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Democratisation and Peace-building (D&P)

ICCO's Democratisation and Peace-building programme supports and coaches organisations acting in defense of human rights throughout the world.

 

ICCO's Democratisation and Peace-building programme supports and coaches organisations acting in defense of human rights throughout the world.ICCO aims to enable genuine democracy from the bottom up by supporting initiatives that seek to include groups of (underprivileged) people in public decision-making. ICCO believes that democracy and peace are necessary preconditions to allow people to reach their full potential and offer them hope for the future. ICCO works closely together with Kerk in Actie in this.

 

The local organisations that ICCO brings together work on democratisation and peace-building in a variety of ways. For example:

  • They teach civilians what their rights are and how to claim these from their governments
  • They show civilians how to influence the direction that their country is taking
  • They strengthen the structures that enable civilians to call governments, multinationals and multilateral organisations to account
  • They are committed to a fair society, without impunity
  • They stimulate reconciliation between ethnic groups

ICCO and its partners are focused on bringing together people with diverse, often conflicting points of view, on encouraging dialogue between those people and on taking away their prejudice. Where necessary, ICCO also targets partners they would like to work together.

 

ICCO and its partners have a special focus on people from underprivileged backgrounds, from indigenous people to untouchables as well as women and children. Specific attention goes out to strengthening the position of women in peace processes and the fight against the (often sexual) violence that women suffer in armed conflicts.

 

ICCO's work

Armed conflicts are almost always rooted in a complex totality of causes. Together with its local partners, ICCO makes a thorough analyses of these causes. Programmes to address these are drawn up, based on that analysis This kind of approach takes time, needs fine-tuning, differs per area and may contain (a combination of) the following elements:

  • access to land, water, education or the legal system;
  • fair administration of justice;
  • safety and maintaining human rights;
  • reconciliation;
  • taking part in political decision-making ( creating a ‘political space' for all civilians);
  • equal opportunities for civilians to influence governments and calling them to account when necessary.

Opportunities in conflicts: Women

Our analyses also take into consideration that conflicts can provide opportunities. For example for women. Where men often find themselves in the front lines and getting killed, women tend to rapidly find themselves becoming the pillars of the family and society. They become ones taking on the social organisation and decision-making. It would be deplorable if this strengthened position for women would be restricted following the resolution of the conflict.

   

Opportunities in conflicts: New structures

Another example of an opportunity that may arise from a conflict: the destruction of non-democratic systems, which creates space for new political structures. Ideally these are structures where governments are held accountable by an influential population, and where offering criticism or advocating human rights does not hold any dangers. D&V provides money, lobbying and advice to advance new structures along these lines.

 

Making better use of existing structures

Of course there are countries where there is no conflict and that are based on democratic structures, but where these structures are being sabotaged by elites that are primarily set on securing their own interests. This serves to keep alive poverty and inequality. ICCO and its partners are also active in countries of this kind; here too, citizens, in particular underprivileged groups, are supported to stand up for their rights and to enforce political influence.

 

Democratisation in ICCO's D&P Programme is all about: working towards a society in which:

  • all civilians have equal political, social, economic and cultural rights;
  • these rights are equal to human rights and are being honoured;
  • any citizen can hold his/her government accountable when their rights are being violated;
  • wrongs and abuse of power are being effectively dealt with;
  • everyone has a say in where society is heading;
  • even the most marginalised people, such as women and so-called "outcastes" - people not protected by a caste-based status - can fully join society.
  • supporting civilians to make democracy happen.

Peace-building in ICCO's D&V Programme is about: working towards a society in which:

  • there are no armed conflicts;
  • there is an ambition for reconciliation and forgiveness;
  • victims of conflicts (such as girls abducted by rebels and forced into a life as sex slaves) will not be stigmatised, but accepted  as full members of society;
  • all civilians have a say in the way in which peace and new political structures are to be achieved.

View some recent projects in ICCO's Democratisation and Peace-building Programme

 

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