Citizens in Peace Processes

Abstract

Citizen engagement in and support for peace processes have been deemed important for sustainable peace after civil wars. Yet much of what we know about peace processes in civil wars centers on the interests of elite actors. This special feature aims to advance a research agenda focusing on citizens in peace processes to address this mismatch. In the introduction to the special feature, we first present empirical evidence situating citizens in relation to civil war peace processes. We then trace the current state of the literature on the roles of citizens in peace processes. Following that, we introduce a conceptual framework designed to improve scholarly analysis of the political behavior of citizens in peace processes. We also locate the individual contributions to the special feature within the framework in order to demonstrate its utility and as a means of helping to identify directions for future research.

Citizens and Peace Mediations in Divided Societies: Identifying Zones of Agreement through a Conjoint Survey Experiment

“…Those could be supported by grassroots and victim-oriented consultations to safeguard the rights of those affected by conflicts, for example, by introducing census platforms to collate property data and preferences for compensation, exchange, or restitution, across dispossessed property owners and users and by targeting international aid for displaced persons and refugees. While several studies have pointed to the impact of historical legacies on public opinion we know very little about the interaction of legacies with other variables (Grossman et al 2015; Shkliarov et al 2021; see also Haass et al. Introduction to this special feature section).…”

“…in this special feature section). 1 Public opinion research can take place at different temporal orders and stages of a peace agreement (see Haass et al. introduction to this special feature section) and might have different impacts on the broader peace process depending on the nature of civil society-state interactions and broader institutional setting.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, this current study is the first to address ongoing peace talks between two divided communities. For more details on the evolution of the field of conflict studies from a citizen perspective see Haass et al. introduction to this special feature section.…”

Peacemaking through the lens of participation: Revisiting the 2016 Colombian peace accord

“…In this facet of the peacemaking process, the settlement achieved at the Havana negotiating table, based on the previous participation mechanisms, was submitted to plebiscite for Colombia's citizenry. As Haass et al (2022) posit, the role of citizens in the peace process is conditioned by the political behavior (preferences, attitudes, expectations) of noncombatants. The preference of the masses can be slanted toward a decision that either permits or impedes direct legislation.…”

Can Rebels Bolster Trust in the Government? Evidence from the Philippines

“…Civilians, and specifically rebels’ constituents—the civilians whom rebels claimed to fight for—are important actors in the transition from war to peace. The field’s lack of knowledge surrounding civilians’ perceptions of whether the government will implement the peace agreement is rather surprising because a growing body of literature that recognizes that civilians’ engagement with and acceptance of peace processes is critical for the sustainability of peace (Haass et al 2022). Indeed, despite the fact that peace agreements are primarily negotiated and ultimately signed by warring parties, how civilians perceive the peace process is central to the transition from war to peace (Dyrstad et al 2021, 607).…”