PressInfo #220 – Fredsbistand til efterkrigsområder – Burundi som eksempel

Udviklingshjælp gives for at hjælpe til at højne de fattiges levestandard. Krigsførende kan være sikre på at få, hvad man kunne kalde “krigshjælp” eller militærbistand, i form af våben, ammunition og træning fra både regeringer og våbenhandlere.

Lande der har været i krig, kan regne med at modtage fredsbevarere samt genopbygnings- og humanitær hjælp.

Hvad der mangler er “fredshjælp”. Fredshjælp er en indsats, der kunne øge chanserne for at de andre hjælpeinsatser vil lede til normalisering.

Hvad er fredshjælp?

Fredshjælp fokuserer på den menneskelige dimension af vold og had og på de sårede sjæle. Den lader de lokale civile samfund få magt til at overvåge en fredsproces og den uddanner mennesker til forsoning og ikke-volds konfliktløsning – med andre ord, fremtidig voldsforebyggelse.

Den støtter udvikling af nye skolebøger, en retfærdig og helende historiefortælling og, fremfor alt, en ny fredskultur. Fredshjælp findes i dag i NGO’ers arbejdsformer, men den forbliver det allersvageste led, fordi regeringer oftest ikke værdsætter dens vitale betydning.

Det handler om at lære at sige “undskyld”, at opgive hadet og gengældelsestrangen. Det handler om at indbygge retfærdighed i genopbygningen og den fremtidige udvikling, noget der ikke opnås ved blot at starte endnu et menneskerettighedsprogram.

At genopbygge huse og veje tager kort tid; at hele et lands sårede sjæle kan tage generationer. Steder som Kosovo, Bosnien-Herzegovina, Makedonien, Afghanistan og Irak giver tragiske beviser for hvor nødvendig fredshjælp er. Efter at der ét sted er opnået våbenstilstand og mulig fredsforhandling, styrter det internationale samfund og medierne afsted til andre krige eller humanitære katastrofer. Vi glemmer let hvor dybe sårene er.

Realisme versus idealisme

Hårdkogte realister kan synes at det er naivt at beskæftige sig med de dybt menneskelige aspekter af helbredelse efter skade og overlast. Imidlertid er mange idéer til healing og ikkevold op genem historien blevet usynliggjort, gjort til grin eller stemlet som urealistiske af magteliterne.

Tag f.eks. ikke-voldskampe for at fremme et regimeskifte. Det virkede imod Shahen af Iran, imod Marcos’ regime i Filippinerne, for Solidaritet i Polen, i Fløjlsrevolutionen i Tjekoslovakiet; det bragte Serbiens Milosevic og Georgiens Shevardnaze til fald og gav for nylig Ukraine en ny præsident. Og det er hævet over enhver tvivl at menneskers ikke-voldelige mobilisering var et helt centralt instrument i opløsningen af den gamle kolde krigs struktur.

Problemet er at ikke-vold bliver overset og usynliggjort. Medierne og politikerne lægger ikke engang mærke til når den ændrer historiens gang. (Den interesserede læser henvises venligst til Jonathan Schells storartede bog om disse og mange andre sager, “The Unconquerable World” – “Den uovervindelige verden”.) Principet “forbered fred hvis det er fred du ønsker” – “si vis pacem para pacem” – er ikke spor naivt. Det skaber overensstemmelse i forholdet mellem middel og mål, i modsætning til principet om at forberede til krig for at få fred.

Det internationale samfund savner hære af veltrænede, erfarne fredshjælpere: Psykologer, socialarbejdere, områdeseksperter, religiøse frivillige, børnepsykologer, solidaritetsarbejdere osv, – modsvarende hærene af fredsbevarende soldater. I Irak er der nu mindst 300 000 traumatiserede børn og unge. Men forstår vi udfordringen?

Burundi

Se på Burundi der i disse år kæmper bravt for at lægge krig og folkedrab bag sig og komme frem til fred og bæredygtig udvikling (1). Siden 1993, efter mordet på landets første demokratisk valgte præsident, Melchior Ndadaye, har Burundi oplevet massive overtrædelser af menneskerettighederne. Over 300 000 mennesker er blevet dræbt, og hundredetusinder fordrevne længes efter at vende tilbage til deres landsbyer.

Siden august 2002, da de politiske modparter underskrev Arusha-fredstraktaten, har burundierne heldigvis fået nyt håb. Den gode vilje blev yderligere styrket da den største oprørsgruppe og regeringen, i november 2002, indgik varige aftaler. Nu er mere end 90% af landet sikkert.

