Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
November 14, 2008

RADIO 2CBA FOCAL POINT COMMENTARY BROADCAST ON FRIDAY APRIL 14th, 2000 ON RADIO 2CBA FM

We have now a new set of initials to remember when we discuss international politics and the long search for peace: DDR. These initials stand for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.

The United Nations Security Council on March 23 held a one-day session devoted to discussing the UN Secretary-General’s February report on “The Role of the United Nations in Peacekeeping in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.

The report draws attention to a comparatively neglected issue. Wars do not end when the fighting finishes. It is necessary to find ways of reintegrating the former soldiers back into civilian life. If not, they will resort to fighting again because that gives them a purpose in life, status and money.

Coincidentally, the UN’s work follows the pattern set by the Sydney-based Conflict Resolution Network which has a campaign called “Working for Peace”. The campaign has four aims:

To emphasize the importance of work for all who need it while peacebuilding is underway. To encourage support for an expansion of the activities and funding of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to enhance its role in reconstruction after a conflict. To encourage governments and non-governmental organizations to give greater emphasis to work for all who need it as part of their standard reconstruction programmes in their relief work.
To encourage the mass media to give greater coverage of this type of reconstruction. The challenge for all organizations involved in reconstruction (such as in Kosovo and East Timor) is that work for all who need it should be included as a major part of the reconstruction process.

After all, ex-fighters need to be given an incentive to help rebuild society. They have just had (for better or worse) a major status in their local community. Peace brings the risk of losing that status – and the prospect of unemployment. Work will enable them to achieve social inclusion.

Local reconstruction programmes will also help ensure that money will be spent in the local community by the local former combatants. The money will not be siphoned off overseas by transnational corporations.

Therefore, it is pleasing to see that UN Security Council has now agreed that this is an important issue and the UN how now coined some new initials for the process: DDR: Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.

As the Conflict Resolution Network has said: There is no civil war in any country which has full employment.