A faith in reconciliation towards peace

Tomoki YamanakaSIT Graduate Institute, Vermont, USA

Dialogue on reconciliation

• What is your understanding of reconciliation?

• In what ways, could reconciliation maximize efforts of peacebuilding?

• Are there timelines or formulas for social workers to implement reconciliation activities in conflict?

As a point of departure

“Reconciliation is a sustained, ever-evolving process of self-reflective learning and relationship-building in which contested memories of the

divisive past, incompatible worldviews, and polarized identities become more tolerable and acceptable to one another” (Arai, 2016).

Looking at deeper patterns and rhythms of relationships

Cross-cultural reconciliation

“The past that lies before us” “Truth and Mercy have met together

Justice and Peace have kissed”

Psalms 85

Lord, you have been favorable to your land: you have brought back the captivity of Jacob.You have forgiven the iniquity of your people, you have covered all their sin. You have turned yourself from the fierceness of your anger.Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause your anger toward us to cease.Will you not revive us again: that your people may rejoice in you?Show us your mercy, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.Surely his salvation is near them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.Yes, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Ash-Shura: 42, Section 4

“Whatever you are given is nothing but a provision for the transitory life of this world, better and everlasting is the reward which Allah has for those who believe, put their trust in their Rabb (Lord, Allah), avoid major sins and shameful deeds, forgive even when they are angry; answer the call of their Rabb, establish Salah (prayer), conduct

their affairs with mutual consultation, spend out of the sustenance which We have given them, and when they are oppressed, help and defend themselves. The recompense for an injury is an injury proportionate to it; but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation,

he shall be rewarded by Allah; he does not like the wrongdoers. Those who take revenge when wronged cannot be blamed. The blameworthy are those who oppress their fellow men and conduct themselves with wickedness and injustice in the land. Those who endure with fortitude and forgive others, surely, exhibit great courage in

conducting their affairs”

Codependent origination/ the karma approach

From functional coexistence to reconciliation

Functional coexistence

Reconciliation

Time (decades to generations)

Illustration: Functional Coexistence

Sustained practice of pragmatic interaction

Existential nature of conflict, with mutual

denialAbsence of direct, physical violence

Functional coexistenc

e

Four histories and many futures

Orthodox History and Different History

Alternative History

Mediative History

VisibleEmpirical,

Factual

Invisible Hypothetical,

Counter factual

The links between development and reconciliation

Development Reconciliation

Unblock and Facilitate one

another

More social capital and trust.

Greater security and resilience to

threat

Greater capacity to pay compensation.

Expansion of cooperatives that promote practical

reconciliation

Macro-micro approaches

A bird’s eye-view A fish’s eye-view

A group exercise: social healing, reconciliation, and development in the Darga town, Althgama, Sri Lanka

• Over two years have passed since the violent conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in the Darga town. While the tensions calmed down in the area, community members still suffer from loss of properties, trust, and hopes for the future.

• From my personal communication with victims of the violent conflict in September 2016, some people lost their loved ones and others lost a part of their body. Many people still exhibit their grievances for the past incident.

Selected statistics on the conflict

• The deadliest anti-Muslim violence in recent years took place in the Darga town, Althgama in 2014. • After a small sectarian clash between Muslim youths and a Buddhist monk’s driver,

an anti-Muslim protest grew quickly. • Although anti-Muslim mob violence was escalating, the police did not intervene with

it. • Three Muslims and one Tamil were killed, 88 people were injured, and over 100

Muslim houses and properties were lost. • From my personal communication with those affected Muslims in the Darga town,

many properties of them were also looted and anti-Muslim violence was systematically organized as people put the national flag in front of their house to avoid mob violence.

Themes of the inquiry

• While I have been serving to enhance Buddhist-Muslim relationships in Beruwala and Althgama, where Muslims and Buddhists co-exist, but are quite separated along the community lines, I have had invaluable time to listen to the voice of both Muslims and Buddhists, from which themes of my inquiry have been found: • (1) impacts of the growing number of the Muslim population and

declining number of Buddhist population in Sri Lankan society, • (2) economic prosperity between Buddhists and Muslims. • (3) stigma towards different belief systems in Buddhism and Islam. • (4) political satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the recent governments.

Your assignment

• Sarvodaya is seeking your input as a community-based process of reconciliation and psychosocial healing that responds to violent history and emerging challenges.• While the initiative must be developed through partnership and

collaboration between Sarvodaya and community members in Althgama, you are invited to share your preliminary thoughts on designing a reconciliatory development initiative. • Be sure to incorporate relevant theories and practices so that your

proposal could be applied in the real world settings.