Assessment of Non-State Peace Actors’ Forum Initiatives in International Peace and Stabilization, Nairobi, Kenya

Geoffrey Opiyo Oduor; Elijah O. S. Odhiambo

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.2.2.15

Authors

Oduor Geoffrey Opiyo Mount Kenya University, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6286-1110
Elijah O. S. Odhiambo Mount Kenya University, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4048-3962

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.2.15

Keywords:

Effectiveness, International Peace, Non-State Peace Actors, Nairobi Peace Actors Forum, Stabilization

Abstract

The study investigated the role of Non-State Peace Actors in promoting international peace and stability within the context of the Peace Actors Forum in Nairobi. Specifically, the study objectives sought to: Assess the effectiveness of the non-state peace actors’ Forum initiatives; examine how the Peace Actors Forum's work in Nairobi contributes to broader international peace and stabilization; and lastly analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by non-state peace actors in advancing international peace and stability. The significance of this study includes providing practical implications for peace and diplomacy practitioners, as well as stakeholders. It also contributes to scholarly research. The study was framed by Liberalism, Constructivism, and Track II Diplomacy. Descriptive research design was employed, with a case study on Nairobi PAF platform population. The study administered interviews, survey and Focus Group Discussion., targeting 120 members of the platform. Questionnaires were administered to 93 members, 7 key informant interview informants and two FGDs targeting 15 participants, a response rate of 91.83% was secured. The results were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques; quantitative data is presented through frequency distribution tables, pie charts, and bar graphs, while qualitative data is presented in verbatim quotes to provide a nuanced understanding of the findings From the findings, a significant majority of respondents reported positive outcomes of the initiatives by Nairobi non-state peace actors’ forum, particularly in interventions like the Sondu conflict. Non-state peace actors had more international collaborations than state actors, facilitating access to resources and knowledge sharing. Nonetheless, non-state peace actors commanded higher legitimacy and trust from the local communities. Among the key points of departure between Non-State Peace Actors and State Peace Actors was that the state actors had government authority unlike the non-state peace actors who lacked powers to enforce peace policies or any agreement. The major challenge experienced by non-state peace actors was reducing donor funding; divisive politics and ethnic mobilization that instigated conflicts; and security risks among the non-state peace actors. The State Peace Actors relied on public funds from the government, which is always available through national budgets and donors, to fund their operation unlike non-state peace actors who relied on donations to fund their operations and given the diminishing availability of donors. The study concludes by confirming that non-state actors provide distinct advantages that are crucial to establishing sustainable peace, despite having fewer resources and institutional power. Finally, the study recommended that stakeholders in peace and conflict resolution should strengthen coordination among non-state actors and State Actors; Strengthen local capacity building; engage in research; and advocate for supportive legal and policy framework.

References

Autesserre, S. (2014). Peaceland: Conflict resolution and the everyday politics of international intervention. Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107280366 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107280366

Bah, A. B. (2013). Civil non-state actors in peacekeeping and peacebuilding in West Africa. Journal of International Peacekeeping, 17(3-4), 313-340. https://doi.org/10.1163/18754112-1704008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18754112-1704008

Bailey, F. G. (2018). 'Tribe' and 'Caste' in India. Contributions to Indian Sociology, 5(2), 7-19.

Barnes, C. (2009). Civil society and peacebuilding: Mapping functions in working for peace. The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs, 44(1), 131-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932720802693036 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03932720802693036

Chandler, D. (2014). International state building: The rise of post-liberal governance. Routledge.

Doyle, M. W. (2022). Liberal peace: Democratic institutions and international stability. Cambridge University Press.

Galtung, J. (2000). Conflict transformation by peaceful means: The Transcend method. In A. Austin, M. Fischer, & N. Ropers (Eds.), Transforming ethno-political conflict: The Berghof handbook (pp. 45-59). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32481-9_5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32481-9_5

Githaiga, N. (2020). When institutionalisation threatens peacebuilding: The case of Kenya's infrastructure for peace. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 15(3), 316-330. https://doi.org/10.1177/1542316620945681 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1542316620945681

Hansen, H. (2015). The East African Community: Regional challenges and future prospects. Journal of Eastern African Studies, 9(1), 144-162.sed

International Alert. (2022). Mobilising the private sector for peace: The role of private sector actors in peace and conflict dynamics in Kenya and Somalia. International Alert. https://www.international-alert.org/publications/mobilising-the-private-sector-for-peace

Kothari, C. R. (2008). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Age International.

Lederach, J. P. (1997). Building peace: Sustainable reconciliation in divided societies. United States Institute of Peace Press.

