Grounding the Common Search for Inclusion : How Local Perceptions can be Included in International Peacebuilding Organizations

Abstract: The term local participation has become a frequently used buzzword within peacebuilding; however, its contextual meaning and practical implications are not well established. Further, most of the literature has focused on international organizations from a state-building and good governance perspective, however, often this does not account for the work and responsibilities which are carried by large-scale peacebuilding INGOs. I address this gap and ask how and why local perceptions are included in some projects while they are less in others. I argue that interventions in peacebuilding projects whose conceptualizations comprehensively incorporate the local context provide space for meaningful interactions and closer ties between beneficiaries and project staff, hence motivating accountability towards the communities and thereby increasing the level of inclusion of local perceptions. To address this question, I conduct a qualitative within-case comparison where I analyze Search for Common Ground’s application of the Grounded Accountability Model, aimed at including local perceptions. Overall, I found moderate support that contextualized conceptualization as a tool for local participation increases the inclusion of local perceptions within peacebuilding projects. The findings highlight the need for a context-sensitive approach towards the term community.