peace counts - exhibition on peacebuilders around the world

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ntsP e a c e b u i l d e r s a r o u n d t h e W o r l d .

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P e a c e P r o j e c t s s i n c e 2 0 0 3 . t h r o u g h t h e P r o j e c t ’ s w o r k , t h e a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e w o r l d ’ s

P e a c e b u i l d e r s b e c o m e f a s c i n at i n g m u lt i m e d i a f e at u r e s . t h i s P o s t e r d i s P l ay i n c o r P o r at e s

s o m e o f t h e m o s t m o v i n g s t o r i e s P r o d u c e d t o d at e i n m o r e t h a n 3 0 c o n f l i c t r e g i o n s .

t h e m a i n a i m o f P e a c e c o u n t s i s t o s h o w P r o m i s i n g r o a d s t o P e a c e – b u t i t a l s o

e n c o u r a g e s a u d i e n c e s t o g e t i n v o lv e d .

Peace Counts is a network of partners. Foremost among them is the Zeitenspiegel Agency, whose journalists and photographers, a long with colleagues f rom out-side the agency, create and publish feature stor ies on best practice examples of peacebuilding world-wide. Peace Counts was init iated by Michael Gleich, director of the Advanced Journalism Academy. The Inst itute for Peace Education Tübingen designs and implements the project ’s educational media and in-depth study mater ials.

Beyond the journalist ic aspect – Peace Counts Repor-t ing – there are several addit ional component pro-jects. Peace Counts School is a program for German secondary schools, while Peace Counts University is

a imed at university students. Peace Counts on Tour br ings the features to audiences in conf l ict regions around the world. Each component incorporates how-to workshops on peacebuilding for groups such as lo -cal opinion leaders. The feature stor ies and displays serve as a basis for al l the components.

Peace Counts on Tour was awarded the renowned Peter Becker Pr ize for Peace Studies of the University of Marburg in May 2009.

Peace Counts is supported by the Inst itute for Foreign Cultural Relat ions in Stuttgart through its ziv ik pro-gram with funding f rom the German Federal Foreign Off ice as well as other cooperation partners.

© Peace Counts: Zeitenspiegel Reportagen, Institute for Peace Education Tübingen, Advanced Journalism Academy. www.peace-counts.org

www.peace-counts.org

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afghanistan

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brazil

south afr ica

northern ireland

macedonia

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Viva Rio! The conflict: Gang war in poor par ts of Rio de Janeiro

The peacebuilders: The organization “Viva Rio”

Their solution: Conflict resolution, spor ts, education, and an internet newspaper

In the poor parts of Rio de Janeiro, the drug

mafias rule, and they recruit their followers

when they are still young. Over the last few

years, however, the drug bosses have gotten

competition. The organization “Viva Rio” ga-

thers youth from the street with its sports

programs. It gives dropouts a second chance,

and it helps them to find a job. When neigh-

bors fight about a construction site, they do

not need to turn to the local mafia any more.

Instead, the “Center for Conflict Resolution”

takes over this work. There is even an internet

newspaper: “Vivafavela,” which even reports

from Cantagalo, when there is no fighting.

Viva Rio was founded by researchers, busi-

nessleaders, journalists, and social workers –

a network that can reach anyone in Rio, from

drug dealers to the mayor.

Photographer: Paul Hahn, laif

Bra

zil

The favela: Using a mirror, a policeman keeps

watch of what happens in the alleys.

Stormtroopers: Violence is everywhere in the

alleys and shacks of the Favelas – it can also be

ominously seen on the t-shirts of the children,

such as on this boy’s Star Wars t-shirt.

Street ballet: Capoeira is the name of the dance,

which developed out of former slaves’ martial arts

techniques and is a very popular course in Viva

Rio’s program “Hope for Children.”

A sad record: A policeman with one of 17,000

confiscated guns. In Brazil, 40,000 people are shot

per year, which is more than in any other country

in the world.

© Peace Counts project / Institute for Peace Education Tübingen, www.peace-counts.org, www.peace-education.net

A survivor from Hiroshima releases a paper

crane over the ocean. She often travels on the

“Peace Boat”, in order to tell younger people

about the horrors of nuclear war.

Relaxing: Drumming is one way to relax until the “Peace Boat” leaves for the next conflict region.

Displaying the flags: Before the Peace Boat

reaches Istanbul’s harbor, a 35-meter long banner

is prepared in order to protest the deployment of

troops to Iraq.

No easy trip: Students from conflict regions

such as Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Korea

openly discuss difficult issues on board.

Open Minds on the Open Sea The conflict: Crisis zones on the coasts around the world

The peacebuilders: The Peace Boat, based in Japan

Their solution: Peace education at sea

Since 1983, the “Peace Boat” has crossed the world’s

oceans three times a year. The “students” of this floa-

ting university analyze the causes and the solutions

in different conflict regions where the Peace Boat an-

chors. Cruise ships normally avoid stopping at des-

tinations like Eritrea, Bosnia, Colombia, Israel or Viet-

nam. The passengers of the Peace Boat, on the other

hand, disembark and ask speakers to come on board,

even consciously choosing those from opposing sides.

