From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Proceso 547: Peace Process
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 06:02:56 GMT

/** reg.elsalvador: 135.0 **/
** Topic: Proceso 547: Peace Process **
** Written  1:21 pm  Jan 25, 1993 by cidai@huracan.cr in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: cidai@huracan.cr (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
Subject: Proceso 547: Peace Process

Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
Central American University (UCA)
San Salvador, El Salvador
 
PROCESO 547
January 20, 1993
 
PEACE PROCESS
Conference on national reconciliation
 
     A conference called "Reconciliation in Times of Transition"
was held in San Salvador on January 11-12. The event was sponsored
by the Salvadoran Supreme Court and a group of well-known U.S.
foundations and institutions dedicated to the study of problems of
democracy in contemporary societies, including the Center for
Strategic Studies for the Strengthening of Salvadoran Democracy,
the North-South Center of the University of Miami, the Charter 77
Foundation of New York, the Institute for Central American Studies
of Washington, and the USAID Salvadoran mission.
     The goals of the conference were to contribute to national
reconciliation by studying, discussing and understanding the peace
accords and the problems met during their implementation; and to
strengthen the peace process by promoting an exchange of transition
experiences in different parts of the world, as well as the
discussion of different solutions applied in such problems.
     During intense working sessions of discussion and debate, the
participants took up issues related to the profound significance of
the Salvadoran peace process; the challenges faced by national
reconciliation and the need to strengthen and develop democratic
institutions, as well as promote political tolerance; and, finally,
the outlook for peace in El Salvador. All sectors of Salvadoran
society were represented at the event, as well as delegates from 12
countries of Central and South America, the United States and
Europe, including the president of Guatemala and representatives
from the Polish Solidarity movement and Colombia's M-19.
     No one doubts the enormous importance of this type of event.
The forum made it possible to express and hear the points of view
of each of the protagonists (both national and foreign) of the
recent conflict about the current state of the peace process. The
resulting evaluation unquestionably sheds light on the job facing
the entire nation: that of building a new society with peaceful
coexistence and economic development. Despite the naturally
divergent opinions heard in the different speeches, it was
significant to see how many actually agreed on the fundamental
issues related to the future of El Salvador.
 
Pluralism and consensus-building: guidelines for democracy
 
     What stands out is how the majority of the conference
participants agreed that democratic coexistence is the only viable
option for Salvadoran society. This democracy-in-process must,
above all, be characterized by respect for a plurality of sectors,
ideas and interests, which must be united by a single concept of
nation. In the words of Joaqu!n Villalobos, this means that "the
negotiated end of the war opened the way for consensus-building and
dialogue to prevail as ways to settle political and social
differences... policies of containment through repression or
winning through confrontation have lost space, now that no one
wants to return to war and destabilization."
     The true democracy (as opposed to formal democracy) to which
El Salvador aspires must make consensus-building a permanent
policy. In the words of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Bernard
Aronson, it must be a system in which "the rule of law prevails and
differences are resolved in the political arena." President
Cristiani also expressed agreement with this need to base national
reconciliation on consensus among the different sectors. "Pluralism
is a law of nature; every living organism is at the same time a
world of diversity and an experiment in unity; so too is society,
and we must live by those rules," said the president. El Salvador,
thus, appears fortunately destined to find a political model in
which a balance of power and consensus-building prevail, where
there is no room for "ideological or classist hegemonies" as in the
recent past.
 
Subordination of the army to civilian authority
 
     In terms of confrontation, El Salvador has unquestionably
reached a point of no return. Any objective analysis of gains made
to date will confirm this claim. Nevertheless, the peace process is
still unfinished. There are still important accords to be
fulfilled, and these in turn make up the guidelines for the action
program necessary to build democracy.
     In Bernard Aronson's view, the principal pending aspect of the
peace accords is subordinating the Armed Forces to civilian
authority. Without this, there are no guarantees for political
pluralism and for the strengthening of democratic institutions,
much less for respect for human rights and the rejection of
violence as a way to attain political goals. "The Armed Forces must
evolve toward becoming a professional institution entirely under
civilian authority," said Aronson, adding that "it is unacceptable
in a democracy for a civilian president to have to negotiate with
the Armed Forces in order to make fundamental decisions which are
the prerogative of the civilian government."
     The great difficulties faced by President Cristiani to purge
the Armed Forces in accordance with the Ad Hoc Commission report is
the most recent evidence of the disproportionate influence and
power still being exercised by the military over society. And this
is despite the fact that, in his speech to the conference, Gen.
Ponce assured his listeners that the Armed Forces is prepared to
meet the challenge of the new transitional period.
     Finally, the event made it clear that all the political
reforms proposed in the peace accords have as their ultimate goal
the search for economic growth and a more equitable distribution of
national wealth. Businessman Pablo Tesak, who gave the closing
speech at the conference, said: "El Salvador needs labor stability
in order to attract investment, otherwise it will run up against
serious obstacles to economic and social growth. Respect for the
rights of others, listening to and heeding just demands, and
efficiency in the workplace, are actions which will contribute to
development in El Salvador, through true and just reconciliation in
these times of transition."
 

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