Grassroots Process Design: Additional Resources

These references supplement the Knowledge Base Essay, Grassroots Process Design.

Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:

Online (Web) Sources

Hodgson, Jennifer, William Boyce and Michael Koros. "Community Based Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Peacebuilding." , 1900
Available at: http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/peace-health/Resources/cbrpb.pdf  [Backup Link]

This paper describes the practice and impact of peacebuilding through community based rehabilitation (CBR) strategies in the context of armed conflict. Initially, the authors examine the role of civil society, in contrast to state-level interventions, in reducing the risks of conflict. Next, the ethical basis for peacebuilding through practical community initiatives is explored. Finally, a number of benefits and challenges to using CBR strategies for peacebuilding purposes are identified.

Grassroots Process Design.
Available at: http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/grassrts.htm  [Backup Link]
While peacebuilding and development programs can be designed and imposed by external actors, such imposition often inspires resentment in those most affected by the policies. Involving local actors in the decision-making process is a means of transferring ownership and control to those at the grassroots level. This web page outlines grassroots process design and provides links other valuable resources.

"Non-Official Conflict Management Methods: Peace Commissions." , 2002
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

"Peace Commissions or Committees are formal, officially supported or informal, grassroots-derived structures at the national, regional and/or local levels to involve community members in resolving issues through joint action to reduce, counter or prevent conflict." This page includes all the pertinent information regarding peace commissions as a tool in conflict prevention and resolution.

Barnes, Catherine. Owning the Process: Mechanisms for Political Participation of the Public in Peacemaking.
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This is an Accord Programme Joint Analysis Workshop Report. This report summarizes the discussions, explores the reasons why public participation may make a difference in helping to build a sustainable peace as well as some of the reasons why it can fall short of this potential and offers recommendations for process design and the roles of civil society, foreign governments and international agencies. The report describes key issues, mechanisms, and phases of peacemaking and provides short examples from specific experiences. It is based solely on the information and views expressed during the workshop.

Pugh, Michael. "Post-Conflict Rehabilitation: the Humanitarian Dimension." , October 1998
Available at: http://www.isn.ethz.ch/3isf/Online-Publications/WS5/WS-5A/Pugh.htm  [Backup Link]

This paper contends that external actors do not have well-integrated and strategically coherent policies for dealing with the implementation of peace agreements. The paper suggests that an alternative to the orthodox paradigm is to promote transparency and accountability in (a) the external assistance to war-torn societies and in (b) the generation of civil society.

Marshall, Donna Ramsey. "Women in War and Peace: Grassroots Peacebuilding." , August 2000
Available at: http://www.usip.org/pubs/PeaceWorks/pwks34.pdf  [Backup Link]

This report examines the role of women in addressing the issues of conflict resolution and peace-building. Many of the efforts under way to sustain peace in countries and regions beset by or emerging from violent conflict are undertaken by grassroots organizations formed by those whose lives are most directly and significantly affected by the conflict. A substantial proportion of these organizations are formed and staffed by women. These NGOs are playing an increasingly active role in dispute resolution and post conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding.

Carl, Andy. "Women Weaving Bougainville Together: A Contextual Case Study on the Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency Buka, Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea." , 2000
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This case study documents the important role women played in initiating both civil society peace initiatives and the peace negoiation process in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Offline (Print) Sources

Oppenheimer, Martin and George Lakey. "A Manual for Direct Action." , January 1, 1965.
"A "how to" guide which offers comprehensive, understandable instruction in the politics and tactics of people-based organizing. It includes a profusion of illustrations and examples of successful grassroots tactics. "

Lederach, John Paul. "An Integrated Framework." In Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, August 1, 1996. Pages: 25-33.
In Chapter 3, Lederach discusses how the use of an "integrated framework" in the process of peacebuilding and development is crucial. This framework suggests that local people are not recipients of aid, but rather central resources in the development process. Local knowledge and resources need to be utilized in peacebuilding programs, and problem-solving needs to be understood in the context of that society. Lederach maintains that this sort of "integrated framework" is a crucial part of empowering local communities. Primary Link

Stiefel, Matthias. "Participatory Action Research as a Tool for Peacebuilding: The WSP Experience." In Peacebuilding: A Field Guide. Edited by Reychler, Luc and Thania Paffenholz, eds. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2001.
The author suggests that postwar development must be based on a holistic and in-depth understanding of the community's problems, the available resources, and the respective agendas of the various actors. If external assistance is to contribute effectively to peacebuilding efforts, the operational practice of aid must change. Mattias argues that participatory action research, in which researchers and social actors join forces in collective research, might be used as a rebuilding tool. This strategy promotes better understanding of post-conflict situations, allows for more integrated policy responses, and promotes a democracy in societies emerging from conflict.