Far out on sea, they speak about land mines, refugees,

reconstruction and reconciliation. They leave behind the

threats from their homelands and seek out honest con-

versations. The “Peace Boat” is also a pleasure boat:

at the end of a long day full of discussions and work-

shops, there is dancing, singing to karaoke or simply

partying.

Photographer: Uli Reinhardt, Zeitenspiegel

Japa

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Talking Beats Fighting The conflict: The conflict for the holy land between Israelis and Palestinians

The peacebuilders: The School for Peace

Their solution: Conversations between the two groups

The School for Peace is halfway between

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In workshops every

week, groups of Palestinians and Israelis from

all parts of the Middle East lock themselves

in a room to argue for three days. As with

real politics, these simulated talks between

the groups often fail to reach an agreement.

But that is not the school’s goal. It is also not

important to gain the other’s sympathies. In-

stead, it is much more important to recognize

one’s own role in the conflict. The hypothesis

that merely acknowledging the humanity of

one’s enemy will end a confrontation is not

true. In response to a poll conducted one year

after the course’s completion, participants say

they changed their opinions only after they

had seen the sparks fly.

Photographer: Frieder Blickle, laif

Isra

el

A two-way mirror lets mediators-in-training watch

discussions in the room. They learn the typical

patterns in the discussions.

Nava Sonnenschein was a soldier during the Yom Kippur war.

She lost many friends. Afterwards, she co-founded the School for

Peace. Her idea: “We are all members of a group and thus part

of the conflict.”

Even dramatic confrontations are always con-

cluded with a ritual of peace. On their last evening

at the School for Peace, Palestinians perform a

traditional dance.

On the first day, the young people’s discussion

is still about hobbies, or their favorite singers.

But soon the groups are trying to outscream each

other. Each side attempts to portray its own

position as morally superior.


Two men, two worlds, one goal:

Yehia, a Tuareg, and the German development

worker Henner Papendieck together have come

up with survival strategies to save a country which

is almost doomed.

Everything is in Allah’s hand: Tuaregs from different clans fought over water rights in northern Mali, but now they have reached an agreement.

They symbolically show their hands to Allah, who decides everyone’s fate.

The desert is alive: Although the land in northern

Mali is still bare, rice plants will grow here next

year thanks to an agricultural project financed by

German aid.

Living between Berlin and Bamako:

Barbara Papendieck (pictured) and her husband

Henner have been working in Mali since 1994,

despite the droughts, war and plagues of locusts.

Ambassadors in Indigo The conflict: Nomadic Tuareg rebels against the government

The peacebuilders: Barbara und Henner Papendieck

Their solution: Development aid is available when parties are willing to cooperate

Mediators between two Tuareg clans are about to sol-

ve a conflict on water rights. If the talks are success-

ful, then it is possible to receive development aid from

the “Mali-North” program. In the peaceful regions of

the country, the German couple Barbara and Henner

Papendieck implement projects for the GTZ (Gesell-

schaft für technische Zusammenarbeit) and the KfW

(Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau). These projects invol-

ve building schools and hospitals, drilling for wells, dig-

ging irrigation ditches and installing pumps as well as

training mechanics who can repair these when they

break. The projects and the need to cooperate should

prevent a new outbreak of violence in northern Mali.

After two periods of especially severe droughts in the

1990s, civil war broke out.


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A Muslim Christian: Elena herself unites two

cultures – her father prayed to Allah; her mother

to Jesus.

Shadows from the past: With the images from the war still in her mind, a woman with her children

made it to safety at an emergency shelter in Suto Orizari.

Personal but still neutral: Working for the OSCE,

Elena understands the importance of making

contacts on both sides.

War of symbols: Grenades from the Macedonian

army destroyed the mosque in Matejce.

Elena mediates The conflict: The rif t between Macedonians and the Albanian minority

The peacebuilders: Elena Gulmadova from the OSCE

Their solution: Mediation between the two cultures

A dialogue between cultures needs an experienced

translator, who can understand the language but also the

fears and hopes of all sides. The OSCE (Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe) ensures that today,

years after the civil war, each ethnic group receives their

just portion of aid and a political voice. Elena Gulmadova,

a Tadjik who studied gynecology, is able to mediate for

the OSCE between the Muslim Albanians and the Chri-

stian Macedonians because her father prayed to Allah

and her mother to Jesus. She is able to bring Christians

and Muslims in a village to one table, where they can

leave behind ethnically motivated tension in a peaceful

way. She also works with a police patrol, in which Mus-

lim Albanians and Christian Macedonians work together.

They are able to create a unified front, as if they were

two peas in one pod, just like Elena herself.


Mac

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Peace between the front lines: Christian and

Muslim police protect the border to Serbia.

