Amongst Friends
John Birchall
10 Nov 2008
John Birchall takes a personal look at peacebuilding and his experiences in Sierra Leone when the civil war came to its end - as well as new initiatives regarding climate change and economic policies.
Sadly, I am coming towards the end of writing these monthly contributions to the InterAction site. The programme's new cohorts will move away from some of the themes of the original InterAction and turn their attention to peacebuilding and strategic thinking. I do hope that they learn much from their meetings and discussions. I thought it might be useful for those considering entry to the new cohorts if I included some observations of my own on the emotional subject of peacebuilding - which by definition has to follow the resolution of a period of conflict. It is now over seven years since I saw what is described below but barely a day passes without me thinking of those I met and the things they had been a part of. Sierra Leone So, in the penultimate edition I thought I would begin by taking you back to 2001 and to Sierra Leone. At that time a brutal civil war was nearing its end. Ten years previous I had been in the country when I small force invaded from the south-east (Liberia) and made their way towards the rich diamond fields of the Kono District. Over the next decade 60,000 would die and many hideous deeds would take place that still haunt those who took part in acts of such extreme brutality. In August of 2001 I sat in a small town in the north of country and wrote the following - my observations were to appear in the magazine West Africa. Here is an extract from article three of a series of four: ‘The politics of evolution or revolution?' Sitting in a small house on the southern side of Mile 91 was a new experience for me. Eighth young men surrounded me, five of them had rifles but they were not talking of how they had used them. They seemed calm and ready to engage in conversation. Somehow my idea of a "fighter" was not that of these rather timid looking young men. They looked hungry, tired and genuinely in need of a new sense of purpose in their lives. One was saddened by the thought that men of such a tender age had probably spent the majority of their youth in combat. I had been surprised to see both CDF and RUF personnel on the road from Freetown. In certain northern towns I noted that the RUF remained in possession of their communications equipment and were openly talking to others in the east of the country.
Weapons
According to statistics the majority of weapons handed in had been rifles, which at current rates could be replaced for less than forty US dollars per weapon. Many of those I spoke with feared that a certain level of dishonesty was afoot in the recording of weapons surrendered and that some of the "boys" were giving in hunting rifles. The real weapons were staying "out there" somewhere. Their re-appearance would depend on how the main factions viewed the tentative peace process. Reintegration Another problem I noted was the natural reluctance of those surrendering to go back to their home villages and Chiefdoms. They were scared of the retribution they would face when those they had attacked and terrified saw them back in local society. Those I met did not come from the Port Loko, Kambia, and Makeni area. They were pleased to accept a few thousand leones but feared that they would never see the larger US dollar payment that is given once a new citizen returns to their home village or town. Some admitted that relatives had promised reprisals. One can only wonder just where these post-combat individuals will actually find themselves if peace is established. Hideous crimes They will struggle to put down roots and will not be seen as returning heroes. If civil society is to be re-built much will depend how ordinary people accept those who committed such hideous crimes against them. Three of them were confident and articulate and encouraged me to join in a seminar on good governance. I spoke of the history of universal franchise in the United Kingdom, apparent political neutrality of the both the civil service and the judiciary. We exchanged ideas on what we expected from those democratically elected to lead a country. We even touched on corruption and the recent trial of Lord Archer. Our far-ranging conversation made me aware that much of what they wanted from society had not been part of mine for as long as they thought. Indeed, in the life time of my parents' fundamental changes had taken place. I suggested that the road to democracy was not an easy one and that other divisions within a country destroyed or delayed any opportunity of applying the democratic process in its purest form. Lost opportunities The need for an accurate census was paramount and the delay in returning displaced people to their legitimate place of residence was going to be a problem. Their grievances were not far from my own when I was a young student. Access to the fundamentals of what we expect members of the human race to have, formed the nucleus of their requirements. They were tired of political elite plundering vast sums of money. The sheer waste of the lost opportunities for improving the quality of life for the masses had resulted in them accepting practices they did not want to subscribe to. It was obvious to them that Sierra Leone had produced countless UN administrators, doctors, lawyers, accountant's etc and yet the emergence of a middle class who wanted to "serve" the nation still seemed a far off dream. Brutality I could not combat their charges of "fixed" elections and the brutality that often accompanied the democratic process. I had seen as far off as 1973 violence in the East End of Freetown. They expressed with a