Tyngdpunktsförskjutning rapport (PDF) - Sveriges kristna råd

destruction and economic collapse creating profound impoverishment; the legacies of crippling bitterness, fear
and division. These are some of the many reasons why civil society actors feel compelled to use their energy
and creativity to find alternatives to violence, to end wars, and prevent them from starting or reoccurring. As
people become directly affected by armed conflict, they develop a central interest in contributing to its
resolution. Living alongside the armed actors, they have greater need and greater potential to take part in
peace-­‐building.
Civil society as a force for people-­‐centered security
In a time when the world is divided in its approach to promoting security, the UN has championed a more
holistic approach, as embodied in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s observation that: “The world must
advance the causes of security, development and human rights together, otherwise none will succeed.
Humanity will not enjoy security without development, it will not enjoy development without security, and
it will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.” 13
People can be agents of this security, not merely passive recipients. Fulfilling this potential, however,
necessitates changing the state’s ‘security monopoly’: the view that governments are solely responsible for
providing security and this can best be achieved through military capacity and the threat of force.
Governments have a primary obligation to provide security.
Yet in a globalizing world, preventing violent conflict and building sustainable peace requires complex
strategies. These need to address structural causes of conflict, many of which may be inherent in the
global system. To do so effectively requires cooperation between civil society actors at the local,
national, regional and global levels and with governments, intergovernmental organizations and, in some
cases, businesses. Yet the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in promoting peace and security
remains contested by some, who see them either as irrelevant or as a threat to the sovereign prerogative
of states.
Civil society can contribute depth and durability to peace-­‐building
Even using the methods of power politics and military intervention, it is extremely difficult to ‘impose’
peace on those who remain committed to achieving their objectives through violence. Sustainable peace
cannot be achieved through the exercise of force alone; effective dialogue must be an integral part of any
process aimed at truly resolving the conflict. At some point, those involved need to agree the basic terms
and conditions in which they will co-­‐exist. It is not possible to make peace without truly engaging with
others across the conflict divide. In many cases, the engagement of large segments of the wider society in
peace-­‐building processes can give depth and durability to the changes needed to support sustainable
peace.
One of the greatest strengths civil society bring to working with conflict is their capacity to support changes
in how people respond to conflict and to direct attention to the underlying causes that need to be
addressed if a sustainable and just peace is to emerge. Furthermore, civil society actors have the potential
to play an important role in raising awareness both of the costs of continued conflict and the opportunities
and means to seek a way out through constructive engagement with opponents. While they can facilitate
dialogue between the primary protagonists in armed struggle, CSO-­‐led processes are often focused on
enabling ordinary people to articulate what they really need and then working to find a common ground
from which they can work to establish peaceful co-­‐existence. Instead of the use of force, civil society actors
generally rely on their creativity by stimulating a new sense of what is possible and how it can be achieved.
This capacity is rooted, ultimately, in a sense of agency: the ability to act together with others to change the
world.
Agents for change: key functions of civil society peace-­‐building
Civil society responds to conflict in numerous ways. While often part of the forces supporting war, it is also
one of the powerful forces promoting peace. CSO roles in humanitarian relief, development and human
rights protection are well understood. What is less well known are
13 In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All. Report of the Secretary-­‐General. 21 March 2005. A/59/2005.
http://www.un.org/largerfreedom/contents.htm.
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