Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means
During the years there have been a lot of alternative peaceful solutions suggested for solving the crises in
- The centre of it all resides in shifting from military solutions to political and humanitarian solutions.
- U.S and its allies must admit that military attacks have only resulted in more violence, death, hate and destructions and not peace.
- U.S gives Iraqis a timetable for leaving
- Until then any forigen troops are under the United Nations General Assembly rule, they represent the UN.
- Start a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, get help from
- New democratic elections in 12 months.
- Iraqis rule
- Iraqis are offered the jobs in their country. Stop importing workforces from aboard when million of Iraqis are unemployed and all they want is to work.
- Political militias are forbidden.
- Foreign militias/mercenaries/private armies must leave
- The real Iraqi resistance must stop its military attacks on occupation troops and its allies.
- Put together the original Iraqi army. It will work as a good control mechanism on the streets in
- Under UNs Compensation Commission the
- Foreign troops must be accountable under Iraqi law. The immunity that Bremer gave them is not active any longer.
- Iraq becomes a member of the ICC
- All contracts and laws that have come up since the invasion must be stopped; it will be the next government to in full transparency to review them.
- All “foreign advisers” that have been appointed by the occupation are to leave
- All U.S. and other foreign military bases that have been built shall all be closed in 365 days. Thereafter it shall be open for Iraqis to move into. Iraqis who lost their home in this war.
- Parties must be based on political ideologies. Not race, not religion, not which foreign country that supports you.
- The current parties that have had political or economical support from a foreign country are allowed to participate in the elections coming up in 8-12 years. This will allow “free parties” to develop and “non free parties” to come back clean!
- Since the elections are in 12 months, then the first 6 months are for parties to formulate their political programs. Then we have 5 months for these political programs to be available to the Iraqi people and let the debate start! Month 12 there is election.
- Independent election monitors from the UN or even better from Amnesty International.
- Starting up peaceful dialogues with neighbouring countries to work on the longer perspective for peace in the area.
- Opening Amnesty International offices in every city and village in
Also start a campaign of having these seminars and training sessions in all political parties, parliament, army units, new Iraqi police stations, Iraqi schools and work places too!
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Starting an anti corruption campaign, here I believe
- Starting democracy and human rights courses on TV, radio, newspapers and Internet. Here I suggest
All this can be accomplished and these suggestions work from grass root levels and up and that is what is needed if we want any country to succeed! Its clear from the last years military actions that change is needed, these suggestions are some steps towards that, they can develop and become even better too. We have to start somewhere...
For the whole world here are suggestions too:
- Encourage Peace journalism.
- People starts seriously using peacfull means when solving conflicts and problems.
- People starts seriously working on the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- People starts seriously using alternatives to oil. No more repression, domination and wars for oil or gas.
- People starts seriously using sustainable methods when using water recourses. Let’s learn from half a centry disastrous oil conflicts and avoid future wars for water.
- Air pollution, water shortage, water pollution and loss of biodiversity are all global problems. By changes in our daily behaviour we can save our planet. Becoming a vegan or vegetarian is a good step too.
- Stop big corporation who put themselvs above national and international laws and by it increase conflicts.
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Demand that Israel's and the Palestinian's state leagal borders are the ones from 1948. Both have to respect this.
- Why not close down all U.S. military bases in the world! Let the money that has gone to the military and Pentagon instead go to U.S people's universal health care, better schools for U.S kids, getting rid of AIPAC and investing in a national and global education on solving conflicts by peacefull means instead! Does anyone have a current list/map of U.S. military bases in the world?
- Join the disarment groups. The weapon industry’s only function is to produce products whose only purpose is to kill other human beings. Join disarment groups to get rid of the weapon industry.
Other suggestions are welcomed. So are your views how to improve/change the ones I have written with arguments.
Other solutions from Blogger Diablo can be read here (a must read)!
posted by Nadia @ 4:50 pm
13 comments
13 Comments:
Are you for real?? Do you really think the US or the US-ruled UN would even consider such a charter of demands... and do you actually think the sack of Iraq was carried out to establish peace and democracy there? I am surprised by your naivete because up until this post you seemed to have a grasp of what was happening in Iraq. What is happening is that a bully nation has a free reign over the entire planet because 'concerned' people like youself know no better...
Your point # 3 though I must say is an apt summary of what the US really wants--to give Iraqis a timetable for leaving Iraq within 365 days!
Maharajadhiraj what are your solutions to the conflict in Iraq and the world?
For starters realising that history has a way of repeating itself... for example the very Allies who in the name of humanity and all that's good in it fought the world-hungry Nazis did in a few decades themselves become the perpetrators of the worst kind of world domination tactics. Today being THE only superpower left in the world the US is acting in ways that are no different than what Germany was doing ahead of WWII. American national security imperatives are no different from that of the 19th century colonisers or before them world empires like the Roman, Persian and Greek... which is to pulversise nations that so much as to even dare think about non-submission.
