"Sixteen Million One" by Patrick M. Regan
International conflicts such as world wars take up a lot of time
and space in the history books, but most of today's warlike
activity occurs within national borders. From Colombia to Darfur to Sri
Lanka the peace has been disrupted by rebel insurgencies, genocide
and civil war. It is estimated (who can tell for sure?) that
in the past fifty years sixteen million people have died in these
struggles. A civil war may turn out to be more intractable
than wider nternational conflicts since the combatants can't
withdraw back to where they came from.
Patrick M. Regan's book
"Sixteen Million One: Understanding Civil War" finds the roots
of today's struggles in poverty, distribution of resources,
economic disruption and "identity politics". It is not simply
that two contending groups are so different -- Hutus and Tutsis in
Rwanda or Protestants and Catholics in Ulster actually have a lot
in common -- but, writes Dr. Regan, identity "is an important
factor in civil wars only after it has become politicized, by being
made a criterion for exclusion." The conditions that will
move a young man to take up arms are complicated with much
individual variation, but in many cases they include the
recognition that he will be battling forces with greater power and
resources but responds to the persuasions of a charismatic
leader. He also may have nothing else useful to do in
life.
Patrick Regan is a professor of political science at Binghamton
University. He is also an associate editor of the Journal of Peace
Research and is on the editorial board of Conflict
Management and Peace Science. He spent a year as a
Fulbright Scholar at the Peace
Research Institute in Oslo, Norway. Among his earlier
books are "Organizing Societies for War" (1994) and "Civil
Wars and Foreign Powers" (2000). Professor Regan also
served in the U.S.Peace Corps and worked in Mother Teresa's hospice
for the destitute in Calcutta where, he states, "the most striking
thing about the 'patients' was how they tried to maintain their
dignity in spite of extremely trying circumstances."
His knowledge of destabilized regions has been gained first
hand, often at personal risk in many of the world's danger
zones. In "16,000,001" Dr. Regan tells of encounters with the
"Troubles"
in Northern Ireland, rebellion in Central America, Bangladesh and
the Palestinian Territories.
You don't have to think too far into
the past to see the historical blunders that the world community
has made in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And it will end
with Israel relinquishing most or all of the pre-1967 territories
to a Palestinian state. Israel will tear down settlements,
move out settlers, and make some sort of arrangements over
Jerusalem. It will have taken nearly thirty years of constant
hostilities punctuated by extended periods of armed struggle, but
it will get there.
-- from "Sixteen Million One"
To rescue the world from the scourge of civil war Dr. Regan
believes that these conflicts need to be internationalized, with
outside forces involved to bring hostilities to an end rather than
-- as has sometimes been the case with intervention by the U.S. and
others -- simply take sides, supplying armaments and other
support. He also believes that beleaguered governments need
to be tolerant of dissent and dedicated to eliminating poverty and
discrimination, though he writes that "I am many things but naive
is not one of them." In a post-script to "16,000,001" Regan
takes on the challenge of indicating what individuals and small aid
groups can do in the face of situations like that in Darfur.
He writes skeptically about large aid projects and speaks well of
closely-focused projects of KickStart International and
the microloans of Grameen
Bank in Bangla Desh.
Patrick Regan joins
Bill Jaker on OFF THE PAGE to
speak about his experiences and impressions. To join in the
conversation post a comment here to OffThePage@WSKG.ORG.
