In the Streets and at the Table: Civil Society Coordination during Peace Negotiations

Abstract

When bringing armed conflicts to a peaceful end, the inclusion of civil society in peacemaking is a vital task. However, whereas previous research on civil society inclusion has made significant advancements, surprisingly little attention has been paid to analyzing how civil resistance and mass action may interact with more elite-driven approaches during peace processes. This study addresses this research gap by examining the interplay between elite and mass-based civil society approaches in three different peace processes in civil wars in Africa in the post-Cold War period: Liberia, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Burundi. We advance the literature by developing a framework that focuses on coordination of these different efforts and we explore this interplay empirically. With this study, we aim to broaden the research agenda, allowing for future synergies at the research frontier of mass action and the inclusion of civil society in peace processes.

Pushing the doors open: Nonviolent action and inclusion in peace negotiations

“…Kaplan (2017) shows how communities can take various sorts of actions in the midst of violent conflicts in order to advance their interests. Some work has also been done on the connection between protests and peace processes (Abbs, 2021; Dudouet, 2017; Leventoğlu & Metternich, 2018; Nilsson et al, 2020; Petrova & Abbs, 2021). In particular, Leventoğlu & Metternich (2018) argue that protests can be seen as signals of strong rebels that can create broader coalitions, including the urban middle-classes, and they demonstrate empirically that negotiation onset is predicted by antigovernment protests.…”

Better together? Civil society coordination during peace negotiations

“…Similarly, Paffenholz et al (2006) stress that competitiveness, disorganization, and hostility among civil society groups can hamper coordination, which can cause implementation problems (p. 70). Nilsson et al (2020) use coordination as a framework to investigate how civil society led mass actions and elite-driven activities interact in the course of a peace process, but their focus is not specifically on how coordinated efforts may shape the content of the peace accord.…”

“…Hence, a high extent of coordination means that civil society groups move beyond simply sharing information and resources to active collaboration (Nan, 2003; Strimling, 2006: 94; Waters et al, 2006: 42). A distinction is made in the coordination literature between coordination of sequential and simultaneous de-escalation efforts (Fisher, 2006; Kriesberg, 1996; Nilsson et al, 2020). Whereas sequential coordination considers that conflict dynamics change over time and may require different kinds of intermediaries at different stages (Kriesberg, 1996: 345), simultaneous coordination focuses on the coordination of de-escalation efforts that take place at the same time (Kriesberg, 1996: 347).…”

“…In the last decades, there has been a growing literature examining civil society inclusion in peace negotiations and peacebuilding efforts more broadly. This literature includes inquiries into the functions of civil society in peacebuilding, their role in Track II diplomacy, different strategies for inclusion, their role in sustaining peace after peace accords, and how different modes of participation-for example, problem-solving efforts, parallel forums or mass action-may influence the conflict resolution process (Barnes, 2005;Belloni, 2008;Cuhadar and Paffenholz, 2020;Hirblinger and Landau, 2020;Nilsson et al, 2020;Paffenholz, 2010Paffenholz, , 2014Wanis-St. John and Kew, 2008). While important advances have been made to examine civil society participation in peace processes, researchers have largely overlooked the issue of coordination among various civil society groups during peace negotiations, particularly in terms of its impact on the content of a peace agreement.…”

Civil Society Inclusion in Peace Mediation

“…Other authors have added insights on specific forms of inclusion. Bell and O'Rourke (2007) analyze consultative mechanisms, Dudouet (2017) and Nilsson et al (2020) inquire into how civil resistance and mass action influence peacemaking, while Amaral (2019) examines the use of referendums in peace processes.…”