GSDRC newsfeed on Political systems

Democratic Dialogue: A Handbook for Practitioners

Bettye Pruitt, Philip Thomas — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What is dialogue and how can it respond to the need for wider participation in the public sphere? The first section of this handbook from CIDA, International IDEA, OAS and the UNDP outlines the need for dialogue and how it can make a difference in pursuit of peace, development and democratic governance. The number of dialogue processes taking place around the world has increased, as has the need for a greater understanding of effective dialogue.

Whose Aid? The Case of the Bolivian Elections Project

Rosalind Eyben, Rosario Leon — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

This book chapter explores the ambiguities of aid and its influence in national politics through a case study from Bolivia. The authors reflect on their involvement in a donor-funded civil society project to increase the participation of socially excluded groups in Bolivia�s 2002 national elections. This project highlighted the dilemmas of �national ownership� amidst government objections to a programme arguably seen as a threat to the power of elites. The authors suggest that aid may be understood as a gift, problematic and ambiguous in meaning, in which relations of power are imbued with moral purpose.

'Citadel of Women': Strengthening Female Leadership in Rural Cambodia

Thavy Chhoeun, Panha Sok, Clodagh Byrne — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What opportunities has the decentralisation process given women in Cambodia to participate in political leadership? What obstacles and challenges hinder women's participation and leadership at the local level? This article from Gender & Development discusses the work of Banteay Srei, a Cambodian NGO, in building the capacity of women to participate in leadership. It describes how Banteay Srei's leadership training activities have enabled women in the targeted villages to make the most of leadership opportunities. However, challenges to women's effective political leadership still remain and it is important for NGOs and women leaders to develop strategies to overcome these challenges.

Ethno-Religious Conflicts: Exploring the Role of Religion in Conflict Resolution

S. A. Kadayifci-Orellana — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can the religious texts, values and beliefs used to incite conflict be harnessed to promote peace-building and reconciliation? What contributions can faith-based actors make to conflict resolution? This chapter from the SAGE Handbook of Conflict Resolution examines the ways in which religion can be used to inspire both war and peace. The revival of religiously motivated conflicts, and the increasing involvement of religious actors in resolving them, requires understanding of their dynamics.

Dialogue as a Process for Transforming Relationships

Harold H. Saunders — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dialogue is the essence of relationship; its goal is to create new human and political capacities for problem-solving. This chapter in the SAGE Handbook of Conflict Resolution focuses on the definition and practice of dialogue. How does one craft a space for dialogue to unfold? Can it shift attitudes from power politics to relationship building? Sustained dialogue affords new opportunities in conflict resolution, but its achievements are limited in a short-term time frame.

Indigenous Inclusion/Black Exclusion: Race, Ethnicity and Multicultural Citizenship in Latin America

Juliet Hooker — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Why is the landscape of citizenship so uneven across Latin America? Latin America exhibits high degrees of racial inequality and discrimination against Afro-Latinos and indigenous populations, despite constitutional and statutory measures prohibiting racial discrimination. The multicultural reforms of the 1980s and 1990s which brought many collective rights to indigenous groups have not, however, had the same impact on Afro-Latinos. This article from the Journal of Latin American Studies examines the region's multicultural citizenship regimes, and finds an emphasis on cultural difference or ethnic identity over race which disadvantages Afro-Latinos.

Is Clientelism at Work in African Elections? A Study of Voting Behaviour in Kenya and Zambia

Daniel Young — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Does clientelism play a major role in the voting decisions of African elections? Which factors are most important to African voters when choosing a candidate to vote for? Drawing on data from Kenya and Zambia, this Afrobarometer working paper argues that clientelism is not a major factor in voting decisions. Instead, voters focus on issues relating to the provision of local public goods and the frequency of an MP's visits to the constituency.

Social Exclusion, Social Isolation and the Distribution of Income

Brian Barry — Thu, 01 Jan 1998 00:00:00 GMT

While social exclusion is unquestionably closely associated with poverty, is it inextricably linked? Can a community marked by significant inequalities of power and status still be socially integrated? This paper from the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion discusses the relationships between social exclusion, justice and solidarity, with a particular focus on class systems within the USA and Britain. Despite varying income distribution, government policies targeting inequality and favouring social solidarity can promote an integrated society.

From Nominal to Substantive Democracy: The Role and Design of Election Management Bodies

Michael Trebilcock, Poorvi Chitalkar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Can effective election administration though Election Management Bodies (EMBs) contribute to the development of substantive democracy? This article from the Law and Development Review examines evidence from elections in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Independent and impartial EMBs vested with broad mandates have succeeded not only in conducting free and fair elections but also in enhancing respect for the electoral process.

Civil Society in Conflict Transformation: Ambivalence, Potentials and Challenges

Martina Fischer — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What are the comparative advantages, and limitations, of civil society in contributing to peace-building? This paper from the Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management discusses definitions of civil society (CS); outlines examples of CS peace-building activities; and discusses the positive contribution and potential limitations of CS involvement, with particular reference to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Civil society can play a key role in peacebuilding, but cannot compensate for state-building deficits: the strengthening of the state, economy and society must proceed simultaneously.

