Castles aren't just for autocracy: Exploring peace building and human rights at the Peace Castle

The Peace Castle (Friedensburg)

Two weeks ago, participants of all ages gathered at the Peace Castle in Stadtschlaining, Austria for the 30^th International Summer Academy of the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR). The castle, nestled within the idyll and hilly landscape of the Burgenland region, is the site of this annual conference working to promote peace studies. The ASPR is a non-profit organization founded in the 1980s that conducts research, holds classes, and hosts conferences on the topic of peace and conflict resolution.

This year, the topic of the Summer Academy was “Refugees and Migration: On Borders, Fears, and Opportunities for the Future.” This was the first year that the conference was officially conducted in two languages—both German and English—in order to help expand participation. The Summer Academy, composed primarily of panel discussions and workshops, tackled the difficult topic of how to deal with flight and migration of those who are considered “illegal” in Europe. Political figures, leaders of NGOs, researchers in migration studies, grassroots workers, asylum, and refugees themselves came together during this week-long even to discuss the theme and explore its relation to human rights and peacebuilding.

Europe, in general, is a relatively peaceful and prosperous place at this time—but issues of peace and conflict resolution persist here nonetheless. As the daughter of an immigrant from former Yugoslavia, I have remained aware of the unrest in this region—conflict that has taken place throughout my lifetime (the past 20 years). It is frightening to think that such bitter ethnic conflicts and violence exist within the same country where my mother grew up and my brother was born. And now, as I live and study in Vienna, I understand more clearly the particular relevance of the topic of migration to Austria and Europe as a whole. On any given train ride down the metro, I frequently hear a handful of different languages; even if Austria does not consider itself very multicultural, Vienna is certainly the site of linguistic and ethnic diversity. As the European Union continues to develop (for better or for worse), Europe is increasingly interconnected and, at times, interdependent. The topic of migration not only relates to the state of peace in the home countries of refugees, but also in the manner in which host countries approach the arrival of immigrants. This forces us to ask the question: What unrest results from migration in the countries of destination? Do these countries go about their treatment of migrants peacefully, regardless of their legal status?

I chose to participate in the workshop entitled “Working on the Frontline: Reports from the EU’s Southern Borders.” This workshop was a collaboration of several European NGOs (from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Germany) that work with refugees and migrants in their respective countries. During these seminars, we discussed the legal frameworks, working conditions, and state of detention centers in each country. It was really remarkable to learn about the disappointing state of immigration management and policy in these southern European EU member states. Migrants seeking to flee areas of conflict and/or severe poverty are then confronted with a non-functional system of immigration and asylum. Those who are found to be living in these countries without papers are sent to live in detainment/deportation centers (officially not considered “prisons”—even though detention conditions are even worse) where they face many human rights violations.

The workshop ultimately helped to facilitate a sense of pessimism about the efficacy of the European Union and NGOs in responding to the effects of conflict (that is, migration of people from these areas of conflicts). Countries like Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain consider themselves transition countries for migrants, thus exacerbating the poor state of their response to migration. This situation also makes me question the efficacy of the E.U. and E.U. laws—What good are E.U. standards (in order to enter the E.U. in the first place) and E.U. laws and regulations (for member states) if they still result in such disparities of conditions and consideration human rights? What regulations even exist in this domain and, for those that do, how are they enforced? Unfortunately, these questions remain for me mostly unanswered, but I am glad that I’m continuing to developing new understandings and curiosities regarding human rights and peace work in Europe. I maintain hope that the general abundance of western European NGOs will successfully confront the human rights violations on the continent—and be able to influence the political and legal framework that has somehow allowed these abuses to occur.

Lea, IFOR Austria

July 2013

From one of the beautifully manicured lawns in Schlaining