Post-conflict Peacebuilding Research Articles

Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria: The Imperative of Institutionalising Human Rights-based Approach to Post-conflict Peacebuilding Processes in the North-East

The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has greatly devastated the north-eastern region of the country. Human beings have been killed in the thousands, millions displaced, and the very weak infrastructure hitherto in place completely mangled. The question that looms large in light of the horrendous situation in the north-east is: How can this problem be addressed towards promoting sustainable peace in the region? This is the concern of this paper. Against this background, Parlevliet's four dimensions of human rights was employed as a framework of analysis for the interrogation of the conflict's context and the framing of the discussion on the strategies that can be employed to promote sustainable peace in the region. It finds that the root cause of the violent conflict is prolonged human rights violations and abuse at both the vertical and horizontal levels of the society, respectively. The paper concludes that the key to the enthronement of sustainable peace in north-east Nigeria is a post-conflict peacebuilding process that is anchored on the institutionalisation of respect for human rights, especially at the levels of governance and social relations.

Promotion of the rule of law: reinforcing domination through the internationalisation of legal norms

Focussing on the relationship between legal colonisation and legal globalisation in the context of post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction, I argue that promotion of the rule of law as social domination over local economies, politics and societies has been, historically, core to international efforts. Legal and judicial reforms, which are designed to restore and strengthen the post-conflict state, not only serve to obfuscate historical conditions associated with settler-colonial rule but also reconstitute the relationship between dominant domestic actors and global capital. Moreover, whereas rule-of-law promotion has increasingly been professionalised and standardised, the underlying objectives to promote neoliberal economic growth, subordinate indigenous legal systems, and advancing ruling interests remain the enduring legacies of legal colonialism. In making this argument, I interrogate the underlying ideological and political drivers of the UK-supported justice sector development in Sierra Leone and the US-funded rule-of-law programmes in Liberia.

English

The Horn of Africa is a term given to the geographic map in the North East part of the African continent. The region connects Africa to the outside world like the Middle East, Europe and Asia that indicates its geopolitical significance. Despite its geopolitical significance, the region remains one of the most unstable, underdeveloped and security wise volatile than any other region of Africa. These multiple challenges and interlinkages affect not only the region but also the international community in a variety of its forms; like the increased rate of piracy, terrorism, transfer of arms and light weapons, black marketing, and influx of refugee crises are few cases to mention. This calls for the involvement of responsible big powers. Currently, various powers are engaged in the promotion of peace and security in the region, of which China is one. In lieu of this, then, the objective of the paper is to identify and describe the areas where China is contributing its part in addressing regional disruption. Hence, the study has identified China’s contribution as plausible in the fight against piracy in the coastal areas of Somalia, peace keeping mission and post conflict peace building in Somalia, and mediating peace process in Sudan and South Sudan. Yet its predicament is found to be its inability to help pressure groups and civil society organization in their effort for same effect. Hence, it is recommended that China need to device ways in how manner best to work with nongovernmental institutions in ameliorating regional disruption. Key words: Peace and security, big power responsibility, peacekeeping, pirates.

Intrastate environmental peacebuilding: A review of the literature

As a discipline, environmental peacebuilding “integrates natural resource management in conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution, and recovery to build resilience in communities affected by conflict” (EnPAX 2020). Increasingly, peacebuilders have deployed environmental peacebuilding in intrastate and interstate contexts to advance peacebuilding objectives. Despite its growing appeal, environmental peacebuilding has been critiqued for lacking a strong theoretical foundation grounded in empirical evidence. Clear causal mechanisms linking environment and peacebuilding remain poorly specified, meaning many of the core assumptions in environmental peacebuilding circulate in peer-review and policy literature without critical reflection. In this article, we conduct a review of the empirical literature on environmental peacebuilding to examine linkages between NRM and intrastate peacebuilding. Our analysis builds on the notion of a “peace continuum” to identify four dimensions of peace (absence of violence, shared identity, capabilities, and substantial integration), and models how NRM initiatives contribute to or detract from those dimensions, as well as their cumulative impact on wider peacebuilding processes (i.e. positive, negative, or mixed). We systematically coded and analyzed 79 empirical articles on intrastate environmental peacebuilding written between 2002 and 2019 to identify the causal mechanisms and sub-mechanisms driving NRM-peace linkages. We reviewed research from 40 conflict-affected countries, and our sample included articles that found NRM initiatives to have an overall positive (N = 20), negative (N = 13), or mixed (N = 35) effect on peacebuilding (N = 11 coded as other). While we find the evidence for environment-peace linkages is mixed and context-dependent, our analysis suggests that NRM initiatives show consistent indirect and direct linkages to all dimensions of peace, but especially peace as capabilities and substantial integration. We argue, in particular, that building peace as capabilities – via initiatives that facilitate political inclusion, equity, and livelihoods – may be a necessary condition for fostering positive peace. However, we also find that detracting from peace as substantial integration – via initiatives that destabilize social cohesion, undermine state legitimacy, or produce distributive injustice – may be a sufficient condition for spoiling positive peace. Further, there is evidence to suggest that building peace as capabilities can counteract peace as substantial integration. We highlight five major avenues for future research, the most important being to understand how distinct dimensions of peace interact to influence larger peace processes. Overall, our results suggest that environmental peacebuilding can be a critical tool in post-conflict peacebuilding, but that peacebuilders should be aware of the ways in which it can systematically undermine peacebuilding efforts.