Assessing Women's Political Party Programs: Best Practices and Recommendations

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How can policymakers increase women's political participation in developing countries? The National Democratic Institute (NDI) explores this issue by analysing the progress of its women�s political participation programmes in Morocco, Indonesia, Serbia, and Nepal. While there is a definite increase in women�s participation, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of female political leaders. Future programming must focus on preparing women to take on these leadership roles.

Civil Society and Peacebuilding

Thania Paffenholz — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can civil society most effectively work for peacebuilding? This working paper from the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding presents the findings of a comparative research project which analysed the performance of civil society in regards to protection, monitoring, advocacy, socialisation, social cohesion, facilitation, and service delivery in situations of war and armed conflict. It concludes civil society can play an important supportive role, but the effectiveness of its activities varied substantially. Contextual factors may limit or strengthen its ability to contribute to peacebuilding.

Civil Society and Reconciliation in Southern Africa

Christopher J. Colvin — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

How has the concept of reconciliation been understood in Southern Africa? How have government policy and civil society initiatives supported reconciliation? This article from Development in Practice presents findings from the Southern African Reconciliation Project (SARP). This collaborative investigation into reconciliation activities involved five NGOs in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Sustainable and effective reconciliation initiatives require the strengths of both formal and informal processes.

Indigenous Institutions, Traditional Leaders and Elite Coalitions for Development: The case of Greater Durban, South Africa

Jo Beall and Mduduzi Ngonyama — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What factors facilitate inclusive political settlements and developmental coalitions within a hybrid political order? This study, produced for the Leadership, Elites and Coalitions Research Programme and also published by the Crisis States Research Centre suggests that in South Africa, state-consolidation and peace-building have been facilitated by: (1) the creation of an administrative machinery that can contain customary authority institutions within a broader polity (2) political structures that channel the ambitions and grievances of traditional leaders and (3) a system of local government that draws on the experience of chieftaincies to bring development to hard-to-reach areas. A key success factor is the commitment to development of influential political leaders able to forge broad coalitions through their links to multiple institutions.

National Programs: The Challenge of Implementation

Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How do national programmes aid the statebuilding process? This chapter from the book 'Fixing Failed States' assesses the success of national programmes in Europe, the United States and Afghanistan. Currently, statebuilding strategies falter because they fail to link intentions to realistic and innovative delivery mechanisms. The real work lies in implementation, and national programmes can provide the implementation vehicles that align vision, rules, resources and participants to achieve a common goal.

The People's Peace? Peace Agreements, Civil Society, and Participatory Democracy

Christine Bell, Catherine O'Rourke — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

To what extent do peace agreements support participatory democracy? This article from the International Political Science Review analyses the provision made by post-1990 peace agreements for civil society. It demonstrates the importance of peace processes to theories of civil society. It does not, however, draw conclusions about the relationship between provision for civil society and the success of peace agreements. Further research is needed to evaluate the role of civil society organisations in transitions towards peace.

Building Inclusive Post-Conflict Governance: How the EU Can Support Women's Political Participation

Minna Lyytikäinen — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

How can the EU and other donors support increased women's political participation in post-conflict situations? What can be done to ensure that this results in meaningful change for women in general? This paper from the Initiative for Peacebuilding recommends practical strategies for the EU and other donors to guide the consideration of gender issues into their post-conflict governance interventions.

Community-Driven Development (CDD) in the Context of Conflict-Affected Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

World Bank — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

What are the challenges and opportunities of community-driven development (CDD) in conflict-affected countries? This paper from the World Bank reviews 13 case studies of countries affected by current or recent conflict that have specifically incorporated CDD in their development efforts. The authors find that CDD is effective in facilitating rapid implementation and cost-effective project delivery, promoting participatory models of governance, and rebuilding social capital.

Civil Society and Conflict Transformation in Abkhazia, Israel/Palestine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria and Western Sahara

Nona Mikhelidze and Nicoletta Pirozzi — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How do civil society organisations (CSOs) impact upon conflict dynamics and conflict resolution efforts? This Institute of Development Studies (IDS) paper provides critical assessments of local CSO contributions in five conflict cases ? Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Western Sahara and Israel/Palestine. It finds civil society facing similar problems across these five intractable conflicts. CSOs could develop this sector further through a number of measures, including actively promoting the values of democracy to be learnt and experienced on the ground.

Participation and State Legitimation

Katia Papagianni — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How do postwar countries gain legitimacy in the eyes of political elites and the public? This chapter from Building States to Build Peace argues that statebuilding should be approached as a process (not an event) to legitimate new state institutions. A statebuilding process is most likely to generate legitimacy for the state when it is inclusive of all major political forces, open to public participation, and prioritises maintaining public order and delivering services. Although inclusive and participatory political processes do not necessarily lead to legitimate outcomes, when managed well they have a significant chance of bolstering the legitimacy of postwar states.