The 'peace' virus

The 'peace' virus

God bless those who never gave up hope and are full of
goodwill.

For many of this generation, the conflicts in Aceh and
Northern Ireland have been a staple part of their general
consciousness. For those living in these conflict areas, the
antagonism that has prevailed has consumed a whole generation
with hate and suffering.

The recent announcements of a peace deal in Aceh and the Irish
Republican Army's (IRA) historic renunciation of violence are not
directly related. Nevertheless, they are good news, inspiring
hope that years of enmity can be brought to a close.

Delegates from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian
government last month drafted a peace deal that will be formally
signed in two weeks' time. Meanwhile, the IRA unilaterally
announced last week that it was abandoning its armed campaign
against British rule in Northern Ireland.

Warmongers, critics and peace spoilers may place caveats on
the chances of sustained peace, with negative news reports
cynically highlighting minor snags that do not reflect the
overall picture. However, this should not cloud what is an
historic opportunity to prevent further unnecessary deaths.

For many years, politicians and diplomats have argued who was
right, and what was wrong; about ideology and history; about
higher causes, filled with a sense of their own righteousness.

As we look ahead to the challenge of a sustained peace, none
of this rhetoric seems to matter as much.

These developments could prove once again that with patience,
goodwill and a principal desire for peace, any political rivalry,
no matter how divergent, can be negotiated and overcome.

Ideologues should also recognize that the credibility of their
struggle comes not from a barrel of a gun, but success at the
ballot box. Whatever their cause, its legitimacy can only be
reinforced through democratic mechanisms.

True, there is no perfect system. And the inability to absorb
indigenous voices often leads to upheaval. But while there is no
perfect system, by working -- often painstakingly -- from within,
one can hope to address long-term fundamental change. This is the
political essence of what has been achieved in Aceh and Northern
Ireland.

The detractors -- whether they are in GAM or the military, the
IRA or the Democratic Unionist Party -- work using established
processes to exact change. However, the status quo should also
provide all groups with an equal opportunity to compete in a fair
political process.

Without this common recognition, these momentous decisions of
July 2005 will become nothing more than historical letdowns.

In the coming year, a lot of political sacrifices will have to
made to ensure a true peace is realized. All sides will have to
swallow some pride in order for compromises to be reached. But
these sacrifices are trivial compared to what the people on the
front lines of these conflicts have suffered.

Pride, over time, can be regained. Not so a life nor a limb.

Sustained peace is not only the greatest gift that can be
given to the peoples of Aceh and Northern Ireland, it is also a
gift to the whole world.

If the parties involved can show they can bury the hatchet and
work for peace despite decades of conflict, it is an example to
other areas in the world that a resolution can be sought without
the pursuit of force.

Though there may be different nuances, the ingredients in the
years of strife in Aceh and Northern Ireland are generally the
same as those in other conflicts around the world -- they involve
contrasts in religion, competing ethnicities, economic
indifference, the ruler and the oppressed.

Whether it be Palestine, Chechnya, Sri Lanka, the southern
Philippines or tribal rivalry in Africa, we are hopeful that the
recent intent to pursue peace in Aceh and Northern Ireland will
become a benign virus that will positively infect other prolonged
rivalries and conflicts.