Civil society in conflict transformation : strengths and limitations

Abstract

Focuses on the potential contribution that civil society actors can make to peacebuilding. Central questions are: what types of activities do NGOs undertake? What problems and dilemmas are faced in the development of civil society in war-torn societies? Taking the example of Bosnia-Herzegovina, what are the limitations of civil society's contributions, and how does civil society relate to state-building? And, finally, how do these considerations impact on theoretical conceptualisations of the term "civil society"?