Rebuilding peace

by Nicole Findlay

One of the most brutal aspects of Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war was the use and abuse of children in armed combat. Augustine Park has been examining the practices war-torn communities use to re-build peace.  

“I’m interested in the paradoxical characteristic of the child soldier – they were both victims and perpetrators and often they were the worst perpetrators and formed a significant proportion of armed groups,” said Park, an sociologist in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Park’s research examines the role democracy, economics, culture and the rule of law play in peace building strategies.  She is critical of internationally-led initiatives which try to impose models with pre-determined timelines and deliverables onto local communities, with little attention paid to traditional cultural practices. 

Park cites as an example the traditional rituals that exist to reintegrate girl soldiers who were sexually victimized during the war. Viewed with shame, the girls are ostracized by the community. Traditional cleansing ceremonies allow them to marry, participate in the economics of the community and rebuild their lives.

While the thought of alienating victims of sexual abuse may horrify outsiders, Park says little is achieved by imposing Western values. Equally challenging is welcoming back as neighbours, the soldiers who formerly terrorized communities. Attempts by international agencies to impose “bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all” legal systems, often overlook local reconciliation practices that work.

Park is not dismissive of all international peace-building, and says that much can be gained by supporting partnerships with community-based organizations to develop grass-roots initiatives.

With funding from an SSHRC Institutional Grant, Park plans to continue her research the legal, political, and cultural meanings invested in missing victims of mass violence. She is currently conducting preliminary research in Canada, South Africa, Europe and Asia to determine which community she will examine next.