The Political Legitimacy of National Peace Committees

Abstract

A national peace committee is a multi-stakeholder body mandated to implement key peacebuilding objectives, and coordinate a multi-level network of peace committees called an infrastructure for peace. Based on 10 case studies, the article explores the importance of political legitimacy for the success of NPCs and analyses, in particular, the contribution of their mandate, role clarity, composition and competence.

Keywords:

• National Peace Committee
• infrastructure for peace
• peacebuilding
• internal mediation
• social cohesion

Notes

¹ Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, FYR Macedonia, Malawi, Nepal, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and South Africa. For the detailed cases see Odendaal, 2010 and Odendaal (Forthcoming).

² ‘Committee’ is used as an umbrella term. In reality these bodies are called by various names.

³ Using a broader definition of infrastructures for peace, Kumar (2011) mentioned that the UN is currently supporting peace infrastructures in 30 countries.

⁴ See, for example, the ‘reflections’ of the ‘Finding ways to walk together: a dialogue initiative’ conducted on 25–26 July 2012 at Liliesleaf, Rivonia.

⁵ These include Hizkias Assefa and Emmanuel Bombande who supported the first mediation efforts in the Konkomba-Nanumba conflict in 1994-1995, Ozonnia Ojielo who was the first UNDP/DPA appointment in Ghana as a peace and development adviser, and Clever Nyathi who succeeded him.

⁶ The NPC was established in 2006 and has operated since then. The Act that legalized their existence was adopted in 2011.