What peaceful alternatives do you think the US or its glove-puppet, the UN, will provide given this back story.
I think it is time for a hard-hitting PEOPLE's movement across the world, because governments as we have seen in the past get co-opted in UN-sponsored realpolitik and carrot-and-stick diplomacy. When I say hard-hitting I don't mean an armed rebellion but a rebellion of THOUGHT... much like what Gandhi did in India....
So maharajadhiraj please read my post once again. You will see that I have given actual ideas how to come up with this "rebellion of thought" that you suggested.
* Opening Amnesty International offices in every city and village in Iraq. Opening offices for well established international peace organisations in every city in Iraq. Letting these hold seminars, training sessions, and workshops on topics of human rights, solving conflicts thru non violence and working on the empowerment of civil society groups that are found in Iraq and establish more.
Also start a campaign of having these seminars and training sessions in all political parties, parliament, army units, new Iraqi police stations, Iraqi schools and work places too!
* Starting an anti corruption campaign, here I believe Finland can lend a helping hand.
* Starting democracy and human rights courses on TV, radio, newspapers and Internet. Here I suggest Switzerland to be the country to lend a hand!
* People starts seriously using peacfull means when solving conflicts and problems.
* Encourage Peace journalism.
And the below are actions so that the U.S and other nations whos current way of life depends on oil must change.
* People starts seriously using alternatives to oil. No more repression, domination and wars for oil or gas.
And this is a suggestion for solving current and future water resourses problems.
* People starts seriously using sustainable methods when using water recourses. Let’s learn from half a centry disastrous oil conflicts and avoid future wars for water.
So I have given suggestions to practical things that can be done.
How do you see the practical work taking place for
"I think it is time for a hard-hitting PEOPLE's movement across the world,"?
You know since this American repression started words like DEMOCRACY, EMPOWERMENT, HUMAN RIGHTS, CORRUPTION and CONFLICT have taken on a very negative colouring... especially in the third world. Because these are methods and words used by the west to JUDGE poor countries. IF you may recall one of the charges against the Saddam regime were human rights abuse (which may have well been the case) but look at who the judge is... America and the Allies are just as much guilty of these genocidal tendencies... so who're they to throw the first stone.
Ask anyone in the third world he'd tell you that America has no moral backbone to use these words against lesser regimes mainly because of its own track record in these matters. You talk about corruption... just look the Bush election and the whole WMDs lies that they told their people, human rights: look at Abu Ghraib. Empowerment: think about this that America has NOT chosen a woman president or a black one in its entire history. They had just ONE catholic president and that was also long ago.
So it is really not fair to tell people who have had a direct taste of American hegemony that their redemption lies in the same institutions that America is supposed to live by.
What needs to be done is a reinterpretation of these ideas in the grammar of the third world.
I for one would be wary if some human rights organisation headquartered in west comes to me and says here is a cure for all your problems. Because at the end of this helping hand is attached an establishment that is ultimately in the hands of my repressers.
Your suggestions are noble but what they don't include is the local ethos and way of thinking. A people's movement, especially one that is going against the establishment, cannot in my book take on the methods of the establishment, simply because the establishment is very familiar with them and it will in no time quash such a resistance.
Again going back to Mahatma Gandhi, he took on a method of non-violent 'civil disobedience' because it was something that the British empire had no way of dealing with. They could deal with guns and anarchy but this was something before which their weapons were powerless. And it also connected at a very deep level with the Indian mind that believes that all life is sacred and no one has the right to take it.
God Morning Maharajadhiraj!
“You know since this American repression started words like DEMOCRACY, EMPOWERMENT, HUMAN RIGHTS, CORRUPTION and CONFLICT have taken on a very negative colouring... especially in the third world. Because these are methods and words used by the west to JUDGE poor countries. IF you may recall one of the charges against the Saddam regime were human rights abuse (which may have well been the case) but look at who the judge is... America and the Allies are just as much guilty of these genocidal tendencies... so who're they to throw the first stone.”
Agree.
”Ask anyone in the third world he'd tell you that America has no moral backbone to use these words against lesser regimes mainly because of its own track record in these matters.”
Agree.
“You talk about corruption... just look the Bush election and the whole WMDs lies that they told their people, human rights: look at Abu Ghraib. Empowerment: think about this that America has NOT chosen a woman president or a black one in its entire history. They had just ONE catholic president and that was also long ago. “
Yes I talk about corruption because the corruption that is found in Iraq these days is in a stage where nothing can be done without it interfering. That is unacceptable. So why I think Finland could help here is because the last time I read about fighting corruption Finland was on the top list of countries will little corruption. Lending a hand for improving Iraq authorities to the level of Finland is what I am aiming at!
