The Significance of Ownership of Local Society in Peacebuilding

This paper explores the importance of "ownership of local society" in the context of peacebuilding. While the principle of "local ownership" is well established in international society, its strategic implications in peacebuilding have not yet been fully examined. This paper first provides a systematic recognition of the importance of "ownership of local society" in the context of peacebuilding. The paper introduces the concepts of legitimacy, willingness, capacity, and activeness in order to illustrate the strategic thinking of peacebuilding to meaningfully develop "ownership of local society" in the context of peacebuilding. Then, second, the paper identifies major bearers of "ownership of local society" and examined their possibilities from the perspective of peacebuilding. The enriched concept of "ownership" should not exclusively exercised by the national government. Local administrations as well as civil society organizations also have crucial roles to play as implementers of "ownership of local society" in the context of peacebuilding. The third section of the paper illustrates the relevance of the issue in each of main policy areas of peacebuilding. By doing so, the paper aims to show how those who are engaged in peacebuilding should take into consideration the strategic importance of "ownership of local society" in the context of peacebuilding