Kalimantan Conflict Resolution Capacity Building
Background
West
Kalimantan, a province of about 4 million people, was the scene
of an extremely violent Bengkayang/Sanggau-Ledo communal conflict
in 1996-7, and a very violent Sambas riot (1999) and about a dozen
of other recent conflicts that together have claimed thousands
of lives. The conflicts have involved small non-indigeneous Madurese
(and Chinese) communities against larger indigenous Malay and
Dayak communities.
Objectives
of the Project
The
main aims of the new project, 2006-2009, are to build-up university-based
education on conflict resolution and peace building and thereby
contribute to the buildup of indigenous conflict resolution capacity
in West Kalimantan. The program focuses on three specific issues
that are, according to the diagnosis discovered during the previous,
EuropeAid-funded project, the following:
- How
to solve the remaining issues related to the previous conflicts,
and prevent the old conflicts repeating themselves. This topic
will related to the resolution of conflicts based on the perceived
clash between indigenous and local rights on the one hand and
the equal rights of all citizens. Also the general issue of
land rights and conflict is an issue where existing lessons
should be at hand in West Kalimantan (On this there are a lot
of empirical generalizations from all over the world, from which
West Kalimantan intellectuals could learn from. The training
and education in this topic will be based on Ted Robert Gurr’s
theories
of conflicts with indigeneous groups, and land conflicts. The
practical objective of this training would be that in tandem
with the training – depending on the local initiative
– there could be
-
Attempts to repeat the Sanggau Ledo peace process (1997) in
Sambas (Training in Sambas and Sanggau Ledo already involves
the main actors in the peace process of Sanggau Ledo (1997),
which helps the transition from theory to practical action),
- Make
both peace treaties (Sambas & Sanggau Ledo) more concrete
and detailed in terms of the definition of the terms of interaction
between the former conflicting parties, and the
-
Creation of more tangible mechanisms to deal with the conflicts
of interpretations of these terms.
The
second issue that needs conflict resolution capacity and which
is an issue where there has been a lot of conflict studies, is
the issue of resolving religious conflict and building religious
harmony. Also on this issue there is a lot of general theoretical
investigation that could be useful in West Kalimantan, especially
for the prevention of conflict between the two main ethnicities.
The teaching will be based on theories by Timo Kivimäki,
Hassan Gubara Said, and John Esposito on inter-religious conflict.
Theme that will be focused on in the education is the issue of
conflict and natural resource management. Especially lessons related
to the conflict-sensitive management of forestry will be focused.
The training and teaching will be based on theories by Syarif
I. Alqadrie on conflict sensitive forestry, as well as the more
general literature (by Jyrki Käkönen, Peter Wallensteen
etc.) on resource management conflicts.
The
project will aim at around 720 ECT points, while at the same time
the intention is to increase dramatically the indigenous Kalimantan
capacity to tackle exactly those types of conflicts that can be
expected for the province in the next cycle of conflict.
Project
Team
Project
Director (responsible for the overall project management, part
of lectures and cooperation with the local administration):
Prof. Syarif I. Alqadrie, formerly Dean of Social Sciences, and
Director of Post-Graduate Studies in Social Sciences, University
of Tanjungpura.
Senior
Expert, and Head of Oversight (responsible for the production
of financial documentation for the project, part of lectures and
communication towards the international sponsor):
Dr. Timo Kivimäki, Senior Researcher, NIAS & Visiting
Professor, UNTAN.
Lecturer
(Responsible for assistance in the preparation of lectures, and
responsible for part of the tutoring and IT equipment)
Mr. Erdi Abidin Lecturer in Public Administration, UNTAN.
Administrative
Assistant (responsible for technical arrangements, ticketing,
venues, communications)
Mr. Ishak Suhadi,
Translator:
Mr. Segu Atio, Lecturer in English, UNTAN.
How
to Contact Us?
Address:
Albertslundvej 13, DK-2620 Albertslund/Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel.
+45 2972 5435
Fax.
+45 3212 5345
Email:
cts@conflicttransform.net
Homepage
www.conflicttransform.net
