Trauma Healing as a Way of Peacebuilding In the Post-Conflict Era (Study Case in Ambon, 5-20 Years after Conflict)

 Picture by: https://jejakpiknik.com/jembatan-merah-putih/

Writen by: Selvone Christin Pattiserlihun

 I. Introduction

Maluku is known as the land of the Kings which holds various local pearls of wisdom that uphold the value of brotherhood. At that time there was never heard of conflict in Maluku even though the people of Maluku lived in different cultures, languages, and even lands that were separated by various islands. Peace in social life in Maluku changed in 1999. Conflict and violence during the war in Ambon since 1999th, have become friends which are memorable for 20 years post-conflict. What will happen when the memories of the conflict cannot be lost in the victim's mind who experienced it? Post-conflict society will live in discomfort and social problems. Prolonged feelings of fear will accompany the social life of post-conflict communities. Things that shouldn't happen will become the most important part of their lives.

Ambon keeps various bitter memories about the conflict because that is so hard to forget and make those who feel and participate in the conflict unsafe and uncomfortable in multicultural social relations. The reason most believed to be the cause of this conflict is religion. But, for some reason, politics is the biggest factor in the conflict. Unfortunately, the concept of religion as the biggest factor spread to oral discourses which resulted in poor social relations between people who have different religions. So, it might be a factor in the emergence of small conflicts that will develop into big ones. People in Ambon need peacebuilding to change the memory of victims of religious discourse, and to resolve the problem of trauma in the post-conflict era.

Based on Galtung's explanation of conflict and peacebuilding, the conflict in Ambon that occurred was categorized into two dimensions, namely direct conflict implementation of direct violence, which occurred during the conflict period and was even maintained in the post-conflict period. In addition, the second dimension is structural violence that occurs in the social life of the community. The structural violence will be excessive suspicion between Muslims to Christians, and vice versa. On the other hand, there is competitive political power based on religious people who are Muslims and Christian.

The conflict that occurred was not without reason, but because of the heavy trauma felt by the people who directly received the bad effects of the violence that occurred in 1999. Therefore, ways to restore the multicultural and pro-peace society of Maluku are needed. This paper will discuss one way that has been done by various parties to stop the conflict and memories of violence in the post-conflict period in Ambon.

II. Discussion

A. Self-Reflection As The Victim From The Conflict

This phenomenon occurs even up to 20 years after the conflict. The conflict happened when I was about 8 months old at that time. But after the conflict, I grew and developed in the trauma stories of the victims who were my family, my parents, and other people around me. The people who lived with me dictated to me about all of the bitter stories. After that, it became a prohibition for me to have relationships with other religions.

The trauma experienced by the victims who directly felt the conflict resulted in a fatal impact on the social life of the community. I who live in a family that has experienced severe trauma also feel how vicious the memories of conflict are in the memories of my parents who directly felt it. This impacted me until I grew into an adult. I am not a victim who directly witnessed and kept memories of the conflict that year. But my life is colored by various threats that stick in my mind. Christians and Muslims in Ambon live in the trauma of conflict and violence unconsciously and for a long time. Because of that trauma, I and the next generation who are my age still feel the same way.

B. Efforts of Peacebuilding in Ambon City

John Paul Lederach, in his book Strategic Peacebuilding, categorizes the term conflict in the three masses. They were Pre violent which is about before 12 months until 20-50 years. And after, violence is the time when conflict and violence happen. And the last is post-violence after 12 months until 20-50 years. So we are in 2021, which means we are in the post-violence term. (pp. 75-77) So, the question is "are there any solutions to fix the problem?" Lederach offers several approaches contained in his two books. There are  "Conflict Transformation" and also "Strategic Peacebuilding". 

