Building Peace in Nepal: Role of Civil Society

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Building Peace in NepalRole of Civil Society

• Dr Poorna K. Adhikary
• President
• Institute for Conflict Management
• Peace and Development (ICPD)

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Conflict-Coin Model
Side B of the Coin National Political
Conflict National tri-polar conflict Palace,
Political Parties and Maoists are locked in a
conflict of mutually exclusive ideologies
Side A of the Coin Structural
Conflict Persistence of historical, structural
imbalances due to inequalities related to
gender, caste, class, ethnicity, religion,
language, regional disparity etc
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Blasts Violence
SOCIAL TENSIONS
TIME
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Before October 4, 2002

• King Parliament Maoists

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After October 4, 2002
King
Pro-parliament Political Parties
Maoists
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Nepals Tri-polar Political Conflict

• Palace
• Maoists
• Political Parties

people
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CONFLICT SCENARIO
Autocratic Monarchy
One Party Republic
Multi Party Democracy
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Peace in Nepal

• Palace
• Maoists
• Political Parties

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Challenge of Finding the Common Denominator
Absolute Monarchy
One Party Dictatorship
Multi-Party Democracy
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Bi-polar Conflict Model
MAOISTS
GOVERNMENT
MEDIATOR
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Challenge of Finding the Common Denominator
Autocratic Monarchy
Autocratic Monarchy
One Party Republic
One Party Republic
Multi Party Democracy
Multi Party Democracy
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TRI-POLAR CONFLICT MODEL
180
P

• Facilitated
• Dialogue Process
• Finding a common
• denominator
• Issue wise consensus
• based approach

180
180
M
PP
Common Denominator (Meeting Points)
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Finding the Common Denominators

• Human Rights and Multi Party Democracy Can be
  the Entry Points
• There is no disagreement on reducing the
  structural conflicts
• (i.e. acting at the side A of the
  Conflict-Coin)
• - So called 38 out of 40 Maoists
  demands can be met by the
• provisions under 1990
  constitution
• - Inclusive democracy and
  socio-economic
• programs.
• - Fulfilling the basic human rights
  of the people
• Obligation to
• - The respect for the international
  human rights norms by the
• forces with arms as Nepal is
  already a signatory to it.
• - Subscription of the multi-party
  democratic values to obtain
• international legitimacy.

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Steps towards Conflict Resolution

• Need to recognize that there is a problem
• Necessary to work on both sides of the conflict
  coin to end violence
• Need to have a clear strategy to work on either
  side

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Stakeholders/ Actors of Peace Process
3
2
1

• Facilitator
• Connector
• Mediator
• Process Manager

• Primary Stakeholders (Political Actors P, PP, M)
• Secondary Stakeholders (Experts/ Civil Society)
• Tertiary Stakeholders (External Partners UN, EU,
  ICRC, UK, US,
• India, China, Switzerland, Japan)

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Negotiation Refers to

• Competitive Processes
• Positional Negotiation
• or
• Cooperative Efforts
• Interest-based Negotiation

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Positional Negotiation

• Parties make offers and counter-offers which they
  feel will resolve the conflict
• These exchanges of offers typically start to
  converge on a solution which both parties find
  acceptable.
• Success at positional negotiation is based on a
  partys ability to bluff the other party about
  its positions of strength and weakness in order
  to gain an outcome which is in their favor.

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Interest-based Negotiation

• Parties have a need to create or maintain healthy
  relationships.
• In this type of process, parties discuss the
  issues which face them and express their
  interest, values and needs
• Instead of focusing on competitive measures and
  winning the negotiation, parties collaborate by
  looking to create solutions which optimize their
  interests, values and needs.

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Negotiation Should Satisfy

• The interests of the parties in conflict
• and
• Be acceptable to others

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Elements of Conducting Negotiation
Communication Relationship
Interests Options Legitimacy
If YES Commitment
If NO Alternative
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Components of Negotiation Process

• Goal setting 2. Preparation
• 4. Reviewing/ 3. Conducting
• Learning (strategy tactics)

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Mediation
M
D
D
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Facilitation/Moderation of Interest Based
Negotiation
F/M
CP
CP
.
CP
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Skills Needed in Techniques of

• Mediation for would be mediators
• Interest Based Negotiation for negotiators of the
  conflicting parties
• Facilitation/Moderation of Interest Based
  Negotiation for would be facilitators/moderators

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Participation is the key to all negotiations
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Reality is