Leonardsson, H., & Rudd, G. (2015). The 'local turn' in peacebuilding: A literature review of effective and emancipatory local peacebuilding. Third World Quarterly, 36(5), 825-839. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2015.1029905 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2015.1029905

Lund, M. (2013). Exploration of local peace committees in community-based peacebuilding: Five African cases. In J. Öjendal, H. Leonardsson, & M. Lundqvist (Eds.), Local peacebuilding - challenges and opportunities (pp. 45-67). EBA. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385822275_Exploration_of_Local_Peace_Committees_in_Community-Based_Peacebuilding_Five_African_Cases.

Mac Ginty, R. (2011). International peacebuilding and local resistance: Hybrid forms of peace. Palgrave Macmillan.

https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230307032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230307032

Majak, J. Y. (2019). The role of non-state actors in promoting good governance in South Sudan: A case study of Oxfam [Master's thesis, United States International University - Africa]. USIU-Africa Institutional Repository. http://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/11732/4980

Matshanda, N. T. (2022). Ethiopia's civil wars: Postcolonial modernity and the violence of contested national belonging. Nations and Nationalism, 28(4), 1282-1295. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12835 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12835

Menkhaus, K. (2004). Vicious circles and the security development nexus in Somalia. Conflict, Security & Development, 4(2), 149-165.

https://doi.org/10.1080/1467880042000259086 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1467880042000259086

Møller, B. (2013). Geopolitics and security in the Arctic: Regional dynamics in a global world. Routledge.

Mung'ou, C. (2018). The role of non-state actors in enhancing peacebuilding among women in Mount Elgon region, Kenya. Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies, 4(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.5038/2325-484X.4.1.1099 https://doi.org/10.5038/2325-484X.4.1.1099 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/2325-484X.4.1.1099

Mungai, G. P., Iteyo, C., & Kassilly, J. (2020). Challenges and opportunities faced by informal peace committees in peacebuilding in Nairobi County. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 10(10), 452-467. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.10.10.2020.p10662 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.10.10.2020.p10662

Munyua, H., & Othieno, J. (2016). Community-based peacebuilding initiatives in Kenya: Empowering women and youth for intercommunal reconciliation. African Journal of Conflict Resolution, 16(2), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.3197/204213916X14791901541722

Mutahi, M. (2020). Kenya's peace diplomacy in Eastern Africa: Regional hegemon? International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 4(1), 131-147. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3963444

Odendaal, A. (2013). A crucial link: Local peace committees and national peacebuilding. United States Institute of

O'Keefe, P. D. (2017). Women and peace: Female political empowerment & the prevention of civil violence [Student research paper]. Gettysburg College. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/531/

Olsson, L., & Öberg, M. (2010). International interventions and local conflict management: The role of mediators and third parties. International Studies Review, 12(4), 574-598.

Paffenholz, T. (2014). Civil society and peace negotiations: Beyond the inclusion-exclusion dichotomy. Negotiation Journal, 30(1), 69-91.

https://doi.org/10.1111/nejo.12046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nejo.12046

Paffenholz, T., & Spurk, C. (2010). Civil society, civic engagement, and peacebuilding. Social Development Papers: Conflict Prevention & Reconstruction, No. 36. The World Bank. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/226931468739611725/Civil-society-civic-engagement-and-peacebuilding

Ramirez, C. (2024). The role of non-state actors in conflict resolution: A comparative analysis of peacebuilding efforts in Colombia and Nepal. Studies in Social Science & Humanities, 3(2), 7-12. https://www.paradigmpress.org/SSSH/article/view/993

https://doi.org/10.56397/SSSH.2024.02.02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56397/SSSH.2024.02.02

Richmond, O. P. (2015). The transformation of peace. Contemporary Security Policy, 36(3), 548-572.

Richmond, O. P. (2016). Peace formation and local infrastructures for peace. International Peacekeeping, 23(2), 186-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13533312.2016.1152283

Sankar, C. (2020). Business research methods Unit II: Sampling design - Census and sample survey - Steps in sample design - Sampling techniques - Sampling frame - Size of the sample - Sampling and non-sampling errors.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students (5th ed.). Pearson.

Simons, G., & Tucker, J. (Eds.). (2018). Routledge handbook of African security. Routledge.

Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology: How to choose a sampling technique for research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management (IJARM), 5(2), 18-27. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035

Thuku, Z. K. (2021). Contribution of non-state actors to community policing in urban informal settlements: A case of Mlango Kubwa ward, Nairobi City County, Kenya. [Unpublished master's thesis]. African Nazarene University. https://repository.anu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/658

Wanis-St. John, A., & Kew, D. (2008). Civil society and peace negotiations: Confronting exclusion. International Negotiation, 13(1), 11-36.

https://doi.org/10.1163/138234008X297896 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/138234008X297896

Woldemariam, M., & Öjendal, J. (2012). The African regional peace and security architecture: A policy framework in the making. In U. Engel & J. Gomes Porto (Eds.), Towards an African peace and security regime: Continental frameworks and regional institutions (pp. 49-65). Routledge.