What are the views of civil society organisations (CSOs) on statebuilding and peacebuilding? This report presents the findings of a consultation designed to input into the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (Timor-Leste, April 2010). CSOs argue that the way that peacebuilding and statebuilding processes are undertaken is critically important: there is a need to focus not only on what is done, but how things are done. Inclusive and participatory processes are essential in order to address conflict and to ensure that statebuilding and peacebuilding can be complementary.
Peacebuilding and statebuilding are long-term processes requiring commitment of both national and international actors. Neither follow a linear path. Statebuilding, while essential to the sustainability of peacebuilding, can be a conflict inducing process. If the state has been party to the conflict, strengthening the state will not necessarily contribute to peace. It is important to ensure that the statebuilding process does not recreate tensions.
CSOs stress the importance of explaining statebuilding and peacebuilding processes in accessible language, especially at the grassroots level and to listen to the terms people in a given society use to discuss these concepts. It is necessary to take into account that there can be different understandings of the meaning of the term ‘State’, which is not restricted to a Western model of the State.
Peacebuilding should pay more attention to conflict prevention; to addressing the root causes of conflict; and to reconciliation. Peacebuilding approaches that focus on inclusion and participation can lead to more effective and inclusive institutions capable of addressing conflict. Further, the tensions between peacebuilding and statebuilding can largely be mitigated by focusing on ensuring meaningful participation of people at all levels of society.
Peacebuilding should aim at enhancing the capacity of a society to address conflict, to rebuild trust and engage in social reconciliation within and across communities. This is where civil society organisations play a critical role as an intermediary between the government and the population. CSOs should engage parliamentarians and political parties in debate and provided effective and responsible opposition. There should be broader participatory processes that engage different groups within a society including those in remote and excluded sectors of society. Awareness-raising through the media and civic education is important. External actors have an important role in supporting peacebuilding and statebuilding processes, but they should not govern them. Rather, they can act as neutral third party facilitators and apply pressure to ensure commitments are respected (including their own).
Peacebuilding and statebuilding processes should also address the following issues:
- There is the need for a political settlement in order to support sustainable statebuilding.
- The timeframes set by international agendas can have a destabilising effect.
- Peacebuilding and statebuilding are political undertakings that require real political will, without which expectations will be frustrated and the credibility of new democratic institutions damaged.
- A focus on ‘statebuilding’ ignores the often very important regional dimensions of conflict and stability.
