CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This study examines The Role of NGOs in Peace Building in the South West Region of Cameroon. Chapter one outlines the background of the research, as well as detailing its problem statement, explaining the objective and objectives of the study and understands the key terms of the variables.

1.1. Background of the study

NGOs and its actors have gained widely in development cooperation, at least from the mid-1980s. This shift started with the increased involvement of voluntary agencies or NGOs in development cooperation. This can be attributed mainly to the neo-liberal development model (Debiel and Sticht, 2005) of the 1980s that has encouraged a highly sceptical attitude toward the state and favoured the privatization of state welfare and infrastructure services. Thus, NGOs have been assigned new service functions, especially in the social sectors, for which the state had until then been responsible. They have increasingly taken over operational tasks, in line with efforts to reduce the role of the state or where state weakness is pervasive (Abiew and Keating, 2004).

This trend was reinforced by the series of UN world conferences in the 1990s that gave substantial incentives to found new NGOs or to enlarge the scope of existing ones. NGOs were especially presented as alternative implementers of development assistance when states or governments of partner countries were weak or performing poorly. The preference for NGOs was due to their perceived political independence, flexibility and effectiveness in reaching beneficiaries, in contrast with bureaucratic state apparatuses. Funding of official development assistance channeled through NGOs has increased substantially, from an average of $3.1 billion from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 1985/86 to $7.2 billion in 2001 (Debiel and Sticht, 2005). Other sources mention even higher figures (Schmidt, 2000) as cited by Paffenholz T. (2006).

This shift in funding through NGOs can be identified as mainly strengthening the third sector as a more efficient alternative in service delivery. Although NGOs are also civil NGOs actors, this shift in aid delivery mechanisms did not primarily aim to support the establishment of a vibrant NGOs. Notwithstanding the different objectives, support to the third sector was automatically identified and labeled as NGOs support.

NGOs as a concept gained more momentum at the beginning of the 1990s as a means to improve governance and democratization. As the Cold War came to an end, there was an opportunity to set good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law as priority objectives in development cooperation. Thus, vibrant NGOs was considered as an important pillar for establishing democracy and its support an obvious aim of democratization efforts Paffenholz T. (2006).

Almost all international donors mention NGOs as an important factor to “influence decisions of the state and highlight NGOs’s responsibility for a democratic state and its dynamic role in pushing for social, economic and political change” (DFID, 2005) or stressing its role in encouraging open debates on public policy (USAID, 2005).

According to Anderson (2003) in all civil wars there are elements that connect the people with the fight. This means that in all societies, capacities for peace exist. In order to work for peace, it is important, therefore, to identify the elements that provoke tension and those that offer opportunities for peace.

The changing nature of armed conflict and the consequent intensification of peace-building efforts over the past decade has broadened the role of civil NGOs, including non-governmental organizations and the nature of their working relationship with the United Nations. Long recognized as leaders in the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the ability of NGOs to influence peace-building at the policy and operational level is also being increasingly recognized (DESA, 2004).

Peace-building is now understood more broadly. It often covers all activities related to preventing outbreaks of violence, transforming armed conflicts, finding peaceful ways to manage conflict, and creating the socio-economic and political pre-conditions for sustainable development and peace.

Such a broad concept of peace building, however, suffers from including nearly all socio-economic development, poverty reduction or democratization efforts, making it difficult to determine when peace building activities end and regular development activities begin. In this vein, implicit causal linkages are constructed between general development activities and peace building objectives, but there is little evidence to substantiate these links. Service delivery, for example, is seen as conducive to peace building by helping to establish conditions conducive to peace (Paffenholz T., 2006).

Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, a homegrown constitutional conference was held in Garowe in 1998 over a period of three months. Attended by the area’s political elite, traditional elders, members of the business community, intellectuals and other NGO representatives, the autonomous State was subsequently officially established so as to deliver services to the population, offer security, facilitate trade, and interact with both domestic and international partners.

1.2. Thesis Statement

 NGOs contribute to the Peace buildings

1.3. Problem Statement

Bringing NGOs on board to build a safe environment provides a crucial foundation for recovery and long‐term peaceful development. Local government, police forces and prosecutors cannot function sustainably without involving their communities and addressing the concerns and needs of the people (UNDP, 2013). According to the UNDP (2015) the Progress toward peace in The South West Region Of Cameroon requires rebuilding trust and cooperation between civilians and authorities, as well as between different clans in order to identify youth-specific challenges and better understand their potential role in peace-building.

It is worth noting that the problem the researcher has for conducting this project is the growing insecurity in the South West Region of Cameroon. The researcher is deeply concerned by the activities of some armed groups and secessionists and more particularly those of Ambazonian Restoration Forces who are destructing lives and properties in the region. This situation is hampering peace, security and development in the South West Region of Cameroon.

The researcher, therefore, intends to investigate the role which Non-Governmental Organisations can play in peace-building efforts in the South West Region of Cameroon.

1.4. The objective of the study

The objective of this study is to determine and describe the role of NGOs and peace buildings in The South West Region of Cameroon by using qualitative and quantitative methods with view of improving the stability and peace-buildings in The South West Region Of Cameroon. The role of NGOs will have characterized by protection, monitoring, advocacy, socialization, Social cohesion, facilitation and service delivery as entry point for peace building in The South West Region Of Cameroon.

1.5. Research Objectives

1.5.1 Main Research Objective

The main objective of this study is to analyze the role of NGOs in Peacebuilding in the South West region of Cameroon.

1.5.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To find out whether or not there is a relationship between the activities of NGOs and peacebuilding in the South West region of Cameroon.
2. To find out the factors that hinder NGOs from contributing to peacebuilding in the South West region of Cameroon.
3. To suggest ways through which NGOs can contribute to peacebuilding in the South West region of Cameroon.
4. To find out the effects of advocacy on peacebuilding in The South West Region of Cameroon

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