Women Peace-Builders Critique U.S. Policy

Three women peace-builders from Northern Ireland, Colombia and Sri Lanka criticized what they called the U.S.’s simple-minded approach to terrorism at the Kennedy School of Government’s ARCO Forum last night.

Appearing as part of the fourth annual Women Waging Peace colloquium at the Kennedy School, the speakers said people in areas of conflict must desire peace for all more than the victory of their faction, and that the U.S. needs to better understand its opponents in order to end terrorist violence.

“All sides [must] recognize that no further political gain can be made through violence,” said Monica McWilliams, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. “If you don’t recognize the causes that the other side has...you’re not truly negotiating.”

Neela Marikkar, spokesperson for SriLankaFirst, and Martha Segura, director of the Colombian Confederation of NGOs, agreed that the greatest challenge the U.S. faces in combating terrorism is in understanding the other side’s claims.

“People don’t just hate...there is always a reason why these things start up,” said Marikkar.

To illustrate her point, McWilliams told a story about meeting President Bush on St. Patrick’s Day last year, at the traditional White House party for those working for peace in Northern Ireland.

She said that when she spoke to the President about the forgiveness that had to occur in Northern Ireland, he responded, “Forgive? I’ll never forgive those people in Afghanistan.”

“But I think he used slightly stronger language,” she added.

McWilliams said she told the President that none of his guests that day would have been there if the people in Northern Ireland had made such a generalization.

“You can imagine I probably won’t be on his invitation list next time,” she joked.

Segura, whose own husband was kidnapped and killed by Colombian guerillas, agreed that finding common ground between the parties was essential.

She explained that in Colombia, there are more than 60 conflicting political movements to choose between.

“In this fragmented society, to agree with someone is really, really hard,” she said. “We have to build coalitions, partnerships and alliances...that’s why I’m here—because I believe we have to make these partnerships.”

The speakers concurred that choosing to aim for peace was a difficult step, and one which women could be the first to make.

After the panelists spoke, Ames Professor of Law Philip B. Heymann and KSG Lecturer Jessica E. Stern responded to their remarks.

“It really is very tempting—at least for people of my gender—to make war,” Heymann said.

McWilliams concluded that any peace process has to begin by working with people’s prejudices.

“You decommission the mind set and then you decommission the weapons,” she said.