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Organization: Diphu Citizens Peace Forum (DCPF)
The following information may be cited or quoted as long as the source is accurately mentioned and the words are not taken out of context.
Posted: May 05 2010,10:03 If you wrote this report, you will find a button here that you may click
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Postal address of organization/institution

Bishop’s House Diphu, PIN-782460,Karbi Anglong(Dt) Assam, India

E-mail address of organization/institution

tmangatt@gmail.com

Website address of organization/institution

www.missionhomemanja.com

Telephone of organization/institution

09435066461

PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RIGHTS
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

Our Networking Organisations

North East Diocesan Social Forum (NEDSF) Guwahati, India
Northeast Social Research Centre, Guwahati, India
Peace Channel, Dimapur, Nagaland, India
JUST, Tripura, India

ACTIONS: What activities have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010 report.

Peace Initiatives by Diphu Citizens Peace Forum (DCPF)

Our Declaration:

We have a simple message to the world from this movement for Peace.
We want to live, love and build a just and peaceful society.
We want our children, our lives at home, at work, and at play to be lives of joy and Peace.
We recognize that to build such a society demands dedication, hard work, and courage.
We recognize the many problems in our society which are sources of conflict and violence.
We recognize that every bullet fired and every exploding bomb make that work more difficult.
We reject the use of the bomb and the bullet and all the techniques of violence.

Following the above declaration, DCPF formed in 2005, has been initiating series of discussions at various levels of the society. Different levels of society involved in this process are the following: National, regional and local organizations like the parties and associations. Communities like local village councils, Schools, Cultural organizations, Community organizations, media persons.

Methodology of our Intervention:

The methodology of our intervention has been evolved from our experience and contact with several people. The methodology draws upon the creativity and imagination of our people especially the young people and children, and teaches them the ethics of responsibility in this interdependent region. The methodology incorporates best practices from the fields of psychology, humanities, faith traditions, traditional conflict resolving mechanisms, ethnic culture, music, dance and conflict resolution method of multitrack diplomacy of  peace building.

OUR KEY MESSAGES

Violence and hate campaigns are never solution to any problem.
Group of people should not be judged by the actions of a few.
We can be strong because of our diversity.
All people deserve to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity.
Vengeance and justice are not necessarily the same.
History shows us that intolerance only causes harm.
We need to work for peace in our communities and villages.

THE PROBLEM WE ADDRESS

Since its formation the district has been witness to a peaceful coexistence between the different ethnic communities that inhabit it. Even when the different parts of the state and the region faced ethnic conflicts and violence, the district remained largely unaffected.
Since the start of the new millennium, the district has seen the development of ethnic tensions like the Karbi-Kuki, Karbi-Khasi, Karbi-Dimasa, Karbi-Bodo, Karbi-Adivasi, Karbi-Bihari and Hmar-Dimasa conflicts. Of these ethnic tensions, the Hmar-Dimasa, Karbi-Kuki and the Karbi-Khasi tensions led to violence at the community level and resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives of people from the conflicting communities. The loss of lives and large scale destruction of property brought about an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion between the tribes.
The ethnic conflicts that resulted in violence exposed the failure of youth and social institutions which should have been capable of doing major work in peaceful resolution of conflicts. At times there were no social structures that brought people from the conflicting communities together for discussion about the issues that contributed to the conflict and other aspects.
These ethnic tensions and violence have had far reaching results, the first being that developmental activities and projects being undertaken in various parts of the district by the Government and Non-Government agencies have been hampered. The Karbi-Kuki, Hmar-Dimasa and Karbi-Khasi conflicts almost brought all developmental activities to a stop. Though development works have resumed the loss of time, labour and other resources has delayed their completion.
Another result was the loss of trust and confidence of the ethnic groups on one another. Some of these tribes have been coexisting peacefully for centuries but the use of violence in resolving conflict has broken down these bonds. An atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion for each other has developed with every political and socio-economic move of each tribe being monitored by the other. The political parties taking advantage of this situation does not help much in any moves to bring people from the conflicting communities together.

OUR STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM

Awareness camps: - Schools and College students could be given awareness on social issues like communal harmony and models of peace. If we do not teach them to think, to speak and work for peace then someone else will teach them violence. Peace and conflict resolution have become an important subjects for our children to learn. Awareness could be given through leaflets, literature, audio – visual media and Street plays.
These awareness programmes can be held at schools and colleges and other selected locations in the district.

OUR ACTIVITIES

Peace education in the schools and colleges.
Peace workshops for the youths (Both rural and urban youths).
Street plays in the town as well as in the villages.
Peace programme for the villagers through audio visual media etc.
Awareness camps at villages etc.
Seminars and workshops on peace
Conducting Peace rallys

OUR AIMS
*Increase the participation of people and youth organizations in society, as well as in decision making processes.
*Positively influence policy issues affecting young people and youth organizations, by media and better networking.
*Foster the exchange of ideas and experience, mutual understanding, and equal rights and opportunities among young people in the region.
*Uphold intercultural understanding, democracy, respect, active citizenship and solidarity.

