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sterio and levy: social cohesion and inclusivity [34e6a6d9]

Tags: Williams - Research Handbook on Post-Conflict Statebuilding

1. Social Cohesion & Inclusivity - Ailena Sterio & Jessica C. Levy

  • Defined as

    The complexity & multidimensionality of the force, or "glue" that holds a society together and enables its members to predicibly develop

  • un development program (UNDP) and search for common ground program

  • why?

    • can rebuild what has been torn apart

    • ensures vulnerable populations no longer face harm

      • without social cohesion programs, these groups may get sidelined
    • prevents future conflicts
    • supports & rebuilds local capacity
    • new opportunities to bring in groups that were marginalized before

1.1. Three Approaches

1.1.1. Community Driven

  • Focuses on democratization towards local groups and partipation of communities
  • Community driven reconstruction (CDR) - focuses on rebuilding infrastructure
  • Community driven development (CDD) - focuses on improving existing infrastructure
  • Both hope to address root of conflict

1.1.2. Social Acculturalization

Social processes that occur in a context in which newcomers and members of the host culture are in contact with each other… and must in one form or another adapt to their new cultural environment

  • Includes separation & marginalization vs assimlation vs reintegration
  • Most literature focuses on the processes of voluntary reintegration

1.1.3. Education

  • Education can exasterbate or alleivate social inequalities or marginalization of groups

    • Killing of mother tongue
    • Ethnic divisions such as those in rwanda or burundi
    • Can also expose, teach, and find common national identity

1.1.4. Reconciliation in Total

  • Grassroots and middle range (actors who have power by network and not by position such as religious leaders, community leaders, businesspeople, etc) are most effective here

1.2. Common Challenges

  • Marginalized communities

    • Youth and women are often not considered, or are considered mere stage props

  • Conflict created communities

    • Refugees, IDPs and ex-combatants
    • New identities may have formed during conflict and is hard to break

  • Enduring divisions

    • bosnia -> communities did not want to go back to their old locations where they would be an ethnic minority
    • rwanda -> completely shattered social fabric

1.3. Case Studies

1.3.1. nepal

  • social cohesion & democratic partipation program in 2016 led by un development program (UNDP)
  • also found that violence in communities ended up brining them together, potential group violence coping mechanisms

1.3.2. cambodia

  • khmer rouge
  • only family bonds remained
  • minimal progress has been made in fostering social cohesion
  • existing programs have largely been top down
  • 2013 study found that cambodians continue to rely on family bonds

1.3.3. nigeria

  • 2009 niger river delta insurgency
  • programs run by both civil society and IOs
  • muslim/christian divide looms large
  • IOs lack meaningful partnerships with civil society groups

1.4. Best Practices

  • Aim for multiple level/cross cutting approaches

    • Not just the people it targets, programs should try to bring in multiple sectors

  • Value openness and flexibility

    • Hard to establish baseline metrics

  • Build and take advantage of local capacity

    • Always identify local capacity where it exists
  • Aim for inclusivity