Securing space for local peacebuilding: the role of international and national civilian peacekeepers

Abstract

While large multilateral peace operations arrive with agendas extending into governance, economics and other reforms, unarmed civilian peacekeeping (UCP) interventions focus on contributing to sufficiently safe space for local efforts at peacebuilding to proceed at the request of local partners. They use a variety of non-violent methods to increase the safety for local leaders and everyday people to engage in (re)building peace infrastructures and governance, within their own culture and contexts. This paper examines the potential for international interveners to support local efforts based on local invitations, local staff, conflict and context analysis, and living in conflict affected communities, followed by a case study of the Non-violent Peaceforce South Sudan project. This project helps to revitalise or create community peace infrastructures in coordination with local partners, other peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies, local government, army and other armed actors. This has protected civilians, saved lives, contributed to improved policing, improved relations between ethnic groups, supported local peace actors and increased the effectiveness of multilateral peace operations and humanitarian aid work focused on physical safety.