Without preparing recipient community if we send ex-combatants and child soldiers to the society it will be a counterproductive for the ongoing peace process. Nepal's peace process is in the right direction both slow and steady.. Releasing disqualified ex-combatants from cantonments is a positive step for lingering Nepalese peace process which is started from January 7, 2010. Our community is politically indoctrinated, exposed to severe violence, dehumanized, mentally and socially divided into many fractions in the name of ideology, caste, class, region, sex, religion and so on. In this social reality the released combatants and children must have to face vicarious challenges. These children and ex-combatants are not losers but they deserve equal respect in their recipient society as other people but this is going to be a nightmare if both communities are not well prepared for social reintegration. In the absence of welcoming environment in the recipient community the children and combatants will again join violent activities and therefore it can be counterproductive for our peace process. In every step these people have to face with bias, prejudice, exclusion, suspicion, mistrust, apathy, blaming, and coining as a symbol of violence in society.
The Maoist and the government failed to reach in consensus on the package to be provided for the released combatants. So in the discharge process, the government is not very much included, so apparently, this process is now leading by UN Agencies by offering various packages like education (formal and non-formal by UNICEF), vocational skill and small starter support, and also support for foreign employment by UNDP, and Health Worker's training by UNFPA. Besides this the discharged combatants are receiving 22,000 (twenty two thousand rupees) for transportation and initial living cost. It clearly shows that there is no any package to prepare community and the released combatants in the new context.
On the other hand, the community people who are suffered from overt violence since 15 years are still living in miserable circumstances. They are still living with the feeling of insecurity, fear, rejection and stigma against combatants including security forces. This community is not properly oriented about the importance of reintegration and reconciliation in sustainable peace. Government, through international support, is providing various packages to the combatants to make their life easier and better after coming back to the society. While providing packages, the government should not forget that the released combatants should not feel shame, or dishonor from this process and similarly other armed groups who are also demanding similar process should not motivate to be organized in another armed group so that they can claim similar kind of benefit from government later. This is a great dilemma for every reintegration process in other countries as well. So far, the package is concerned there should be a good education package which help these indoctrinated people to unlearn the past grievances, to protect them from joining another armed group, adapting violent means while demanding their rights.
“ .. . the only way to fight violence with non-violence is education.”
- Winners of Nobel Peace Prize in Le Monde (July 2, 1997)
Peace and conflict are two realities of a society and we can't imagine a society without conflict and peace. But some societies and countries are more peaceful than others is an interfacing reality of our world. People by birth are neither peaceful nor violent but they react as they learn from society. Education can be instrumental if we can strategically design curricular materials, instructional methodology and maintain integrity and trustworthiness during teaching learning processes. Learners can learn peace through family, media, games and sports, interacting with teachers, modern media, peers etc. If value of peace applied congruently through the skills of peace and practiced in all these domains definitely peace can be promoted in any society. In my view, peace is a process and also an outcome. So, if the process is peaceful, it is most likely to achieve its outcome in the form of intrapersonal, interpersonal, family, and societal peace.
Education is only the instrument that can transform combatants into the neutral and constructive citizens.
As defined by UNICEF Peace education is the process of promoting the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to bring about behavior changes that will enable children, youth and adults to prevent conflict and violence, both overt and structural; to resolve conflict peacefully, and to create the conditions conducive to peace, whether at an intrapersonal, interpersonal, inter-group, national or international level. Peace Education is a necessary but forgotten package for the released combatants.
Peace education can create conditions conducive to peace and promote resiliency skills among the released combatants and the recipient community. This is activity based program which can be practiced in everyday life. Peace education can help the recipient community and the released combatants to build their skills on tolerance, handling emotion, mediation and negotiation to mitigate disputes, empathy, cooperation and dealing with prejudice labeling, stereotype, bias and discriminations. It can help people value peace by learning the importance of tolerance, trust, respect, unity, coexistence, acceptance, mutual understanding and positive thinking. These conceptions are not just bunch of jargons but the valuable notions for promoting peace and harmony in society.
Peace Education can promote resiliency skills among ex-combatants and the recipient community. It also can enhance value of peace in society by providing opportunity to practice various activities. We need to provide opportunity to all these released combatants to enjoy the taste of peace by including them in peace education program. It is not too late, we can't build peace by repeating our mistakes so let's include peace and resiliency education program as a key component for released combatants and for the recipient communities. Let's think and act together to maintain peace and later we may get opportunity to sustain peace through our common action. Following due respect and recognition to their pride as ex-combatants, initiation and introduction to the alternatives of peace building can put them on track. The ‘Paradigm Shift’ starts in their minds the core of peace process.
-By: Raj Kumar Dhungana
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