Islands of Peace in a War-Torn Land The conflict: Government troops against the “Moro Islamic Liberation Front” (MILF)

The peacebuilders: A network of farmers, religious leaders, and politicians

Their solution: The creation of “peace zones”

The people of 40 towns in the Philippines

have taken their destiny into their own hands

by declaring their town a “peace zone” in the

middle of a conflict area. The Catholic Priest,

Father Bert Layson, equips rice farmers with

cell phones in order to immediately report any

violations of the ceasefire by text message.

The former Muslim rebel commander Baba

Butz also works in his “Convent of the Imma-

culate Conception” in Pikit. Father Bert con-

vinced him that the conflict has nothing to do

with religion. “Before the war, you cultivated

the fields together. We must recognize the

basic good in each other once again!” Father

Bert preaches to his ecumenical ceasefire

team.


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Striving to be a rebel: In the swamps of

Liguasan, which is a retreat for the “Moro

Liberation Front,” joining the armed group is

the only way to make a career.

Whether Christian or Muslim – Father Layson believes that

every human being is good at heart. But when bombs explode,

his tolerance ends.

Burning fears: At a school in the Peace Zone,

children draw pictures of their worst memories.

Now they burn them in the fire.

A cautious approach: Village leaders discuss the

program for a ceremony, which should mark the

expansion of the “peace zone.” Representatives

from the rebels and army have been invited.


First listen, then act: Before Singham began

to build houses for refugee families, he lived in a

camp for months. He wanted to get to know the

needs of the local people.

To feel the language: Ravindran, a deaf girl, detects her first words from the vibrations on the throat of her teacher.

Thirteen teachers for the deaf belong to the staff of SEED.

A Tamil with a German passport:

Rohini Narasingham returned back from exile to

the destroyed northern part of the country in order

to help with the reconstruction of his homeland.

War widows: Women whose husbands were

killed in the civil war belong to the poorest of the

poor. The organization SEED supports them above

all for reconstructing their houses.

Reconstructing the North The conflict: The Tamil Tiger movement LTTE against the Singhalese government

The peacebuilders: Narasingham, a Tamil, and his organization, SEED

Their solution: Economic development in a crisis zone

In Vavuniya, there are not only sounds of rifles, but also

of sawing, hammering and shoveling. In badly damaged

northern Sri Lanka, Narasingham, a Tamil, organizes the

construction of entire villages. He runs a school for the

deaf and an organic farm, whose products are marketed

by Singhalese and Tamils together (who are supposed

enemies).

Breeding ostriches is also part of the project, SEED.

Narasingham’s particular approach is regarded by aid

organizations as exemplary: Before investing donated

funds, he spent months living in a refugee camp in order

to study the needs of the people. This is another world

from his life as an asylum seeker in Berlin-Kreuzberg

years earlier. There he had a “normal” life with a steady

income. Nevertheless, Narasingham wanted to help his

country, and so he decided to return to Sri Lanka.


Sri L

anka


The prison rocks: Prisoners relax before a seminar

on human dignity is set to begin – a foreign word in

poor areas where many of them come from.

Welcome to Pullsmore-Prison: The high crime rate from Cape Town fills the prison – the lack of space behind the walls leads to even more crime.

It is a vicious cycle, which the mediators hope to break.

A gentle hand for tough guys: With her charm

and skills, Victoria Maloka teaches manners to

tough guys. Peacemaking runs in the family: her

father was a village judge.

Having fun and learning: School children show

how they develop a sense of community by dan-

cing. This sense of community is not as present

everywhere in Cape Town as it is in this class-

room.

Gentle Words for Tough Guys The conflict: Discrimination and violence in prisons

The peacebuilders: V ictoria Maloka from the Centre for Conflict Resolution

Their solution: Training in non-violence for prisoners and guards

Conflicts dominate the everyday life of inmates in South

African prisons. Every prisoner wants to maintain his rank

– within his own gang and against rival groups. Through

role-playing exercises, Victoria Maloka from the Centre

for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town shows them

that mutual respect can be a good experience and that

conflict can be resolved without razor blades or fists.

Because of Victoria Maloka’s work, the death rate has

fallen significantly in Vorberg. The success allows her to

hope that the men will resolve their conflicts peacefully

even after they leave the prison grounds. Consequently,

she makes it clear to them that if they don’t follow her

suggestions, they could land right back in Vorberg.


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Peace through SoccerMedellín in Colombia is considered one of the most vio-

lent cities in South America. Whole parts of the city are

controlled by murderers, drug dealers and thieves.

It is here that John Jairo organizes street soccer tour-

naments. “Soccer is the only thing that counts here –

only through soccer games can you reach the people,”

he said.

Wilmar is in his early 20s and has played for “El Go-

lombiao” for three years. This name has been created

by putting the words “Ball” and “Colombia” together.

“Many of my friends are dead,” he said. “It is a living

hell here.” Guerillas and gangs from all political back-

grounds terrorize the neighborhood. John also grew up

in this neighborhood. He was a member of gangs, which

extorted protection money. “Every evening we went to

the bus station and collected money from the drivers,”

John Jairo recalled. “They all paid.”

Today he lives a different life and is a respected person

in his neighborhood who has about the same rank as

the mayor. He not only knows how to deal with gang

leaders, but he also deals with police chiefs and the city

administration.

