Cesar Flores and Lizzette Miranda, area directors for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for Central America and Haiti, gave a presentation at UFV on conflict resolution in Central America on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Flores and Miranda have had extensive experience with violent conflict in the region, both before and after starting their work with the MCC. Miranda is from Nicaragua and Flores is from Honduras near the border of El Salvador. The Central American countries of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala all experienced civil or international wars during the late 20th century, the consequences of which are still being felt today.
However, war is not the only problem that faces Central American nations. Violence there has a “mosaic of root causes,” according to Miranda. Other crises in the regions include gang violence, mass migration, drought, corruption, and poverty.
“Poverty is the worst form of violence,” Flores said.
The MCC, as its name suggests, primarily does its work through churches. In places where trust in public institutions has been eroded by corruption, the church is often the last and only major institution that many people in Central America trust. The aid offered by the MCC and similar organizations are not offered only to those who attend church, but to anyone and everyone in need. Nor does the MCC work alone; the MCC works with various partners, including churches and local community leaders.
Flores said that universities also have a role to play in peacebuilding, and that is where UFV can come into the picture. For the past four years, UFV has had a Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program. PACS courses are designed to give students skills in conflict analysis, research, and strategic peacebuilding according to Steven Schroeder, teaching chair of PACS at UFV.
“Students learn about how to apply these skills through their field work with a local or international organization that works in the area of peacebuilding,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder also teaches history courses, which are important for understanding the context of local situations. Miranda and Flores pointed out that mediators who intervene with no understanding of local conditions could make the situation worse than if they did nothing at all. They also stressed how vital it can be to develop a personal connection with people and places affected by conflict, so that they become more than a mere statistic.
The PACS department at UFV also seeks to make a difference in local affairs. PACS has lately been working to establish a Peace and Reconciliation Centre, which plans to facilitate community engagement in peacebuilding, including working towards the goal of settler-First Nations reconciliation, according to Schroeder. As part of this effort, PACS has been building awareness by hosting presentations, such as the one given by Miranda and Flores.
Image: UFV College of Arts
Photo: Cesar Flores and Lizzette Miranda
