Peacebuilding Work Research Articles

Negotiating in a Coordination Network of Citizen Peacebuilding Initiatives in the Georgian-Abkhaz Peace Process

AbstractThis article analyzes a set of negotiations within a coordination network. These negotiations surrounded the establishment and development of a coordination network of citizen peacebuilding initiatives focused on the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process. The authors reflect on six years of action research working with both local and international organizations and individuals working on citizen peacebuilding initiatives in the Georgian-Abkhaz peace process. Tracing the negotiations from 1999 through 2005, the article first highlights the context in which the coordination network developed to fill a need for joint strategizing amongst peacebuilders working in the region. In this context the locally recognized organic need for coordination drove the development of the network through an elicitive process. The analysis details early negotiations about establishment of the coordination network, which focused on building a culture of coordination by establishing norms of coordination. Subsequent negotiations within revised network structures, and outcomes of the coordination negotiations are then presented. Key factors that enhanced the coordination network are identified: inclusivity and transparency; in-person meetings; absence of a formal organizational structure; autonomy of each organization; focus on integrative agreements; and a culture of coordination. The case highlights the possibilities for long-term peacebuilding work based on relationships of trust and a culture of coordination.

Conflict Management in Complex Humanitarian Situations: Peacemaking and Peacebuilding Work with Angolan IDPs

After 27 years of almost continuous civil war, Angolans have had their share of suffering. Many have been displaced during this long lasting ordeal. After the signing of the April 2002 ceasefire between UNITA and the government forces, thousands are returning home to face new challenges. In the course of armed struggles, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are particularly vulnerable to numerous war-related conflicts. In post-war situations, other types of conflict add on to existing ones and require different forms of intervention. This report attempts to examine various strategies used by a Luanda-based international conflict management organization, the Centre for Common Ground (CCG), that works with Angolan IDPs in the field of conflict resolution. Particular attention is given to the peacemaking and peacebuilding work conducted, in collaboration with IDPs, by CCG.

PCIA: A Tool to Move from Conflict-Ignorance to Conflict Sensitivity within Development, Humanitarian Aid and Peacebuilding Work

This article looks into one way of assessing the conflict impact of a development, humanitarian or peacebuilding activity or intervention in a conflict area. Following an explanation of the origins and purpose of Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment, the practical consequences are examined with reference to examples and experiences in Angola. This article illustrates the importance of being sensitive to the conflict environment in which one is operating. The ‘conflict sensitive’ concept was triggered by the authors' observation – from field missions and evaluation methodologies – that there is a high level of conflict ignorance among many development, humanitarian and peacebuilding workers.

The Role of Artistic Processes in Peace-Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Throughout the world, community arts-based processes have become an essential component of peacebuilding work in societies experiencing severe conflicts. Both during a conflict and in post-conflict peacebuilding efforts, community based arts processes can be an especially effective tool to bring together identity groups through sharing common cultural experiences, raising awareness about past suffering, and engaging communities in creative projects. In this research project, the author spent fourteen months in Bosnia-Herzegovina researching the use of community arts-based peacebuilding efforts both during the war and in the post-conflict stage. This paper provides an overview of the research and offers several conclusions on the role of arts in peacebuilding within Bosnia-Herzegovina with the hope that these findings have relevance for other regions and the field in general.

Women's meanings of peacebuilding in post-apartheid South Africa.

Although women's instrumentality in peacebuilding is internationally recognized, gendered meanings of peacebuilding are poorly understood. Our study was conducted to learn from a diverse group of South African women what peacebuilding means to them. Sixteen women gathered in Cape Town for a 2-day workshop that used feminist participatory methods to gather data about women's meanings of peacebuilding. All talk was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed for content pertaining to research questions and to identify thematic strands. For these workshop participants, peacebuilding is a process, relationship building is crucial to its effectiveness, and meeting basic human needs underlies its success. Women recognized their active involvement in peacemaking and peacebuilding and, occasionally, in peacekeeping and peace enforcing activities. They viewed their approaches often to be distinct from men's and believed the significance of their peacebuilding work is not adequately recognized within South African patria...