(Estimated Pub Date) the Challenge of Ethnic Conflict to National and International Order in the 1990S: Geographic Perspectives- October 1995

Approved for Release: 2018/06/01 C00123268
Summary of Discussion
Discussant: Rex Honey
I would like us to be able to understand history but not
be trapped by it. One of the things that makes resolv-
ing some problems in Africa more likely than in Bos-
nia is that the Africans do not have the kind of written
history that dates back several hundred years. As such,
they cannot pinpoint who the villains were: the names
of the groups have changed.
We need to understand that oppressed people have
legitimate grievances, and we need to make sure that
we do not support oppressive regimes. With the Cold
War over, the latter may not be as likely as it has been
in the past. But we need to be a part of a forward-look-
ing movement that will establish institutions to help
prevent problems and to respond to existing ones.
In addition, we need to support human rights globally,
not just in terms of individual rights but also in terms
of cultural rights. This includes being able to study
in your own language rather than in an alien one. If
people see themselves as being treated justly, then
existing problems will be lessened, and we will be
able to prosper along with the people with whom we
share this globe.
Discussant: Harm J. de Blij
I was bom in the Netherlands, and I’m interested in
the news ofthe day from there. Today, the news from
Holland had two items relevant to our discussion.
First, Curacao is considering holding a vote on whether
to reenter the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a prov-
ince or a colony. Things are not going well economi-
cally in Curacao, and the island is seriously considering
becoming the Martinique of the Netherlands’ empire.
Second, the Province of Zeeland discovered about a
month ago that in 1648, when the seven states of the
Netherlands signed a peace agreement with Spain, it
did not sign the agreement. Although Zeeland is now
planning to sign the agreement and is inviting Spain
to the signatory ceremony, the issue of paying the
reparations that were not made three centuries ago
has also been raised. Reparations are a serious issue
because it is the objective of certain ethnic groups to
raise the issue of who did wrong to whom and who
should pay for that wrong.
I would also like to make an observation on environ-
mental change as it relates to changes in the sociopo-
litical sphere. Although many people are sceptical of
interlinkages, I want to suggest seriously that many of
the problems that we are seeing in the world today,
such as fragmentation, dislocation, migration, sunbelt
movements, and other locational changes, are in part
an instinctive human reaction to environmental
change. I would refer you to a book by Jean Grove
called The Little Ice Age. It may be that our behavior,
including ethnic strife, has something to do with the
deteriorating environments in which relations among
groups are being played out.
General Discussion
DR. WIXMAN: An interesting point that came out
particularly in this last session is that we talk about
voluntarism on the part of the peoples involved.
The falling apart of the Soviet Union will probably be
followed by a restructuring, and what Estonians,
Kazakhs, and Ukrainians can do voluntarily through
mutual respect and independence is probably a lot bet-
ter than the situation when the Soviet Union was dom-
inated by the center.
I think one ofthe keys to future stability is not to
oppose the secessionist movements but to allow such
movement. This almost invariably leads to better rela-
tions between the seceder and the parent state.
DR. DE BLIJ: But the problem with that is, “where
does the secessionist sequence end?”
DR. WIXMAN: True.
DR. DE BLIJ: Someone today talked about the neces-
sity of proyiding recognition. Well, the problem in
the case of Bosnia was that recognition was given
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Approved for Release: 2018/06/01 C00123268