Download Explaining Peace Processes - Sociology of Peace Processes - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 The Sociology of Peace Processes Lecture 4 overheads: Explaining peace processes the governance way I will be arguing three things today. That: • good governance is an important part of the transition process to peace • the emphasis on good governance arises from the liberal hegemony that dominates our understanding of democratic transitions • and that its focus on institutional reform is too narrow to cope with the array of problems which communal violence leaves as a legacy for peace processes Good governance assists in both eliminating the sources of conflict, or at least channel it in institutional ways that substitute talk for violence, discussion for damage. The stability of peace accords does depend in very large part on two things associated with good governance: a) people’s experience of governance and law after the violence has stopped b) the way resistance to the accord is managed within the new governance and human rights parameters Good governance becomes limiting and problematic only if this is the only post- conflict adjustment proposed. Consociational theory (Arendt Lijphart). The principle is that groups not individuals form the political unit, with people voting for parties and politicians within their own group not across the groups, with various formulae being determined to govern a) the relations between the parties in an elected assembly, b) the appointment of a government from amongst them to represent all groups and c) limitations on the government’s power to impose legislation affecting other groups without their support. Deliberative democracy seeks to encourage active engagement by citizens in deliberative forums as a way of overcoming their apathy and getting more active involvement in democratic institutions. They are not necessarily the great big forums for debate and engagement, like parliament, but any forum for citizen engagement – WI meetings, branch lodge meetings of the trade unions, churches, parent –teacher associations, charities, new social movements and the like. The democratic governments of the West provide the resources to support peace processes, the aid to support the new governments, the UN that provides the peacekeepers, funds the research institutes and centres that promote good governance as the solution to problematic politics. The West is promoting itself. Washington Institute for Peace, the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars. docsity.com
