AFTER VIOLENCE: 3R, RECONSTRUCTION, RECONCILIATION ...

task of the peace worker is to approach the editors, explain their
cause, remind them that democracy is about diversity and giving
voice. And then a democratic political process unfolds.
The nonviolence, extra-parliamentary approach. The basic
point about violence is that it does not work; any victory will be
short-lasting and self-defeating because of the visible and
invisible effects. And the basic point about nonviolence is that
it may work, as nonviolent revolution against oppression and
exploitation ("too dominant") and as nonmilitary defense against
invasion ("too loose"). But the most important point about
nonviolence is to behave in a conflict so that the effects of
violence, visible and invisible, will not occur. A glance at
Table 9.1 informs us that this is a tall order. And a glance at
what Gandhi did tells us that this is what he meant when he said
"there is no way to peace, peace is the way", and that "if you
take care of the means the end takes care of itself".
Victory in the conventional sense of attaining the goals
declared from the beginning becomes less important than improving
the parties and their relation through the conflict. The conflict
becomes a medium for mutual education; together they may learn how
to transform conflicts upward so that they can be handled
nonviolently and creatively. They come out of the conflict not
only unscathed, but with higher capacity for conflict
transformation capacity. And if it all works out even with
something better than their original goals.
We have recently seen a number of cases/89/ where former
belligerents start cooperating nonviolently deeper down in
society. But we have also seen how such processes threaten the
98