Civil Society and Peacebuilding : Potential, Limitations and Critical Factors

This report develops and discusses a new analytical framework to understand the functions of civil society in peace building. In theory and practice, there is a wide variety of ways to categorize civil society contributions to development and peacebuilding. Donors tend to employ actor-oriented perspectives, focusing on supporting activities of different types of civil society organizations in a given situation. This report proposes to move toward a functional perspective, centered on the roles that different actors can play in conflict situations. The analysis shows that civil society can make numerous positive contributions and have unique potential to support peacebuilding and conflict mitigation. It can do so independently as actor in its own right, or in relation to peacebuilding processes and programs led by Governments or the international community. Despite many successful initiatives on the ground, however, civil society should not be considered a panacea. The existence of civil society per se cannot be equated with the existence of peacebuilding actors. Similarly, civil society strengthening and support does not automatically contribute to peacebuilding. While civil society organizations are frequently actors for peace, they equally have the potential to become actors of violence. So far, outcomes and impacts of different civil society peace interventions have not been sufficiently evaluated. Civil society and donors need to more strategically identify the objectives and demonstrate the relevance of the particular approaches they propose to engage in different phases of conflict/peacebuilding. Without greater clarity regarding objectives and intended impacts, and, without addressing existing institutional constraints and distortions, activities run the risk of being well-intentioned, but unlikely to achieve sustainable results.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Format:	Social Analysis biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2007-02
Subjects:	ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, ADVOCACY GROUPS, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, AID COORDINATION, ALLIANCES, ARMED CONFLICT, ARMED CONFLICTS, ARMS CONTROL, ASSESSMENT TOOL, BAN, BASIC SERVICES, BENEFICIARY PARTICIPATION, BOUNDARIES, CAPACITY BUILDING, CAPACITY TRAINING, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, CHILD SOLDIERS, CITIZENS, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY, CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS, CIVIL SOCIETY CONCEPT, CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION, CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES, CIVIL WARS, COLLECTIVE ACTION, COLLECTIVE ACTIONS, COLLECTIVE CITIZEN ACTION, COMMUNITY BUILDING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY GROUPS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, CONFLICT PREVENTION, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CONSTITUENCIES, CONSTITUENCY, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, CONSULTATIVE PROCESSES, CONSULTATIVE STATUS, CONTRIBUTIONS, COORDINATION COMMITTEE, COUNTERPARTS, DECISION MAKERS, DECISION MAKING, DEMINING, DEMOBILIZATION, DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRATIC STATE, DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, DEVELOPMENT ACTORS, DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES, DEVELOPMENT AID, DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, DIPLOMACY, DISARMAMENT, DONOR COUNTRY, ECONOMIC COOPERATION, ELITE, ELITES, EMBASSIES, EMERGENCY RELIEF, EMPOWERMENT, ETHNIC GROUPS, ETHNICITY, EX-COMBATANTS, FOREIGN AID, FOREIGN POLICY, FOUNDATIONS, GENOCIDE, GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, GUERRILLA, HORN OF AFRICA, HUMAN RESOURCES, HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, HUMANITARIAN AID, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, INDEPENDENT MEDIA, INDIGENOUS GROUPS, INFORMAL SECTOR, INGOS, INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS, INTERDEPENDENCE, INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS, INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL DONORS, INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS, INTERNATIONAL NGOS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, INTERNATIONAL PEACE, KINSHIP, LAWS, LEGISLATION, LOCAL ACTORS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LOCAL COMMUNITY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GROUPS, LOCAL INITIATIVES, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, LOCAL OWNERSHIP, MACRO LEVEL, MEDIATION, MEETING, MEETINGS, MEMBERSHIP BASE, MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS, MILITARY INTERVENTION, MULTILATERAL AGENCIES, MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS, NATIONS, NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT, NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS, NEGOTIATION, NEGOTIATIONS, NEUTRALITY, NGO, OPERATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITIES, PARENTS, PARLIAMENTS, PEACE, PEACE AGREEMENTS, PEACE PROCESSES, PEACEBUILDING, PEACEKEEPERS, POLICY FORMULATION, POLITICAL CHANGE, POLITICAL ISSUES, POLITICAL PARTIES, POLITICAL PROCESSES, POLITICAL RIGHTS, POLITICAL VIEWS, POVERTY REDUCTION, PRIVATE FIRMS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC AWARENESS, PUBLIC DEBATE, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC LIFE, PUBLIC OPINION, PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICES, REBEL, REBELS, RECONCILIATION, RECONSTRUCTION, REFUGEES, REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REHABILITATION, REPRESENTATIVES, SECURITY FORCES, SOCIAL CAPITAL, SOCIAL COHESION, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, SOCIAL FABRIC, SOCIAL GROUPS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, SOCIALIZATION, STAKEHOLDERS, STATE FUNCTIONS, STEREOTYPES, STRATEGIC PLANNING, TECHNICAL COOPERATION, THIRD SECTOR, TRADE UNIONS, TRAINING COURSES, UNDP, UNESCO, UNIVERSITIES, VICTIMS, VIOLENCE, VIOLENT CONFLICT, VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS, VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WAR, WESTERN EUROPE, WORKING CLASSES, WORKING GROUP,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/02/9245785/civil-society-peacebuilding-potential-limitations-critical-factors http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7709
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