I. Why Should Victims of War Participate in the Peace Negotiation Process? Afghan victims of war have paid the highest price over the past four decades and constitute a large segment of Afghan society. Direct participation of victims of war in peace negotiation and peacebuilding process is imperative for the following reasons: • Large constituency. Victims of war and their survivors constitute one of the largest constituencies in the country. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (“UNAMA”), more than 100,000 civilians have been killed or wounded since 2009 alone.1 The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (“AIHRC”) has estimated the pre-2001 victims’ population at more than two million.2 • Experiences from around the world show victims’ inclusion makes a more durable peace. Comparative examples of peacebuilding show that omitting victims of war render peace processes fragile and reversible. For example, negotiators in Colombia say the inclusion of victims helped shift their understanding of the position of the other side. • Victims bear transformative impact on peace negotiators and peace process. Victims and survivors of war have directly borne the brunt of the conflict. Their experiences can have transformative impact on negotiators, the substance of their discussions, and provide input on the eventual shape and mechanism of the final peace agreement. Giving victims respect and recognition can also shift public discourse towards a more tolerant tone. • Unique interests and demands that must be addressed and incorporated. Victims have special needs, demands and messages that are essential to transition from conflict to a viable peace. Experiences from other peace processes show that hearing victims’ direct testimonies and perspectives on their key demands such as justice, truth seeking, reconciliation, healing and rehabilitation, are key to durable peacebuilding. • Brings legitimacy to the negotiating team. The Afghan government’s legitimacy lies in bringing forth all sectors of Afghan society. By including this enormous constituency of victims and other survivors of war the Afghan government will gain the legitimacy that group brings to the conversation. The strength of the peace delegation is in its composition. II. International Lessons on Victims of War Participation in Peace Negotiations International examples of sustainable peacebuilding serve as a testament to the above. There are many global examples that show the strong correlation between sustainable peacebuilding and the participation of civil society and victims’ groups in peace processes. An analysis of 83 peace agreements in the post-Cold War-era shows that civil society has taken part in the construction of 28 peace agreements (36%).3 The study shows that civil society’s participation in peace process reduces the risk of peace collapsing by 64% among primary conflict actors, and by 50% among all conflict actors.4 Civil society and victims of war participate in many ways. An analysis of 20 peace agreements over a period of 15 years shows that the high involvement of civil society and victims 1. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 2019 Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, p.5, February 2020. 2. AIHRC, A call for Justice: National Consultation on Past Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan, p.8, 2005 3. Nilsson, D. (2012), Anchoring the peace: Civil society actors in peace accords and durable peace, p.25, International interactions, 38 (2) 243-266. 4. Ibid. BUILDING A LASTING PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN: PARTICIPATION OF VICTIMS OF WAR IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS |4|