Title:	From Power Struggles to Sustainable Peace
Authors:	Lomoy, Jon
Keywords:	Political Settlements
Issue Date:	2011
Publisher:	OECD
Description:	Political settlements have recently become the subject of conceptual and strategic debate among development agencies. The adoption of a “political settlement lens” could potentially bridge conceptual differences between peacebuilding and statebuilding approaches and endeavours. Commissioned by the International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF) within the OECD Development Assistance Committee, this discussion paper reviews the existing literature on political settlements, providing an overview of key definitions, components and concepts. It also examines the potential impact of donor activities on political settlements and highlights possible implications for donor engagement and support. Until recently, the term “political settlement” had been used almost interchangeably with “peace agreement” in the academic and policy literature. In recent years, a broader usage of the term has emerged. Political settlements are presented as spanning the continuum from negotiated peace agreements to long-term historical development, in the latter sense approaching the concept of a social contract. Generally speaking, every political regime that is not in the midst of an all-out civil war over its basic parameters is based on some kind of settlement. The concept of political settlement exhibits two different dimensions: the fixed outcome of a certain historical event and a particular characteristic or property of a society, reflected in the conduct of political actors. The concrete usage of the term political settlement exhibits – to varying degrees – features of both dimensions. Influencing a political settlement from outside is easier in its event dimension, i.e. by ending violence and facilitating peace agreements. As a property, a political settlement emerges only gradually, largely as a result of a home-grown, locally owned process. In essence, political settlements are the result of power struggles. Ideally, they embody an elite consensus on the preferability and means of avoiding violence. The more narrow peace agreement component of settlements contains explicit provisions for institutions of political power. The internalisation of the settlement as “property” and the value of compliance depend on a shared perception of its utility and fairness, both with regard to its provisions and to their implementation.
URI:	http://10.6.20.12:80/handle/123456789/45734
ISBN:	978-92-64-11649-8
Appears in Collections:	Rural Development Studies

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