Erasmus, Vivien. "Relief Aid and Development Cooperation: Community Mobilization as a Tool for Peacebuilding." In Peacebuilding: A Field Guide. Edited by European Centre for Conflict Prevention, ed. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001.
This chapter explores how grassroots process design, which involves actors at the community level, can increase the effectiveness of relief and development aid. The author suggests that community mobilization re-empowers war-torn communities to make vital decisions for themselves, fosters a spirit of community ownership of peacebuilding processes, and taps into local knowledge and resources. Two community mobilization strategies, the Community Leaders? Workshop and Participatory Planning, are discussed in detail.

Ould Abdallah, Ahmedou. "Stakeholders and Owners." In Peacebuilding: A Field Guide. Edited by Reychler, Luc and Thania Paffenholz, eds. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reiner Publishers, January 1, 2001.
The discussion in this chapter concentrates on strategies for resolving situations of violent civil conflict. The author emphasizes the importance of involving the most powerful leaders or representatives of stakeholder groups in peacebuilding decision-making processes, including extremists.

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Examples Illustrating this Topic:

Online (Web) Sources

Building Ethnic Conciliation and Roma Opportunities in Most, Czech Republic. Partners for Democratic Change.
Available at: http://www.partnersglobal.org/case-studies/mr-czech-ethnic.html  [Backup Link]
Partners-Czech provided conflict management skills and facilitated a series of roundtable discussions with Roma citizens, social workers, city officials, teachers, police officers, and school district administrators to build tolerance and work towards community improvements in the city of Most. The initiative resulted in increased understanding of Roma traditions and culture, improved waste management and public spaces, new employment and housing opportunities for Roma, and the founding of a Roma civic association.

Citizen Involvement Promotes Change in Opole Lubelskie, Poland. Partners for Democratic Change.
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]
Partners-Poland conducted a cooperative planning and problem-solving process in Opole-Lubelskie. The goal of the project was to encourage citizens and local government to work together to identify and address issues of local concern. Following a needs assessment, outreach efforts, and facilitated sessions with a citizen-local government committee, the community founded a new advocacy group for continued dialogue, and a new sewage system, daycare facility and youth club were developed.

Citizens Curb Neighborhood Violence & Impact Public Policy in Argentina. Partners for Democratic Change.
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]
Partners-Argentina responded to an increase in violent crime in Buenos Aires Province and the creation of 322 citizen-run neighborhood security forums (Public Security Provincial Act 12154), with a participatory program that included citizens and local government in public policy promotion and maintaining public safety. Through training and facilitated dialogue, Partners-Argentina and community members introduced change management skills to the forums, developed a series of public policy recommendations on Act 12154, and laid the foundation for establishing community support groups that combat the root causes of conflict.

Wilson, Nick. "Innocence and Experience: The Volunteer Project Pakrac, Grassroots Peacebuilding in Croatia, 1993-1997." CCTS Newsletter, Number 12, Spring 2001 , 2001
Available at: http://www.c-r.org/ccts/ccts12/pakrac.htm  [Backup Link]

This is an extended summary of the author's evaluative report on the Pakrac Project in West Slavonia in the 1990s. During 1992, the charismatic head of UN Civil Affairs in West Slavonia was able to exploit the ambiguities of his mandate and the flexibility of his UN military counterpart to push along a mid-level localized peace process.

Thurston, Anne F. "Muddling Toward Democracy: Political Change in Grassroots China." , August 1998
Available at: http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/thurst23/thurst23.html  [Backup Link]

This USIP Peaceworks report examines China's efforts to bring competitive elections to the country's rural areas and attempts to explain why local democracy has proved more successful in some places than in others.

Offline (Print) Sources

Hemmer, Bruce. "Bottom-Up Peacebuilding in Bosnia." PARC News Spring, 1997.
This article argues for empowering Bosnians with the means and tools to build a democratic civil society. It also maintains that peace building and reconciliation processes need to support these empowerment initiatives. Primary Link [Backup Link]

Lumsden, Malvern. "Peacebuilding in Macedonia: Searching for Common Ground in Civil society." International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), PRIO Report 2/97, Oslo, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, 1997.
In this report, the author examines the external and internal factors influencing relationships between the ethnic communities in Macedonia, and the role of an NGO "Search for Common Ground in Macedonia" in attempting to improve their relationships. This role has shifted from an emphasis on high-level Track II diplomacy to community-level projects, compatible with UNESCO's concept of a Culture of Peace.

van der Veen, Hans, Paul van Tongeren and Juliette Verhoeven. Searching for Peace in Europe and Eurasia: An Overview of Conflict Prevention. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002.
This book offers insight into the possibilities for effective conflict prevention and peacebuilding throughout the region. Presenting surveys of the violent conflicts in Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, the contributors offer a unique combination of background information, detailed descriptions of ongoing activities, and assessments of future prospects for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. A major focus of their work is the efforts of regional organizations and NGOs to make civil society part of any peace process, and they thoroughly cover the activities of grassroots groups. A directory of more than 400 organizations working in the field of conflict prevention and peacebuilding in the region is also included.

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