Date: February 6, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Venue: E-Library, 2/F AIM Conference Center Manila, Makati City
Lecture-Forum on Peace, Conflict Transformation and the Global Financial Crisis
The AIM Policy Center, in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), convened representatives from the peacemakers and development sector, academe, and government for a lecture-forum on “Peace, Conflict Transformation and the Global Financial Crisis” last February 6, 2009 at the AIM Conference Center Manila, Makati City.
The lecture-forum featured Professor Johan Galtung, a Norwegian sociologist who is regarded as the father of peace and conflict studies. He founded Transcend International, a peace and development network working “to bring about a more peaceful world by using action, education/training, dissemination and research to handle conflicts with empathy, non-violence and creativity.” Professor Galtung has served as intercessor and negotiator in several international conflicts, as well as conflicts between governments and opposition groups for fifty years now.
Professor Galtung began the lecture by introducing the Tetralemma approach to analysis, having socialism on one end and capitalism at the opposite end. The middle encompasses three points that he says is the ideal for economies to be situated in. These are: a local economy that rejects both socialism and capitalism; a social democracy that is market-oriented; and a transcend point. The Philippines, like the United States, is geared towards capitalism that when uncontrolled, results in excessive liquidity at the top and misery at the bottom. This is exactly how the global financial crisis materialized.
In addressing the issue of peace in the Philippines, Professor Galtung identified that the root cause of conflict is not poverty, but inequity and repression aligned with a vertically-structured government. There are many solutions but we lack in creativity. We, Filipinos, should not be limited to old paradigms, or what Professor Galtung refers to as “addiction to the unitary model.” Instead, we must approach conflict transformation in multiple facets. He provided specific recommendations for the Philippines such as: transform from verticality and limitation to two parties into multi-party, multi-channel and horizontal dialogues; dialogue instead of negotiate because the latter leaves both parties unsatisfied ; as the country is a democracy, seek advice from the people through essay contests in schools, aiming at creativity and not consensus; and even explore federalism towards the Bangsamoro matter.
Wrapping up the discussion, Dr. Federico Macaranas, executive director of the AIM Policy Center, supported Professor Galtung’s points with chaos theory as playful thinking in finding new solutions and methods to peace and lasting development. He also cited economist John Dunning’s demonstration on ways in which global capitalism might fail to explain the present global financial crisis.
Finally, Professor Galtung quotes some words of wisdom from Gandhi, to “be the future you want to see.”
