Challenges
Countries with multiethnic and multicultural societies face specific challenges concerning state organisation. They require a territorial organisation and institutions that can provide for efficient state action and can additionally address and balance the diverse interests of culturally and ethnically diverse societies.
For long term stability and peace, the state and its organisation need to find the acceptance of all major groups within the state. State organisation based on power sharing, for instance through federal or decentralised state organisation or autonomy regimes as well as through participatory forms of government can—under certain conditions and depending on the context—facilitate the necessary acceptance by all concerned groups.
Changes to state organisation in all contexts are highly complex and in most cases controversial. Nevertheless, all countries will from time to time be faced with demands and the need of defining or redefining their state organisation.
Activities
Peace and Policy Development Advisory Services provides expertise and consulting on selected aspects of peacebuilding and development. This includes governance/state reform, conflict-sensitive economic development, sector-specific reforms (i.e. Resource Management, Security System, Media, Human Rights), as well as peace mediation and dialogue processes. It aims to support the development of adequate approaches and realistic implementation, especially for contexts with ethnically and culturally diverse post- and pre-conflict societies.
- Capacity-building and advisory services for Power Sharing / Federalism / Participation and Inclusion of Non-Majority Groups in the State
- Conflict-sensitive income generating activity and business promotion
- Private – State Actor Dialogue and Peace Alliances including Chamber of Commerce
- Faciliation of multi-level Dialogue and Mediation Processes
- Capacity-building and advisory services for elections and political participation processes in post-/pre-conflict regions
- Conflict-sensitive Journalism and Public Relations
