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| Monday, 7 July 2003 |
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Features | |
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Six salient principles to strengthen peace by Varatha Shanmuganathan One year has lapsed since the ceasefire has been declared in our motherland, Sri Lanka. Many more years have to pass before the Sri Lankan peace structure can be built properly and firmly. Peace is an abstract process or can even be called an event. It is something which we can feel but not see or touch. Still there is no harm in visualising it in the form of an edifice, a monument or a place of worship which has a concrete structure. To strengthen that structure the following principles could serve as its pillars: * Affirming and protecting children's human rights * Showing respect for one another's culture * Encouraging tri-lingualism * Continued abstinence from violence * Reconciliation and rehabilitation * Adoption of functional democracy The first and foremost and the most important of all these principles is the affirmation and protection of children's human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) has not assigned a separate section or article for children's rights but Article 16-3 mentions, "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state." So, together with the family unit the children are entitled to protection. Article 25 mentions that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family. This includes food, clothing, housing and medical care. Article 26 clearly states that everyone has the right to education and it shall be free at least in elementary and fundamental stages. These Articles do affirm that children have the right food, clothing, shelter and education.
Violation of human rights occurs while wars are fought. Not only men, women and children but also human rights are casualties in wars. In times of peace a re-thinking and renovation should take place. The tenets of the UN Charter of Human Rights relevant to children's welfare should be reclaimed and practised. The quarter century war in Sri Lanka affected the children in the war-torn areas more than in any other parts of the country. The peace builders have a sacred duty to look into the future welfare of these children who have been denied the basic needs of human beings. The undernourished, impoverished, educationless children have to be cared for by the society and the State. They should be given a peaceful and stable environment to live with their families without fear or want. Unless and until this right is restored to these children, the families living in and resettling in the villages and towns which were destroyed by the civil war will not have any chance of improving the physical, psychological and spiritual welfare of their children. Issues related to health, education, food, shelter and above all safety an security of these children are the major priorities. Those who monitor the protection of human rights of children have to be alert and advise those agencies responsible for protecting the children in the right direction. The children are helpless and powerless to protect their rights on their own. Secondly, Sri Lanka is a country which is multi-cultural, multi-religious and tri-lingual. This diversity has to be taken into account while peace building is in progress and each of these diverse groups should cultivate the habit of respecting one another's culture, religion and language as well. Different communities that populate the island have over time nurtured their own cultural traditions and customs together with their religious beliefs and observances. Before communal animosities took root the differences were seen as natural phenomena adding glamour, colour and "aroma" to Sri Lankans' lives. When the civil war erupted people started grouping themselves mainly along linguistic identities and or religious identities. The tensions of on-going war produced calamitous consequences. Respect was replaced by suspicion and disrespect. Communication and understanding collapsed. The spirit of vengeance sneaked into the hearts and minds of even some innocent souls. They started doubting whether they would ever taste peace again. Now, that doubt is cast away to some extent while the peace talks are progressing step by step even though stumbling blocks for finding real peace are looming before us day by day like black clouds that threaten to ravage the surroundings with hurricane, storm and irreparable damage. Peace is at hand because the opposing parties are bent on a political solution to the conflict, but lasting peace is on the horizon. So, what should Sri Lankans do to save peace and strengthen the structure of peace? They should accept the fact that our country has to survive in the midst of global upheavals and greed that are spreading fast around the surface of the earth. We are a diverse society. Our salvation lies not in finding divisions but in finding cohesion through respect for one another. Regaining the past experiences of co-operation and tolerance is an essential component of strengthening peace in this tiny island. Besides, it is essential to remind ourselves about the historical importance of the two languages i.e. Tamil and Sinhalese are spoken by the people of Sri Lanka. The third language, English, the most popular world language too has found a permanent place in the fabric of the Sri Lankan linguistic arena even though nearly half a century has passed since the country became independent. It is there to stay. So, we have to think not only of bi-lingual education but tri-lingual education as well. There should be ample opportunity provided for the people to foster greater understanding via the spread of all three languages. This will also help all the Sri Lankans irrespective of which community they belong to. Peaceful times will result in more people travelling for trade, pilgrimage, jobs and tourism to all parts of the country. Local people themselves have shown a great desire to visit all those places which were out of bounds during the war, whether the place is in the North or South, East or West. To forge peaceful links among the people and to give them an opportunity to communicate and function in the wider world, education should be geared towards bi-lingualism/tri-lingualism in the near future, if not immediately. The central and the local governments should endeavour to learn from countries that have given constitutional sanction for not two but three or more languages to be taught in their countries. The rewards to be reaped from such a policy are innumerable and this policy will guarantee many steps forward in the path of peace and building a strong structure of peace. To create an environment conducive to put in practice all the above three principles there should be continued absence of violence. Absence of violence will mean presence of peace. Where there is violence, there will be hatred and revenge. Violent wars have been proved to be futile. Even though wars are fought in the present time, the renunciation of violent wars in Sri Lanka is a sign of progress and forward thinking. This philosophy should penetrate into the hearts of all Sri Lankans including those in charge of governing and administering the country and those in the opposition. The return to violence in any form, covert or overt is not going to help the mainstream population. Those who were shattered and traumatised by the agonies of war are just heaving a sigh of relief. Smiles are back on their faces after years of tears and grief. A return to violence under any pretext will mean doomsday for the country as a whole and especially for the victims in particular. When all these principles go hand in hand there will be room for reconciliation and rehabilitation. The building of houses, schools, offices and places of worship alone will not bring peace. Real change comes from a change of heart. Overt efforts should be made to transcend political differences to find true reconciliation and genuine peace. This will get rid of suspicion towards one another and dishonest behaviour. Outlining these steps may be easy but putting these into practice will be difficult. The challenge must be taken with joy and faced without diffidence by all the sections of the Sri Lankan society. Reconciliation occurs only when equality of opportunity and equal treatment are enjoyed by both the majority and minority population alike. This sort of situation can only be envisaged in a true democracy which is "of the people, for the people and by the people". Sri Lankans are not new to a democratic system of government. But the model of the constitution was the thorny issue. It took half a century to realise that a change is necessary and that too after the loss of many precious lives. Let us wake up to find a solution that will last, that will strengthen peace and give satisfaction to all the constituent components of our society. The process may take many years of hard work by specialists in constitutional changes and creating new conditions. What our country needs is functional democracy. The demographic set-up of our country demands a satisfactory solution to the needs of not only the majority-minority divide but also those of the minority in the majority and minority amidst the minority. This might sound like a riddle. But ethnicity alone does not create problems for the smooth working of democracy in Sri Lanka. The equitable distribution of wealth and maintaining a common standard of living for all are major factors to save peace and democracy in Sri Lanka. When a new constitution is drafted the birth pangs on every side will be great and painful. The majority-minority, the minority in the majority, the minority in the minority psyche cannot be satisfied easily. Long-term research, flexibility and a policy of give and take are essential if a system of functional democracy is to take root in our country. The iron cast, two-thirds majority constitutional amendment procedures will ruin the hopes of the people who are thirsting for permanent peace after years of suffering and depravation. So, some sort of interim amicable settlement has to be reached to overcome the constitutional road block that is going to hinder the steady progress of the peace process. At every step the peace makers and the peace talkers should be thinking about not only the short-term problems but the long-term problems like this constitutional constriction. If all the above principles are woven into our country's peace process tapestry, the structure of peace in Sri Lanka will be strong and lasting. Also, Sri Lanka will bloom into a model country in the world in another quarter of a century if not earlier. The aspirations of all the citizens in the country too will be fulfilled. |
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