aspirations of young people. 

Can Creativity Foster Peace Amid Conflict? Lessons from Israeli Society

By
Yoav Kapshuk
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Hands of young designers during discussion of ideas, photo by Story Blocks.

The ongoing war in Israel/Palestine has brought to the fore the urgent need for effective reconciliation strategies. In recent years, various studies have been conducted on reconciliation strategies that related to the relationships between Jews and Palestinians. Many of them study the effect of reconciliation strategies on the attitude of Jewish Israelis towards Palestinian citizens of Israel. For example, one study explored the contribution of Israeli Jews intra group dialogue to the acceptance of the Palestinian narrative. A second examined a professional development program aimed at supporting Jewish civics teachers in their efforts to promote empathy among their students toward Israeli Arabs. In yet another study, it was found that for Jewish Israeli participants, dialogue with Palestinian Israelis increased the legitimacy of Palestinian narratives and trust toward Palestinians, while decreasing hatred, fear, and anger. 

In the challenging context of the ongoing war in Israel/Palestine, Future Problem Solving (FPS) programs, originally designed for K-12 education, are emerging as a promising tool in higher education. FPS programs are designed to prepare students for future uncertainties by enhancing their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. These programs encourage students to anticipate future challenges and develop creative solutions, fostering adaptability and forward-thinking, essential for reconciliation and peacebuilding. Research shows that creativity and problem-solving are closely connected, with creative processes being essential in future problem-solving programs. Creativity, often celebrated in the arts and innovation, might seem like an unlikely tool for conflict resolution. Yet, creativity can be a potent force in healing fractured societies. In a study on the potential impact of an FPS program on perceptions of creativity, findings were encouraging for peacebuilders.

The program  participants were required to address a contemporary challenge concerning the growing hostility between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and propose practical solutions. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data. The study included 432 Palestinian Israeli students, who were involved in various creative reconciliation programs focusing on future problem-based learning. The tools used for data collection included structured interviews and surveys designed to assess changes in attitudes, levels of empathy, and willingness to engage in dialogue before and after participation in the creative activities.

Participants in the program (the treatment group) reported increased awareness of future social issues and ways to solve them after the intervention. This finding was not observed in the control group. The students in the treatment group also reported perceiving themselves as more creative compared to before the intervention. This finding can be explained from the analysis of the interviews, in which the ability to think creatively, and to apply mental flexibility in creating solutions, was seen in the students’ ability to imagine problems in a future reality.

A key finding is the program’s contribution to Palestinian Israeli students’ willingness to reconcile with Israeli Jews. 

The empirical model showed that the creativity perception component was a key factor in both becoming more aware of future problems and finding ways to solve them and being willing to reconcile the other (Israeli Jews). 

This perception improved only among the treatment group at the end of the program compared to the beginning. To understand this finding in depth, qualitative data of the students who participated in the program was analyzed. From the analysis, it is possible to understand how the program contributed to the students’ sense of creativity. According to the participants’ own words, the program developed a sense of creativity through examining social problems from different perspectives. Furthermore, the use of imagination processes as a component of creative thinking led to mental flexibility regarding the perception of the students’ current situation as citizens of the country, and to a change needed to improve their lives.

Due to the centrality of the concept of creativity component in the empirical model, and the emphasis that emerged from the interviews of the participants in the program regarding this component, our recommendation is to promote programs that develop future thinking in relation to social issues in order to promote innovation and creativity among the learners. The practice proposed in this study may contribute to this because for the purpose of solving a future problem, it is not possible to rely on familiar solutions, but new thinking is required on central ideas, customs, and values ​​in order to change them and adapt to changing circumstances. This innovative learning requires skills that go beyond the known and familiar, while establishing a community of learners as a powerful tool to accelerate the development of innovation. The implementation of these programs in social contexts may yield a double profit: Increasing the creativity of the learners as part of developing thinking skills, and developing more positive images regarding the other group and the possibility to reconcile with the other group in the future.

The insights in this essay are based on the articles Promoting perceived creativity and innovative behavior: Benefits of future problem-solving programs for higher education students and “The Role of Creativity as a Mediating Variable for Reconciliation. The author of this essay is a contributor in these articles.

This Week in Peace #59: November 22

By
Tara Abhasakun
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Matthew Miller, spokesperson for US State Department, explains why US vetoed ceasefire resolution, screenshot from Reuters video.

This week, the US vetoes ceasefire resolution for Israel and Gaza. Russia vetoes ceasefire resolution for Sudan. UN official calls for funding to convert Haiti security mission into peacekeeping mission.

US vetoes ceasefire resolution for Israel and Gaza

The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The US was the only country in the 15-member council to vote against the resolution, with the other 14 voting in favor of it. 

The resolution had called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” however, Deputy US ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said that it did not include a link between a ceasefire and the release of hostages. He added that the text of the resolution would have sent a “dangerous message” to Hamas, that it did not need to return to negotiations.

French ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said the resolution said the resolution “very firmly” required a hostage release, Reuters reported. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said that the resolution does not link the hostage release with the ceasefire, and that “…we cannot support a resolution that calls for an unconditional, immediate ceasefire, and de-links it from the release of hostages.”

The resolution was put forward by the council’s 10 elected members: Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

Since October 7, Israel’s operations in Gaza have killed nearly 44,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, as reported in Associated Press on November 21. On October 7, Hamas killed over 1,200 people, and abducted another 250. There are still around 100 hostages in Gaza, and it is believed that at least one third of them are dead.

Last week, Qatar said it would not mediate an Israel-Gaza ceasefire until both sides showed “good faith.”