He organizes soccer tournaments, which attract teams

from other neighborhoods. Soccer is perhaps the easi-

est and most effective means of working towards peace

in the slums of Medellín.

The rules which they follow were developed by Jürgen

Griesbeck, a German who worked in Medellín for many

years. The rules caused quite a stir. The rules state that

two women must play on each team, and one of them

must shoot the first goal. However, a team cannot only

win by scoring goals, but rather also by whether they

treat their opponent fairly or not.

This rule seems absurd to the macho men in Comuna

13. John also dismissed the idea when Griesbeck first

invited him to join the project. Later the new balls and

jerseys lured him back. The beginning was difficult and

sometimes it seemed that the whole project would end

in chaos. A breakthrough came only after community

leaders were convinced by the new form of the game.

After a few months, there were 500 teams. Today 17,000

young people play on 1,600 teams.

Under the motto “Futbol por la Paz” (soccer for peace),

the project has spread to schools across the country,

and the Colombian government adopted it. It was then

renamed “El Golombiao” and was expanded across

the whole country. Now El Golombiao even belongs to

a global network called “Streetfootballworld,” located

in Berlin.


Colom

bia

A well-rounded project: In Medellín alone there are more than 12,000 players involved in the project “Peace for Soccer.”


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Playing instead of fighting: On the soccer fields of Comuna 13, young people can let off steam.

Motivating children: With autographed cards of famous players, John Jairo motivates children in Comuna 13 to play soccer.

A clear message: John Jairo, himself a former gang member, changed sides and today

advertises his soccer project in schools.

No loitering on the streets: For many children who are trapped in the dull life of Comuna 13, soccer means

the world to them.

Optimism through soccer: For Wilmar, soccer offers a gleam of hope in the dark ghetto life.

Off to a tournament: To compete for the trophy, young teams travel to far-off areas of Medillín.

Girls are included: The rules require every team to have at least two girls.


From Prison to Youth Center“Fighting leads to a dead end” said Joe, and he is one

who knows dead ends. The attempt to drive out the Bri-

tish army with terrorism was a dead end. Each grave of

a soldier was one and his prison cell as well.

Joe was 15 when he witnessed how the British sent

tear gas squadrons into his street, stormed his house

during the night, and beat his parents. Joe was already

spying for the Irish Republican Army. At 17 he became

what he called a soldier. The British called him a terro-

rist. When a police patrol caught him with explosives in

his car, he was sentenced to 12 years. He served eight

and came out in his mid-20s filled with thoughts of re-

venge, a living time bomb. He began planning his first

murder.

His mind wanders, and he again thinks about the dead

man who changed his life. On May 2, 1980, Richard

Westmacott, a British captain stationed in Belfast, was

shot. One of the three assailants was Joe Doherty. “We

were all responsible,” says Joe today, and “I’m sorry for

everyone who had to die.”

He went to prison, but then he broke out. He fled to the

USA and then was re-incarcerated. “When I was in jail,

my parents wrote me that a lot of kids were just hanging

out on street corners, taking drugs and making trouble.

It was then that I knew what I wanted to do when I got

out,” said Joe.

The young people on both sides are in danger of joining

paramilitary groups. Joe wants to help prevent this. In

fact, he works overtime to prevent this. As a social wor-

ker, he wants to liberate kids from the cycle of violence,

not by preaching, but with tangible help – computer

courses, step dancing, trips out of the neighborhood to

go swimming, job application training, and soccer with

the boys. He finds them on the street and takes them

away from the influence of underground groups.

He does social work and leads a youth club. Joe is gre-

atly respected because he also found his own way out

of a dead end by doing youth work. The life of Peter

McGuire, a former protestant militiaman, who used to

consider Joe an enemy, also took a similar turn. Both

met each other for the first time at the “Peace Counts-

Forum” in Berlin. “Five years ago,” both of them said,

“we would have killed each other.”


Norther

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Children need true heroes: Joe Doherty was once a “fighter” for the IRA. Today he tries to break down the bad legend he used to be.


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Walls of war: In Belfast, paramilitary groups paint house walls with rallying cries and mark their territory.

The legacy of violence: Although peace exists on paper from the Good Friday Agreement 1998, it has not officially been

accepted in the people’s hearts and minds.

Destroying the symbols: Joe Doherty stands in front of a heroic wall painting of himself on New Lodge Road,

which he ordered to be repainted.

Remembering the past: Peter McGuire, once a terrorist in the UDA, lost his best friend to a suicide bomber –

now he sees him every day in a wall painting.

Working with youth instead of fighting: The ex-terrorist Peter McGuire does not hide any longer in the underground,

but rather tries to engage young people in conversation. In this picture, he is on a horse farm near Derry.

Extracurricular activities instead of preaching: As a youth worker, Joe Doherty tries to draw the next generation

away from underground groups.

Open wounds: Catholics demonstrate in front of the police station at Falls Road. They accuse the police

of torturing Michael O’Dwyer to death while he was in prison.


