Contents

Aküm Longchari: A Brief Interview
with a Naga Peacebuilder

Patricia Spaulding

Aküm Longchari first came to study in the Conflict Transformation Program in fall 1998. He had just completed a degree in law at the Faculty of Law, Delhi University in India. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and economics. Following completion of his MA in conflict transformation in December 2000, Akum went home to organize a national convention to strengthen the Indo-Naga peace process. He was also very busy organizing and facilitating people-to-people dialogue and various workshops to strengthen Naga internal capacity toward a justpeace and reconciliation. Last summer he returned as an exchange scholar and, among other things, assisted with the Summer Peacebuilding Institute 2001.

Nagalim (Nagaland) is a hilly territory located at the juncture of China, India, and Burma. It has always been a sovereign nation. Some villages in the southwest were invaded and occupied by the British in 1863. It was then that Nagas began to resist outside domination. When the British government was planning to grant India its independence they considered maintaining Nagalim as a Crown Colony. Nagas, however, were very opposed. Those in the British-occupied areas declared their independence in 1947 and merged themselves with Free Nagalim. India, however, did not honor their desire to remain independent. Nagas have been at war with India for about 50 years. (For more information, see www.angelfire.com/mo/Nagaland/Background.html.)

What made you want to come to CTP?

Our part of the world has been experiencing injustice, oppression, and subjugation of political, social and economic rights for a very long time. For generations, we have been denied the right to live as free peoples with respect and dignity. It is important to understand that while in the midst of a conflict, the vicious spiral of violence around you makes it very difficult to even think with a clear mind. Therefore, part of my wanting to come here was to try and understand the dominant system more clearly. I wanted to get a perspective of the conflict from the outside. Then I could try to evolve ways that would enable us to confront the issues in a more creative and constructive way.

It also empowers people as we share experiences with each other and learn together from our experiences of how we have confronted conflict, based on our cultural understanding and worldviews. When people talk about conflict transformation, it often has to do with people who are in the midst of conflict and crisis. As a person who comes from a politically isolated region that has experienced conflict for more than five decades, I felt that it was important for my voice and stories to be shared. This might help avoid the tendency of promoting one's local cultural approach of confronting conflict to a globalized application.

How did you hear about the CTP program?

In 1997 the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA) had organized a consultation meeting here at Atlanta for various Naga leaders of the national movementÑit was to create better understanding amongst them. I believe that Ron (Kraybill) was invited, too, for the meeting, to make suggestions and as an observer. It was at that conference that some Nagas, who in partnership had organized the consultation with BPFNA, came to learn about CTP. On returning home they informed me about it and asked me to apply. I was rather reluctant to do so. After many informal discussions with friends, colleagues in the human rights movement, I finally agreed to fill in the application. (I have been involved with the Naga people's movement for human rights for the last seven to eight years now—and part of the reason why they contacted me was because they wanted to support a person who had experience in the field and who was fairly "young.")

How have you been supported?

My family members are supporting me. This was something I was unaware of till I reached here. Since I was in the midst of my exams, I was not directly in contact and I was under the impression that I had received financial aid. That, to a great extent, was the reason why I really applied in the first place—besides the other broader political implications—however, officially the BPFNA is "sponsoring" me. BPFNA did contribute some resources when I first came, but since then it has just been my family. Family members actually had to sell land to support my education and living here. This arrangement had to be made because of the situation at home and the need to avoid "unnecessary attention."So, yes, in reality I am being supported by family members, but officially by the BPFNA.

Do you know of others who would like to come or who could benefit from coming?

Yes, I think the process of learning is often a two way process. For conflict transformation to be truly holistic, practical and effective, we need to overcome our stagnant "island mentality". The process of peacebuilding as an inclusive process of bringing the dominant western knowledge system and indigenous knowledge system together is imperative.

I believe that generating new ideas of transformation can be sustainable if we are able to build the bridge between these two very different worldviews and paradigms. Therefore, yes, I know many people who would benefit from coming here, but more importantly, this program would also benefit from their presence and participation.

Do they know about CTP?

Yes, they do, in a very vague way, through (me) sharing (with them about) my experience here. We do not have a readily accessible Internet connection. Also, because of the political conflict, the postal system is not very efficient. One must also keep in mind the process of mail censorship.

What is keeping them from coming?

People lack information and resources.

What are your plans after you finish here?

I will continue to work for the Naga people's aspiration to live in peace and dignity, a political and social order based on freedom and justice. To do that we will have to continue our struggle to "lift the foot off our necks"—Indian occupation of our homeland. Since the Naga situation is so isolated in world politics (foreigners are not allowed into Naga areas without the prior permission of the Indian state—even United Nations officials have been denied entry), I feel the responsibility in trying to generate awareness of the Naga people's struggle in the context of: suppression of people's rights is a threat to democratic values. As I will be returning to CTP as an "exchange scholar" in 2001, my priority is to try and create a network, link the Naga grassroots organizations with the international NGOs and generate international opinion.

Do you have anything else you would like to briefly share with our readers about your training here and how it will help you in your work to bring peace to Nagaland?

People who have been living in conflict situations, that have experienced dehumanization and oppression for many generations, are always looking for a way to break the cycle of oppression, so that they can live in peace with justice and dignity. So, one can say that they are always looking for new ideas and new initiatives that would be relevant and effective in their situation. However, having said that, they are critical, too, of the political and social implications of the dominant knowledge system, approaches and models of conflict transformation, due to the experience they have undergone and, also, because they have their own vision of creating a social and political order. These aspects are often under-looked and undermined—and, thus, we need to pay more attention to these very relevant and critical underlying issues. However, having said that, yes, my experience here has helped me to broaden my perspective and to understand in more depth the nature of the conflict and the dominant system. Yes, we gain more insight and understanding, but problem-solving approaches are not really helpful to me in the long term because all cultures have their own way of confronting crisis and conflict.

In the spring 2001 semester, CTP welcomed another student from Nagalim, as well as eight other new students coming from other parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In the fall semester we enrolled another 14 international students. It's such a privilege to be a part of this learning community with peacebuilders from every part of the world.