(DOWNLOAD) "Transforming Political Authority: UN Democratic Peacebuilding in Afghanistan (Report)" by Global Governance ~ Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Transforming Political Authority: UN Democratic Peacebuilding in Afghanistan (Report)
- Author : Global Governance
- Release Date : January 01, 2007
- Genre: Politics & Current Events,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 362 KB
Description
This study examines the leadership role of the United Nations, from 2001 to 2005, in helping the government and people of Afghanistan to build democratic institutions and practices at national and local levels. The UN, seeking a better form of governance that could also politically unite non-Taliban factions, pursued with Afghan elites a risky strategy of democratization with a "light footprint" during a low-intensity insurgency. From interim to transitional to elected authorities, UN-facilitated political development activities have, in effect, initiated a transformation in the notion and sources of authority among Afghans--from rule by religious scholars, tribal elders, and warlords to a hybrid model of governance involving democratically elected leaders. By helping Afghans reconcile the inherent tensions between these competing forms of authority, international peacebuilders contributed to improved conditions of governance and a reduction in intrastate political violence. The case of Afghanistan affirms the benefits of democratization after war that seeks to bridge the gap in conceptions between old and new authority types. Drawing on these findings, policy recommendations are advanced to further strengthen the UN system's democratic peacebuilding work in facilitating the political (re)construction of war-shattered societies. KEYWORDS: peacebuilding, democratization, conflict management, governance, Afghanistan, authority. **********