CIVIL SOCIETY IN PEACEBUILDING - A Case Study Analysis of ...

conflict. In order for peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts and operations to be truly successful, it hasto include comprehensive efforts to consolidate peace, identify and support structures within the fragilesociety. This process will advance a sense of confidence and well being among people. Through talks,negotiations, agreements and most important, integration, ending civil strife can be the only chance forsurvival. Efforts may also include disarming the previously warring parties and the restoration of order,the custody and possible destruction of weapons, repatriating refugees, advisory and training support forsecurity personnel, monitoring elections, advancing efforts to protect human rights, reforming orstrengthening governmental institutions and promoting formal and informal processes of politicalparticipation. An important element in the definition of peacebuilding is the work toward reconciliation.It means that peace building should incorporate citizens for the purpose of integration that is separatedethnically or by other means.In the case of Southern Sudan, peace agreements have focused on top-levelled political andmilitary negotiations. For this reason, peacebuilding is understood within the context of top-levelledpolitics, which often refers to governments, large military units etcetera. Further, the peace buildingprocess should focus on rebuilding institutions and making reforms for the benefit of newadministrations, which is a crucial step towards a democratization process and has to be coherent withthe need for reforms in fragile states.Another important factor in peacebuilding is the demobilization of armed groups. Demobilizationis of great relevance when post-war societies are trying to make efforts to prevent violence. This isimportant because it may reduce the violence and threats for new-armed groups. The prevention ofgroup mobilization and criminal activities is essential in the process of rebuilding a society.8.1 Analytical frameworkThere is an ongoing debate within peacebuilding theory where scholars are discussing the most effectiveapproach towards peacebuilding within a fragile state. John Paul Lederach, a professor of InternationalPeacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, has constructed a “peacebuilding pyramid”which provides a method to describe different actors role within different levels of society. The levelsare: 1) the top elite, 2) the middle-range, and 3) the grassroots (Lederach 1997:38). Each level can becharacterized in terms of certain common features. Lederach argues that one must understand the role ofactors, what actions are best taken at each level in order to determine how effective the approach topeacebuilding is. Since each of the three levels play a unique role in peacebuilding, different peaceprocessesmust be adopted at each level of the hierarchy. Various activities must be integrated into a19