NGOs at the Table: Strategies for Influencing Policy in Areas of Conflict / Edition 1

by Mari Fitzduff, Cheyanne Church, John W. McDonald, Amr Abdalla, Ancil Adrian-Paul

Overview

The number of NGO's working in the area of conflict has increased dramatically over the last few decades and they are fast becoming a vital component of both local and international responses to conflicts. As their influence rises, many seek to more effectively impact the policy making and program development of governments and intergovernmental organizations. But how can NG's do this effectively without sacrificing their own independence and flexibility? NG's at the Table explores such challenges by examining a number of NG's, diverse in size, location, and financial means, that have successfully influenced both policy and program development in conflicts throughout the world. It explores why these organizations decided to embark upon a strategic campaign to influence the policy-making process, as well as outlines the issues addressed and the tactics used. It examines the constraints faced in trying to penetrate the governmental process and discusses how these obstacles were overcome. The book also includes analysis and reflections by a variety of experienced policy-makers and academics working in the field. A unique and much- needed resource for NGO's wishing to extend their own capacities in the field of policy-making, this book will prove valuable for any policy-maker wishing to take advantage of the unique capacities that NG's contribute to the field of conflict prevention, management, and resolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742528499
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/02/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 8.94(h) x 0.52(d)

About the Author

Mari Fitzduff is director of the master's program in coexistence and conflict at Brandeis University. Cheyanne Church is director of Institutional Learning and Research with Search for Common Ground in Washington D.C.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Foreword: A View from Another World—The Policymakers Perspective Chapter 2 1 Stepping Up to the Table: NGO Strategies for Influencing Policy on Conflict Issues Chapter 3 2 Adding Complexity to Chaos: Policymaking in Conflict Situations Chapter 4 3 The Challenges of Influencing Policy in Conflict Situations Chapter 5 4 Track One and a Half Diplomacy: Searching for Political Agreement in the Caucasus Chapter 6 5 Mainstreaming Partnership Approaches to Crisis: Northern Ireland Chapter 7 6 Legitimizing the Role of Women in Peacebuilding at the United Nations: A Campaign Approach Chapter 8 7 Impacting on Community Policing Policy: South Africa Chapter 9 8 Multifaceted Programming: Influencing Policies in Burundi Chapter 10 9 Reframing the Problem: An Approach to the Kurdish Question in Turkey Chapter 11 10 Lessons Learned in Conflict-Related Policy Engagement

Editorial Reviews

The book is thus a welcome and perhaps belated acknowledgement of a significant change in the policy process in evidence since the early 1990s.

Ethnic Conflict Research Digest