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Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This study attempted to examine the role that selected civil society groups played to promote citizen participation in governance processes. / South Africa

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-224). Also available on the Internet.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

There is a growing interest in how to build sustainable peace in the world, preventing countries from relapsing into violent conflict. Recognising that there are several important peacebuilding actors, this Master thesis takes its point of departure in local civil society actors as a peacebuilding force. For this interpretative qualitative study, Colombia is used as the case of investigation. This is as a result of a renewed interest in the country due to the peace negotiations that were initiated between the Colombian government and the largest guerrilla group in the country, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in October 2012. Interviews with diverse civil society actors in Colombia were used as primary data, and in addition literary reviews of primary and secondary information have been added to the material. There are diverging views of what peacebuilding means, and one of the research objectives of this thesis is to draw from previous research to build a general framework for what peacebuilding wants to achieve, i.e., identify the international peacebuilding objectives. The second research objective is to compare the seven activities and functions of civil society in peacebuilding, as described by Paffenholz and Spurk in the Comprehensive framework for the analysis of civil society in peacebuilding, to see how the work of civil society in Colombia compares to the international peacebuilding objectives. The research shows that all seven activities and functions of civil society in peacebuilding: protection, monitoring, advocacy and public communication, in-group socialisation, social cohesion, facilitation/mediation, and service delivery, are performed by the interviewed civil society actors. When the activities and functions are compared to the international peacebuilding objectives, the research demonstrates that the peacebuilding activities carried out by civil society adds to the efforts performed by other actors to achieve stability and security, restore political and judicial institutions, address socio-economic dimensions and transform relations. Acknowledging the particular regional dynamics of the Colombian internal armed conflict and recognising the need for local ownership for peacebuilding to be successful, the conclusion drawn is that peacebuilding in Colombia has to be attained at the local, regional as well as national level. The polarisation and distrust between civil society and the state hinders a joint effort to build peace in Colombia, which further complicates the prospects for attaining sustainable peace in the country. Based on the understanding gained from the conducted research, this thesis affirms that peacebuilding must be adapted to the local realities and requires active participation from both government and civil society.

In an effort to expand the scholarship dealing with the topic of civil society in Cuba, this thesis deals with the question of Cuban civil society and its relationship with socially conscious underground musicians. It is argued that these musicians have established a tradition of political and social involvement on the island throughout the revolutionary period, and that they have been particularly effective and vocal during the years 1990-2010. The main theme has been analyzed through a Post-Marxist framework with the objective of taking into account not only the political and social value of the music, but also the aesthetics of it and its popularity among the Cuban population and particularly the youth of Cuba. Some of the artists featured in this thesis include hip hop duo Los Aldeanos, trovador Carlos Varela, and the rock band Buena Fé.

The intention with the research was to investigate the role of civil society in the Kenyan democratization process. The research intends thus to analyze (1) the role of civil society in Kenya's transition to democracy (1990- 2002), and (2) the role of civil society in the further democratization process (2002- 2013). The results of the research demonstrates that the role of civil society played a crucial role in Kenya’s transition to democracy given that civil society provided with a multiparty- system in 1991. In addition, civil society endowed with education for citizens in order to attain constitutional reforms. As a result, Kenya accomplished a transition to democracy in 2002. The role of civil society in the further democratization process struggled to maintain democracy since corruption emerged instantaneously where elections resulted in electoral frauds. Civil society played a vital role once again, but this time with the help of media.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-198). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 209 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-182).