Publikation

Fostering peace and development in conflict-affected regions requires a citizen oriented state working in partnership with an active civil society. The slow progress toward both peace and sustainable development is due in part toward conflicting and uncoordinated approaches between these diverse stakeholders. While some governments are eager to link with nongovernmental groups in a “whole of society” or “comprehensive approach,” many civil society organizations around the world challenge this approach, calling for more separation between government and civil society. They fear that short-term military and political imperatives and corporate interests are hijacking funds needed for a long-term approach to sustainable peace and development.

Moving toward a comprehensive approach requires first diagnosing the key issues and obstacles to stakeholder coordination. Current obstacles include unbalanced approaches to statebuilding, faulty conceptions of civil society, and fundamental disagreements about the overall mission or goal. This essay describes these obstacles and then outlines how to address these issues.