Mobilizing the Third Side to Terrorism

By: Bill Ury wury@law.harvard.edu

Terrorism is like a virus. It is invisible. It is spread throughout the body politic- terrorists are operating in over sixty countries around the world. It can lie latent for a long time --hidden terrorist cells are patiently waiting for a moment to strike. It flourishes when the immune system is weak.

The question I have is: What would a strong immune system look like? What is capable of holding the virus of extreme violence in check?

I cannot claim to have an answer but I do have a hunch, based on my experiences over the past two decades working as a third party in such intractable conflicts as Chechnya, Northern Ireland, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - all marked by recurrent terrorism.

Such conflicts are usually portrayed as two-sided. It is Russians vs Chechens, Catholics vs Protestants, Arabs vs. Israelis. We tend to forget that there is always a third side. This "Third Side" is the surrounding community within which any conflict takes place. The Third Side consists of those inside and outside the immediate conflict who can contain the violence, help resolve the underlying conflicts, and help prevent conflict by addressing its root causes.

If we had had a healthy global immune system prior to September 11, the Third Side - individuals, organizations, national governments, and the United Nations -- would have been hard at work playing a host of preventive "Thirdsider" roles. Witnesses might have informed us of the terrorists' plans. Security forces acting as Peacekeepers would have arrested the terrorists and frustrated their plans. Mediators would have been working to resolve conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Equalizers would have been building democracy in places where it is badly needed. Bridge-Builders would have been building bridges between the Islamic and Western worlds. Teachers would have been busy teaching about the tragic futility of violence and about peaceful ways of dealing with differences. Providers would have been addressing the conditions of insecurity, deprivation, shame, and repression that can breed terrorism.

No one Thirdsider role is sufficient to stop violence. The roles constitute a series of protective safety nets. If one doesn't catch the conflict from escalating, another will. Together, these roles constitute a systemic approach to what is, after all, a systemic problem. Containing the threat of terrorism will not work if one does not immediately follow up with resolution of conflicts and attention to frustrated basic human needs.

While there is no guarantee that such a system would have forestalled the September 11 attacks, the chances of prevention would have been greatly enhanced. Prevention is the key word. The Third Side - the community - works to catch dangerous conflicts early before they get too hot. In the words of Shakespeare, "A little fire is quickly trodden out which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench."

It will not be easy to strengthen humanity's social immune system. Contrary to appearances, waging peace is actually harder than waging war. But it is possible, as I have witnessed in places where the Third Side has been active - in ending apartheid in South Africa and in transforming conflict in Northern Ireland.

An old Irish saying asks: "Is this a private fight or can anyone get in?" The lesson of September 11 is that, in this increasingly interdependent world, there are no private fights because they affect us all.

Each of us has a role as a Thirdsider to play in strengthening the social immune system against violence. Anyone can play the role of Witness, Peacekeeper, Mediator and Teacher of non-violent conflict resolution. We can do this in our homes, our schools, our neighborhoods, our nations, and around the world. This kind of patriotism can truly help make our children and ourselves safe from violence.

There is an old African proverb that goes: "When spider webs unite, they can halt even a lion." Each of the actions any individual, organization, or government may take is like a single spider web. Alone it is not sufficient, but united with the actions of others, it is capable of halting even the lion of violence and terrorism.

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