Exploring the connections between community security and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR)

Local communities can play a crucial role in promoting security and stability in conflict and post-conflict settings. Not only can they complement state programmes but also can effect numerous security initiatives when the state is unable, unwilling or unavailable to carry out such efforts. For instance, local communities have been effective in establishing peace and gun-free zones; act as essential mediators between vulnerable peoples and state and non-state actors and, as a part of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), monitor and facilitate disarmament and reintegration.

Regarding the latter this paper reviews the existing literature on the link between community security and DDR processes, asserting that the connection between locally-led security and DDR is a largely omitted topic in most current policy approaches, and is relatively unexplored in both academic and policy literature.

In this comprehensive document the authors consider:

• What is community-based security and DDR, and the inherent processes
  
• Centralised DDR programmes from a community security perspective
  
• ‘State’ DDR programmes and community security - cooperation between ‘State DDR’ actors and local security actors
  
• Community security as a characteristic of DDR: participation and empowerment
  
• DDR policies of the main donors – community security and policy.

The paper offers a number of conclusions/recommendations, including:

• Ensuring better complementarity between community security and centralised DDR programmes will be difficult, but may help address some of the shortcomings of DDR programmes. One way of doing this could be to alter the sequence of the D, D and R phases (with community-based reintegration preceding disarmament)
  
• 'State’ DDR actors (including donors, INGOs, etc.) lack knowledge of existing informal structures
  for security provision. More research and community involvement in the early stages of DDR programming is required
  
• Locally active actors have only limited involvement in DDR planning and implementation. On the one hand, processes and mechanisms for DDR should be more inclusive of local knowledge; on the other, local actors should assert stronger roles for themselves vis-à-vis donors
  
• The context in which DDR takes place is highly complex, but is of paramount importance. People’s willingness to disarm depends on their belief in the peace process, and more importantly on the sense of individuals that their security is guaranteed
  
• Informal community security structures can sometimes be of an illiberal nature, which places
  ‘state’ DDR actors before difficult dilemmas when it comes to cooperating with them.