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Egypt

N e w L i f e f o r a N o L d T r a d i T i o NT h e c o n f l i c T: V i o l e n T c o n f l i c T s b e T w e e n n e i g h b o r s , w i T h c o u r T s u n a b l e T o h e l p

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r : aT T o r n e y Ta r e k r a m a d a n

h i s s o l u T i o n : T r a d i T i o n a l - s T y l e m e d i aT i o n

Talking it over: The group of men hopes to solve a conflict that arose when a man threatened his neighbor with a knife.

The two men’s families sit down together, trying to f ind a mutually agreeable resolution.

The next generation: In Tarek ’s seminars, young women and men learn the ar t of mediation from experienced “Muhakimin.” The tradition of the “Muhakimin” is thus carried forward in modern Egypt.

Ancient wisdom, young ideas: The respected “Muhakim” Abu Za id mediates in the severe cases: murder, robber y or rape. Tarek Ramadan speaks with him, about how to handle an upcoming case for mediation.

Ritual of reconciliation: After a successful mediation, the former opponents follow Arab tradition by embracing. The “Muhakim” will monitor their compliance with the agreement and define a penalty in case of non-compliance.

In Egypt, an argument with a neighbor can quickly turn into a bloody family feud. The justice system is not set up to deal with routine violence. Trials take a long time, and many judges are corrupt. So the la-wyer Tarek Ramadan decided to breathe new life into an old tradition. He trains “Muhakimin,” mediators who act as go-betweens for families and neighbors. They are the traditional peacekeepers in Egyptian vil-lages. Instead of arresting and punishing wrongdoers,

they work out mutually agreeable deals between per-petrators and their victims. The “Muhakimin” work to preserve the dignity of both sides. Tarek Ramadan’s seminars have trained around 40 mediators. He has mediated more than 200 conf licts. He hopes to make mediation a legally binding alternative to criminal tr ials throughout Egypt./Photos: Fr ieder Blick le / la if


AfghAnistAnT h e f u T u r e k n o w s i T s A B C s

T h e c o n f l i c T: T h e Ta l i b a n s T o p g i r l s f r o m g o i n g T o s c h o o l

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r s : p e T e r a n d a n n e m a r i e s c h w i T T e k o f g e r m a n y

T h e i r s o l u T i o n : m o s q u e - b a s e d s c h o o l s f o r g i r l s a n d b o y s

Classes in the mosque: Thir teen classes crowd into the main prayer room of a mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul. Around 200 children learn reading,

writing, and arithmetic in one room at the same time. Boys go to school in the morning, girls in the af ternoon.

Making up for lost time: During the years of Taliban rule and war, these young women were unable to attend school. Now they can finally learn to read and write. Some go on to become teachers at OFARIN’s mosque schools.

Using local infrastructure: Peter Schwittek ’s par tners are Islamic clerics. They came to him and asked for his support to run schools for gir ls and boys in their mosques. Their goal is a better future for the Afghan youth.

Learning to use your head: OFARIN teaches gir ls to think independently and use their cr it ical abi l i t ies instead of simply repeating what their teachers say. They encourage the gir ls to break new grounds.

Many Taliban believe that educating women is sinful. So for g irls in Afghanistan, going to school is r isky. The German couple Anne Marie and Peter Schwittek decided to help girls by organizing schools in mos-ques. Instead of spending money on new school buil-dings, the Schwitteks use familiar structures that are already in place. The Islamic clergymen or “mullahs” in the mosques are their al l ies. They are able to reach girls – and boys – who are afraid to go to school but

wil l ing to go to the mosque. An associat ion founded by the Schwitteks, OFARIN, trains Afghan teachers. The quality of the teaching is of ten higher than at state-run schools. Nearly 5,500 young people now attend schools organized by OFARIN. Even though the security situation is dif f icult, the young women and men demand their r ight to an education./Photos: Uli Reinhardt / Zeitenspiegel


Isr

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l

B r e a k i n g t h e s i l e n c eT h e c o n f l i c T: i s r a e l i o c c u paT i o n o f T h e W e s T B a n k

T h e p e a c e B u i l d e r s : Y e h u d a s a u l a n d “ B r e a k i n g T h e s i l e n c e ”

T h e i r s o l u T i o n : d r a W aT T e n T i o n T o Wa r T i m e B r u Ta l i T Y

Insight: Yehuda Saul, 28, was stationed in Hebron as an occupying soldier. “In those days, I was part of the problem.

Now I want to help end the injustice of the occupation.”

The conflict: Ultra -orthodox Jewish settlers in Hebron demonstrate for their right to the entire Holy Land. Confrontations between settlers and Palestinians were nowhere bloodier than here – until the military divided the city in 1994 and imposed martial law.

Mistrust: While giving tours of Hebron, Yehuda repeatedly gets into arguments with Israeli soldiers. They often refuse him and his groups access to the compound where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are said to be buried.

Continuity: Once a week, Yehuda demonstrates in Jerusalem against the expansion of Jewish settlements in the city’s Palestinian eastern section. He supports lawyers who are working to protect the rights of Palestinians and keep them from being evicted in favor of settlers.

