January 2013

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Research this month

Building on what’s already there: Valuing the local in international peacebuilding

There is a need to acknowledge local agency and empowerment as one of the foremost challenges of contemporary peacebuilding practice

Building on what's already there, by Nathan Funk, argues that a greater role is needed for local leadership in international peacebuilding. The author suggests that peacebuilding could be strengthened by drawing on local capacities, with internationals acting more as facilitators helping locals achieve their potential.

Understanding "local ownership" in peacebuilding operations in Afghanistan

In a context where political authority is fragmented among a multiplicity of external and internal actors, often with divergent interests and agendas, it has become increasingly difficult to locate ownership and where accountability lies.

Understanding "local ownership" in peacebuilding operations in Afghanistan [pdf] examines at the idea of local ownership in Afghanistan, and finds a complex and confused situation on the ground. The case study is part of Exiting Conflict, Owning the Peace, a joint study from from Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the London School of Economics into local ownership in international peace operations.

Integrating traditional and modern conflict resolution

The continuing role and influence of traditional leadership in modern Africa is hard to miss. Nonetheless, the relationship between the state and traditional institutions should not be taken for granted for it is a contested terrain fraught with complexities

Integrating traditional and modern conflict resolution is a collection of articles from Accord discussing how traditional and modern methods of conflict resolution can work together. Drawing on examples from Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Sudan, the monograph looks at the varied roles traditional institutions play in conflict resolution and prevention, and the relationship with the state.

The EU and Peacebuilding

On a conceptual level, the EU has reacted to the major criticisms towards liberal peace by emphasising priorities that go beyond state elites and address local circumstances. At the same time, however, the way the EU is dealing with new peacebuilding challenges on the ground ... suggests that it is in fact still following its old paths.

The EU and Peacebuilding [pdf], published by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, looks at how the EU has began to reform how to approach peacebuilding, in response to criticism that its policies do little to address local circumstances and focus too much on state-level structures. The paper argues that although high-level thinking is changing, little is changing on the ground.

Transforming pain into hope: Human rights defenders in the Americas

Drawing on decades of work with defenders in the Americas region ... this report highlights both the enormous progress that they have helped bring about, and the dangers that they continue to face.

Transforming pain into hope, from Amnesty International, details the plight of human rights defenders in the Americas.  The report exposes the threats and violence activists face in the course of their work.

From the Blog