Evaluation on Community Empowerment Policy after Conflict Resolution (A Study of Sub District Development Program in Poso District)

The research aims to investigate the collective mobilization mechanism for the adoption of the Sub District Development Program. This style of analysis is contextual in concise terms of case studies. The technique of data collection consists of extensive interviews, observations, and documentation. The evaluation approach using the CIPP model (context, data, procedure, and product) and the Seven E definition (intend, inform, remove, communicate, enthuse, equip, and evaluate). The findings revealed that: (1) Implementing PPK on the context, data, method and product aspects of the program, implementing PPK on the technological aspects of its fiscal, and uncharged empowerment; (2) certainty of program form was not adequate and the software system is still operating ineffectively; (3) Implementation of Sub District Development Program in context Besides, the Sub District Development Program implementation in Poso had programs for reconciliation and post-conflict peacebuilding sponsored by the "Sintuwu Moroso" community, but not yet wholly added to the social capital and local awareness. The variable that inhibits PPK is the variable in deepening public trust and low assistance for target groups in local bureaucrats; 4) The application of the Seven-E empowerment concept has not been effective, institutionally it is necessary to apply the Seven-E empowerment concept to KDP, so that social transformation will take place mainly through education, mentoring and evaluation

‘A bad child has his own day’: Gwama Boys and post-conflict peacebuilding dilemma in oil-bearing communities of Ondo state, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Gwama Boys is one of the ethnic militias in the oil-bearing communities of Nigeria. But while others militias in the area have been subjected to research, little is known of Gwama Boys. Yet its emergence and continued existence constitute a major dilemma in the post-conflict peace-building process of the area. Specifically, Gwama Boys emerged among the Ilaje ethnic group in their war against Ijaw group in the late 1990s over issues concerning land and oil. Long after the war, the group has remained intact and constituting security challenges onto the communities. On several occasions, they have been fingered in acts of kidnapping, robbery and oil pipeline vandalism. Yet, in spite of these atrocities, the people still prefer to have them around. The study made use of both primary a nd secondary data. The main method of data collection was unstructured interview conducted with a number of critical respondents. Theory territorial imperative was adapted for the study and findings show that Gwama Boys were created as a countervailing ethnic militia to prosecute a war. Long after the war, the group has been kept as a standby force against anticipated attack by an enemy next door.

Close or Distant Past? The Role of Temporal Distance in Responses to Intergroup Violence From Victim and Perpetrator Perspectives.

In two different intergroup contexts, three studies investigated the role of temporal distance in responses to intergroup violence from both victim and perpetrator perspectives. In the context of the conflict between Serbs and Bosniaks, Study 1 showed that whereas increased subjective temporal distance predicted less support for justice-restoring efforts and less outgroup empathy among the perpetrator group (Serbs), it predicted more conciliatory, pro-outgroup attitudes among the victim group (Bosniaks). Furthermore, Bosniaks perceived the war as temporally closer than did Serbs. In the context of the U.S.–Iran conflict, Study 2 provided a partial conceptual replication of Study 1 and demonstrated that ingroup glorification motivated more temporal distancing among perpetrators and less temporal distancing among victims. Study 3 further established the causal effects of temporal distance on intergroup outcomes, and that these effects were moderated by glorification. Implications for post-conflict peacebuilding are discussed.

TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PEACEBUILDING IN AFRICA

Education is unarguably the bedrock of sustainable national development. As a major role player in the socio-economic development of nations, education has the potentials of infusing a culture of peace in the minds of the recipients. Education that fosters positive socio-economic development can help in pre- and post-conflict peacebuilding and of course prevent or solve armed conflicts. Higher education as a very important level of education, however, plays a dominant role in this direction. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have the mandate to build the human capital required to drive socio-economic growth in nations. This mandate is carried out in the form of training, research, and innovation for development. In Africa, tertiary education is still developing in terms of socio-economic development and peacebuilding mindedness. HEIs in Africa are constantly accused of producing graduates that do not match the needs of the industry. These graduates receive less or no training in the area of entrepreneurship, ICT, and peacebuilding, making them completely dependent on governments after graduation which in turn actuates conflict. Poor educational reforms, indiscipline, corruption, poor governance, shortage of resources, and political instability are seen as the major problems. To solve these problems, universities are urged to orchestrate their training towards ensuring access to quality and relevant education that could divorce the minds of the receivers from being job seekers to job creators. African nations should transform higher education by including entrepreneurial, ICT, and peace-building courses in national education curriculums as such could empower youths for socio-economic development and peaceful living. Adopting peace education in all the facets of operations of tertiary institutions in Africa should be encouraged. Therefore, this study presents how transforming higher education can lead to socio-economic development and peacebuilding in Africa.

A New Frame? Transforming Policing through Guarantees of Non-Repetition

AbstractUsing qualitative legal scholarship, combined with literature analysis from post-conflict peacebuilding and police studies, this article provides a normative and theoretical lens through which police and other actors can view and carry out reform efforts. It explores whether and how the concept of guarantees of non-repetition could contribute to or reframe discussions in order to prevent future violence and facilitate lasting institutional changes. The article examines the development of a broader approach to security sector reform and explores guarantees of non-repetition and the conceptual confusion it has encountered. It teases out the main aspects of guarantees of non-repetition, including its human rights elements, such as due diligence obligations. Finally, it addresses how guarantees of non-repetition provide a normative institutional policy framework that offers the possibility to shift the rhetoric to focus on State obligations that are context-driven. As a result, guarantees of non-repetition could prove useful when addressing police reform.

Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration: Analysing the Outcomes of Nigeria’s Post-Amnesty Programme

Disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) programmes are an essential part of most contemporary post-conflict peacebuilding processes, but they are seldom the subject of academic analysis. In this study, we seek to reduce this gap by examining the Post-Amnesty Programme (PAP) introduced in Nigeria in 2009. Our analysis shows that the programme contributed to the reduction of small arms and light weapons (SALW), fewer attacks on oil infrastructure and kidnapping of expatriates, and improved human capacity development. However, the programme has been ineffective in reintegrating ex-militants into civilian life because of serious shortcomings in its design as well as the extremely difficult implementation environment. In addition, the programme has proved to be hugely expensive. Despite these serious shortcomings, the Federal Government of Nigeria cannot simply terminate the programme because this will increase the risk that ex-militants enrolled in the programme will reignite the violent insurgency against the Nigerian state and international oil companies. The study concludes by reflecting on how this challenging situation can be resolved.

Task and Ministry of Peacemaking in Mindanao: Understanding a Peacemaker’s Recipe for Peace

This study seeks to gain an understanding of Orlando Cardinal Quevedo’s written communications about the task and ministry of peacemaking in the conflict-ridden Northern Mindanao region. Given the recent signing of the Bangsa Moro Organic Law as the highly expected solid basis for a peaceful and prosperous Mindanao, it is timely to look back and pay a closer attention to the key role that he played as a peace advocate. To achieve this end, it organized and conducted a content analysis of his extensive writings about peace and its demands. Findings show that his words, firmly rooted in the conflict’s historical past and yet open to the realities of the present, encompassed and helped disclose his practical wisdom, consensus-driven approach, and Catholic perspectives of its underlying challenges and imperatives. The lessons and insights that were uncovered may serve as a grounded recipe for those who would follow in his footsteps to learn and re-appropriate in a hopefully not an unending task and ministry of peacemaking in today’s world.
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The Role of Stakeholders in Post Conflict Peacebuilding in Swat, Pakistan

Peacebuilding is a continuous process to transform conflicts into development opportunities for and by the stakeholders. This article explores the role of stakeholders in post-conflict peacebuilding in Swat. Applying Constructivist paradigm and Discourse Analysis, 80 semi-structured interviews were conducted by incorporating local community, civil society and the government. Study finds out that cultural, political, social and economic tiers of peacebuilding measures in Swat hardly achieved its purpose. The lack of institutional coordination and gaps in peacebuilding measures are important hurdles, which needs to be minimized for sustainable development processes in Swat.

