NEISSR conducts ‘Peace Knit’
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 13 (MExN): The North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR), Dimapur organized a ‘Peace Knit,’ in collaboration with Peace Channel, Dimapur as part of a NEISSR fest celebration on December 11 on the theme ‘Storytelling for Peacebuilding in Communities.’
The seminar had threefold objectives, namely: to locate the place of storytelling in the peacebuilding approaches of John Paul Lederach; to know how story telling can counter stereotypes and build empathy and genuine relationship in communities; to have greater understanding on how story telling can be promoted as an effective tool for peacebuilding in communities.
Dr CP Anto, the Principal of NEISSR, Founder and Director of Peace Channel in his keynote address stated that storytelling is one of the best means to build peace, reconciliation and rebuilding the lost relationships.
Rev Fr Joseph VJ, the Coordinator of Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, NEISSR, who spoke on the topic ‘Locating Storytelling in the Peacebuilding Approaches of John Paul Lederach’ stated that every person or community has their own story to tell and understanding stories from the perspective of that particular person or community will help the other to empathize with storyteller and decolonize one’s mind and build peace.
He explained that Peace building is the process of establishing durable or lasting peace between the conflicting parties and it is a long term process which includes trauma healing, conflict resolution, reconciliation, community strengthening and civic education. He said that Naga communities at present experience various kinds of conflicts, such as Indo-Naga conflict, factional conflict; inter tribal and intra tribal conflicts, denominational conflicts, discrimination at various levels etc. Due to such conflicts, every person and every community has their own painful stories to narrate.
Such story telling not only brings healing in the life of the narrator but also creates empathy in the listener, which in turn bridges differences and builds peace between persons and communities, he added.
Special resource person of the day, Susan Lotha, spoke on the killings in Oting, Mon and recounted her personal story from a similar incident that occurred on December 24, 1994. She recounted how remembering that day grieves her to this day. She asserted: “To tell one’s story is a human right” and we all have our story to tell.
Briefly explaining the personal atrocities of her life, she underlined how dark incidents of life can affect human thoughts and behavior, spur reactions either to oneself or to the injustice done. Lotha also added that human beings have a choice to be happy and allow peace and transformation or to be unhappy and unforgiving irrespective of situations and circumstances.
The Peace Knit concluded with a Q and A session moderated by Pitsala Sangtam, Kiphire District Coordinator, Peace Channel.
