Peace Making
by Kampta Karran
On the recent Enterprise/Bare Root episode of violence.

Peace making is the inspiration behind this piece.

An uncle of Mr. Vivekanand Nandalall, kidnapped taxi driver for whom ransom was paid, chopped 45-year old farmer Mr. Terrance Gulliver. Why was he chopped? The Stabroek News reported Mr. Gulliver to have said: "When I get cut, the first thing come to me that they taking revenge on this same kidnap story [and] is ‘til when me come from de hospital, then me know that me name calling, stating that they suspect me a one of de man what know ‘bout de kidnapping.” (Stabroek News, 31 Oct 2003)

Mr. Gulliver is also reported by the shopkeeper by to have said, “Ya’ll ain’t really want back de boy...if de people want more money, pay them.” (ibid)

This opinion may have triggered the attack. It should be noted that Mr. Gulliver denied that he said those words. Mr. Gulliver is known in the area where he was chopped. He is a regular customer of the shopkeeper who is also an uncle of Mr. Vivekanand Nandalall. The shopkeeper believes that Gulliver has a "big mouth" but that he was not involved in the kidnapping. (ibid)
An immediate response reported by an Enterprise resident was that about 10 or 15 persons rushed into the community and broke up a stall and threw rocks and bottles. He said the disturbance did not last long and had ceased by the time the police arrived on the scene. Further, Mr. Gulliver is reported to have said, “I won’t go back in the shop. These people wrong me and they trying, in a diplomatic way, fo say I say something towards them, which in dah is not the story. I won’t tek it so...the police will have to do they work.” (ibid)

The report in the Guyana Chronicle (1st November, 2003) is reassuring. Neam, an Enterprise resident, is reported to have said, "Enterprise and Bear Root don't really have problems. People from both villages would interact with each other. And that incident that occurred was nothing much."

Similarly, we are told that after the violent episode Negala Garraway said, "I am the community development council (CDC) chairman of Bear Root and I have no problem with residents of Enterprise because most of our shopping is done there. So we have no conflict with the people of Enterprise.” (ibid)

Sports is one method that build bridges across cultures. In Guyana cricket is very helpful in this regard. The Bare Root/Enterprise cricket team is a useful institution. Team member, Colin Stewart, from Bare Root, according to the Chronicle, said that he is a friend of Nandalall, and he confirms that the relationship between the two villages is okay.

These sentiments differ somewhat from the actions of the chopping of someone and the damaging of a roadside stall. The Chronicle admitted that the residents from both villages said that they hope the good relations will continue. The fact that such an opinion was expressed suggests that at least there is a feeling of unease. War and peace do not happen by chance. They are caused. Those who are bent on violence must not be allowed to spread their influence. Instead they must be reached with the message of peace. It is therefore in the interest of these communities, and all Guyana by extension, that pro-active peace making be initiated.

The shopkeeper condemns his brother's behavior and concluded that the incident should not have occurred. (Stabroek News, 31 Oct. 2003) But it has. Now what can we do? It is my suggestion that this unfortunate happening presents these two neighbors and the neighboring villages with an opportunity to re-affirm good neighborliness.

Let us return to traditional ways of peace making. Are there members of these villages who are still respected across village and ethnic boundaries? If there are, and given the Chronicle report there is every reason to believe such villagers exist, perhaps these community leaders could meet with each other on neutral ground to consider a way forward. The Guyana Human Rights Association, the Ethnic Relations Commission, Women Against All Violence and Love Outreach International can also help. Perhaps one of these organizations, all of them, or a delegation that is representative of all four could begin to consider how they could intervene.

Intervention has to be carefully crafted. It must be with the consent of the parties to the conflict.
Four important immediate actions to be considered are:

1. A genuine attempt from the Enterprise side be made to meet with Mr. Gulliver, seek his forgiveness and offer to pay his medical expenses.
2. A genuine attempt from the Bare Root side be made to repair the broken stall and the other damages.
3. A genuine attempt from all sides to work with those who are
contemplating violence – to reconsider the lessons of history which teaches that violence begets violence and never really solve anything.

Against the backdrop of the news papers reports, it is hoped that those who would assist in the peace making would provide appropriate counseling and prevail on Mr. Gulliver not to turn his back on friendships he built across the racial divide and with his neighbors. It is also hoped that the peacemakers would prevail on the uncle who chopped his neighbor to report to the nearest police station in the company of a lawyer. This suggestion will become irrelevant if he has already given himself to the law. He and his relatives also need appropriate counseling to help them cope with their pain and grief.

Importantly, I join all those who are praying for the safe return of Mr. Vivekanand Nandalall and all the other abducted and missing persons.

Over the past 5 years I have spent a lot of time talking with people who have experienced ethnic violence. From their experience I have learned that:

1. Very often simple acts could lead to large-scale violence.
2. Violence do not go away when we remain silent and pretend that it is not happening.
3. Voluntary organizations and NGOs have important roles to play in peace making and peace building.
4. Violence against one group also means that the other group will not know peace.
5. Appropriate action could save the day.

We still have time in Guyana, but we must not squander the opportunities for peace making, or else too late too late would be our collective outburst.

Neither village would win in an all out conflict. Instead Guyana stands to lose. Ethnic violence at this stage in our history could trigger a multiplier effect and, before we know it, all Guyana is engulfed in turmoil.

I am not a prophet of doom. But the history of places like Bosnia and Burundi should alert us to the need for the establishment of preventative Conflict Resolution measures now. The recent Enterprise/Bare Root episode is as good a place to start as any. Should this and other small conflicts remain unresolved, they will eventually add up. At an opportune moment those on all sides who are bent on violence will invoke these isolated animosities to feed a large-scale fire from which Guyana will never recover.

I close with an appeal to all parties concerned to take the necessary actions to ensure that things do not get out of hand between these two villages. The quick response of the police is great. But maintaining peace takes more that police work. The police need the help from other sections of the society. These two neighboring villages must own this conflict and find peaceful means of resolving it. If necessary, they should seek outside help from respected and neutral third parties who are committed to peace.

Kampta Karran is a Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick, United Kingdom.