Transcript English - Arab Human Development Reports

Promoting “Human
Security,” Repairing
Narratives
Professor Sara Cobb, Ph.D
Institute for Conflict Analysis and
Resolution@ George Mason University
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Narrative Dimension of Human
Insecurity
 Oppression is the presence of a dominant narrative that is
imposed on or adopted by the oppressed
 Consequences
 Infiltrated Consciousness: I am what THEY say I am
 Deprivation of Opportunity: They see me as evil, crazy,
incompetent.
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Human Insecurity as
“Damaging Identity”
 Opression damages identity
 Reduces “moral agency” or the capacity to be a moral
actor And be elaborated/storied by Others as moral
 Cannot position or story self as agent
 Other that a violent resistor of dominant narrative
 Moral framework of the marginalized cannot be developed in
interaction/elaborated---remains marginalized: Only
recourse is violence, because moral agency (“Personhood” is
not possible)
 “Voice” is lost
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Ineffective Counterstories
 Contesting events/issues within the moral framework of
the Dominant
 Competing entitlement claims
 Equating all within “my” group as the same (claims to
rights flattens differences between victims)
 Dimishing differences with dominant narrative (creating
equivalencies which are “manufactured”)
 We both want “security”
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Narrative Repair and Human
Security
 Telling Effective Counterstories
 Elaborated within group
 Diverse perspectives in oPt make this an issue
 Must upend/block or effectively destabilize the dominant
narrative
 Must advance the moral agency (experience of agency)
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Features of
Effective Counterstories
 Complex plot lines
 Internalize responsibility
 Characterize the Other as fearful
 Reducing attribution of negative traits/intentions
 Create/accent differences within marginalized groups
 Complex (rather than binary moral orders)
 Characterization of Self/Group as having both negative
and positive traits, but positive intentions
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Critique of “Conflict Resolution”:
Implications for Narrative
 Conflict is assymetrical.
 Oppression, marginalization, differential access to resources
all reduce access to “participation”
 “Conflict resolution” creates an “as if” symmetry as
though there was not a dominated/dominating
Summary: “Conflict resolution” addresses “interests” as
disconnected from narrative of suffering, victimization
(“Separate the people from the problem”----Getting to Yes)
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Practical speaking….
 Research on counter stories shows:
 Created in interaction (intragroup, first)
 Created through narrative facilitation (destabilzing the
dominant story)
 Created through public deliberation
 Public spectacle (witnessing)
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Narrative Evolution through
Public Deliberation (NOT “Public Diplomacy”)
 Reflective inquiry and problem-solving in the public sphere
(deliberative processes)
 Increasing “doubt” and reducing “certainty”
 Strengthening democracy (institutions)
 Strengthening social networks
 Addressing fractures within group
 Creating bridging narratives
 Drawing on Islamic and cultural resources for problem-solving
 Real problems, real solutions, of, by, and for the Palestinians
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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“Security” for the Palestinians: A
New Story
 National reconciliation process, designed by and for
Palestinians:
 “Instrumental” and “socio-emotional”
 Appointment of the National Reconciliation Commission by
Palestinian Parliment, with representatives from Fatah and
Hamas
 Development of working plan for integrating national deliberations
with local grassroots problem-solving processes (w international
funding): (decentralized?)
 Instrumental collaboration between Hamas and Fatah;
 Media campaign legitimizing reconciliation (reframing)
• Local and international media
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Human Security in Palestine:
Repairing Damaged Narratives
 Stage One: “Stories of Suffering, Stories of Courage
 Creating community and morality (Girard, 1978)
 National Effort to document, archive suffering
 Media campaign/international, social networking technology
 Stage 2
 National Reconciliation Commission (with decentralized
headquarters)
 Appointed by Parliment, Hamas and Fatah membership
 Identification of and deliberation on local issues/needs by the
residents (building on Islamic traditions for public deliberation)
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Repairing Damaged Narratives
 Stage Three:: “Regaining the Public” (Arendt)
 Centralized “Issues Forum”
 Deliberations across all communities problems and solutions
are created
 Stage Four
 Planning process for addressing problems vetted by
deliberative process
 Creation of a Development Plan
 International Aid Conference for funding
 Ritual and ceremony: “Finding a voice”
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Deliberation and the Role of the
International Community
 Developing rich counterstories attached to specific
development plans
 Education, public health, economic opportunities
 Development plans as foundation for international aid
requests
 Formation of a public entity with capacity to manage
international funds
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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Real Security
 Voice, moral agency, effective counterstories
 Creating a public sphere for witnessing, deliberation,
problem-solving
 Planning and effective partnerships
Sara Cobb, Ph.D. [email protected]
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