Post-Conflict Democracy Assistance: A State of the Art

Since the end of the Cold War, one of the most striking aspects to emerge in post-conflict peacebuilding has been the prime position assumed by democratisation; an approach we can term post-conflict democracy assistance. This focus has hinged on an unerring belief that democratic governance, provided through periodic and genuine elections, offers the most effective mechanism for managing and resolving societal tensions without recourse to violence. Despite the growth in post-conflict democracy assistance, there has been remarkably little academic attention to the relationship between democracy and peace, and how deliberate and targetted democracy assistance can contribute to the progression of these two aims. This booklet presents a state of the art of post-conflict democracy assistance as a means to help redress this shortfall. This booklet does not purport to to prove the worthiness or otherwise of post-conflict democracy assistance. Rather, the aim of this booklet is to provide a detailed study of the roots of democracy assistance, its strategic rationale, and its operational successes and limitations. It is upon this foundation that both academics and practitioners can address the merits of post-conflict democracy in given countries, by specific actors, and through particular policies.

ISBN:978-90-75376-53-1

Jaar van publicatie:2010

Toegankelijkheid:Closed