Introduction: Parliaments as Peacebuilders

Over the last couple of decades the world has witnessed a transformation in the nature of conflict.  Traditional inter-state conflicts have become rarer as non-traditional intra-state conflicts, whether in the form of civil wars, armed insurrections, violent secessionist movements or domestic focused warfare continue to rage across the globe, touching both hemispheres and every region of the world.   Unfortunately, due to the interdependence of states, intra-state conflict has a tendency to move beyond the boundaries of one particular state; this process of diffusion and contagion mean that low-level intra-state conflicts can potentially escalate into more intense inter-state conflict.  The evolving nature of conflict has created an impetus to reassess which actors can contribute to resolving this latest incarnation of conflict and more importantly how these actors can contribute to the peacebuilding process, particularly in conflict-affected countries.  Parliaments are coming to the fore, more so than ever before, as natural forums which are uniquely designed to address contentious issues and relationships in conflict-affected societies thereby contributing to peacebuilding efforts. 

Parliamentarians are uniquely positioned to play leadership roles in their societies and to strengthen peacebuilding from below.  They are more representative and their members more accessible to the general public than the executive or judicial branches; therefore, can address contentious issues and relationships in conflict-affected societies.   In addition, parliaments institutionalize conflict and are designed, by their very nature, to include disparate sectors of society, and to reflect and express the divergent views of those diverse groups.  At its most general level parliaments are able to contribute to peacebuilding and conflict prevention by helping to create national consensus around commonly held values and goals through national policy dialogue.  However, they can also contribute to conflict-prevention whilst undertaking its normal every functions.