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Peace,
investment and gender issues:
In search of security for all
The
contrast between living the effects of a ceasefire and reality is quite
shocking. Far from living the effects of a 'peace culture,' murders and
violent incidents are committed every day. In the last 20 years because
of a long armed conflict, economic constraints and the rise of a
different breed of politicians, our people have being suffering the
consequences of a period of deterioration of human values, despite the
influence of Buddhism and the presence of other religions.
Suicide
rates are high in the country and violent crimes are part of
daily life. This violence that is corroding every cornerstone of
the nation-building process has been denounced by different sectors of
the population. The crime rate is not only high but the brutality of the
killings is horrifying. The
proliferation of small weapons is alarming. To be in possession of a gun
or knife has become a symbol of power and the reaffirmation of a
'culture of violence.'
In
his address to the London Chamber of Commerce, the Prime Minister
presented the situation of a "country that must not return to
war" and look towards finding a place in a "globalising
world." But, what is the place we want to have? Do we have any
idea? Can we make a difference? Different studies about how
globalisation has affected the lives of men and women in developing
countries have shown the gap between the rich and poor has worsened.
However some countries are being defined as "economic role
models" - there are different studies about how these models may
not be capable to cope with the reality of multiple identities based on
caste, religion and gender. Nevertheless, there is no other option in a
region with giants as India, Singapore and Malaysia but to 'jump into
the water' and swim.
Peace
culture
Our
country needs to move towards a culture for peace and tolerance while
the elimination of corruption and jealousy must be emphasised at all
levels. The stabilisation of the economy of a country needs a stabilised
political scenario. How can we achieve these goals?
Sri
Lanka is a country in search of its own identity as a nation. To be a
'Sri Lankan' above all differences is the goal. This society has created
'borders' and 'war zones' beyond formalities where citizens,
second-class citizens and non- citizens play
quite different roles. The situation in the country is a complex
one and compels more than ever to look into a variety of components.
Presently there exists a positive environment for economic assistance
from the international community and there is a climate of 'good
conditions' and 'security' for investors. This situation is closely
linked to the developments of the ceasefire agreement and the
peace-process initiatives. Negotiators have been keen to incorporate
gender proposals. The gender component is in fact a key-element for the
design and implementation of any project in order to eradicate
discrimination of women. It is also important to reveal the multiple
identities women play in comparison to men, their roles and the
diversity of their problems at different levels.
This
reality of 'multiple facets' must be shown in all its dimensions.
Proposals for peace building will have to make reference not only to the
public sphere, but the so-called 'domestic scenario,' and will have to
rely finally on the sphere of the individual.
At
the same time, the calls for investment policies must involve the
creation of new spaces on a policy of transparency and accountability,
in order to provide a climate of trust and confidence in the system and
its institutions. These new spaces will definitely make room to lobby
and debate proposals that can improve the position of women in
society, as they play a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan economy.
All studies on feminisation of migration, a global phenomena, mention
the case of Sri Lanka not only for its high numbers or its economic
impact but its human implications and the problems women migrant workers
face.
However,
we do not want 'security' only in the economic area but at all levels in
society. In some regions of the world, for example Latin America, new
concepts such as 'inclusion of new citizenships' and security are being
re-defined as crucial to societies, despite experiencing high levels of
violence. Colombia has discussed and implemented creative alternatives
based on the simple goal of eradicating violence and generate values of
trust and care among citizens.
The
project recently implemented in the city of Bogot in Colombia, is
based on the concept of co-habitation and trust among its citizens. The
project's starting point is
the reality of a population highly vulnerable to violence, crime and
insecurity. The project is centered in four components:
a.
The generation and strengthening of links guiding to solidarity in daily
life.
b.
The appropriation by the citizens of a minimum set of cohabitation
rules.
c.
Social inclusion of groups in high risk and others usually excluded or
isolated.
d.
Activities that could lead to peace and security among citizens.
The
project recognises the existence of networks of gangs, corruption, and
jealousies that disturb the normal cohabitation of individuals. This
reality constitutes a great obstacle in order to defend a system based
in justice. If we are to apply the same premises to our reality we will
come to the conclusion that our population is highly vulnerable and
there is a high level of personal insecurity. If corruption, jealousy
and lack of trust are corroding all levels of interaction in society,
even proposals encouraging whistle blowing or the implementation of
codes of ethics cannot work without a minimum of trust and security.
Civil
society participation
The
project in Colombia expresses the idea that the promotion of the
participation of civil society at all levels have to be sustained in
common shared values of co-habitation and absence of corruption in order
to be able to give "the best of our skills." This is the aim
of the project under a motto: "When one feels secure, it is that
the best of ourselves comes out to be given to a community that needs
us"(Guia Civica de Bogota).
Promoting
participation of women at all levels appears to be the need of the hour
in the present political scenario and we may affirm it is a historical
opportunity women must not lose. In that sense some events need to be
highlighted:
1.
The recent nomination of a group of women academics and activists to
discuss on behalf of the government on the peace process implications
and problems of women with the group nominated by the LTTE.
2.
The inclusion of gender issues in the recent Tokyo Summit Declaration.
We
believe these two events bring new possibilities of transparency and
participation for women and would generate an impact in the whole civil
society. We must avoid portrayal of situations of women, the north women
vs. south women as this might create unwanted misunderstandings on the
recent developments. Taking into consideration the different experiences
and perspectives among women and how war has affected in different ways
our lives, divisions must be avoided and this situation must be used to
share experiences and build up alliances.
There
are two other important events that must be highlighted:
1.
The appointment of Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy (till recently, UN
Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women) as chairperson of the
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. We believe it is a significant
move towards making the commission more responsive to the challenges of
civil society.
2.
The announcement of legal reforms in order
to promote the political participation of women.
A
common agenda above political differences is required to achieve the
aspirations of the people. There are many hopes and challenges facing
us. As in the Colombian case, our society has learned that through
violence that power can be achieved, albeit temporary. The Colombian
authorities have recognised that people are becoming used to solve
disputes and get economic advantages through robberies and killings,
spreading of false allegations and harassment. Intricate networks of
power work together in such a way that victims cannot seek justice, and
therefore people lose faith in the judiciary, in the police as 'part' of
a circle of indecency and thirst for power.
Global
issues
When
our societies have reached that kind of level, we have to act urgently
to formulate and re-formulate proposals in different areas and be bold
enough to debate and challenge the present situation of 'global issues'
confronting the problems of all members of the civil society, specially
women. We must be prepared and informed to discuss and debate according
to the present times the effects and expectations of investment,
globalisation and modernisation. "To feel free instead of feeling
scared" as the Colombian document declares and also "to
trust" are the elements of security.
A
secure individual can take part in as an active member of society. An
individual who does not believe in his or her society and community
members cannot contribute anything to the system. Security will
eradicate violence, especially violence against women, as individuals
begin to learn to respect rules, standards and build a system where no
one is above the law.
-
Rossana Favero-Karunaratna
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