Tuesday , 19 March 2024
enfrit
With the support of its foreign trade partners, Madagascar enters the reconstruction phase, and begins to restore peace, now that the political crisis is over.

Time to restore peace

Now that the Great Island?s trade partners have assessed the evolution of the situation out in the field, they prefer to talk about ?peace restoration?, rather than ?reconciliation?. In the context of this ?peace restoration process?, following an unprecedented six month long post election crisis, the politicians are piecing the parts back together.

The United States, which is among the first western nations to endorse Marc Ravalomanana?s leadership, has decided to stand behind this peace restoration initiative. To this effect, the American Embassy has organized, for this coming week, a series of meetings, and debates which will be centered around the idea of restoring peace. Dr. Joyce Neu, as an invitee of the American Embassy, will actively participate in these series of meetings.

Dr. Joyce Neu – a former adviser to President Jimmy Carter, and Executive Director of the Jean B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice – started this week with a meeting with the interim Minister of Foreign Affairs. Later on, she will share her personal experience in international peace mediation, and justice promotion with the Malagasy officials who are charged with this initiative. Thus, she will meet with political authors, civilians, the media and the public.

Dr. Joyce Neu believes that every country in the world has gone through a crisis similar to the one which the Malagasy people have just experienced. She maintains, however, that the Malagasy people seem to have an uncanny ability to recover rather quickly from the situation. When speaking to the Senate vice-president, she pointed out that the Malagasy people?s sense of ?brotherhood? plays a key role in their apparent resiliency.

According to the US Embassy, Dr. Joyce Neu, functioning under the auspices of the Carter Center, has participated in several high level meetings with presidents, and opposition leaders from Congo, Mali, Sudan, and Uganda. She has also conducted training seminars on conflict prevention, and resolution in Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

In Madagascar, her assistance in this peace initiative consists of facilitating and effecting numerous exchanges. A meeting with University, and Church officials, as well as human rights advocates is scheduled for Wednesday.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana