March 15 & 16, 2007


Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle:
Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and Development


Conference Program / Participants & Bios / Presentations / Keynote Speaker / Full Conference Report


On March 15 and 16, 2007, Coexistence International (CI) and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life sponsored a two-day conference, Pieces of the Coexistence Puzzle: Democracy, Human Rights, Gender and Development, held on the Brandeis University campus and open to the public. The conference was presented in cooperation with the Programs in Sustainable International Development, the Department of Politics, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences, with support from the Martin Weiner Lecture Fund, all from Brandeis University.


The conference examined the relationships that exist between coexistence, democracy, human rights, gender, and development. Coexistence is defined as achieving peaceful, positive, and equal relationships between people. While each of these disciplines represents a distinct area of work, with particular frameworks and strategies, a shared commitment to peaceful, just, and sustainable societies drives each discipline's work forward. Resolving conflicts and creating lasting peace in divided societies requires the collaboration of specialists working in a variety of fields. These disciplines must interact and cooperate, or peacebuilding efforts risk falling short. Therefore, the conference sought to create a platform for exchanging ideas about the challenges and possibilities presented by a more integrated approach to peacebuilding.


During the conference, practitioners and scholars with a range of regional and thematic expertise reflected on conflict situations and coexistence initiatives from around the world, focusing on collaborative and complementary approaches. Participants also discussed the impact an integrated approach would have on the education and training of future coexistence practitioners, policymakers, and scholars.




KEYNOTE ADDRESS


The conference opened with a keynote address by Senator Mobina Jaffer of Canada, the former Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan. A leader committed to equality for women and the promotion of human rights, Senator Jaffer argued that true coexistence is only possible when basic human rights are fulfilled. To Senator Jaffer, living in peace despite differences requires that resources be shared and that more equal access opportunities be created for women, men, and children. Senator Jaffer also called on audience members to use the power of democracy to address the policies of their governments and to demand a more equal sharing of resources. Read her keynote address (coming soon) and view her accompanying presentation here.


Senator Jaffer's keynote address set the tone for the panel sessions on Friday, March 16, which revealed our practitioner-panelists' strong commitment to a more peaceful, just world, regardless of the language they use to describe their work. Panelists were forthright in their observations and in the questions and concerns they posed to conference participants.


THEMES AND QUESTIONS


Conference sessions were organized around five critical questions: 

  • What is the potential for a complementary approach to building sustainable peace?
  • What are the legacies of violent conflict in developing democratic societies?
  • In the aftermath of human rights abuses, what roles do judicial initiatives play in both strengthening and complicating coexistence?
  • How do principles of gender equality factor into post-conflict reconstruction?
  • Do our academic programs equip students with the knowledge, skills, and capacities to work in a holistic manner?

While each conference panel was unique in its focus, some consistent themes and questions emerged from the presentations and discussions that followed. These included:


Language and Definitions


Throughout the day it was clear that practitioners and scholars use different terms for the work they do. Talking about their work in pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict situations, a range of terms were employed, such as conflict resolution, conflict management, peacebuilding, and coexistence. Other participants described their efforts as focusing on democratization, justice and accountability, and development and gender. Despite the use of distinct language and approaches, the group shared a vision of a more peaceful and just world. The group recognized that to move in the direction of such a world, we need to educate future practitioners and policymakers in a more integrated way that also imparts a holistic lens.


Fields


Participants raised questions about what constitutes a field, and whether there is a coexistence of peacebuilding field. In this discussion, the terms coexistence and peacebuilding were used interchangeably. Most participants agreed that peacebuilding exists as a field, and that it is an area of work that goes beyond many of the defined fields that exist. Peacebuilding, like some other fields, has fluid boundaries since it is working towards a broad goal:  creating societies that are peaceful, just, and sustainable. This means that the efforts of a coexistence practitioner, a human rights practitioner, and an environmental conservationist all have an impact on the success, or lack of success, of the others who are working towards the same goal. To make these relationships productive and useful, conference participants agreed on the importance of reflecting on, and learning about, how these fields interact.


Those that were more skeptical about the coexistence or peacebuilding field argued that this work is a confluence of many things:  history, political science, and language. They believe it is premature and unnecessary to define these distinct areas of work and strategies as a field.


Challenges to Coexistence


In discussing coexistence in different countries (for example, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Uganda, and Iraq), panelists consistently highlighted some of the same challenges to achieving coexistence, or peaceful, positive relationships between people.  These challenges included:

  1. Attitudes:  Conflict and unequal relationships are often driven by fear or a quest for power. This includes the thinking that "my ideas must prevail over your ideas," or zero-sum thinking.
  2. Structures and Institutions:  National and foreign policy agendas that do not create incentives for promoting human security and development, as well as inefficient institutions, can harm efforts to achieve more peaceful, just, and sustainable societies.
  3. Historical and Cultural Context:  Religious, sectarian, racial, ethnic, nationalistic, and ideological differences can make people and groups feel afraid and isolated; so instead of moving closer, we move apart.
  4. Gaps in Access and Opportunities: Inequalities based on gender, economics, or race inhibit the possibility of achieving coexistence. A key message of many conference participants was that until there is increased economic justice, and more equal economic opportunities, coexistence cannot be achieved.


Ideas for Overcoming the Challenges to Coexistence


Throughout the conference, ideas surfaced about how to overcome some of the above-mentioned challenges, although they clearly do not represent the full breadth of possibilities. The most important ideas discussed included addressing gaps in access and opportunities. A critical way to address these gaps is by collaborating with other fields. In concrete terms:

  • This may mean using a gender lens and taking actions so that women no longer become disproportionately affected by violence.
  • This could mean involving more women in peace processes at the national and international governmental levels.
  • In the sphere of democracy and coexistence, infusing democracy-building work with more conflict sensitivity is also important, so that the process is participatory and inclusive.
  • Peacebuilding processes need to inform democratic development, so that people see democracy as a collaborative, tolerant system.
  • Thinking about how to bridge what is sometimes constructed as a peace or justice dichotomy, participants advocated for pursuing options that have the potential to both hold people accountable and help restore societies.


Another important conversation focused on the importance of prioritizing local knowledge, local experience, and local capacity in the quest for coexistence. Engaging national governments and exploring the strengths, strategies, and approaches of local communities is critical. Examples from the Sudan and El Salvador helped to make this case.


An entire panel at the conference focused on how developing knowledge and capacities through education and practice is a channel for improving coexistence. Programs and curriculums that balance the academic and the practical, and encourage students to think and act in a more complementary fashion are critical to establishing the building blocks for an integrated approach. Panelists also stressed the need to infuse coexistence curriculum into other academic programs so that students in public policy, sustainable development, conflict resolution, and other programs are familiar with the theories and models of coexistence - and vice-versa. A set of core competencies for the field has been developed, and many participants mentioned this is an important reference point for developing students' knowledge and capabilities.


NEXT STEPS


The conversations and ideas initiated at the March 15-16 conference did not end there. Coexistence International is currently preparing a publication with conference proceedings, which will also be available on this website. Check back in September 2007 for the publication. For more in-depth reading on this topic, visit the portion of CI's website dedicated to the theme of democracy and coexistence. Work on transitional justice and peacebuilding continues through a project in West Africa designed and implemented by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, in collaboration with CI. Coexistence International also plans to continue its analysis of the challenges of working across disciplines, which was difficult to achieve within the confines of a two-day conference, but needs to happen.


Coexistence International also continues to organize events and publish papers that promote a more complementary approach to peacebuilding, and we invite you to view the resources available on our website.