Arusha-traktaten fastslog at valg skulle gennemføres inden november 2004 som afslutning på en overgangsperiode. Dette valg er blevet udskudt til 2005, og der blev gennemført en folkeafstemning for den nye forfatning d. 28.februar 2005; cirka 90% stemte, og 90% stemte for. Det er et meget bemærkelsesværdigt resultat!

Aftalen foreskrev også at en sandheds- og forsoningskomite (TRC) og en international komite for retslige undersøgelser (ICJ) oprettes inden et valg kan afholdes.

Burundierne ønsker retfærd og fred. Et studie gjort af “Observatoire de l’Action Gouvernementale” (OAG), viser at 83% af befolkningen ønske at en TRC skal oprettes, og 82% ønsker en specialdomstol til behandling af forbrydelser mod menneskeheden.

Burundi har demobiliseret hovedparten af sine krigere, og tidligere børnesoldater bliver hjulpet til et civilt liv. Mange flygtninge er kommet hjem og ledere i eksil vender også tilbage. Tidligere rebeller opretter partier. Man har besluttet at oprette en sandheds- og forsoningskomite. Disse og andre skridt hen imod fred er enorme, hvis man tager landets historie og situation i betragtning. (2)

Men desværre, selve fredsprocessen koster penge og kræver megen forskellig og uafhængig ekspertice. Ja, den kræver fredshjælp udefra. Man får det ikke.

Hvorfor lader det internationale samfund hånt om Burundi?

Folk der vandrer vejen mod fred burde jo belønnes. Men hvor i al verden skal Burundis regering kunne finde midler til at opfylde Arusha-målede i tide?

Den samlede FN-appel for humanitær hjælp til Burundi, blev sat til 119 millioner dollars, modsvarende 17 dollar pr.indbygger, hvilket ikke er en stor sum når man sammenligner med det internationale samfunds andre satsninger. Og så kom der kun magre 46% af det beløb i sidste ende. Dette forhold sammen med negative klimatiske vilkår har ført til at sult nu hærger vidt omkring i de nordlige provinser; donorlandene har reageret meget langsomt, især efter Tsunamikatastrofen.

Det er hårde betingelser. Burundi er nr. 171 af 175 lande på UNDP’s register over de fattigste udviklingslande. Bruttonationalproduktet (BNP) per capita er på 145 dollars om året. Der er én læge pr. 100 000 borgere og én eneste psykiater i hele landet. Og 40 000 dør årligt af AIDS.

Det er 13 gange ofrene i New York den11.september 2001!

At sige til en døende patient at han, hvis han af egen kraft kan blive bedre, kan få en smule medicin til hjælp, er direkte grusomt. Men udenfor mediernes strålekastere er det sådan vi behandler mange efterkrigsområder. Som Burundi.

I virkeligheden investerer ingen i at skabe fred, heller ikke de nordiske lande (3). Men man kan spørge sig selv: “Hvad ville et nyt afrikansk folkemord koste? Hvad ville være prisen for ikke at give freds- og anden hjælp i tide? Og hvem betaler den pris?”

Lad os få verdens prioriteringer på plads!

Her har vi et afrikansk land som burde komme på alle forsider for dets stræben efter normalisering – udvikling, sikkerhed og fred. Det er en historie om håb, det er gode nyheder. Hvad er det for menneskelig dumhed og fejlagtig prioritering i vores verden, der ignorerer steder hvor fred er dybt ønsket og absolut gennemførbart?! Hvilken grusom uretfærdighed mod 7 millioner burundier, samtidig med at Bush-regeringen spenderer 1 milliard (1 000 000 000) dollar – 8,5 x Burundis samlede humanitære behov i 2004 – om ugen i Irak, hvor de er uønsket.

Fredshjælp bidrager til holdbare løsninger af konflikter. Det er voldsforebyggelse, tillidsskabelse og forsoning i én pakke. Den mindsker lidelserne inden i, og mellem mennesker. Hvilket sted, end netop Burundi, kunne være bedre til at begynde med fredshjælp? Hvis ikke nu, hvornår så?

Hvis Burundis stræben efter fred ikke er værd at støtte i disse år, hvilken fredsproces er det så? Og gives der bedre måder at vise andre at fred kan betale sig?

Noter

1) For at læse mere om Burundi, se TFF’s Burundi Forum.

2) TFF har for nylig udsendt en serie links om Burundi, hvor man kan få mere at vide om situationen i Burundi lige nu.

3) TFF har spurgt udenrigsministerierne i Norge, Sverige og Danmark om de kunne tænke sig at give økonomisk støtte til vores projekt med 11 frivillige organisationer der arbejder hårdt med fredsprocessen. Med forskellige begrundelser var ingen af dem villige til at overveje et møde, endsige se på et forslag af denne art.

© TFF and the author 2005

PhD, Peace & future researcher + ‌Art Photographer, Professor Emeritus and media commentator

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