Learning to Build Sustainable Peace: Ownership and Everyday Peacebuilding
Starting from the premise that a lack of local ownership of peacebuilding efforts is often a significant factor in their failure, the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) have researched how the concept of local ownership is understood and acted upon in practice. Their report, 'Learning to build a sustainable peace: Ownership and everyday peacebuilding' uses four countries in various stages of conflict - Afghanistan, Haiti, Liberia and Sudan - as case studies. They find numerous areas for improvement, offering recommendations as to how local ownership can be strengthened.
Civil Society in Darfur: The Missing Peace
USIP has produced 'Civil Society in Darfur: The Missing Peace', a report which argues that despite being recognised as key element of building a sustainable peace in the region, little is known of Dafurian civil society. This report discusses the current structure of civil society in Darfur, how it has been involved in the peace process so far, and it's potential for further engagement.
'Civil Society in Darfur' is just one of a number of useful USIP publications this month, including Internal Displacement and Local Peacebuilding in Kenya, Make It Theirs: The Imperative of Local Ownership in Communications and Media Initiatives, and Local Justice in Southern Sudan
Role for Local Justice in Darfur?
'Role for Local Justice in Darfur?,' from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, examines traditional mechanisms for justice in Darfur and the relationship with peacebuilding. The article argues that although local justice mechanisms have been diminished by the conflict, they maintain the potential to play a strong peacebuilding role.
DR Congo: Managing the Transition
As the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) plans to leave the country, Refugees International has produced DR Congo: Managing the Transition, looking at how MONUSCO's departure is being handled at a time when parts of the country are still experiencing significant violence. Although the withdrawal will depend on the security situation on the ground, the report expresses concerns over inconsistencies in the security assessments, and the lack of engagement with, and contributions from, civil society.
Peacebuilding in Liberia and the Case for a Perspective from Below
'Peacebuilding in Liberia and the Case for a Perspective from Below', from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), argues that the past 5 years of reform of the rule of law in Liberia is a clear example of how the international community intevention in Liberia has failed. The liberal peace paradigm which forms the framework for international involvement is unable to analyse traditional and customary Liberian practices, so ignores them. This failure to understand the grassroots dynamics of the country is a significant gap in the international community's efforts to build sustainable peace.
This month NUPI have also released Fresh Insights on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration: A Survey for Practitioners, which aims to summarise the latest thinking and research on DDR in an accessible way that is usable by practitioners.
The Trouble With the Congo - Interview with Séverine Autesserre
Séverine Autesserre is author of a new book, The Trouble With The Congo. Based on more than 330 interviews, it argues that international intervention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent years has been deeply flawed because it has focused on national and regional-level tensions and ignored the grassroots causes of violence. The book also suggests a new approach for peacebuilding to avoid such mistakes in the future. To listen to an interview with Séverine, please click here.
