The role of NGOs in conflict and peace-building

Non-government organisations (NGOs) have become increasingly involved in the international response to armed conflict, some aiming to mitigate the effects of war and others to help end the violence. But what impacts do they have, and how could they be improved?

A project of INTRAC, UK and the International Peace Academy, USA, looks at the role of international and national NGOs in contemporary conflicts and peace operations. The researcher reviews the main theoretical and policy debates, and outlines implications for improving policy and practice based on case studies on programmes in seven conflict arenas: Afghanistan, Armenia-Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Moldova, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In the past, the role of international relief agencies in conflict situations was limited to providing humanitarian aid and protection. But in recent years there has been a shift towards developmental and peacebuilding approaches. The impact of aid and the effect that NGOs have on conflict and peace dynamics, have also come under increasing scrutiny.

Case studies show that the aid delivered by NGOs is rarely central to people’s coping or surviving crises, whilst the impacts of NGOs on both conflict and peace have been overstated both by their supporters and detractors.

Exaggerating the importance of NGOs serves many interests. It helps the NGOs themselves raise funds in a highly competitive market, provides donors with success stories and lends legitimacy to Western political leaders.

The author highlights the increasing reliance of NGOs on state funding. While claims that many NGOs are merely instruments of their national governments may overstate the problem, the author shows that dependence on official funding has led to lower levels of risk-taking and innovation among NGOs.

Key findings include:

• Although NGOs do make a useful contribution to peace-building processes, their impact on conflict and peace-building has been exaggerated.
• NGOs' potential for postive impacts is constrained by the politics of the wider international response system.
• NGOs potentially have a number of strengths compared to governmental and inter-governmental agencies - a higher tolerace to risk, quicker responses, greater flexibility, willingness to take risks and innovate, and an ability to ‘conflict-proof’ their activities.
• Embedded national NGOs were found to play an important stabilising role by protecting local leadership, stimulating social energy and preventing human and capital flight.
• These comparative advantages are undermined by too high a dependence on official assistance and a reluctance to engage sufficiently with the politics and complexity of armed conflicts.

The policy and practice changes essential to enhancing the peace-building efforts of NGOs include:

• NGOs should engage more honestly with the politics of armed conflict and the international response to conflict.
• NGOs need to develop a stronger political economy analysis understanding of the context that they are working in and a more grounded understanding of the communities that they are trying to help.
• NGOs should assess their potential impact more realistically.
• Donors and NGOs aiming to support peacebuilding processes need to think beyond projects and to explore ways of supporting peace entrepreneurs, organisations and processes.
• NGOs' impacts within the international response system could be enhanced through building more strategic alliances and a more optimal division of labour.

Source(s):
‘Aiding Peace? The Role of NGOs in Armed Conflict’, ITGD Publishing: Rugby, by Jonathan Goodhand, 2006

Funded by: UK Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 25 October 2007

Further Information:
Jonathan Goodhand
Development Studies Department
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London
Thornhaugh Street
Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
UK
http://www.soas.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)207 8984483
Fax: +44 (0)207 8984829
Contact the contributor: jg27@soas.ac.uk

School of African and Asian Studies, University of London, UK

International Peace Academy
777 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017-3521
USA
http://www.ipacademy.org/

Tel: +1 212 6874300
Fax: + 1 212 9838246
Contact the contributor: ipa@ipacademy.org

International Peace Academy

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'The perils of being an aid worker'

'The challenge of keeping refugee camps demilitarised'