Dr Aküm Longchari with participants during the workshop on ‘Matrix of JustPeace’ at Patkai Christian College (Autonomous), Chümoukedima held on October 13.
Patkai, October 15 (MExN): The Department of Mass Communication, Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) organised a workshop on ‘Matrix of JustPeace’ with Dr Aküm Longchari, peace and conflict activist and editor of The Morung Express, as resource person on October 13.
During the day-long workshop, Dr Longchari engaged the students in several exercises as he broke down concepts of conflict, power, how it manifests in society, peace, justice, and JustPeace, an update from the college stated.
He pointed out that most nation-states approach peace from a security perspective and so there is a lot of investment in defence and law enforcement whereas there is little investment in peace studies. “If there is a need to approach peace from a security perspective, it should be from a human security perspective,” he asserted.
On understanding power, he demonstrated with an exercise its structure and dynamics and shared that power can be of three types- over people, within people, with people. It is important to know who wields power in order to understand the structure and dynamics, he said, further noting those at the top of the structure try to maintain their positions, while those at the bottom can be lulled into acceptance.
On the mechanisms of power, Dr Longchari shared that it should undergo a process, contending that it becomes an imposition devoid of a process. He added that if power changes hands, without changing the structure, the status quo remains.
In another exercise, he demonstrated how easily a group of people or community can be divided by the ‘powers that be.’ At times, it can be executed via small privileges here and there, he said. The ‘divide and rule’ has now transcended to ‘define and rule,’ he insisted.
On the effects of conflict, Dr Longchari viewed that conflict affects four dimensions of life-personal, relational, structures and culture. When there is a conflict, it changes the person, their relationships, existing structures and their attitudes and behaviours, he explained. Accordingly, it is easy to strip people of their ‘humanity’ during a conflict, he said. “The consequence of conflict is dehumanisation,” he added.
On achieving JustPeace, Dr Longchari demonstrated through an exercise that Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace should be the anchor points for reconciliation. He said that the point where Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace meet is the start of genuine reconciliation. These concepts cannot work in isolation.
Citing examples of World War II, East Timor and post- Apartheid South Africa, he illustrated how devoid of these anchor points, processes to find justice or peace did not result in genuine reconciliation.
To this end, he reflected that Naga society presently is in a state where “Truth is suppressed; Justice is kidnapped; Mercy is blinded; and Peace does not exist.”
The challenge for the young Naga generation is to unlock the dynamics of Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace and weave them together, he said. They are complementary to each other and need each other, he added.