In the transformation of conflict, we have to see about three lenses of conflict transformation. There are Immediate situations, Underlying patterns, and context, and the last one is the conceptual framework. Conflict transformation is to envision and respond to the ebb and flow of social conflict as life-giving opportunities for creating constructive change processes that reduce violence, increase justice, direct interaction and social structures, and respond to the real-life problem in human relationships. The top or head part in the conflict are envisioned and responded to. The Heart's strategy is a human relationship and life-giving opportunities. The hands part is constructive and changes processes and the legs and feet part are reduced violence and increase justice, direct interaction, and social structure. (Laderach, pp. 14-22) So, the big concept of this approach is we have to change the concept of conflict from something that destroys us to becoming something wonderful in our life. But the change has to be an active effort from several parts. Those efforts must be tiered from personal, relation, structural, and cultural. 

I believe that all the things above will not be handled properly if we do not try to do more active peacebuilding. Because when we are in a post-conflict period, what needs to be done is to ensure that conflict does not happen again. After that, we have to maintain comfort and safety conditions in the social relationship between the victims who got a bad impact from the conflict and also feel hardly traumatic. In his book about Strategic Peacebuilding, Lederach offers several strategic ways, which are connected with space following skill. He tells more about self-reflection skills, active listening skills, diplomatic and assertive speaking skills, appreciative inquiring skills, creative problem-solving skills, dialogue skills, negotiating skills, and mediation skills (pp. 18-19). Those will be successful, not because of the efforts of a group, but because it needs efforts from each stakeholder in the society. Based on my experiences in Ambon, those who implement those skills, are not successful. There are many factors like different traditions and notions, the problem of rivalry for the truth of some of the majority religious teachings, and so forth. 

Lederach offers several approaches included in peacebuilding, which are focused on four categories. Those are first, waging conflict nonviolently; it will be like monitoring and advocating direct action. Second, Reducing direct violence, the effort like peacekeeping, legal and justice system, and so forth. Third, Transforming relationships, the efforts like trauma healing and conflict transformation. And the last one is Building capacity, the efforts like training and education, also the development of the economy, and so forth. (Pp. 25-62). 

Some people have already done the approaches before to support peacebuilding in Ambon city. do several approaches like training, trauma healing, and building capacity from the government and scholars, but it is not enough anymore, because they just touch the victim, especially for adults, and the effort is not working for a long time and continually. 

C. Trauma Healing in Post-Conflict Era In Ambon

People who experienced violence directly in the 1999 conflict were not easy to build true peace in the social life of different religions. According to Galtung and Lederach, one of the most effective ways is through trauma healing. Based on the search results, the trauma healing that was carried out did not work well. The result of trauma healing is not very helpful. Because even though mediation has been carried out, the community still lives in an uncomfortable social context. The real evidence is seen when in oral discourses, people from two different circles, namely Islam and Christianity, still bring each other down. In addition, the community still adheres to the principle that whatever happens religion is the mastermind behind the conflict that kills their relatives, burns all their property, and allows them to hate each other in terms of religious differences. Trauma healing carried out by several parties has been able to restore self-confidence to start life in a multicultural society in the post-conflict period. However, it did not work because it was only done in a short time and was carried out a maximum of two times.

Based on Lederach's explanation, Peacebuilding Activities must be carried out continuously without stopping until the trauma completely disappears. This will only work if the parties help focus and willingly present new ways of mentoring. Such as doing trauma healing collectively by carrying out joint activities that can unite Christians and Muslims and are carried out in stages.

III. Conclusion

People who live in a multicultural context take an important role in creating peace when the war ends. The bloody war that took place in Maluku, Ambon in 1999 was not caused by religion, but by politics that played a role in the conflict. Various peacebuilding efforts are actions that must be taken by both the government and the community. Trauma healing is a good way. but based on experience, Trauma Healing carried out in Ambon could not produce maximum results. Because structural violence and direct violence still occur in Ambon in the post-conflict period. Another good thing is that the assistance is not limited to several times but is carried out continuously until the trauma completely disappears.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maluku_sectarian_conflict