In a multi-lateral world where bi-lateral negotiations have been unable to resolve conflicts based on sovereignty and self-determination, the process of relying on the peoples’ will as a means to unlock deadlocked situations is critical. Using the plebiscite, as an act of self-determination, has been one mechanism by which people have expressed their free will to determine a shared future. By seeking the people’s mandate to find a democratic and peaceful settlement, self-determination becomes the mechanism by which States and Peoples can explore creative and imaginative ways of reaching a settlement that is consistent with the principles of justice.
The praxis of self-determination revolves around peoples’ rights and interests. When the State does not reflect and respond to peoples’ aspirations, self-determination is systematically denied, thereby bringing peoples’ aspirations into conflict with States’ interests. Human experience informs us that the process of State-building has consistently established power-relations based on domination or the concept of power-over the peoples, which prevents them from charting their own destiny. Without a dignified self, the people usually find themselves caught up in structures of domination that are manipulative, violent, oppressive and humiliating, to which the people all too often react with violence in order to reject this shame and to restore their dignity.
As a people-centered praxis, self-determination is essential to transforming conflicts that realign power relationships. It also will strengthen and generate new approaches and new visions for human interaction in which all of humanity can respectfully co-exist through mutually beneficial forms of sharing of sovereignty and governance. Self-determination as a relational, multi-cultural and inter-disciplinary praxis is crucial to JustPeace due to its ability to transform structures of violence and conflict while working towards enabling creative and viable alternatives of human association. From this perspective, the praxis of self-determination is interrelated, interconnected and interdependent with the pursuit for JustPeace; and, as such it is only natural for self-determination and peacebuilding to be complimentary and intertwined.
With a bottom-up approach that reflects the peoples’ will, self-determination represents a pedagogy that empowers people to learn how to live amidst complex, diverse and interconnected identities. There is greater danger for humanity to cling on to an unresponsive status quo of injustice. However, the peoples’ right cannot be the only consideration, because at the core of peace lies justice not right. There is a need for sincere dialogue to open spaces where the powers that be that define conflict, peace, and power relations can be critically analyzed and consciously transformed.
If there is to be human security and JustPeace in the world, proactive steps and policies need to be made that respect all peoples’ cultural and political identities. Peacebuilding and self-determination are crucial towards this process of acknowledgement, self-criticism and taking ownership in order to be transformed. It is in their ability to be transformed that the bottom-up approach to peacebuilding and self-determination become transformative processes towards respecting differences, building just relationships, and respectful coexistence for the power and dignity for all within the circle of interdependency.