rational line of thought the process through which they had passed and accepted that the taking up of arms was a last resort. Throughout my conversation I was aware that my opinions regarding the rebel forces were altering. I knew that they had "managed" large parts of the country for a number of years but I had not expected such a literate analysis of why the anarchy had arisen. It also became obvious to me that people of such calibre would not easily accept a return to a mundane role in life. The peace process has to be inclusive and involve all of the organisations involved in the long and bitter conflict. Before I let them proceed with the Kenyan soldiers who had arrived to take them to the demobilisation camp I asked one more question. It was the one I had wanted to ask but did not know how they would react. Why had they resorted to such hideous violence? Chilling Like most individuals confronted by this type of request they answered that they had known those who had done such terrible things but they had not personally injured or maimed anyone. Why then had it taken place and then came the response that was to be a chilling foretaste of the events soon to unfold in New York. "We felt unnoticed and ignored by both the domestic government and those "powerbrokers" overseas. Once we left our mark we were taken seriously. It had become easier to cause such terrible injuries to people once you had done it once." Grievances Obviously, the use of certain substances also helped. They also expressed a fear of being killed if they had not accepted the orders from those in command. For a few long minutes were stared at each other, somehow we shared a common guilt for our species ability to disregard the sanctity of human life. In a very strange way it was a moving moment and certainly one I will never forget. Turning to their grievances, what will be done to improve the level of good governance in the country? Illiteracy need not be the excuse for dishonest elections and the disenfranchising of thousands of innocent individuals. Electoral process A clear set of principles must be established within the electoral process that guarantees freedom to both stand for election and disagree with you opponents.
It's now a country at peace but as many accept, the ingredients of war remain and a failure to address them could lead to other young men repeating the actions of those I met in Mile 91 in August 2001. Climate Change I started writing a monthly contribution to the InterAction site in Spring of this year and at that time a major theme of the programme was climate change. Since then I have worked with several of you on specific climate change programmes and I am especially pleased to be in regular contact with Melody in Zimbabwe who is attempting an ambitious programme of informing all interested parties of the dangers inherent in ever increasing temperatures etc. Recently we have turned our attention to the New Green Deal and the Steady State Economy. What follows are short introductions to both. The New Green Deal Though this brief introduction focuses on the United Kingdom the ideas contained within it can apply to any of your countries. It may give some of you ideas as to what you can strive for. UK needs Green New Deal to tackle triple crunch of credit, oil price and climate crises. On the first anniversary of Northern Rock falsely reassuring markets, and 75 years since President Roosevelt launched a New Deal to rescue the US from financial crisis, a new group of experts in finance, energy and the environment have come together to propose a Green New Deal for the UK.
And, as the Green New Deal Group launch their proposals, new analysis suggests that from the end of July 2008 there are only 100 months, or less, to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before we hit a potential point of no return.
The Green New Deal is a response to the credit crunch and wider energy and food crises and to the lack of comprehensive, joined-up action from politicians. It calls for:
· Massive investment in renewable energy and wider environmental transformation in the UK, leading to,
· The creation of thousands of new green collar jobs
· Reining in reckless aspects of the finance sector - but making low-cost capital available to fund the UK 's green economic shift
· Building a new alliance between environmentalists, industry, agriculture, and unions to put the interests of the real economy ahead of those of footloose finance The global economy is facing a "triple crunch": a combination of a credit-fuelled financial crisis, accelerating climate change and soaring energy prices underpinned by encroaching peak oil. It is increasingly clear that these three overlapping events threaten to develop into a perfect storm, the like of which has not been seen since the Great Depression, with potentially devastating consequences.
As in past times of crises, disparate groups have come together to propose a new solution to an epochal challenge.
The Green New Deal Group, drawing inspiration from the tone of President Roosevelt's comprehensive response to the Great Depression, propose a modernised version, a Green New Deal designed to power a re-newables revolution, create thousands of green-collar jobs and rein in the distorting power of the finance sector while making more low-cost capital available for pressing priorities. Stabilise the gases
Seventy-five years ago, Roosevelt's courageous programme was implemented in an unprecedented "100-days of lawmaking". And, as the Green New Deal Group launch their proposals, new analysis suggests that from the end of July 2008 there are only 100 months, or less, to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before we hit a potential point of no return.
