Report of the Zones of Peace meeting

On Tuesday 10 June and Wednesday 11 June 2008, at the City Hall in The Hague (the Netherlands), a meeting was organized by IKV Pax Christi and VNG International. This meeting is part of the programme ‘Strengthening local government capacity for peace building and reconstruction in fragile states’, developed under the so-called Schokland network initiative for peace, security and development. This article has been produced by Dion van den Berg of IKV Pax Christi and Arne Musch of VNG International. It is the first product of the working group on local governance of the Network for Peace, Security and Development, a network that was developed within the framework of the Schokland MDG Agreements.

1. ZONES OF PEACE
Why are no shots fired in Tuzla (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) while violence and ethnic cleansing takes place around it?
Why can people safely exchange goods in one market in the Moluccas (in Indonesia) while they get caught in Christian-Muslim riots in another?
How could the handing out of arms to local militia in Anbar (in Iraq) reduce violence there?
How can groups of unarmed citizens in Cauca (in Colombia) resist heavily-armed groups?

VNG International and IKV Pax Christi - April 2009 

VNG International supports decentralisation processes and facilitates decentralised cooperation. We provide capacity building services to strengthen local governments, their associations, training institutes and decentralisation task forces both in developing countries and countries in transition. VNG International is the international cooperation agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities.

IKV Pax Christi is a Dutch civil society organisation that works with its partners for peace, reconciliation and justice worldwide. We support local peace efforts in conflict areas. We build bridges, nurture mutual understanding and improve disrupted relations between groups. Our aim is to prevent conflict and to build a peaceful, democratic and just society.