What civil society after civil war? A study of civil society organizations' affect on peace consolidation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan Sabine Freizer Ph.D. thesis final submission 15 October 2004 Social Policy Department London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London UMI Number: U615252 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615252 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 m Library Bntisrr Libiwy o ^ ^ S s T R c t : and Economic Science This dissertation seeks to explain how civil society organizations can positively affect peace consolidation based on cases of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community based (CBOs) organizations from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan. It aims to determine how and why civil society organizations behave as they do in post-conflict, post-communist, contexts, and assess their contribution to peace. The link between civil society and peace has been assumed in research literature, but little comparative empirical research has been carried out to explain its nature. This dissertation is an attempt to fill this gap. I describe how liberal and communal definitions of civil society are applicable to the Tajik and Bosnian cases based on a brief historical analysis. NGOs are found to be the most significant organizational representation of liberal civil society, and CBOs, especially mahallas (neighborhoods) andmjesne zajednice (local communities), of communal civil society in the postwar period. I outline key post conflict challenges, classifying them as institutional, behavioral, political-economic and rights based. I develop a series of preliminary hypotheses on civil society organizations’ possible contributions based on civil society and peace literature. These assumptions are tested through case studies of two NGOs and two CBOs. I determine how the post-conflict, post-communist, environments influenced organizations’ choices of missions, programs, linkages, structures and funding sources. I conclude that experienced and charismatic leadership, clear missions, ability to build trust, understanding of donor relations, and well-developed linkages, were essential for success. I confirm many of the assumptions regarding civil society’s potential to positively affect peace, but find some critical differences. One important conclusion is that not only inter-communal but also intra-communal organizations can support peace. 2 T a ble o f C o n t e n t s : Abstract 2 Table of contents 3 Acknowledgements 6 Acronyms 8 Introduction 10 The country case studies 12 The literature deficit 14 The thesis outline 16 Chapter 1. Civil society in Tajikistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina: Between Liberal and Communal Conceptualizations. Introduction 18 I. Rival concepts of civil society 19 II. Civil society in Tajikistan: historical evolution of a concept 28 III. Historical definition of civil society in Bosnia-Herzegovina 39 IV. General features of civil society in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan 49 Conclusions 52 Chapter 2. Making Peace: Four Approaches to Peace Consolidation Introduction 55 I. The institution-building approach to peace consolidation 57 II. Peace consolidation as conflict resolution and behavioral change 61 III. Political economy interpretations of war and peace 66 III. Rights based approach to war and peace 71 IV. Peace consolidation in practice in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan 76 Conclusions 90 Chapter 3: Challenges of studying civil society organizations comparatively in post­ war contexts. Introduction 92 I. Research design and conceptual framework 93 II. Organizational case study selection 98 III. Research methodology: data collection and analysis 101 IV. Opportunities and limitations of field work in post-conflict settings 108 Conclusions 172 Chapter 4. NGOs as a Form of Liberal Civil Society in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan. Introduction 114 I Origins, missions and values of the case study NGOs 115 II. NGO programs and tactics 130 III. NGO linkages 149 IV. NGO structures and funding 159 Conclusions 172 Chapter 5. Village Organizations and Mjesne Zajednice: The Post-War Re-Emergence of Communal Civil Society in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan. Introduction 175 I. Origins and history of local self governance and community development in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tajikistan. 176 II. Missions and values of the case study CBOs. 182 III. Activities, tasks and tactics of the case study CBOs. 195 IV. Linkages of the case study CBOs 206 V. Structures and funding of the case study CBOs 214 Conclusions 232 Chapter 6. Civil Society Organizations’ affect on Peace Consolidation in Tajikistan and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Introduction 235 I. Civil society organizations’ affect on institution building 235 II. Civil society organizations’ affect on conflict resolution 245 III. Civil society organizations’ affect on greed and grievance 253 IV. Civil society effect on the rights-based peace project 260 Conclusion 265 Conclusion 266 Introduction 266 Civil society in post-communist, post-war contexts 267 Policy issues 272 Conclusion 274 Bibliography 276 Interviews Referenced 297 Annex 1: Sample Interview Questionnaire 300 Annex 2: Glossary 304 Map of Bosnia-Herzegovina 306 Map of Tajikistan 307 5 A cknowledgements : I am grateful to a large number of persons who assisted me in the preparation and completion of this dissertation. I am very fortunate to have had the guidance of professors who are not only remarkable for their outstanding scholarship but also for their activism in civil society. My supervisors Prof. Mary Kaldor and Dr. David Lewis provided tremendous intellectual stimulus and support. It was an honor to be one of their students. Dr. Helmut Anheier offered me a Lord Dahrendorf Scholarship, a unique opportunity to join the LSE Center for Civil Society, and valuable direction during my first 18 months as a PhD candidate. I would also like to acknowledge Prof. Gene Lyons and Prof. Anne Sa’adah at Dartmouth College who first helped me develop my research skills, taught me the value of internationalism, and encouraged me to continue with academic study. This thesis is based on case studies and thus on the vision and beliefs of the individuals who committed themselves to the organizations that I examined. I would like to acknowledge as a group those persons from Zene Zenama , Ghamkhori , the Sevarlije Board for Return/ MZ, and the Karategin Valley VOs who spent long hours with me to explain their personal stories and engagement in civil society. In addition I thank the young people of the hCa Youth Network and the Youth EcoCenter o f Tajikistan who I interviewed, and who inspired me greatly, but whose organizations I did not include in this PhD. I benefited from much support, advice and friendship in Bosnia-Herzegovina since I began conducting research there in 1993. Nuna Zvizdic showed me the power of non-violent conflict resolution and of women committed to affecting change. Damir Hadzic shared war and post-war experiences, offered knowledge and advice, and opened the doors of Sevarlije to me. Lejla Hrasnica was a supportive friend and host. Eco and Beba helped me know what it means to be part of a Bosnian community. Prof. Kamol Abdullaev introduced me to the history and courage of the Tajik people. Prof. Alla Kuvatova and Prof. Margarita Khegai first shared with me the accomplishments of 6 women in Tajikistan. I was inspired by Bahodur, Mikhail, Mavjuda, Dilorom, Malika and all the rest of the Ghamkhori staff. Mahmadali Saidov and Jodgor Faizov from MSDSP believed in the value of my research and gave me unique access to the village organizations . Olga Grigoreva, Manuchehr Kholov and Bokhtar Bakozade were tireless research partners and friends. In Uzbekistan on my trips in and out of Tajikistan, Lola Maksudova and her husband Timur shared warmth and hospitality. In Tajikistan I was hosted as a colleague by the staff of UNTOP. Ambassador Ivo Petrov provided me full access to the resources of the UN mission, and Lilia Zaharieva facilitated all my first steps, Gisella Nauk and Mr. Bian Vitunic were always there for long debates. Political advisors Rahid Abdullaev and Mukhibullo Zubaidulloev walked me through the history of the Tajik conflict and provided invaluable insights into the country’s political scene. The staff of the OSCE, my former employer in Central Asia, treated me like one of their own, assisting with the organization of meetings, sharing experiences and friendship. I especially want to thank Jamila Sharipova in Garm, Sameddin Loikov in Shartuz, Harald Jepsen and Nigina Alieva in Khojand. Many other people in Tajikistan offered my insights and assessments, including Christopher Buckley, Mark Whitton, and Sara Robinson. The unwavering support of my parents, brother Eric, and aunt Nicole encouraged me at every stage of the dissertation. I spent many long months away from my partner Ercan but his love and belief in me provided the motivation to complete this PhD. Friends Paola Grenier