This is the moment when the likelihood of irreversible changes in the climate becomes unacceptably high.
The most serious global crisis since the Great Depression calls for serious reform the like of which has not, yet, been considered by politicians. This entails re-regulating finance and taxation plus a huge transformational programme aimed at substantially reducing the use of fossil fuels and, in the process, tackling the unemployment and decline in demand caused by the credit crunch.
Reduce emissions
It involves policies and new funding mechanisms that will reduce emissions and allow us to cope better with the coming energy shortages caused by peak oil.
International in outlook, the Green New Deal requires action at local, national, regional and global levels. Focusing first on the specific needs of the UK, the Green New Deal outlines an interlocking programme of action that will require an ambitious legislative programme backed by a bold new alliance of industry, agriculture, labour and environmentalists.
In the midst of unfolding global crises, as Parliament rises on 22 July, the Green New Deal Group challenges government to go away, do its homework, and come back in the Autumn with a comprehensive legislative programme equivalent to that implemented by Roosevelt 75 years ago - a Green New Deal.
Proposal's set out in the group's report include:
· Executing a bold new vision for a low-carbon energy system that will include making "every building a power station".
· Creating and training a ‘carbon army' of workers to provide the human resources for a vast environmental reconstruction programme.
· Establishing an Oil Legacy Fund, paid for by a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies as part of a wide-ranging package of financial innovations and incentives to assemble the tens of billions of pounds that need to be spent. These would also include Local Authority green bonds, green gilts and green family savings bonds. The monies raised would help deal with the effects of climate change and smooth the transition to a low-carbon economy.
· Ensuring more realistic fossil fuel prices that include the cost to the environment, and that are high enough to tackle climate change by creating economic incentives to drive efficiency and bring alternative fuels to market. This will provide funding for the Green New Deal and safety nets to those vulnerable to higher prices via rapidly rising carbon taxes and revenue from carbon trading.
· Minimising corporate tax evasion by clamping down on tax havens and corporate financial reporting. A range of measures including deducting tax at source for all income paid to financial institutions in tax havens would provide much-needed sources of public finance at a time when economic contraction is reducing conventional tax receipts.
· Re-regulating the domestic financial system. Inspired by reforms implemented in the 1930s, this would imply cutting interest rates across the board- including the reduction of the Bank of England's interest rate - and changes in debt-management policy to enable reductions in interest rates across all government borrowing. This is designed to help those borrowing to build a new energy and transport infrastructure. In parallel, to prevent inflation, we want to see much tighter regulation of the wider financial environment.
· Breaking up the discredited financial institutions that have needed so much public money to prop them up in the latest credit crunch. Large banking and finance groups should be forcibly de-merged. Retail banking should be split from both corporate finance (merchant banking) and from securities dealing. The de-merged units should then be split into smaller banks. Mega banks make mega mistakes that affect us all. Instead of institutions that are "too big to fail", we need institutions that are small enough to fail without creating problems for depositors and the wider public. The Green New Deal Group urges the UK government to take action at the international level to help build the orderly, well-regulated and supportive policy and financial environment that is required to restore economic stability and nurture environmental sustainability, including:
· Allowing all nations far greater autonomy over domestic monetary policy (interest rates and money supply) and fiscal policy (government spending and taxation).
· Setting a formal international target for atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations that keeps future temperature rises as far below 2°C as possible.
· Giving poorer countries the opportunity to escape poverty without fuelling global warming by helping to finance massive investment in climate-change adaptation and renewable energy. In this way the members of the Green New Deal Group believe we can begin to stabilise the current crisis, and lay the foundations for the emergence of a set of resilient low carbon economies, rich in jobs and based on independent sources of energy supply.
The Green New Deal will rekindle a vital sense of purpose, restoring public trust and refocusing the use of capital on public priorities and sustainability. In this way it can also help deliver a wide range of social benefits that can greatly improve quality of life in the future. There is also an immediate imperative to restore some faith that society can survive the dreadful threats it now faces as a result of the triple crunch.
Beyond that, the group's members believe we can deliver a crucial national plan for a low-energy future and its provision on the ground. The absence of any such plan at present leaves the country very vulnerable.
