Intimate Enemies Violence and Reconciliation in Peru

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Reflection Paper
The book ‘Intimate Enemies Violence and Reconciliation in Peru’ written by an author known as Kimberly Theidon, is one that looks keenly into the effects and impacts of insurgency and civil wars to the Andean communities. In chapter 5, ‘Speaking of Silences’ in this book, she describes and explains their painful experiences, as these people tried to adjust to their new ways of life that had be forced on them; and their efforts to coexist. She uses different ways to bring out or tell the painful stories of these people some of which include stories of different characters in her narrative. However, the author does not only cover the painful stories in her book; her main or primary aim is to portray the wicked and inhuman experiences women, and children go through during such times of civil wars. Cruel acts such as rape are some of the central themes in her book, and she tries in address them in a number of various ways.              The author first begins by explaining or demonstrating how after the war women, who also considered as forgotten victims, are used as ‘narrative capital’. The truth commissions that are set up in order to gather enough information about the war and find ways of bringing justice to the victims complain of the laxity of women to talk about their experiences during the violence. This makes it hard for these commissions to get their side of the story, which even defeats their intended purpose. Secondly, the author goes on to the covering of the exact things that these women tend talk about in these commissions (Theidon 106). She also examines a number of assumptions on what exactly constitutes gendered perspective in such kind of violence, as was experienced in this nation. In such commissions, women instead tend to talk about the harm done to their loved ones. Forced sexual activities or even rape among women during these times of war in order to save their loved ones, such as families and relatives is the next thing she focuses on. She looks into how this kind of violence; sexual violence, is used in the establishment of certain kinds of power relations among others. It also shows or demonstrates how it is for normal and ordinary individuals including weaker categories in times of war such as women and c...