”So it is really not fair to tell people who have had a direct taste of American hegemony that their redemption lies in the same institutions that America is supposed to live by. “
I don’t understand you here, what are you are referring to? If it is corruption well then for me corruption is a global problem, its not attached to a country, race or religion. Since U.S. invasion corruption has sky rocketed in Iraq. In Finland corruption is very little, so for me its common sense to turn to Finland for tips and ideas. Had it been Malaysia that was on the top list then I would have suggested us to turn to Malaysia for tips and ideas. : )
“What needs to be done is a reinterpretation of these ideas in the grammar of the third world."
Please tell me more, this sounds very interersting!
"I for one would be wary if some human rights organisation headquartered in west comes to me and says here is a cure for all your problems. Because at the end of this helping hand is attached an establishment that is ultimately in the hands of my repressers. “
Fully agree. That is why I am suggesting well established international organisations. And also emphasised on the importance of working on the empowerment of civil society groups that are found in Iraq already and establish more. These are organisations and groups that are run by Iraqis.
“Your suggestions are noble but what they don't include is the local ethos and way of thinking.”
Not sure what you mean here either. I have Iraqi roots and have lived in Iraq many years.
And I can assure you that Iraqis are just as any other people on this planet each individual has his own ideas and views based on their own life experience. They are not to be lumped into a “the local ethos and way of thinking”.
“A people's movement, especially one that is going against the establishment, cannot in my book take on the methods of the establishment, simply because the establishment is very familiar with them and it will in no time quash such a resistance.”
Interesting! You sound like the thoughts I have about stopping the weapon Industry in Sweden and the world. : )
“Again going back to Mahatma Gandhi, he took on a method of non-violent 'civil disobedience' because it was something that the British empire had no way of dealing with. They could deal with guns and anarchy but this was something before which their weapons were powerless.”
My suggestions included
“solving conflicts thru non violence”
“Encourage Peace journalism”
“People starts seriously using peaceful means when solving conflicts and problems” with links to TRANSCEND (a peace and development network).
So I honelsty hope the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi is there!
“And it also connected at a very deep level with the Indian mind that believes that all life is sacred and no one has the right to take it.”
Many Indians believe this indeed! However as any other people, Indians too have people who under some circumstances turn to violence; 1984 anti-sikh riots after Indira got killed is just one example.
- Nadia
Just another thing why I suggested Switzerland to be the country to lend a helping hand in starting up democracy courses on TV, radio, newspapers and Internet is because of the referendum tradition in that country.
I want Iraqis to have referendums! It’s a constant reminder that the power is with the people and that the governments work for them.
A must read:
War or Peace?
By Faiza Al-Arji
http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com/2007_02_25_archive.html#3187705199691821954
Very good suggestion of what has to be done too!
The parts I understood, I agree with completely, though alot of your plan was way over my head, probably because I live in the US.
If only they would shut down even a few military bases! We could use the money to improve the education in the inner cities, or throw some extra money into Social Security so my generation won't all be in debt when the baby- boomers retire. Or actually do something benificial for the environment for a change.
Unfortuinately, there will be people who argue that we need the bases to maintain security, or "make the world safe for democracy" or something. Really we "need" to make the world safe for US imperialism :(
Today someone told me there are 738 U.S. military bases in the world. My suggestion is kick them out of your countries.
I liked what you suggested. But you don’t mention that the Iraqis, who resulted in the civil war, should be punished.
Some of your suggestions are dreamy. I do hope we can work on them, but they just don’t match Iraq.
Our problems is that our future depends on old politicians, who just want to take revenge. No one is thinking about us. We need our generation to take over soon. We lived four wars, with no time to rest. We know what we want and we know what the next generations don’t want. Enough of those 60 plus-year-olds. They haven’t been working. We need to take over.
"I liked what you suggested. But you don’t mention that the Iraqis, who resulted in the civil war, should be punished."
Hi 24! I see that my points might not be so clear on that point. For me these Iraqis punishment is included under:
>Iraq becomes a member of the ICC (here is where they should be punished, until we have a functioning system at place)
> Start a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (here the perpetrators are identified and then face the ICC until a local system is up and running)
”Our problems is that our future depends on old politicians, who just want to take revenge. No one is thinking about us. We need our generation to take over soon. We lived four wars, with no time to rest. We know what we want and we know what the next generations don’t want. Enough of those 60 plus-year-olds. They haven’t been working. We need to take over.”
Absolutely fully agree!!! :)
I know a lot of people argue that only military attacks, incarceration of masses and disregard of human rights will work. My thought goes directly to Saddam because that is how he ruled Iraq. What he saw as a threat to Iraq’s stability he saw to it that it was crushed by a military attack, imprisonment or killing and torture. I don’t believe that sort of “stability” is sustainable.
It also brings my thoughts to Sweden and many other countries. People do live here in peace because traditional law and order is used. When we step outside these boundaries that is when trouble and instability happen.
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