Designing the World We Want How Human Beings Work Shifting the Planetary Conversation The Costs of Armed Violence
Called to Account by the World: Radovan Karadzic Arrested at Last
- July 29th, 2008 
Radovan Karadzic, one of the most wanted war criminals in the world, was arrested Monday in Serbia, ending a 13 year manhunt. He will be transferred soon to the Hague for trial at the International Criminal Court. I hope that Ratko Mladic, the third chieftain of evil in the Bosnian wars, will also be arrested soon.
All societies create agreements for people to live together. When someone breaks one of those agreements he or she is “called to account” by the community. He must satisfy the group that he will be safe for everyone to live with. Society is based on reciprocity. Accountability is the glue that holds it together.
Learning About Accountability Up Close
For four years I ran a seminar on accountability at a maxium security prison in Washington state (1999-2003). It was one of the most important experiences of my life. With a small group of men, some convicted of murder, I studied the issue intensively. Why is accountability so important for offenders, for victims and for society at large?
Truth telling, as goes on in a trial, is vital for victims. They need to know the full truth of what happened to them so they can move on in their healing. If they are survivors of people who died, they need to find out what happened to their loved ones.
Stripping Away the Layers of Deceit
Society also needs to have the formal truth telling that goes on in court so that wrongs are correctly named and so responsibility and blame is correctly assigned. Some people in former Yugoslavia still romanticize Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Mladic. These proceedings will be critical in deconstructing that romanticizing.
Society Declares Its Moral Values
One of the functions of an accountability process is to break down the wall of silence surrounding crimes of violence and this process is well underway in the former Yugoslavia. Another function of truth telling is for society to formally declare the moral values it stands by, i.e. What happened to you was not okay; It should not have happened to you or to anyone and it should never happen again.
Accountability Vital for Perpetrators As Well
A formal calling to account is vital for perpetrators as well. In my prison work I discovered that there are stages that offenders go through in dealing with a crime. Often this process is stalled near the beginning stage at denial or at the next stage, making excuses. However a good accountability process will call an offender to examine himself more deeply. This is why hearing the victim’s pain is so important. Some offenders will take partial responsibility at this point.
It is possible for offenders to go even further however. If we were smart, we would design our systems to promote this deep accountability process. If an offender knows he did wrong but doesn’t know why he did it, he will suffer shame and guilt. Only when he explores more deeply and learns why he carried out the wrongful act can he move to compassionate self-acceptance. I have met a few men who have gone on to become what I call a man of conscience, men who have grown so much that they have evolved a whole life mission out of their accountability experience.
I have no idea what Radovan Karazic will do with his accountability journey but I am eager to find out.
Readers: What are your experiences with accountability? What are your reactions to the arrest of Radovan Karadzic?
July 29th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I love what you have to say about accountability. It brings to mind the extraordinary work done by Desmond Tutu and both perpetrators and victims of apartheid violence in S. Africa. The flip side of this sort of transformation and healing is forgiveness, which is equally difficult for the victim, yet equally powerful in allowing people to move beyond the tragedy of their circumstance to become “people” of conscience. In my experience the ability to forgive the wrong-doer also stems from an ability to forgive oneself. Often when someone is victimized by violence they carry an unconscious burden of guilt or shame and in some ways self-blame. This does not mean that the victim should not feel outrage or sorrow at what has happened. What I am saying is that we are all part of the same human system. Whether we are aware or not we contribute to everything that we and others do. That is not to say we are responsible for what others do, but we do contribute. As we are able to recognize our contribution, everyone benefits . We continue to learn about ourselves until we are able to have compassion for everyone i- and thus truly begin healing the world.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Thank you Lucy for wise and thoughtful comments. The vision you point to, of victims learning to forgive the wrongdoer and themselves, is a tough one for some victims to learn –I know, I’ve been there! Some might fight this view tooth and nail and never accept it. However, when one finally does see this systemic view, that we all contribute to everything, such freedom arises! The issue of forgiveness is one we have not yet explored on Peace By Design but it one we certainly intend to take on.