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| DEMOCRATISATION AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
Democracy and human rights are intimately linked to dynamics of peace and conflict but tend to be very loosely defined. Internal and external actors have different interpretations of what these principles mean and how they should be put in place and acted upon. This endeavour is particularly problematic in the face of weak capacity in governance institutions and/or systems of power relations which combine to severely limit responsiveness and accountability. Yet it is clear that the denial of basic freedoms and democratic rights and/or continued poor performance of institutions in responding equitably to citizens’ needs can contribute to the outbreak of widespread violence and the perpetuation of instability. In settings emerging from war, instability can also be perpetuated by psychological trauma and a sense that those that have perpetrated gross violations of human rights are enjoying impunity.
The IfP's work on these issues will focus on how to improve participation in political decision-making in conflict-prone and -affected contexts. It will encompass analysis of how citizens understand governance processes and institutions and how they can have greater influence on them. Drawing out lessons from four countries in particular (Georgia, Pakistan, Angola and DRC), it will identify the ways and means by which a culture of genuine political participation can be built, and how this endeavour can best be supported by external actors. It will examine political structures, systems and processes (including decentralisation), and whether and how they can contribute towards building peace. It will also look at obstacles, such as impunity and the exclusion of certain population groups, which impede the emergence of stronger state-citizen relations and better governance more broadly.
The IfP partners collaborating in this work are The Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’, European Peacebuilding Liason Office (EPLO), La Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE), International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), International Alert and Partners for Democratic Change International (PDCI).
Cluster coordinator: Lucia Montanaro |
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LATEST DEMOCRATISATION AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE PUBLICATIONS
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State-Society Relations in Angola
Peacebuilding, democracy and political participation
Author(s): Patrícia Magalhães Ferreira
2009-06-10
The Angolan peace process was far from typical, and the country’s road to reconstruction is also unlike that of other African conflicts and post-conflict scenarios. Although the context of “energy realpolitik” undermines the capacity of foreign actors to influence state-society relations, another factor needs to be taken into account: Angola’s internal will to improve the country’s international image and to become a regional power. |
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Society in statebuilding
Lessons for improving democratic governance
Author(s): Edward Bell
2009-05-01
Four country analyses (Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia and Pakistan) as well as cross-cutting work on transitional justice have underpinned the IfP synthesis paper: Society in Statebuilding. The paper explores the nature of governance and political participation in conflict-affected countries. It also puts in context the efforts of donor agencies to support ‘democratic governance. Given challenges inherent in their mandates, foreign policy and the dominant aid paradigm of “national ownership”, the paper offers recommendations on how such support should be conceived and implemented in order to strengthen both the social contract between society and the state and social cohesion amongst societal groups. |
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Social Relations and Governance in Javakheti, Georgia
Author(s): Eka Metreveli and Jonathan Kulick
2009-04-15
Georgia’s majority ethnic-Armenian region of Javakheti suffers from a legacy of geographic, political and social isolation from the rest of the country. This reality has had a profound impact upon systems of governance and accountability in the region and in relation to the centre. Instead of establishing rule of law and carrying out national integration policies, the centre’s control over the region was achieved by legitimising local influential power holders and incorporating them into the formal state structures by granting them high positions in the local administration or parliamentary mandates. The region’s political and economic isolation makes it a legitimate concern for Georgia and the international community. This report provides an overview of the formal and informal dimensions of governance in Javakheti and Georgia in order to provide external actors with a snapshot of both the challenges to and opportunities for improved governance based on the realities of existing power dynamics. |
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