The Israeli Yehuda Saul is a special kind of tour guide. He leads a group to a place most Israelis prefer not to hear about – Hebron, the second largest Palest inian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As a soldier, Yehuda Saul was involved in enforcing martial law there. Towards the end of his military serv ice, he ad-mitted to himself that he was a perpetrator and not simply an innocent man following orders. That mo-ment of self-awareness led him to take radical steps. His f irst move was to organize an exhibit ion on the

brutality of the occupation. The exhibit ion soon grew to become an organization, “Breaking the Si lence,” which has collected 750 test imonials f rom former soldiers on their serv ice in the occupied terr itor ies. Every week, Yehuda leads groups of interested Isra-e l i s and others f rom a l l over the world to Hebron. Understanding, he bel ieves, i s the f i r st step toward real peace./Fi lm and Photos: Peter Wingert


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movIe“Break Ing the

s Ilence”

Kenya

S h o o t t o S c o r e , n o t t o k i l lT h e c o n f l i c T: T h e B o r a n a a n d G a B B r a p e o p l e s f i G h T o v e r waT e r a n d l a n d

T h e p e a c e B u i l d e r : aT T o r n e y f aT u m a a B d u l k a d i r a d a n

h e r s o l u T i o n : f o o T B a l l T o u r n a m e n T s a n d w o m e n ’ s c o u n c i l s

Before the match: The coach explains Fatuma‘s idea to the players: “Make sure that each team has representatives from both tribes.

Remember our motto: Shoot to score, not to kill! Let ’s go!“

Struggle to survive: Cattle and water sources are closely guarded treasures in northern Kenya. The Borana and Gabbra peoples compete for scarce resources. Gunfights around the water holes occur on a regular basis.

Attorney for peace: Fatuma decided against a career in Nairobi and in favor of l ife as a peacebuilder in her native city of Marsabit. The young lawyer demonstrates how much can be achieved with persistence, creativity and optimism.

Women’s voices: People resort to violence when their voices are not heard, Fatuma believes. She organizes meetings between women of the two tribes so that they will l isten to each other and get to know the opponents‘ point of view.

Fatuma Abdulkad i r Adan of Kenya organizes footba l l tournaments where Borana and Gabbra play to gether on mixed teams. That i s surpr ising in nor thern Kenya, where the two peoples sk i rmish over access to water sources and pastureland. The v io lence has a h igh cost, and the young law yer wants to break the si lence. Women do not of ten have a voice in th is la rgely Musl im reg ion. They a re not

a l lowed to par t ic ipate in the of f ic ia l peace negot iat ions. But even death threats cannot stop Fatuma f rom work ing toward reconc i l iat ion. She ca l led for the establ ishment of women’s counc i ls . Thei r d ialog ue ensures that the two peoples acknowledge each other ’s g r ief./Photos: Frank Schult ze / Zeitenspiegel


Colombia

M at e o c h o o s e s l i f eT h e c o n f l i c T: D r u g wa r i n T h e s l u m s

T h e p e a c e b u i l D e r s : m aT e o a n D h i s c r e w e s k a l o n e s

T h e i r s o l u T i o n : r e s p e c T a n D j o b s T h r o u g h h i p - h o p

Rapping for peace: “Don’t think I’m defenseless, don’t disrespect me / I say no to war / I never hurt anybody, I use words, not weapons /

I ’m a rapper like my brother / I ’m a Comuna rooster that just wants to crow in peace.”

Words, not weapons: Songs are an important tool in the battle against the drug mafia. Mateo and his band rap against violence and in favor of peaceful coexistence in Comuna 13. The Eskalones are being respected for their music.

War of all against all: Comuna 13 is one of the most violent neighbor-hoods in Colombia. Its districts are controlled by members of different drug gangs. Many people die in battles over houses or turf. The army also plays a role in the conflict.

Mateo and his music group Eskalones counter the drug war in Comuna 13 with rhymes, B -boying and graff it i. Comuna 13 is a notor ious slum in Medel-l in, Colombia’s second-largest c ity. Almost 200 peo-ple die there every year in sk irmishes between gangs of drug dealers. Mateo’s brother is among the dead. The young people face the insanity with their own “Elite de Hip-Hop.” So far they have organized con-

certs and founded a hip-hop academy. They teach children and teenagers f rom Comuna 13 that there are alternatives to l i fe as a “Sicar io” or hired k il ler. The young musicians’ object ive is to make Comuna 13 a better place to l ive by providing music, respect, and work./Photos: Antonia Zennaro / Zeitenspiegel


Municipal funding: The youth center is the scene of a discussion of the hip -hop academy’s curriculum. The schedule includes rap, break-dance, graffiti, and deejaying. The city supports hip -hop instructors with grants.

