Blessed are the peacemakers. Collaboration between INGOs and religious actors on peacebuilding in northern Iraq
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2022-01-10
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en
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Abstract
This research seeks to understand how international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and local religious actors collaborate on peacebuilding in northern Iraq. Northern Iraq, which is rich in different peoples and religions, has known many violent conflicts, conflicts that were often shaped along sectarian lines. International interventions have had various results, but as long as there is a lack of local ownership of the peacebuilding process, there seems to be a lack of sustainability as well. Through a collective case study, and with use of academic debates concerning external/local collaboration and the role of religion in conflicts, collaboration between INGOs and local religious actors has been explored. This subject is placed in Iraq’s historical context, addressing conflicts, interventions, collaboration and religion. Overall, the participants in this research value collaboration, but while the theoretical framework of this thesis highlights the emerging concept of localization, with its focus on local ownership, this kind of collaboration is not yet put fully into practice. Despite current challenges in this regard, the vast majority of the respondents are very optimistic about the current exchanges between different groups of people and feel that such involvement, and ideally even stronger collaboration, will contribute to effective peacebuilding in northern Iraq.
Key words: Iraq, religion, collaboration, international, local, peacebuilding
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen