Resources

Subscribe to RSS feed

Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon (Accord 24) - English version

Jul 2012

Lebanon’s model of post-war power sharing and liberal economic growth has been widely praised. But it has failed to deliver for most Lebanese. Repeated outbreaks of political violence since the 1989 Taif Peace Agreement, and today fear of spillover from insecurity in Syria, show that a fundamentally different approach is needed to transform negative and precarious stability in Lebanon into positive and resilient peace.

Policy brief – Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon

Jul 2012
A fundamentally different approach is needed to transform precarious stability in Lebanon into durable peace. Repeated outbreaks of political violence since the 1989 Taif Peace Accord show that Lebanon’s model of power sharing and liberal economic growth, while widely praised, has in reality failed to deliver a noticeable peace dividend. This 6-page policy brief summarises the findings of Accord 24 and sets out 10 priorities for change.

Ex-militia fighters in post-war Lebanon

Positive peace for Lebanon: reconciliation, reform and resilience
Jul 2012
Dima de Clerck reviews post-war rehabilitation of demobilised Lebanese militia, describing how this has been piecemeal, selective and politicised. Many former fighters remain unemployed and have been left to deal with the psychosocial scars of wartime violence. The fact that a new post-war generation of youth is being recruited through a heroic imagining of the war highlights the dangers of neglecting rehabilitation of ex-fighters.

The Taif Agreement

Positive peace for Lebanon: reconciliation, reform and resilience
Jul 2012
Karam Karam explains how both the content and implementation of the 1989 Taif peace agreement have precluded genuine political reform or social change, due to structural defects including: flawed revision of confessional power sharing arrangements and a dysfunctional executive Troika; surrendering core state responsibilities to Syrian tutelage; guaranteeing power to warlords; and the marginalisation of key social issues. Karam suggests constructive lessons for the future, based on a framework of political decentralisation and balanced reform ‘packages’ as part of a clear, incremental strategy.

Box 5 - Priorities for peace in Lebanon: opposing outlooks from 8 & 14 March Alliances

Positive peace for Lebanon: reconciliation, reform and resilience
Jul 2012
Interviews with Ali Fayyad (8 March Alliance/Hezbollah MP) and Samir Frangieh (member of the General Secretariat of 14 March Alliance and a former MP) present ‘opposing outlooks’ from Lebanon’s two main political blocs. They discuss: internal and external sources of tension; implications of Taif for contemporary political stability; developing the social contract in Lebanon; and priorities for the future.

Box 8 - UNIFIL's contribution to peace in Lebanon: a conversation with Timur Goksel

Positive peace for Lebanon: reconciliation, reform and resilience
Jul 2012
Timur Goksel analyses the UN Interim Force for Lebanon (UNIFIL), explaining that its role in patrolling Lebanon’s border with Israel is more political than military. It has correspondingly played key functions in facilitating liaison between Lebanese and Israeli militaries, as well as with local Lebanese in the south.

Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon (Accord 24) - Arabic version

Jul 2012

Lebanon’s model of post-war power sharing and liberal economic growth has been widely praised. But it has failed to deliver for most Lebanese. Repeated outbreaks of political violence since the 1989 Taif Peace Agreement, and today fear of spillover from insecurity in Syria, show that a fundamentally different approach is needed to transform negative and precarious stability in Lebanon into positive and resilient peace.

Conflict termination - Trends, challenges (new approaches?)

Apr 2011
Positive quantitative developments in peace processes need to be followed by increasing the quality of the peace agreements. This power point presentation by Conciliation Resources provide an overview of trends and challenges in conflict termination.

Report: Dialogue series no. 1: Christine Bell

Apr 2011
Professor Bell discussed constitutional reform, human rights and women's participation in peace processes with peace panels, lawmakers, academics, embassies and civil society. This report by Conciliation Resources summarises the key messages from her discussions.

Topic: 'Dwogo Cen Paco'(Come back home) programme 

Mar 2011
Bishop Ochala II shares an insight from his work in northern Uganda into the conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan government in this presentation.

Pages

Search resources

Filter by issue:

© Conciliation Resources 173 Upper Street, London N1 1RG, UK 
Tel: +44 (0)20 7359 7728  Fax: +44(0)20 7359 4081  Email: cr@c-r.org
Terms and conditions Charity registered in England and Wales (1055436)
Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (03196482)