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R a d i o U s h i R i k a m a k e s wav e sT h e c o n f l i c T: c o n g o l e s e a r m y v s . h u T u r e b e l s

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r : J e a n b a p T i s T e K i ya n a o f r a d i o u s h i r i K a

h i s s o l u T i o n : n e w s r e p o r T s a n d wa r n i n g s

Get ting the news out: Radio is the most popular – and of ten the only – medium for news in Congolese villages. In addition to hard news,

Radio Ushirika also broadcasts the stuf f of life: childrearing tips for young mothers, declarations of love from teenagers.

High-risk park ranger job: The young soldiers guard Virunga National Park, where Rwandan rebels and refugees hide. The rebels cut down trees and extort protection money from refugees to finance their struggle. They regu-larly attack and kill park rangers who come too close to their camps.

Voice of the people: The radio moderator Jean Baptiste Kiyana listens attentively to people’s troubles and cares. He nearly always carries a micro-phone, headphones and recording device so that he can record people’s stories. Sadly, many stories involve death, displacement, or rape.

Choisir la vie: One program on Radio Ushirika is entitled “Choose Life.” The show provides conflict mediation tips like: “Listen to each other and try to understand the other person.” It sounds almost too simple – but in North Kivu it can save your life.

In the midst of the war-torn province of North Kivu, Radio Ushir ika broadcasts a message of peace. An-nouncer Jean Baptiste K iyana and his colleagues founded “Radio Clubs” in the v il lages. Club members call the stat ion so that l isteners can be warned of ap-proaching rebels. Refugees f leeing the f ighting have repeatedly gotten caught between the f ront l ines of Congolese troops doing batt le with Hutu rebels f rom Rwanda. In a country where a major ity of the popu-

lat ion is i l l iterate, radio is of ten the only medium for spreading the word. Radio Ushir ika broadcasts in four languages. There are t ips on farming and health, how to manage children and how to intervene when conf licts escalate. Jean Baptiste K iyana invites local human r ights act iv ists as guests on his programs to tel l about their act iv it ies./Photos: Macline Hien


Nigeria

P e a c e i s d i v i n e!T h e c o n f l i c T: R e v e n g e k i l l i n g s b y c h R i s T i a n a n d M u s l i M M i l i T i a s

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e R s : pa s T o R J a M e s W u y e a n d i M a M M u h a M M a d a s h a f a

T h e i R s o l u T i o n : i n T e R f a i T h d i a l o g u e , M e d i aT i o n , a n d a n e a R ly Wa R n i n g s y s T e M

Matter of faith: Nigeria is considered one of the most religious countries on ear th, with 95 percent of Nigerians saying

they would die for the God they believe in. Half of the population is Muslim, the other half is Christian.

Evidence in the ruins: The pastor and the imam visit a ruined Muslim neighborhood. It was selected for destruction in retaliation for a massacre of Christians somewhere else. The “early warning system” is designed to prevent such acts in the future.

From hate preaching to dialogue: The friendship of the two clerics is a bulwark against the deep -rooted hatred between the religious groups. The pastor- imam duo encourages other clerics to commit themselves to interreligious dialogue.

Ashafa’s conversion experience: His imam spoke about how revenge can be healed by forgiveness – and about how to defeat enemies by turning them into friends. He internalized these words through his friendship to James.

A pastor and an imam, hand in hand? An unusu-al picture in central Niger ia, where Christ ian and Muslim groups face off in bloody batt les. Interfaith Mediation Centre ( IMC) is the name of the organi-zat ion founded by Pastor James Wuye and Imam Mu-hammad Ashafa. Wuye lost his hand in the f ighting. Ashafa lost two brothers. Each of them took years to overcome his hatred and f ind forgiveness. Today they organize interfaith dialogue workshops. They

persuaded high-ranking clergymen to sign a peace declarat ion renouncing hate preaching. They trained pastor-imam teams to inform each other when con-f l ict is brewing. The truce between Christ ians and Muslims in their region, Kaduna, has held for years now, and the pastor and the imam hope to carry their message of peace to the rest of Niger ia./Photos: Uli Reinhardt / Zeitenspiegel


Rwanda

R e c o n c i l i at i o n a f t e R t h e g e n o c i d eT h e c o n f l i c T: T h e d e l i c aT e b a l a n c e b e T w e e n j u s T i c e a n d p e a c e

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r s : d i e u d o n n é M u n ya n k i k o a n d h i s o r g a n i z aT i o n a M i

T h e i r s o l u T i o n : p e r s o n a l c o n Ta c T b e T w e e n p e r p e T r aT o r s a n d s u r v i v o r s

Building a future: Af ter the genocide, perpetrators and survivors must star t over with the basic idea of coexistence.

With support from AMI, they work together to build houses for the families of victims.

Living with memories: In Apri l 1994, several thousand people were massacred af ter they sought sanctuary in this school in Murambi. Today it is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the genocide.

Looking forward: Dieudonné Munyankiko of AMI does not believe that all wrongdoers can be brought to justice. For him, mutual acceptance is the only possible path toward a shared future for his home county Rwanda.

Careful rapprochement: In AMI’s group discussions, perpetrators and survivors have time to talk and room to reconcile with each other. Talking to the people who killed your loved ones takes superhuman strength. But does Rwanda have an alternative?

Long after the 1994 genocide that killed nearly one million people, Rwandan society is still deeply di-vided. The “Association Modeste et Innocent” (AMI) helps survivors – and the guilty – from those days get started down the rough road to reconciliation. AMI arranges for encounters that take place in three pha-ses. First, each side writes down its hopes and fears separately. Then they exchange texts so that each can see the other’s viewpoint. At the end of the process,

they meet in person and try to establish a workable f ramework for coexistence. AMI provides courses in nonviolence for police off icers and trains volunteers to care for the traumatized. The projects are intended both to heal old wounds and to prevent new injuries. AMI tr ies to f ind the delicate balance between justice for past wrongs and reconciliation for the future./Photos: Eric Vazzoler / Zeitenspiegel


Russia

F o r w o m e n ’ s s a k eT h e c o n f l i c T: T r a d i T i o n a l va l u e s v s . w o m e n ’ s r i g h T s

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r : l i p h a n b a s s a j e wa a n d T h e “ T h e d i g n i T y o f w o m a n ”

h e r s o l u T i o n : c r e aT e s pa c e s f o r d i s c u s s i o n , c o u n s e l i n g a n d e m p o w e r m e n T

Mirror game: In workshops sponsored by “The Dignity of Woman” women learn leadership skills and how to get their way in male-dominated postwar society.

The organizer, Liphan Bassajewa, has abundant experience healing psychological wounds and fostering self-respect.

Postwar Grozny: Af ter two wars and two years as an of f ic ial “anti - terror operations area,” the capital of Chechnya lay in ruins. But the rebuilding of the city has not ended the population’s suf fer ing.

A strong woman: Liphan Bassajewa, 60, f ights for the dignity of women in Chechnya. Despite setbacks and threats, she works every day to counteract the erosion of civ i l society and advocate equality for women.

At work: Employees at “The Dignity of Woman” put on a parents’ night. They want to persuade them to allow daughters to work outside the home. Many parents feel a need to talk about issues of education and daily life.

Grozny, the capita l of Chechnya in the Caucasus, i s st i l l not at peace. On one side is the Russian mil ita ry, standing g uard at the edge of the c it y. On the other, su ic ide bombers cont inue thei r st r uggle to establ ish an Islamic state in the face of Russian hegemony. Random v iolence and an equa l ly a rbit ra ry jud ic ia l system a f fec t women more than anyone. So L iphan Bassajewa founded “The Dignit y of Woman”. The organizat ion g ives Grozny ’s female

inhabitants a voice, suppor t, and assistance in eve ry a rea of l i fe. Psycholog ica l counsel ing ava i lable f rom “The Dignit y of Woman” helps overcome deep spi r itua l t rauma f rom v iolence and oppression. L iphan Bassajewa does not a l low herse l f to be int imidated by e ither the state or re l ig ious leaders . She stays st rong for women’s r ights ./Photos: Jan L ieske


Thailand

G o t h o m ’ s m a r c h f o r P e a c eT h e c o n f l i c T: o n g o i n g s T r u g g l e f o r d e m o c r a c y a n d s e l f - d e T e r m i n aT i o n

T h e p e a c e b u i l d e r : g o T h o m a r ya o f T h e r e s e a r c h c e n T e r f o r p e a c e b u i l d i n g

h i s s o l u T i o n : i n f o r m a l Ta l k s a n d p u b l i c a c T i o n

Unstoppable peacebuilder: Gothom Arya took his show on the road because he felt that in the long run informal talks would not be enough.

He hopes to focus public at tention on the conflict in the south.

Stopping at a road block: In Pattani Province, the army is everywhere. The government hopes to keep separatists from taking control. The separatists in turn commit terror ist at tacks to protest against the mil itary presence.

Informal dialogue: Gothom invites representatives of the “Red Shirts” and “Yellow Shirts” to take part in unofficial conversations. Talking helps people acknowledge needs and values on the other side. Gothom only intervenes when emotions start to boil over.

Flowers, emblems of peace: Peace march par tic ipants of fer roses to the surprised soldiers at the side of the road. The news of the peace march was broadcasted by the media and at tracted hundreds of people.

Gothom Arya’s peace march f rom Bangkok to the southern prov ince of Pat tani has taken him over 1,0 0 0 km. Many people joined him a long the way. They wanted to draw at tent ion to the forgot ten but st i l l dangerous conf l ic t between government t roops and Musl im separat ist s in Southern Tha i-land. Gothom normal ly works for peace and recon-c i l iat ion f rom an of f ice in Bangkok. He reg ula rly inv ites opposing par t ies to informal ta lks, hoping

to stop Thai society f rom break ing in hal f. He medi-ates between “Yel low Shi r ts” loya l to the k ing and thei r opponents in red who want g reater democra-cy. With his peace march, he hopes to make an un-ambig uous statement in favor of mutua l tolerance, both pol it ica l and re l ig ious, and a shared f uture for everyone in Tha i land./Photos: Lukas Coch / Zeitenspiegel


peace counts - exhibition on peacebuilders around the world

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