Russia vetoes ceasefire resolution for Sudan

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution for Sudan on November 18. The resolution draft, proposed by the UK and Sierra Leone, demanded that both sides cease hostilities and begin talks with the goal of a national ceasefire. The draft also demanded that the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) respect past deals to protect civilians. Russia was the only country in the 15-member council to reject the draft. 

Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, has called the veto “shameful.” Chagutah said, “Amnesty International is deeply disappointed by this shameful veto. Once again, politics has stood in the way of civilian protection with the UNSC failing to fulfil its mandate…Sudan is the world’s largest displacement crisis. Facilitation of humanitarian assistance, as called for in the draft resolution, would have offered temporary relief to millions of internally displaced persons in urgent need of assistance.”

US and UK officials fiercely condemned Russia for the veto, with UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressing that Russia was blocking steps “to address the catastrophic situation in Sudan…” as quoted in BBC. Meanwhile, a diplomat anonymously told AFP that Russia had appeared to become “visibly more aligned” with General Burhan’s camp during negotiations over the draft.

Last week, it was reported that over 61,000 people had died in Sudan’s Khartoum state, a number much higher than previously believed. While 26,000 of these people were killed in violence, the leading cause of death across the country was preventable disease and starvation, BBC reported.

UN official calls for funding to convert Haiti security mission into peacekeeping mission

A UN official is calling for funding for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti to be converted into a UN peacekeeping operation. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said at a meeting that Haiti’s security situation is continuing to intensify, recalling Port-au-Prince’s international airport closed down after gang fire hit four commercial aircraft. 

Armed gangs have gained more and more territory, now controlling an estimated 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, he said. The humanitarian situation is “severe,” and 20,000 people fled gang violence in four days this month, he added. In September, the total number of people internally displaced in Haiti had been 700,000.

Jenca said that the Multinational Security Support mission, deployed in June, is unable to show its full potential with only 400 of the initially planned 2,500 personnel currently deployed. The UN Trust Fund for the Multinational Security Support mission has a pledged $96.8 million, however, Jenca said that much more is needed, and now. He urged member states to up their contributions. 

All representatives at the meeting expressed support for converting the mission, except for Russia and China, whose representatives said that Haiti needed more established peace in order to justify the mission, and that Haiti’s government’s request was invalid since its government was not elected, Reuters reported.

With the election over, how to prevent political violence?

By
Pablo Molina Asensi
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0
Photo via Deposit Photos.

A group of peacebuilding and conflict resolution researchers have highlighted the threat of political violence, proposing methods to address it.

Approval of political violence had risen over the past few years, said Lilliana Mason, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute. While in 2017 only 7 percent of Americans approved of political violence, as of 2022 15 percent of Americans did so. This represents 25 percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrats. Mason noted that the percentage of approval for political violence increases to around 60 percent among both Republicans and Democrats if the opposing party starts the violence. She singled out the endorsement of violence by political leaders as an important factor in driving political violence.

Mason said that another attack on the scale of the January 6 assault on the capitol is unlikely due to the level of expected security in Washington, D.C. in the run-up to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. However, she said there is reason to be concerned about activities by right-wing militias. The most serious problem, Mason argued, is not the small number of people willing to carry out political violence, but rather a society that increasingly tolerates it and fails to enforce norms against it.

Babak Bahador, an Associate Research Professor at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs and the Director of Peace News Network, said peacebuilders trying to leverage media often fail to appreciate complex media effects. As an example, he pointed to Alhurra, an Arabic-language broadcaster started by the Bush administration in 2004 to address the perceived anti-American bias in Arabic-language media, especially Al Jazeera. Al Hurra failed to find a large audience as it struggled with its competing missions as an independent news outlet and U.S. policy mouthpiece.

Across the world, political and economic exclusion is the most important driver of civil wars, said Bahador. He added that a preemptive approach towards political violence should include addressing this exclusion by reducing economic inequality.

As U.S. democracy has weakened, elections have become increasingly high-stakes and prone to political violence, said Katy Collin, an Assistant Teaching Professor at Georgetown University and the Director of Georgetown’s Master’s program in Conflict Resolution. This is driven by a perception among both liberals and conservatives that the other side represents an existential threat to their chances of ever holding power again: “If I don’t win this election, I may not have another opportunity to contest.”

She outlined differences between violence taking place before and during elections, which she said can affect polling and voting, and post-electoral violence. Collin said violence after elections can cause even more instability, induce doubts about the results, and open up opportunities for legitimate results to be challenged or overturned.

Jeff Helsing, a Research Associate Professor at the Carter School and the Executive Director of the peacebuilding research group Better Evidence Project, highlighted the potential of peacebuilding groups. He said that peacebuilding organizations can serve a constructive role in preventing electoral violence by opening up spaces for people to peacefully express their views.

A national, independent, and non-partisan election observation organism would help rebuild trust in U.S. elections, argued Collin. She compared this option to the current prevalence of poll watchers mostly associated with the two main political parties. Helsing pushed back against this proposal, saying that election observation at a local level represented an example of effective bipartisan cooperation and that the most effective peacebuilding projects start locally.

When the panel was opened up for questions, the participants were asked how more conservatives could be brought into the depolarization field. Mason said that many Republican elected officials disagree with the politics of Trump’s “America First” movement and could be effective partners, but that they are reluctant to speak out due to the president-elect’s popularity with the Republican base. Isaac Saul, the journalist moderating the panel, said that conservatives could be approached on a case-by-case basis to build understanding on specific issues where confrontation is less pronounced.

The panel took place on October 9, before the U.S. presidential election, as part of Academics Bridging the Divide, a series of panels bringing together researchers focusing on peacebuilding, political violence, and polarization. The event was organized by Randy Lioz, a Master’s student at George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution. The panels were held at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.

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