The Steady State Economy The steady state is a condition of the economy in which output per worker (productivity of labour) and capital per worker (capital intensity) do not change over time. This is due to the rate of new capital production from invested savings exactly equalling the rate of existing capital depreciation. Exogenous growth models show how economies will naturally tend to a steady-state. The steady-state is generally associated with the Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow, who created the Solow Model in 1956. The Truth About Economic Growth Economic growth is simply an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services. Economic growth has provided many benefits over time, but now it is causing more problems - dire problems - than it solves.
Slowly but surely, economic growth has become a primary threat to the environment, national security, international stability, and future generations.
Yet it remains the highest priority in the domestic policy arena of the United States and most other nations. Citizens, especially students, are continually told that there is no limit to growth, in defiance of ecological principles and basic physics. To refute the misleading rhetoric that there is no conflict between economic growth and environmental protection - as well as economic sustainability The Steady State Economy A prosperous and dynamic economy does not have to be a growing economy. A steady state economy features stabilised population and consumption. Such stability means that the amount of resource throughput and waste disposal remains roughly constant. The key features of a steady state economy are: (1) sustainable scale, in which economic activities fit within the capacity provided by ecosystems; (2) fair distribution of wealth; and (3) efficient allocation of resources. Jumpstarting the transition Environmental sustainability, national security, international stability, and the well-being of future generations require a shift from a perpetually growing economy to a steady state economy. Many policies are available to bring about this shift, but first society has to change the goal. The case for a steady state economy 1) Economic growth, as defined in standard economics textbooks, is an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services, and; 2) Economic growth occurs when there is an increase in the multiplied product of population and per capita consumption, and; 3) The global economy grows as an integrated whole consisting of agricultural, extractive, manufacturing, and services sectors that require physical inputs and produce wastes, and; 4) Economic growth is often and generally indicated by increasing real gross domestic product (GDP) or real gross national product (GNP), and; 5) Economic growth has been a primary, perennial goal of many societies and most governments, and; 6) Based upon established principles of physics and ecology, there is a limit to economic growth, and; 7) There is increasing evidence that global economic growth is having negative effects on long-term ecological and economic welfare... Therefore, the steady state economy supporters take the position that: 1) There is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and environmental protection (for example, biodiversity conservation, clean air and water, atmospheric stability), and; 2) There is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and the ecological services underpinning the human economy (for example, pollination, decomposition, climate regulation), and; 3) Technological progress has had many positive and negative ecological and economic effects and may not be depended on to reconcile the conflict between economic growth and long-term ecological and economic welfare, and; 4) Economic growth, as gauged by increasing GDP, is an increasingly dangerous and anachronistic goal, especially in wealthy nations with widespread affluence, and; 5) A steady state economy (that is, an economy with a relatively stable, mildly fluctuating product of population and per capita consumption) is a viable alternative to a growing economy and has become a more appropriate goal in large, wealthy economies, and; 6) The long-run sustainability of a steady state economy requires its establishment at a size small enough to avoid the breaching of reduced ecological and economic capacity during expected or unexpected supply shocks such as droughts and energy shortages, and; 7) A steady state economy does not preclude economic development, a dynamic, qualitative process in which different technologies may be employed and the relative prominence of economic sectors may evolve, and; 8) Upon establishing a steady state economy, it would be advisable for wealthy nations to assist other nations in moving from the goal of economic growth to the goal of a steady state economy, beginning with those nations currently enjoying high levels of per capita consumption, and; 9) For many nations with widespread poverty, increasing per capita consumption (or, alternatively, more equitable distributions of wealth) remains an appropriate goal. Child Health I know that some of you work in education and one idea you may wish to consider is the use of children as peer group health educators. The following is part of an article I wrote on this subject. I also have various notes, workshops and suggestions as to how teachers can inform the young of how to prevent and combat serious diseases. Empowering the young "No child in the world will go to bed hungry by the year 2000." This was one of the closing statements of the Food Security Conference in Rome in 1974. (1) According to the United Nations Development Programme, hunger now prevails among at least a quarter of the world's inhabitants. Every day there are 30,000 - 40,000 child deaths in the world and most of these are from diseases related to poverty.(2) This means that there are 12 to 14 million-child deaths associated with hunger each year. The well-known phrase "Health for all by the year 2000" was first heard at the United Nations Alma Ata conference in 1978. Loss of life Alas, its aims were never realised and so in the year 2000 it is now time to examine both why the target was not reached and what can be done to try and make some serious reductions in this tragic waste of human life. Such statements fall easily from the lips of politicians and planners but what is the reality against which they must be put in context? According to the World Bank almost 65% of the inhabitants of Africa live in "absolute poverty", a term used by the former World Bank President Robert McNamara to describe a condition of total deprivation of the minimum living conditions essential for human dignity.(3) Debt trap We are familiar with such terms as the "Debt Trap" and other causes of morbidity and mortality amongst children and women - the most vulnerable groups. This "pathology of poverty" in the Third World is associated with increased scarcity of resources, more hunger, and increasing death rates. The poverty gap has increased by 30% over the past decade. We are also aware of the problems caused by Aids, the enforced reductions in public expenditure on health and welfare and the shrinking education budgets that many countries now battle with. So, how can ordinary people attempt to do something positive to improve their quality of life and that of their families and communities? Well, let's look at two simple statements.
