In Peace Brigades Inetrnational (PBI), we use the phrase 'making space for peace' to describe how we support nonviolence. One of the roles of the North America Project has been to provide observer teams at scenes of confrontation in Native American communities. By clarifying our non-partisan role with all parties and by observing and reporting on what we witness, PBI helps make violent resolution of conflict more difficult and nonviolent choices safer.Our experience has shown that the role of observer is much more effective when we make contacts and build trust before a crisis intensifies to a confrontation. Developing contacts and trust can even help avoid an overt confrontation altogether. Here's a recent example.
At the beginning of March, PBI received a request for presence from a group of Algonquins who live in Quebec, Canada. They are involved in a conflict taking place in their community of Rapid Lake. The conflict is primarily between two groups who claim leadership of the band; but the issues between the two groups involve larger questions of authority and land, and accusations of outside manipulation. (See previous report)
NAP sent a team to meet with the primary parties a few days later. We returned the next week and spoke with other people who could inform us about the situation. A few weeks later, a team went to Rapid Lake to witness what one side says is their traditional way of choosing leaders. In early April, the newly-selected chief proposed a mediation process which is currently under negotiation. NAP returned in April to listen to the other side's response to the proposal.
During these visits, our role has been to listen. One of our goals is to understand better the events and issues that led to the conflict and report on them. These issues are not unique to the community and may be significant precedents to other Native American communities. We will continue to share this understanding through our Project Bulletin articles and other publications.
Another goal of listening is to 'make space for peace' within the conflict itself. Fran Peavy in her book Heart Politics has an excellent chapter called 'Obstacles to Change' where she describes this power of listening, and quotes Bob Fuller saying, 'it's like throwing a stone into a lake: you don't see the water level rise, but you know the stone is sitting at the bottom, so you conclude that the water level must have risen. When we have done well by a situation, we sense that the water level has risen'.
Written by: Alan Dixon
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