In search of chiefly authority in ‘post-aid’ Acholiland: transformations of customary authorities in northern Uganda

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the complex relation between protracted donor interventions and the production of customary authority. More specifically, the paper analyses the impact of post-conflict donor interventions (and their withdrawal) on the position of customary chiefs in the Acholi region in northern Uganda. As important brokers between international aid agencies, the Ugandan government and Acholi communities, customary chiefs became key actors in post-conflict peacebuilding programmes. Using the concepts of extraversion and development brokerage, the paper demonstrates how dwindling access to external donor funds has strongly affected Acholi customary authority. To secure their authority and legitimacy, customary chiefs re-shifted from an ‘outward’ to an ‘inward’ orientation, a process that we call ‘introversion’

Faith-Based Actors and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Jos and Kaduna, Nigeria: 2000–15

Faith-Based Actors and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Jos and Kaduna, Nigeria: 2000–15

Nigerian experience with post-conflict peacebuilding : examining operation safe corridors and the Niger Delta amnesty programme

Nigerian experience with post-conflict peacebuilding : examining operation safe corridors and the Niger Delta amnesty programme

The Security Consequences of Bearing Witness

It is a central assumption of our research that threats to a fragile security and violence can continue during postconflict peacebuilding and that these threats are driven by many of the same sociopolitical dynamics that initially led to war. We examine a critical but much less queried area of postwar societal instability—violence directed at segments of the population who may still be targets for those seeking dominance. Using a survey of 300 individuals who testified before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), we seek to explain violence, threats of violence, and other forms of intimidation directed at those who witnessed human rights violations during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Our theory of postwar violence emphasizes the vulnerability of the (potential) victims of postwar violence. We argue that victims are selectively chosen because of their vulnerability. We develop and test an alternative explanation for this selective targeting that emphasizes the level of exposure an individual may have because of testifying at the ICTY. The results demonstrate quite convincingly, however, that it is vulnerability rather than exposure risk that predicts who is most likely to be targeted with human security threats.

The Interaction between Local and International Peacebuilding Actors: Partners for PeaceHellmüller, SaraLondon, Palgrave Macmillan (2018), 233p., ISBN 978‐3‐319‐65300‐6

The Interaction between Local and International Peacebuilding Actors: Partners for PeaceHellmüller, SaraLondon, Palgrave Macmillan (2018), 233<i>p., ISBN 978‐3‐319‐65300‐6</i>

The UN in conflict resolution: the case of East Timor

The involvement of the United Nations in East Timor can be divided into four periods, including the anti-colonial period (1955-1974), the reaction period (1975-1982), the attenuation period (1983-1998) and the commitment period (from 1999). It is about this last period that this paper will focus by analysing the decisive steps of the UN, as a multilateral organization with a security mandate, in resolving the Timorese conflict and peacebuilding in that territory. This analysis will be guided by the proposals of the document An Agenda for Peace presented in 1992 by Boutros Boutros-Ghali, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the expectations he created in the field of peace operations. We are particularly interested in looking at the design of post-conflict peacebuilding missions and assessing the extent to which the (expected) capital gains from these operations compared to conventional peacekeeping missions would come to fruition or not. Thus, it is important to examine how the main missions were carried out, with special focus on the different actors, as well as to make a critical balance with some historical distance. In this context, it seems to us that the case of East Timor will be a good example to understand the need for a new approach to peacebuilding, as advocated in this Report, but which at a distance of more than 25 years becomes even more evident. The perception of peace as a continuous process that involves a whole sustainability network, and that depends above all on fostering and developing competences for peace (involving multiple and distinct actors facing constant coordination and negotiation challenges), therefore allows demanding greater commitment on the part of the Security Council, but also on that of the General Assembly in carrying out this difficult task in the context of the new world (dis) order.

The Transformation of the UN Concept of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

The Transformation of the UN Concept of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

International administration In Donbas: ways of implementation on the basis of experience of peacekeeping processes in the Balkans and in East Timor

The article discusses the experience of creation of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eastern Slavonia, Kosovo and East Timor with the use of comparative method. It also raises the role of international and regional actors in post-conflict peacebuilding. The author presents some practical solutions for the implementation of the effective peace process in eastern Ukraine, aimed at the reintegration of temporarily occupied territories.