· There are more teachers that doctors • There are more pupils than patients Build programmes Simple statements yes but they offer a base from which to build programmes that allow those most at risk from serious and life threatening disease to begin to do something positive to help themselves. In modern political terms people need to be "empowered" or offered the knowledge to "enable" them to begin an active campaign to improve living condition for the most vulnerable members of society. Let's look again in more detail at the two statements.
Teachers meet with the young and build a trusting relationship through which knowledge and its application are passed. Why not incorporate in normal timetables/curriculum's simple advice on the major diseases that cause so much of the poverty that is evident in Africa? Spread information This can be done in interesting ways that encourage participation and a desire to spread the information. Lessons can centre on outward signs of possible illness, ways of reducing the risk of catching such diseases and effective proposals for helping those who already have an illness. Greater awareness may also reduce prejudice and misunderstanding. (4) Access to life saving information need not be the privilege of those fortunate to live near to better-stocked medical centres. The second statement noted that more pupils exist than patients. So, once again here is a perfect opportunity to allow the young to be pioneers within their own communities in the spreading of health messages that offer a positive input to communal life. Peer educators None of this needs to be sophisticated. Indeed, the more basic the message the greater the chance of acceptance. Young people can be "peer educators" to their own age group and "information providers" to their wider community. Such programmes do not require vast sums of money and individuals feel involved and valued. Evidence of the impact on both individual and community health standards can be gathered from many different locations. An example is that of Nicaragua, where successive Structural Adjustment Programmes seriously reduced the fabric of the health and education facilities. Primary health information A more "upside down approach", in which simple primary health information was given to young people has now been introduced in some regions and the levels of malnutrition and infant mortality is beginning to drop - though only by a little. (5) In India the "bottom upwards" approach adopted in Vellore, South India has also paid visible dividends in increased child welfare and better treatment for women. (6) In the coming weeks we will be concentrating on many of the diseases most prevalent in West Africa and producing simple, effective and free teaching materials. We will be including materials on each disease, community and individual reactions and possible lifestyle changes that could help in the fight against the killer diseases. Each disease will be given adequate coverage to allow teachers and others who work with the young to offer positive, enabling instruction that will empower the next generation to make a significant contribution to the health of both themselves and their communities. We will also be offering other sources of information. If anyone would like to converse with John you can contact him on: john_birchall@bsc.biblio.net References 1. United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Report, 1991. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
2. Grant JP The state of the world's children. Oxford University Press.1992
3. McNamara RS. The McNamara years at the World Bank: major policy addresses of Robert McNamara, 1968-1981.Baltimore: John Hopkins University press, 1981.
4. Birchall JN, The reactions of the young to leprosy when the disease is explained to them, Journal of Health Education in Development, Volume 2, Summer 1998. London 1998 and empowering the young to be peer educators, Indian Journal of Primary Education, New Delhi, Spring 1997.
5 Zuniga MH, Nicaragua: Health in a Global Era, Contact, Number 159 February to march 1998, Geneva, Switzerland.
6 Bhattacharji S, Challenges to the Healing Ministry, Contact, Number 159 February to March 1998, Geneva, Switzerland.
Best wishes,
John
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