Civil Society As A Vital Peacemaker

Peace is an innate product of socialised human nature. It is essential to human beings’ need for their civilised life.  There is no other vital choice than peace at a time of conflict engulfing the whole world. The creation of favourable conditions of equal freedom, dignity and opportunity for all persons in a world of zero-sum politics and economics is a vital task of civil society. Civil society emerges from virtuous deeds and acts. Their impulse breeds democratic aspiration and serves the needy. Its civic disposition helps realise the positive nature of human will reconciling different worldviews, interests, attitudes and conduct, discovering common ground, easing the flow of communication, building solidarity and shaping shared interest to make human life peaceful.

In Nepal, civil society actors have hazy forms - NGOs, mothers' groups, human rights bodies, media associations, federations of functional groups, unions of labour and social movements struggling to realise unrealised rights of people. Religious groups, community organisations, citizen committees, peace workers and the business community also animate worthy initiatives. They open a new path to human relations. As norm entrepreneurs, they seek to put a tab on the selfish human nature that amplifies violence and glows the fire of fanatic forces. 

Rational nature

Proper education, culture, democracy, human rights and justice can expose Nepalis to rational nature and get rid of society’s vices. Awareness building of Nepali civil society and their critical views about issues, solution-oriented approach, non-violent communication, relief and charity works refresh the existing condition of life. Their democratic yearning has nourished a public sphere of interacting Nepalis where the voices of conflict victims are heard and creative ideas furnished for shaping public policy thus customising rival interests and freeing people from their unfair condition.

Nepal has treasured its civic norms, values and traditions to bridge the gulf between ordinary people and the state and cultivated the art of association, learning, culture and rituals of spirituality. Its civic virtues of paropakar, non-killing of asylum-seekers, donation to the poor and charity works for the widows, elders, helpless and disabled, etc. reflect alluring public spirit. The educated Nepalis have supported the struggle of women, Dalits and the marginalised for the removal of social prejudices such as slavery, the sati system, social discrimination, etc. and eradication of injustice.  Many of them upheld the duty to build a movement against conflict-producing causes like poverty, inequality, prejudice, violence, irrationality and rights abuse to restore positive peace.  

Nepali civil society groups have played worthy roles in early warning of violent conflict, conflict prevention, communication, ceasefire, rescuing the kidnapped, highlighting the cost of conflict by mobilising public opinion and easing the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006. Their mediating orientation to various actors assumed public responsibility with the ethos of repentance and reconciliation. It opened entry points for development organisations to continue their works in relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation. In each conflict and post-conflict phase, they monitored human rights, not just civil and political rights but also the social, economic and cultural rights of Nepalis. 

The art of monitoring has boosted the efficacy of civil society in delivering correct information about rights abuse, detention of innocent people, extra-judicial torture and protection of those at risk.  Even now, they are engaged in peace education and rights advocacy to induce social change thus opening the governance to reforms. Cross-religious rallies, bonding trust of businessmen and workers and professional solidarity for peace added leverage to their muscle in social change.  To induce peace with self requires social learning of multi-track actors, their expectations, intentions and attitudes. 

Nepal’s pyramidal hierarchy of caste, class, gender, urban-rural, core-periphery, etc. has skewed the distribution of power, resources, identities and media attention thus breeding the causes of conflict.  The indicators of peace based on justice can provide the weaker ones reasonable hope and opportunity to adjust to changing power relations. Nepali civil society groups have learned some vital lessons from the peace process: First, the will of the top party leaders can halt conflict but in no way their lure with power can build a shared understanding of the peace. They believe that the conclusion of transitional justice requires high leverage pressure of conflict victims, civil society and the international community. 

Second, addressing conflict before it escalates can cut the cost of mitigation.  Nepali civil society groups have sought to roll back conflict in time. They have shown their swelling costs but lacked the critical muscle for the financial transparency of high-leverage actors in the peace process. Third, the works of civil society proved that community-driven meditation is better disposed to create peace than a top-down process driven by power equations. People are tied by shared values and interests and have a common stake in local peace. Senior citizens had played reconciliatory roles in the periphery. Fourth, as conflict actors of society multiply, various scales of civil society are required to respond to the diverse needs of people including those who are not a party of the peace accord. 

Reconciliation

And finally, civil society forces deemed reconciliation and peace dividends as a precondition to a lasting peace. This means the Nepali state and civil society have yet to take care of the wounded, disqualified combatants, unemployed and traumatised. They can do so if their real motivation and flow of funds remain healthy. One successful example is illustrated by Nepali women. They have built coalitions to exert pressure for their participation in the peace accord, constitution drafting and representation in various scales of governance. The other is integrating gender as an integral part of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all policies and programmes of the government including security and peace.  

The third is gender budgeting. These successes are the product of their persistent struggle. Nepali civil society is making peace by partnering their initiative with the global, national and local actors and giving people ownership of the programme, providing resources, technical skills and participation opportunities. Real peace can be built from the grassroots level, enabling local people to craft its infrastructures, regulate its rhythm, conclude transitional justice and uproot conflict-producing causes.

(Tara Dahal holds an MA in Peace and Conflict from Otto-Von Guericke University, Germany)