The sub-question on peacebuilding asks: How does the Norwegian Church Aid contribute towards peacebuilding? To describe the work that the NCA is doing, it is important to take notes on peacebuilding as an explanatory part in the thesis. There are various materials to draw on, peacebuilding stands out as the obvious choice due to the NCA’s own Country Plan for Palestine (Norwegian Church Aid 2010, p. 9). The landscape of peacebuilding is hard to take hold of, especially because of the various variables in different conflicts (Haugerudbraaten 1998).
2.4.1 Peacebuilding as a term
The aim of peacebuilding is to make peace (Haugerudbraaten 1998), and in this dissertation, the aim is to make peace between Israel and Palestine. Peacebuilding happens after a conflict, an in addition to create peace, its purpose is to normalize civilian life and strengthen the capacities in the society that promotes peace (SIPRI-UNESCO 1998, p. 39). The term peacebuilding was first recognized through the works of Johan Galtung, and his contribution to peacebuilding has made an impact on scholars to a large degree. According to the works of Maiese, there are two ways to understand peacebuilding (beyondintractability.org, 12.17.2014). The first way this term is understood is through the concepts of the UN. Their understanding of the concepts involves capacity building, reconciliation and societal building. These are all relevant concepts to peacebuilding. It gives the UN ways to measure and acknowledge their own work, when certain concepts within peacebuilding have to be fulfilled. Understood this way, peacebuilding becomes a concept of interest only after violent conflict has declined or been stopped, and thereby can be time-consuming (beyondintractability.org,
12.17.2014). The second however, gives an understanding of peacebuilding that is applicable to NGOs and FBOs. This way of understanding peacebuilding focuses on both peacemaking and peacekeeping.
2.4.2 Local empowerment and contributions
The good intentions of the donor community cannot substitute the willingness of local actors to renounce violence and to devote domestic resources to reconstruction (Forman 2000, p. 31). In other words for nation- and peacebuilding to take place, the local actors have to be involved on a high level. The current literature on peace building abounds with subjects on donor presence in the surroundings of the recipients (Forman 2000, p. 31). Knowledge to the local environment and contact with the recipients is fundamental when working for peace. It can be argued that to create an environment for peace and nation-building, the assistance given by the donors must be effective, coordinated and equivalent to the local needs (Forman 2000, p. 31). However, this can be difficult particularly in Gaza and the West Bank and its high level of politicized conflict.
Conflicts are often characterized by hostility, fear and stereotyping of the opponent (Lederach 1997, p. 23). Part of what peacebuilding involves, is to break down the hostility and stereotyping, and turn fear into trust. Only then can conflict be distinguished. Lederach says that reconciliation can be part of peacebuilding, because it has the ability to restore broken relationships between the conflicting parties (Lederach 1997, p. 24). Lederach sees that there are three different levels of leadership in peacebuilding. On the bottom are the grassroots, then the middle-range approaches, and finally the top-level approaches (Lederach 1997, p. 39).
2.4.3 Egalitarian approach to peacebuilding
Peace building is such a huge task, that one single FBO hardly can accomplish it by itself. It would make the process of building peace easier with an international cooperation. However, differences in the plan of action can make way for a situation without a constructive environment. Critique of international financial institutions tells a story about lack of peacebuilding, and rather a focus on heavy economic medicine (Patrick 2000, pp. 35). This matter is a bit different in Palestine, whereas the international financial institutions contribute in a more constructive manner.
The egalitarian perceptions of peacebuilding acknowledge the efforts of NGOs and FBOs, and see that they can be complimentary to other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) when striving for peacebuilding. Different peacebuilding-efforts by different organization can create a positive synergy, and increase the peacebuilding-efficiency (Haugerudbraaten 1998). Haugerudbraaten says that the identity of FBOs is relevant for peacebuilding, and claim that FBOs and their cooperation with churches is essential, because they can bring the finances, skills, understanding and political experience to the international community’s peacebuilding- approach (Haugerudbraaten 1998). The counter-argument for FBOs involvement in peacebuilding recognizes centralization of peacebuilding-control to be essential for success. This approach sees that the UN should be the main actor in peacebuilding, and that the interference by NGOs and FBOs only complicate the situation (Haugerudbraaten 1998).
2.4.4 Concepts of peacebuilding
The approach to peacebuilding differs, and the most efficient Haugerudbraaten have created a table7 that depicts the two different concepts to peacebuilding:
Norwegian Church Aid’s approach to peacebuilding is likely to adopt the second tendency, because they support the civil society in Palestine, are engaged in humanitarian spheres, but also because NCA’s commitment to development in Palestine is long-termed (Norwegian Church Aid 2011, p. 9). According to Haugerudbraaten, external participation in peacebuilding, such as the NCA, can hinder the indigenous actors from participating in peacebuilding. The external actors have to co-operate with the local organizations and actors for the peacebuilding to be successful (Haugerudbraaten 1998).
Haugerudbraaten sees that the purpose of peacebuilding is to avoid increase in violence and a relapse into conflict (Haugerudbraaten 1998). According to SIPRI, nation-building efforts can in fact avoid a return to conflict (SIPRI 1998, p. 39), and also lead to economic growth and prosperity in the society, which is important for peace (SIPRI 1998, p. 167).
Kalnes and Austvik mention the pallet of peacebuilding in their peacebuilding-approach (Kalnes, Austvik and Sørlie Røhr 2011, p. 198). According to Kalnes and Austvik this pallet8 have to be introduced and implemented in the society for peace to sustain:
2.4.5 Conclusion
Peacebuilding as a concept was first conceptualized by Galtung, and has become an implemented approach in the UN since. Peacebuilding means to create peace in the society, and are relevant after a conflict. Supporting the civil society organizations are an important way of contributing to peacebuilding, because a strong civil society has the ability to influence the authorities in Palestine. The egalitarian perception distinctively says that FBOs has the ability, the finances and the networks to strengthen the local civil society, and create peace. Finally, SIPRI stress that since the purpose of peacebuilding is to avoid a return to conflict, and because a stable nation can prevent increase in violent actions, nation-building can be a means for peacebuilding (SIPRI-Unesco 1999, p. 39).
8 The matrix was originally depicted in (Kalnes, Austvik and Sørlie Røhr 2011, p. 198) Peacebuilding Political framework - Democratization - Good governance - Building institutions - Human Rights Sosio-economic basis - Physical rebuilding - Economic infrastructure
- Health and education - Reintegration of
refugees - Nutrition Reconciliation
- Trial
- Truth- and reconciliation commitions - Building of trust
- Trauma therapy - Dialogue on the top- and
grassroot-level Security - Mine clearing - Disarment and demobilization - Guns control - Reforming safety sector
- Reintegration of the soldiers