Methodology of our Intervention:

The methodology of our intervention has been evolved from our experience and contact with several people. It is also the outcome of our collaboration with regional bodies like NERYC, NESRC, NEDSF and other conflict resolution experts. The methodology draws upon the creativity and imagination of young people, and teaches them the ethics of responsibility in this interdependent region. The methodology incorporates best practices from the fields of psychology, humanities, faith traditions, traditional conflict resolving mechanisms, conflict resolution method of multitrack diplomacy of  peace building, while employing the power of the arts for self-expression, healing and communication.

Broadly speaking peace education in Karbi Anglong is undertaken from two major perspectives - Education about peace and Education for peace.

Education about peace deals with creating awareness about peace and the complexities of peace making. It is to empower people with information necessary for effecting change and building peace in the society. This was achieved through formal and informal education, including the media. The media play a significant role in sensitizing people on peace building.

Education for peace deals with teaching skills and creating new structures and attitudes that would facilitate peace making. Since the purpose of peace education is to mobilize the society to bring about conditions necessary for sustainable peace, our educational focus was reviewed by modifying existing structures such as the curriculum towards peace building.

Some of the important milestones of our intervention are given below.

Transforming Youth into Peace Leaders

The districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills of Assam has been dominated by diverse problems related to violence for the last few years. However, it is a place of acceptance, coexistence and diversity.
The main objective of our program has been to prepare youth for mutual understanding and cooperation, so that they can help lead the communities to live side by side in an open society. It is a challenge because violence in the district continues to be the order of the day.

Building Relationship with Local Schools, Colleges, and Universities

We have been working to build and strengthen relationships with students at local colleges, schools and universities. These efforts have included volunteers, hosting meetings, and providing speakers and materials. We have made the cause of peace more visible and have more and more students coming through our doors and using our peace resources.


Support for internally displaced people

As the result of conflicts we have thousands of internally displaced people and most of them are children and youth. Some of the basic services included help towards education, health, and income generation prorammes. The program will also assist internally displaced persons in integrating them into communities or facilitate their eventual return to their homes.

Youth and Extremism  

Through our various youth associations and civil society organizations we are working with local activists, students, and the faith community to support the work of counter recruitment in the region. This is done to dispel myths about the realities of extremism and refute false information provided by recruiters. More is to be done in this regard, we hope to educate parents, schools, and young people about what options and alternatives exist. More broadly, we aim to change the overall culture of violence.

Cultural Exchange Programme

Teenagers and youth today are no strangers to conflict in many parts of the world, but there is a program that brings groups of teenagers from strife-torn corners of the world to get a different perspective on their problems. We had already three cultural exchange programmes in the year 2007.
Many of these students have never met or "heard from the other side" before the programme. The objective of the programme is simple, it allows children and youth to come together and meet to discuss their differences and to discover their similarities before "their fear, mistrust and prejudices have permanently shaped their vision.
Thanks to our peace team members, we have been closely following our efforts with limited resources.  I have been deeply impressed by the remarkable energy and commitment that is being put forth every day by our youth groups, civil society to resolve local and ethnic disputes.

Network of Peace-Minded Individuals

During the past we have broadened  more local, regional and national network comprising Organization's and like-minded persons. The network will support youth programs, share information regarding peace, health and youth issues and coordinate periodic events for the membership and targeted population. The goal is to promote peace and influence conflict resolution and prevention through ethnic solidarity. Many of our volunteers are already part of several youth groups and associations in the country. They are also participating in Youth Events Sponsored by Schools, Government Agencies & Non-Profit Organizations.

Training and Workshops

DCPF through peace team (a core team of peace educators) has tried to reach out to various organizations and institutions providing vocational training and relevant workshops. Areas covered include life skills, conflict resolution skills and so on.

Producing & Distributing Information

We have tried our best to share information with the general public regarding healthy and effective means to resolve conflicts peacefully and maintain healthy habits. Information include radio broadcast messages on peace, ethnic solidarity. Articles, press releases and press conferences have been accepted regular practices of our peace work. We also share, distribute the information at local events and conferences relating to peace efforts and youth.

PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the second half of the Decade?

We have seen tremendous progress in our work.

OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?

The problem of financial resources to reach out to many people
The problem of networking and information sharing with people at large.

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence?

We would like to continue the programmes we have began in the coming years.

GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??

There is more talk about violence and war than about peace and non-violence, this needs to change if we have to see a peaceful world.

Secondly there is too much money spend all over the world for violence, arms production, war on terror besides weapons of mass destruction, this needs to change, more money and resources needs to be used for peace building programmes all over the world.
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Organization: Diphu Citizens Peace Forum (DCPF)

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