Peacebuilding 101
Peacebuilding is different from "peacemaking" and "peacekeeping" in that it focuses on creating a long-term culture of peace, rather than solving existing conflicts or preventing old ones from re-occurring. Peacebuilding activities aim at building understanding and tolerance between individuals, communities and societies and establishing new structures of cooperation. Peacebuilding activities range in scale from personal acts of kindness toward others to global inter-governmental programs.
Definitions of Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is the construction of new environments and new cultures which transform deficient structures and capabilities which unite the strengths of emerging innovations in all pathways of our local-global planetary life. Peacebuilding creates and maintains beneficial conditions for sustainable (life-enhancing) social, economic, political and spiritual development of all peoples.
(Adapted from speech given at UN by PTP and "An Agenda for Peace", a UN Report of the Secretary-General, 1992)
Unlike peace-making and peace-keeping, which are related to warfare and settlement of conflicts, "...the concept of peace-building (is) the construction of a new environment --- the transformation of deficient national structures and capabilities, and --- the strengthening of new democratic institutions."
(Excerpted from "An Agenda for Peace", a UN Report of the Secretary-General in January 1992, which globally and officially recognized the emerging field of peacebuilding.)
"We need to build not only geographical but spiritual bridges between people and strengthen the intellectual, cultural and communication linkages between our societies. (Let us) stand ready to participate in the effort to promote social integration and create a culture of peace."
(From UNESCO PRESS Report at World Summit for Social Development by Director-General UNESCO, Frederico Mayor)
"Where there is peace, there is culture; where there is culture, there is peace."
(Nicholas Roerich)
"Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties, --- propel their spirits to the task of peaceBuilding, thus ensuring a radiant future."
(Nicholas Roerich)
The UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)
The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is a new intergovernmental advisory body of the United Nations that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict, and is a key addition to the capacity of the international community in the broad peace agenda.
The Peacebuilding Commission plays a unique role in
- bringing together all of the relevant actors, including international donors, the international financial institutions, national governments, troop contributing countries;
- marshalling resources and
- advising on and proposing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery and where appropriate, highlighting any gaps that threaten to undermine peace.
The concurrent General Assembly and Security Council resolutions establishing the Peacebuilding Commission also provided for the establishment of a Peacebuilding Fund and Peacebuilding Support Office, which together form the United Nations peacebuilding architecture.
The PBC is mandated to: "marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery." The PBC focuses attention on reconstruction, institution-building and sustainable development, in countries emerging from conflict. It is specifically mandated to:
- Propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery;
- Help to ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities and sustained financial investment over the medium- to longer-term;
- Extend the period of attention the international community gives to post-conflict recovery;
- Develop best practices on issues that require extensive collaboration among political, security, humanitarian and development actors.
For more information about the UN Peacebuilding Commission, please visit:
http://www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding/index.shtml
