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Elaine Howard

Elaine Howard talks to CYP about causes of conflict in the run up to CYF

24 October 2007

In the run up to CYF 6, CYP caught up with Elaine Howard the Regional Youth Caucus representative for Tonga

Elaine is a member of the Commonwealth Commission for Respect and Understanding and will be taking part as a speaker in a panel discussion on the topic at the Commonwealth Youth Forum taking place in Uganda, in November.

In your view, what are the most prominent causes of conflict and a breakdown of understanding within and between communities?

Lack of communication between social strata in society - communication channels are missing. If different sub-populations don't interact frequently in an amiable way, then there is a likelihood that tension could build due to cultural misunderstanding and miscommunication, and violence could possibly ensue. It is not completely the sub-population's fault because decision-makers can help facilitate positive dialogue between these groups, assuming those leaders are not in fact perpetuating the problem.

Historical injustices that haven't been taken into account by decision-makers can serve as a basis for conflict in a society. For example, when one social group is misguided through affirmative legal action for decades, possibly centuries, then achieving social equality in the law, they most likely still suffer from institutionalised oppression if programmes aren't implemented to create a fair level playing field for all. This can serve as a strong foundation for conflict and also perpetuates poverty.

The ways in which governments "open up markets" but don't "open up borders". Foreign goods, foreign aid and foreign people flood the country but the borders aren't open for citizens to move freely as these new visitors can. This can create a sort of "mass-jealousy" amongst local people which only serves to create an unfavourable environment. Also, when foreign workers travel to a nation, at times the government doesn't have awareness programmes that would humanise those people in the eyes of its citizens, and therefore the "new" people and the "old" people don't understand each other. Accusations of "you took our jobs" or "your culture is rude" take place, which creates a foundation of conflict.

What contributions can be made by young people to help combat such issues and add to the work of the commission on ‘respect and understanding’?

In highly intense situations where a "flash point" has occurred, young people can be particularly effective. A flash point is when an incident has occurred which has the potential to create mass tension or conflict. An example of a flash point is when a prominent religious figure made statements related to Islam which angered people around the world. When incidents like these happen, young people can try to plants seeds of peace, such as by counter-acting this event with a press release with a peaceful message or holding a public event that promotes community cohesion instead of divisiveness. In Tonga, the Tonga National Youth Congress responded quickly after riots destroyed 75% of the capital city in November 2006. We formulated a peace project where we taught young grassroots leaders peace-building skills in their own community. There was supposed to be reconciliation efforts from the government but these took so long to occur that the youth took matters into their own hands in a positive way. Young people can act like this, and many already do, around the world.

How do you feel about taking part in the panel discussion on ‘respect and understanding’ during the Commonwealth Youth Forum taking place next month?

I feel extremely blessed that I can contribute. There are so many qualified young people who are perpetuators of peace around the Commonwealth, and I just hope that I can do as good of a job as they can. I was fortunate enough to be able to design a large part of framework for the panel discussion, and I thank CYP for having a truly inclusive process.

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