Transcript Civil Society Roles in Conflict Prevention Catherine

Civil Society Roles in Conflict Prevention:
developing new partnerships
for peace and security
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict
Catherine Barnes, Ph.D.
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InterAction Forum 2004
Washington DC, 19 May 2004
Overview
Explore some of the key roles that civil society
organisations play in preventing and
transforming violent conflict
Present the ‘Global Partnership for the
Prevention of Armed Conflict’ - and how it
aims to strengthen civil society capacities in
working with conflict and partnerships with
the UN, regional organisations and
governments.
Civil society: more than NGOs
Political parties
Business
& movements associations &
Movements:
cooperatives
social, political,
trade unions &
environmental,
professional
solidarity
associations
Traditional
Civil Society Organisations
leaders &
Private
•NGOs
social
foundations
•Voluntary charities
structures
& donors
•Community-based groups
•Etc.
Religious
Media:
institutions &
private non-profit
faith-based
& state
associations
GONGOs,
Educational
QUANGOs &
Parastatal
companies
& research
institutes
Why civil society in preventing armed conflict?
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A vibrant & diverse civil society is a key element of
structural prevention. (1) Strengthens internal cohesion,
mediates social conflict & constrains arbitrary exercise of
power; (2) Attempts to suppress civil society tend to
provoke a struggle to meet basic human needs through
other means, including violent resistance.
Efficacy: Within any society, these diverse groupings
constitute a potentially powerful force that can mobilise
either to escalate conflict or facilitate its resolution. They
can do things that neither the state nor international
organisations can do.
Ownership & sovereignty: The state belongs to its people;
mobilising civil society to address problems that could
generate conflict strengthens long-term social and political
development. If the diverse elements within a society feel
that the ‘solutions’ are legitimate, they are more likely to
take responsibility for implementing them.
CSO orientations to prevention
Focus on
policy / structural changes
in the global system
Rooted in a specific civil society sector
(e.g. faith community, trade unions,
women’s associations)
Aimed at responding to
specific conflict situations
Prevention at different stages in the
evolution of an armed conflict
Structural Prevention
Operational Prevention
Political
talks gain
momentum
Escalation of
tension &
violence
Pre-crisis phase
Structural Prevention
Conflict
emergence
Armed conflict
Ceasefire /
process
toward
settlement
Final accords
signed; begin
consolidation;
peacebuilding
Peacebuilding
& post-settlement
reconstruction
CSO roles in structural prevention:
addressing the root causes
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Addressing structural violence & promoting human security
– through development, human rights monitoring &
promotion, preventing environmental degradation…
Making governments & state structures more responsive –
through participation in political processes, policy dialogue,
monitoring, advocacy campaigns, protests…
Alleviating social tensions and conflict – through challenging
xenophobia & discrimination, facilitating dialogue, and
promoting tolerance and a culture of peace…
Strengthening capacities to mediate conflict and manage
differences – through conflict resolution training, mediation
services, education, promoting rule of law
Operational Prevention:
CSO roles in the early crisis phase
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Early warning of emerging crises – monitoring,
analysis, and communication strategies to raise
awareness and generate attention
Developing options and strategies for response formulating recommendations, engaging in policy
dialogue
Mobilising political will for response – lobbying and
campaigning, sensitising domestic audiences
Taking action – Unofficial ‘diplomacy’, social
dialogue, public protests…
CSO roles during violent conflict
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Humanitarian relief & support to war-affected
communities
Facilitating communication and generating
alternatives – Track II dialogue processes
Strengthening local CSO capacities for conflict
transformation & peacebuilding
Developing & strengthening ‘constituencies for
peace’ and public awareness work
Violence reduction and monitoring; creating
‘zones of peace’
CSO roles in peacemaking
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Support for political negotiations and
confidence building initiatives
Shaping the negotiating agenda to ensure
it addresses root causes
Participating in the negotiations process,
directly or indirectly
Helping ‘behind the scenes’: continuing to
facilitate social dialogue and Track II
dialogue + good offices
Preventing recurrence: CSO roles in
post-settlement peacebuilding
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Public education & awareness-raising on the
peace agreement – and consolidating support.
Facilitating the rehabilitation of war-affected
relationships & communities  laying the
groundwork for reconciliation.
Contributing to transitional justice processes
Resumption of initiatives contributing to structural
prevention – encouraging good governance,
reconstruction and development, mediating social
conflict, promoting human rights…
CSOs working on conflict: special contributions
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Because CSOs are aware of events as they are unfolding,
they can make important contributions to early warning.
They can act swiftly & flexibly to respond to conditions as
needed, often using innovative & non-coercive strategies
and quality processes to address problems.
CSOs can act when official actors are immobilised (often
related to mandates, lack of political will or the
implications conveyed by their official status).
CSOs can improve communication and relationships by
fostering interaction across conflict divides.
By mobilising ‘people power’, CSOs can put pressure on
decision-makers to reach a peaceful settlement. They can
also push for policies and practices designed to address
root causes of conflict.
Partnership & respect for local ownership
Partnerships are key to effective prevention.
 Need mechanisms & resources for interaction between
CSOs, IGOs and governments to institutionalise the capacity for
prevention.
 Need official acknowledgement of the legitimacy of CSOs in
peace & security matters; recognition of their roles in the
conflict prevention partnership.
Primary responsibility for conflict prevention rests with national
governments and other local actors. Greater ownership is likely
to result in a more legitimate process & sustainable outcomes.
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The primary role of outsiders is to create spaces & support
inclusive processes that enable those directly involved to
make decisions about the specific arrangements for addressing
the causes of conflict  Build on capacities that exist.
Outsiders must avoid actions that displace & undermine
homegrown initiatives or that promote short-term objectives
at the expense of long-term prevention.
Global Partnership for the
Prevention of Armed Conflict
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GPPAC the convening process for July 2005
conference at UN Headquarters  Initiated
in response to UN Secretary-General’s Report
on the Prevention of Armed Conflict (2001),
where he urged NGOs to organise a
conference on their role and interaction with
the UN in prevention.
Global partnership: 15 regional processes +
ECCP (international secretariat) & NGO UN
Conflict Prevention Working Group +
International Steering Group
Global Level: Building an Action Agenda for the Partnership
ECCP
Global Partnership
for the Prevention
of Armed Conflict
Strategy Group
15 Regional
Consultations
Europe
W. Africa
Central Asia
L. America
N. America
Balkans
S. Asia
N.Africa/
Mid.East
S.E. Asia
July 2005
W. Caucasus
E. Africa
S. Africa
N.E. Asia
Beyond 2005
Global Partnership: More than a conference…
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Generating social infrastructure: Stimulating forums
at national, regional, and global levels  creating an
effective worldwide network
Developing a voice: Thousands engaged in discussion
& research at national & regional level to identify
issues, exchange experiences & lessons, and set
priorities for ‘Action Agendas’
Increased political acceptance of the role of civil
society in preventing armed conflict; strengthened
mechanisms for interaction & partnership between
state & non-state actors on conflict, peace & security
matters for integrated approach to prevention
Laying the groundwork for long-term action: public
education & awareness raising; strengthened
operational capacities; …  new capacities
How you can get involved
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Join the initiative – connect your
organization with regional processes
Contribute understanding of your issue area
to conflict prevention
Mainstream prevention principles in your
organization’s work and operations
Contribute financially…
European Centre for Conflict Prevention
www.conflictprevention-dialogue.org