Regional Workshops

• Africa Working Group
• Indonesia
• East Timor Workshop
• Kosova: what role for nonviolence?
• Peace work in post-Yugoslav countries
• The Balkan Peace Team and its work
• Identity and Conflict: two study cases
• Environmental action of grassroots and indigenous groups in the South of Chile

Africa Working Group

The Africa Working Group (AWG) inside WRI was created at
the Triennial in Brazil just to make a network among the different peace
activists in the continent and the WRI affiliates outside Africa. This workshop
should be in the first place a possibility for new groups to get in contact
with the African activists and their actions and struggle.

1. Co-coordinators Report - work that Jan Van Criekinge & Matt Mayer
   & WRI office have done relating to WRI AWG and/or African solidarity in
   general.
2. Africa Reports - Review of or-ganizational work by all those
   representatives from African groups or individuals in atten-dance (Chad, South
   Africa, Congo, Uganda, etc.)
   The reports should focus on or-ganizing, and
   that there will be ample workshop time for the reps. to present general
   infor-mational reports on the socio-political situations in their countries, as
   well as on general public resistance or anti-mili-tarist activities.
3. Additional Africa Reports - Re-view of those groups/indivi-duals who have
   joined, indicated an interest in joining, or had contact with WRI, but were not
   able to attend Triennial. [This should be a short item, not to include general
   outreach discus-sions]
4. Discussion of Future Work - What is to be done, with a special look at the
   following items: Conferences to attend or support; Publications and/or articles
   to produce or help get published; Actions to attend, support, or help
   coordinate/publicize.
5. Future Communication, Out-reach & Meetings - Who have we not had
   enough organizational (WRI) contact with? Who should and could be in the room
   with us, or at least in more re-gular contact with us? Do we have a clear AWG
   mailing list, and are we ready to put one to-gether, with a schedule for
   regu-lar contact? Is there a logical place & space for a meeting(s)
   between Triennials, within the next three years?
6. AWG Convening - Who wants to & should carry this work for-ward for WRI
   over the next three years?

Indonesia

There will be a short talk on the democracy
movement in Indonesia, and the success of the recent nonviolent campaign to
depose Suharto; we will also try to look at some of the weaknesses of the
movement, and at prospects for the future in the post-Suharto era. There will
be a group discussion about possibilities for international solidarity.

East Timor Workshop

Informational talk on the current situation in
east Timor, followed by a group discussion on possibilities for international
solidarity. We also hope to discuss some of the issues that might face a free
East Timor in the future (e.g. the status of Indonesian migrants) and ways in
which the international peace movement might be able to contribute to
reconciliation and social healing.

Kosova: what role for nonviolence?

It is difficult to predict what will be
happening in Kosova by the time the Triennial begins. This workshop will
primarily be an opportunity to hear from nonviolent activists in Kosova about
their situation and what they are trying to do. Depending on the situation, it
might also include a report on anti-war activity in Serbia.

Peace work in post-Yugoslav countries

This workshop will present a
brief history of peace activities in post-Yugoslav countries since 1991, and
give an overview of current peace work.

Objectives

The workshop aims to inform participants about peace, human rights, and the
work of women in war-torn and post-war post-Yugoslav countries -- with an
emphasis on urban environments.

Methodology

There will be a one-hour presentation, using photos and maps as visual aids.
The second hour will be devoted to answering participants' questions.

The Balkan Peace Team
and its work

General Topic/Content

The goal of the Balkan Peace Team is to work for the peaceful resolution of the
conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, demonstrating an international commitment
to peace and working to increase that commitment.

The Balkan Peace Team members:

• Seek to identify possibilities for dialogue between different groups.
• Serve as a channel for independent and non-partisan information from the
  regions, reflecting all points of view.
• Assist in the promotion of human rights for all; contribute their skills for
  the benefit of all citizens (for instance, offering workshops in mediation and
  nonviolent conflict resolution).
• Act as international observers at the scenes of incidents or potential flash
  points, escort individuals, or maintain a presence in threatening situations.

The principles of the Balkan Peace Team are nonviolence, independence, and
nonpartisanship - with a strong commitment to human rights.

The Balkan Peace Team has offices in Croatia (Zagreb and Split) and Belgrade
(working mainly in Kosov@).

A brief history of the project and an update on the current work of the teams
will be presented by members of BPT's Coordination Committee and team members.

It is hoped that the presentation will lead into discussions on the future role
of the teams, or a broader discussion on the role of such projects in future
conflicts.

Objectives

• Give history and current update of the work of BPT.
• Share insights and lessons learned from the work that should be incorporated
  into similar projects.
• Promote discussion on the roles of such projects in areas of conflict.

Methodology

Group presentation followed by discussion.

Identity and Conflict:
two study cases

An ethnographic review of
two main inter-ethnic conflicts of the last five years will be presented. These
conflicts are highly significant for the Mapuche (indigenous people of the IX
region of Chile).

Objectives

Share the most relevant experiences of the present struggles of the Mapuche
people.

1. Building of the bypass (new highway which will cut through indigenous land
   where many still live and where they have their cultural performances).

   Land conflict of Lumaco (up-to-date now, with Mapuche people who have been
   accused of not respecting the "State Security Law" and imprisoned under order
   of the Regional Government).

2. Stress the identities which emerge, and analyse the conflict as an inherent
   part of the regional and national social system.
3. Focus on the language used by the various groups involved in the conflict,
   and how the actions are described. In our examination of the conflicts, we will
   be careful to differentiate the people involved in terms of their social,
   economic, and political background.

Methodology

Two cases will be presented with the help of photographic material as well as
ad-hoc documentation. It is expected that participants share the information
and respond from a perspective that a) considers conflict resolution theory,
and b) seeks different ways of approaching the given problems.

Environmental action of grassroots and indiginous groups in the South of Chile

José Araya will summarise
two conflicts with logging enterprises in the South of Chile. He will focus on
the demands and defense strategies used by the communities in conflict, and the
reactions of the Government and the timber companies. In addition, he will
discuss the effects that these actions have had upon other social organisations
-- organisations that see in environmental groups a new model of political
action. Moreover, he will explore the political and economical importance of
the groups which emerged during the dictatorship.

Objectives

1. That the participants understand the importance of the environmental
   discourse in the struggle to defend these communities faced with the impact of
   the neoliberal model.
2. Provoke discussion and reflection on the contradictions
   (solidarity/rejection) these environmental actions could evoke in the larger
   community.

Methodology

Expository workshop, supported by transparencies and participant discussion.