Local NGOs’ Contribution to Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention in the Southern Region of Ukraine

Abstract: Since the end of the Cold War peacebuilding and conflict prevention became an important part of the international agenda in the processes of achieving peace. Nowadays there is an acknowledgment that civil society is an important actor that shares responsibility with the state, international actors, and contributes to rebuilding of states and societies after violent conflicts. However, there is a lack of contemporary research on the role and involvement of civil society in conflict prevention. This abductive study is addressing a problem of the undiscovered potential of civil society’s role in conflict prevention.  The objective of the study is to contribute to a discussion on the importance of inclusion of civil society actors in peacebuilding and conflict prevention by investigating the contribution of local NGOs to sustainable peace in Ukraine. The Southern region of Ukraine serves as a case study in which primary data was gathered through qualitative semi-structured interviews with NGOs and donor representatives. The research objectives are reached through the analysis of the activities of local NGOs by applying an analytical framework for peacebuilding functions by Paffenholz and Spurk and then by interpreting the functions through a conflict prevention concept, using a toolbox for conflict prevention actions developed by SIPRI. The results of the study based on the case of the Southern region of Ukraine demonstrate that the functions of civil society in peacebuilding, as outlined by the analytical framework, may not just be applied to the post-conflict stage of peacebuilding. In fact, they may be applied during different cycles of the conflict as part of the conflict prevention set of actions.  Local NGOs are contributing to conflict prevention and performing all seven peacebuilding functions as defined in the analytical framework. However, the main challenge is that these NGOs do not completely realize their role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention due to limited capacities and knowledge. That leads back to the problem of the undiscovered potential of civil society in conflict prevention. One possible solution, resulting from the suggestions of this study’s respondents, is the need for development of local knowledge and expertise in order to make the peace process sustainable.