Conflict Prevention and Conflict Management
(January 30, 2005 – February 11, 2005)
By Atty. Tricia Clare A. Oco
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Atty. Tricia Clare A. Oco |
On January 30 to February 11, 2005 the Friedrich Nauman Foundation
(FNF) gave me the honor to represent my country, the Philippines,
in the seminar ‘Conflict Prevention and Conflict Management’ at
the International Academy for Leadership, Theodor-Heuss-Str. in
Gummersbach, Germany.
From the time of my original schedule to leave, my actual departure,
the seminar I attended and up to the time I came back to the Philippines,
I can describe all these events as challenging, an opportunity
for invaluable learning experience and forging of camaraderie
and friendships that concluded with or perhaps really began with
a ‘blast’.
Departure:
The first challenge I encountered was with the departure. I had
been informed to leave not later than January 30, 2005 when I
postponed my flight from its original schedule of January 29,
2005. My postponement was on the account that I was not able to
get my passport because the German Embassy in the Philippines
was closed for a week that I was scheduled to pick up my passport
as they were in the process of transferring to another location.
If I leave later than January 30 I would already miss many important
parts of the seminar and it would not be useful for me to attend.
Having organized seminars myself I knew this was true. I also
learned that the German Embassy will hopefully open on January
30 so I went there on that day not really knowing if I will be
able to push through. The German Embassy was indeed opened that
day but I learn that my passport was not with it anymore as the
Embassy had already sent the passport to my address through a
courier even before it closed for transfer. (This was a new process
since previously, a visa applicant or representative would be
required to pick up the passport directly from the Embassy). As
I did not receive the passport yet I was instructed to contact
the courier, who unfortunately could not locate my passport even
after several hours of all of us trying. Thereafter someone from
the Embassy called the attention of the Head Security who called
someone from the courier informing them of my situation and in
less than an hour the courier produced my passport. I then went
to the travel agency to pick up my ticket and proceeded to FNF
office for further instructions. It was already 15:30 and my flight
was at 20:30 so from FNF I went back to my place and did my final
packing and headed straight for the airport just in time. I knew
then that I have passed the first challenge.
Learnings and Camaraderie
Despite the fact that I arrived 2 days later than scheduled (the
whole trip including waiting at airport took total of less than
20 hours) I knew I would learn a lot and thus that was the next
challenge and the desired result during the seminar.
Twenty one (21) delegates from countries of South Africa, Egypt,
Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Argentina, Guatemala, Nicaragua,
Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Slovak Republic, Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Burma, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka attended the seminar. The facilitators were Dr Rudiger
V. Raichen and Dr. Rolf Freier. Dr. Raichen was kind enough to
instruct everyone to be very sweet to me being a late comer with
some catching up to do. And very sweet they were.
The seminar consisted of some inputs and extensive discussions
in small groups on assigned topics, totaling five different groupings
for the two weeks as well as presentation and extensive discussions
in plenary debate. The inputs provided the participants useful
information and insights on conflict management and prevention.
The group work sessions gave all of us a chance to flesh out the
topics and materials we discussed and analyzed. It was a very
interesting and rich learning experience especially as we exchanged
ideas and insights considering we all came from diverse cultural
backgrounds. New perspectives were shared and discussed.
Topics
The topics which I was able to attend starting February 1 were
the following:
- Towards conflict management: we discussed the civilization
of conflicts: and analyzed the differences in the 3 approaches
to conflict management which are conflict settlement, conflict
resolution and conflict transformation.
- Selected levels and instruments of conflict management:
in this topic we focused on the two approaches which are the
conflict resolution and conflict transformation. We discussed
techniques used in such approaches, in particular mediation
and arbitration such as the third party intervention. This was
followed by discussion on structural reforms and peace efforts.
The group assigned for this topic focused on role of dialogue
projects giving Azerbaijan and Armenia as an example. Later
on we discussed transforming cultural conflict and NGO activities
such as their roles in consultation, providing trainings, dialogue
and capacity building.
- The Centralilty and Primacy of the Political: in this
topic we focused on the Reforms of International Organizations
to become an effective mechanism for conflict management and
prevention. The group assigned for example proposed consensus
in decision making of state parties and elimination of veto
and providing of effective sanctions. This was followed by Nation
Building for stability and reliability. Burma was used as an
example for proposed measures in nation building. We then discussed
Political Reform towards Just Peace and Liberal Democracy. The
group who presented gave the most extensive presentation discussion
as it was assigned several reading materials. The final group
was on Economic Reform, which discussed the correlation of economic
freedom and its role in reducing internal conflict in countries
and its effect on promotion of peace.
