By Samuel Wollenberg, MGA Candidate, Munk School of Global Affairs & Mosaic Institute 2014 Intern
On exactly what marker in the field of peace building I will place my chips is a thought that has both tormented and driven me for many years. I have devoted much of my academic life to the study of peace building strategies, always hoping to find the most effective ways to end violent conflict in a sustainable fashion. Even as I have always understood that the quest for peace is highly contextual, I have wondered for many years what my role could be as a person who believes that peace is a fundamental pursuit.
At first, government seemed like the best place for me to contribute to conflict resolution. However, the bureaucracy and politics of many governments discouraged me from pursuing that route at the time. How about the life of an NGO field worker that immerses themselves in conflict-zones and refugee camps to bring basic necessities to those in need when conflict erupts? But no, while this work is essential, it would not allow me to address the systemic issues of conflict, signalling an inevitable disenchantment. Policy analysis! That's it! Providing governments, NGO's and international organizations with soundly researched and factually irrefutable policies will undoubtedly change their minds and practices, I thought. But how would I ensure these policies have a tangible impact and not simply sit on a desk collecting dust?
These questions drove me to focus my undergraduate thesis on the ways in which modern military approaches often fail in achieving sustainable peace and motivated me to pursue graduate studies the Munk School of Global Affairs. Most recently, my desire to find answers to my many questions led me to a summer internship with The Mosaic Institute, an organization that conducts research and delivers community programs to engage Canadians from diaspora communities in the promotion of peace and social cohesion. This experience allowed me to step back from academic analysis and focus on the individuals impacted by these conflicts; in this case, on Canadians from diaspora communities connected to conflict abroad.
My pursuits over this past year have begun to slowly peel away the layers of my internal debate and reveal to me that the solution largely resides in the question itself. A holistic approach to conflict management that involves government, NGOs, researchers,the private sector, and local actors is the only way to achieve sustainable peace and effective post-conflict development.
I am certainly not alone in this realization. An increasing wave of military generals, security experts and policy advisors are noting this necessary change in practices. Stephen Hadley, former United States National Security Advisor under President George W. Bush, notes in this
interview that militaries are not best suited for peace building and that civilian initiatives, aided by the ever-increasing access to technology, have a lot to contribute . These approaches are imperative to successful conflict resolution.
In the August, 2014
edition of Harpers Magazine, U.S. Army General Daniel Bolger admits complete failure in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This was largely due to misguided and ideologically driven notions that long-term military campaigns will bring lasting peace, despite next to no comprehension of on the ground cultural dynamics. Academic Adan E. Suazo, in
challenging conventional peace and conflict paradigms, purports that "any peace initiative must also include non-combatant groups as "peace processes seek overarching social and political changes, which need to be agreed-upon by individuals and groups other than warring parties."
A demonstrable shift in the field of conflict management is certain. Public and private sectors, militaries and NGO's, and aid workers and policy analysts, who for so long worked parallel to each other, are beginning to wake up to the very real potential that lies in cross-sector cooperation.
So, while I will continue to remind myself of the inadequacies evident in whatever approach to peace building I am currently employing, at least now I will begin to see the greater ecosystem to which I am contributing and try to shift the collective approach into more effective strategies. An easy task, no doubt.
Follow Sam on Twitter @samwollenberg
Young Peace Perspectives is a platform to present the experiences of young people in Canada working for peace, both in their communities and abroad. Young Peace Perspectives is produced by the Mosaic Institute.
Edited by Lorenzo Vargas (@LorenzoVargasM)
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