Committee for Conflict Transformation Support

CCTS
Newsletter 22

The Ethics of Post War Intervention - dilemmas of conflict transformation practice

Introduction

In recent years (I)NGOS have repeatedly been drawn into post-war situations in which their work was funded by the very governments that launched the war - albeit ostensibly in response to conflict or repression. This presents the NGO community with a dilemma: if they take the money, how far is their independence compromised, and with what justification can they be described as condoning the war?

The Committee for Conflict Transformation Support (CCTS) organised this seminar to allow practitioners to share their experience and discuss possible ways of working within the dilemma. It was attended by 17 people and chaired by Diana Francis and Michael Randle. The seminar began with informal presentations (summarised in the following pages) from each of three panellists: Roberta Bacic from War Resisters International (WRI), Andy Carl from Conciliation Resources (CR) and Nana Busia from International Alert (IA).

Participants

Roberta Bacic
War Resisters International

Nana Busia
International Alert

Andy Carl
Conciliation Resources

Diana Francis

Michael Randle

Steve Alston
St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace

Megan Greene
Conciliation Resources

Arulappu Iruthayanathan (Rajan)
Fellow at St Ethelburga's studying at London Metropolitan University

Agnieszka Jachec

John Lampen

Faisa Loyaan

Silja Paasilinna
Forum on Early Warning and Early Response (FEWER)

Kirrily Pells

Hannah Pennock
PeaceWorkers UK

Alan Pleydell
Quaker Peace and Social Witness

Anne Rogers

Gwen Wright
Forum on Early Warning and Early Response (FEWER)

Panel Presentations

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