- Conflict management practice: We were grouped according
to our regions and we did simulation activities where we played
the role of members of conflict management teams participating
in an important UN tender to resolve a protracted conflict between
regions or countries of our own choosing. The South America
group chose Haiti, the African group chose the Iraq conflict,
the Asian group chose the Kashmir dispute and the European group
chose the Kosovo conflict. This was the culminating topic and
the most interesting as we all integrated what we had learned
during the two week course and used our experiences in conflict
management in our work to resolve the issues and defend it before
the group who in turn gave their valuable insights.
The seminar was a chance for all of us for the deepening of our
knowledge and experiences in our work and it was also a chance
to break down social walls and communicate with one another and
later forge friendships and camaraderie.
The Video Presentation
During the seminar, we were able to watch the documentary video
on the Rwanda genocide and later discussed the conflict between
the Hutus and Tootsies. We also watched the Country Orange Walk,
which was an optional video presentation. This was about a group
of juveniles who came into conflict with the law and how the leader
was ‘cured and rehabilitated’ by the State. It was a movie full
of metaphors. We also watched the documentary video on concentration
camps in Germany as a prelude to our visit to the former concentration
camp Mittelbau-Dora.
The Excursion
- Bonn International Center for Conversion: the first excursion
was to Bonn to visit BICC, an independent, non-profit organization
committed to promoting peace and development. The representative
shared some of their projects in research, consultancy and trainings
for peace building, efforts for disarmament and conflict management.
They provided useful information and we as participants were
able to ask some questions and even disagree with certain facts
on research such as disagreements on country areas labeled with
conflict problems because there are different definition of
what it means by areas with conflict.
- The former concentration camp in Mittelbau-Dora was a forced
labour concentration camp established under Hitler’s regime
sometime in 1943. Workers who were mostly prisoners of war were
forced to build armaments and missiles for Nazi-Germany during
World War II. We toured the camps and the tunnels where they
worked and had a glimpse of the cruel and inhuman working conditions.
The visit on the former concentration camp in Mittelbau-Dora
was a moving and disturbing experience for all of us having
seen how war as a conflict could result in dehumanizing people.
- Berlin: Berlin, the capital of Germany and its biggest city
was the highlight of the excursion seminar. It was interesting
to see how changed the place is considering that just around
16 years ago, when it was divided from the rest of Germany.
We had the opportunity to see some of the agencies of the German
parliament, called Bundestag, and the German government that
moved from Bonn to Berlin. We visited the Ministry of Defense
where we were given information on government efforts through
this ministry for operations and international missions to promote
peace. We then proceeded to the Ministry of Economic Cooperation
where the representative gave a very informative and interesting
discussion on economic policies of the German government in
relation to peace and conflict management efforts even if he
was informed only shortly that the discussion should focus on
conflict issues. We also went to the Office of the Commissioner
Affairs where the representative gave some information on immigration
policies of the German Government.
We also had a visit at the Berghof Research Center for Conflict
Consultation where Dr. Oliver Wills was kind enough to spend his
Sunday morning with our group to discuss the topic on ‘Tasks and
objective of a conflict prevention and conflict solution center’.
Before the trip ended we visited the Historical Headquarters of
FDP; where Dr. Hoyer gave his talk.
Extra Treat
We had a glimpse of the festival called CARNIVAL in Gummersbach
when several representatives of different groups visited and performed
in Theodor-Heuss Academy. Even if the celebration was confined
within the walls of the academy, we enjoyed the festival immensely.
It was lively, full of people in fascinating costumes and there
were so much and merriment and good food.
In Berlin we also had an interesting City Tour to historical
sights such as the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg Gate. And many
thanks to Uwe Fishcher, one of the excellent interpreters from
Berlin, who offered to take us to an extra tour in other historical
places, such as Sans Souci which I find very striking and gave
us the remarkable account of the places.
Farewell
The seminar ended with a nice farewell dinner and thank you’s
and later everyone of us proceeded to the usual hang out place,
the gummersbar, where we had fun dancing the night away.
Coming Back:
I say that the seminar ended with a blast because when I arrived
on February 14, I was greeted with the news that 3 bombs just
exploded in several areas of my country a few minutes before I
landed. I was really amazed while I watched the commotion on the
bombed area on my way home as I started thinking about how we
had been talking about conflict management and transformation
in peaceful Gummersbach and now that the seminar has ended, I
will begin again my work in human rights and in particular my
organization’s efforts on peace advocacy, hopefully a bit wizened
not only by the discussion of the topic but most importantly by
the interaction and sharing of insights in and out of the seminar
room with new found friends from different parts of the world
during the Gummersbach experience.
