why peace is the business of men (but shouldn't be)

[niyad]

Why Peace Is the Business of Men (But Shouldn’t Be)
A Modest Proposal for the Immodest Brotherhood of Big Men

by Ann Jones

Looking for a way out of Afghanistan? Maybe it's time to try something entirely new and totally different. So how about putting into action, for the first time in recorded history, the most enlightened edict ever passed by the United Nations Security Council: Resolution 1325?

Passed on October 31, 2000, more than a decade ago, that "landmark" resolution was hailed worldwide as a great "victory" for women and international peace and security. In a nutshell, SCR 1325 calls for women to participate equally and fully at decision-making levels in all processes of conflict resolution, peacemaking, and reconstruction. Without the active participation of women in peacemaking every step of the way, the Security Council concluded, no just and durable peace could be achieved anywhere.

"Durable" was the key word. Keep it in mind.

Most hot wars of recent memory, little and big, have been resolved or nudged into remission through what is called a power-sharing agreement. The big men from most or all of the warring parties -- and war is basically a guy thing, in case you hadn't noticed -- shoulder in to the negotiating table and carve up a country's or region's military, political, and financial pie. Then they proclaim the resulting deal "peace."

But as I learned firsthand as an aid worker in one so-called post-conflict country after another, when the men in power stop shooting at each other, they often escalate the war against civilians -- especially women and girls. It seems to be hard for men to switch off violence, once they've gotten the hang of it. From Liberia to Myanmar, rape, torture, mutilation, and murder continue unabated or even increase in frequency. In other words, from the standpoint of civilians, war is often not over when it's "over," and the "peace" is no real peace at all. Think of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the notorious "rape capital of the world," where thousands upon thousands of women are gang-raped again and again although the country has officially been at "peace" since 2003.

In addition, power-sharing agreements among combatants tend to fray, and half of them unravel into open warfare again within a few years. Consider Liberia throughout the 1990s, Angola in 1992 and 1998, Cambodia in 1997, and Iraq in 2006-2007. At this moment, we are witnessing the breakdown of one power-sharing agreement in the Ivory Coast, and certainly the femicidal consequences of another, made in 2001, in Afghanistan.

. . . . .

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/13-6

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Sarah Palin. Michele Bachmann. Sharon Angle. Christine O'Donnell.

Phylis Schlafly...

[jotsy]

2. Thank You

I saw the header to this and thought no, don't draw more lines!

I'm all for girl power and all but egos interfere with constructive interaction and both genders are prone. Especially living in such shallow times.

[niyad]

4. girl power? did you read the article at all? how many women rape in war?

[jotsy]

8. No, I hadn't, I believe my response indicated that.

But I've checked through most of it now.

Some of the 41 following comments speak to what concerns me. While the article I believe has a noble agenda, the manner it is delivered in draws what I call lines of separatism. Before we are male, female, old, young, christian, muslim, rich, poor, black, white, we are PEOPLE first. To put down one group to elevate the idea of another isn't IMO, the most constructive path to achieving the good intentions to end such needless atrocity. While women and children are the most publicized victims of this kind of barbaric disregard, I understand that men being similarly assaulted is occurring, it just isn't talked about.

I'd have you know I am the mother of two young women and I want nothing more than a world they can expect to be safe and respected in. But I also know that mothers there must want that too. The spouse and I were engaged in a deep chat about the nature of coveting, and how far back it goes, I don't know that we drew any conclusions, just a yearning for human nature to learn.

[uppityperson]

3. Dixie Lee Ray, WA's 1st female gov and what a jerk.

[niyad]

5. did you actually read the article? what does one person being a jerk have to do with the cutlure of

war and violence and rape?

[uppityperson]

7. You mean this part of the article? Yes, I did.

" They recognized that men at the negotiating table still jockey for power and wealth -- notably control of a country's natural resources -- while women included at any level of negotiations commonly advocate for interests that coincide perfectly with those of civil society. Women are concerned about their children and consequently about shelter, clean water, sanitation, jobs, health care, education, and the like -- all those things that make life livable for peaceable men, women, and children anywhere."


Yes, men rape but women can be as nasty as men (though they don't rape) as far as war and violence. I do think including women would be good as they are under represented and can offer a different viewpoint, but there are asshole women and asshole men. There are men who "are concerned about their children and consequently about shelter, clean water, sanitation, jobs, health care, education, and the like -- all those things that make life livable for peaceable men, women, and children anywhere" just as there are women. To say men are for power and wealth and women are for peaceful home lives is wrong, is sexist.

Thank you for the article.

[CTyankee]

6. and they all surrendered to the worst of the male models...think about it...

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Well...

They copied the worst role models, who were indeed men.

But that's because men are traditionally the ones in charge (as the OP states). There weren't a lot of established female models for those roles.

So we agree or disagree depending on whether you were emphasizing 'male' or 'worst'.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nikia]

11. I agree with you

Women who are respected as women could contribute a lot to making a more peaceful society. Women too often are victims in times of violence. Women, as mothers, tend to be more concerned about the welfare of their children. While this may seem like a stereotype, considering that many women risk their lives giving birth, I think that it makes sense that they might be more concerned about their children in general.
We don't really know what it would be like to have a society where women have equal or more political power than men. Where women have ruled as dictators or even modern legislators, they often do from the position of being an honorary man. Even in our country, it is a political weakness to be too feminine.