• Not like
• But like

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Because reality is complex

• Nobody has a complete knowledge of a given
  situation
• Persons at different positions see the same thing
  differently
• Persons fail to see what others see and develop
  their own bias
• People cannot always accept a solution given by
  others

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Participation

• Allows to collect opinions of all concerned
• Harmonizes opinions of all through consensus
• Builds up ownership of the product

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Function of a Facilitator/Moderator

• Understanding the Conflict Dynamics
• Conscientization
• Managing Group Dynamics
• Leading for Consensus Decision

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Conditions of a Facilitation Process

1. Need for a facilitator/mediator has to be
   recognized by the conflicting parties.
2. The facilitator/mediator has to gain the trust of
   the conflicting parties
3. The conflicting parties have to request for the
   facilitator/mediators support.
4. The facilitator/mediator should not become a
   partisan.
5. The facilitator/mediator can only provide a
   framework or process. Ideas have to come from the
   participants themselves.

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Contd.Conditions of a Facilitation Process

1. All participants in the dialogue should have
   respect for each other, which needs to be
   established through confidence building measures.
   
2. Dialogue can take place inside or outside the
   country.
3. The facilitator can be a national, or an
   outsider, or a team of both.
4. Until all issues are resolved and agreed upon,
   the solution cannot be final.
5. Until everything is agreed upon, nothing should
   come out in the media.
6. Ceasefire, although welcome, is not a
   pre-condition for dialogue.

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Dialogue The Only Way Out

• A peaceful process can bring the conflicting
  parties to a win-win situation
• As the parties to conflict have their own
  agendas, a competent facilitator/mediator is
  needed to bring them to collective action.
• Facilitator/mediator has the responsibility to
  bring the conflicting parties to a consensus
  decision
• Civil societies can act as initiators and
  pressure groups for meaningful dialogues

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Pre-Conditions of a Dialogue

• Self-Confidence
• Humility
• Hope

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The Role of Civil Society in the National Conflict

• Work on Structural Conflict
• Support the Negotiation/Dialogue Process
• C. Support Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and
  Reconstruction during and after conflict

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Role of Civil Society Work on Structural
Conflict

• NGOs, CBOs are working in areas where the
  government is constrained
• They can fill gaps as partners in a multi-polar
  governance
• They can test out innovative ideas before the
  government implements them nationwide

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Role of Civil Society Support the
Negotiation/Dialogue Process

• Act as initiators and pressure groups for
  meaningful dialogue
• Hold an objective non-partisan position
• Act as the go-between among parties in conflict
  through quiet diplomacy
• Orient political leaders on the advantage of
  dialogue to bring about a win-win situation

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Cont. Role of Civil Society Support the
Negotiation/Dialogue Process

• Provide facilitation/mediation assistance for
  collective action through a consensus decision
• Assist conflicting parties to build up their
  confidence in going through interest based
  negotiation
• Make the parties in conflict aware of the
  preconditions of dialogue
• Provide needed technical input
• Manage the peace negotiation sessions

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Role of Civil Society Support Reconciliation,
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

• Reconciliation and rehabilitation should not just
  await the end of the conflict
• Organize/Support truth and reconciliation measure
  to bring justice to the victims
• Support post-conflict reconstruction measures

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NepalS Monarchy for Twenty First Century

KING
Progressive Forces
Traditional Forces
Radical Forces
Seven Parties ......Civil Society
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Monarch has a role to act

• As a supporter or protector of democracy and for
  structural changes for social transformation
  (participatory inclusive democracy)
• ( A La Juan Carlos of Spain)
• Not as a hijacker of democracy as experienced
  several times in Nepal.

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Need for a Coordinated Approach

• More conflict is added on existing conflict
• Due to intense competition among the internal and
  external parties to become the hero in resolving
  the conflict in Nepal.
• As Conflict has turned out to be a big industry
  around the world and there is attraction for many
  to jump into the band wagon.
• Everyone playing their own game resulting into a
  mess of problems and not achieving a solution.

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Coordinated Approach for Conflict Resolution
Means

• National initiative of the members of the civil
  society to act collectively (form a consortium
  with clearly defined tasks for the members).
• Consortium of international partners with clearly
  defined tasks to support national initiative for
  technical and logistic support.
• Approaching the problem with clearly defined
  strategy.
• Note
• If the Stakeholders in the Second Circle (of
  Slide 15) do not function properly then it is
  natural for the Stakeholders of the Third Circle
  to enter into the Second Circle and possibly
  move into the Primary One. In this case the
  national cost could be quite high (e.g. 1950-51)

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• Thank You