Engaging Civil Society in Peacebuilding

This chapter examines at critically engaging the international discourse and practice on civil society in peacebuilding with existing theoretical perspectives on the nature and role of civil society. From the outset, the imperative of engaging civil society represented a fundamental element of the normative discourse on peacebuilding, or, a primary colour in the palette of activities that make up peacebuilding interventions. International actors are often criticized for using civil society simply as an implementing partner in their programmes and as agents of service-delivery. The analytical perspective consists in identifying a number of core characteristics that set civil society organizations apart from other organizational forms. The analytical approach can be understood as an invitation to support ‘rich associational life’ as an end in itself, without clarifying its purpose and value base. A relational perspective switches attention to the enabling environment in which social interaction can thrive, irrespective of the specific forms that associational life takes.