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Consociationalism as Peacebuilding in Syria

Holm, Kathrine Ellersgaard LU (2021) SIMV07 20211
Graduate School
Department of Political Science
Education
Master of Science in Global Studies
Abstract
The sectarian civil war in Syria is one of the most entrenched civil wars in contemporary time and has proven hard to resolute, despite various attempts by international actors. A power-sharing system of consociationalism has often been proposed, given its ability to divide the power between sectarian groups and allocate stability within a political system. Through discourse analysis, this thesis explores how a consociational system is possible in Syria based on the negotiations of the OSES’ current constitutional committee. This thesis argues that consociationalism can, to some degree, provide Syria with a temporary state of stability, for which sustainable peace and de-sectarian measures can be implemented and adapted over time. This is... (More)
The sectarian civil war in Syria is one of the most entrenched civil wars in contemporary time and has proven hard to resolute, despite various attempts by international actors. A power-sharing system of consociationalism has often been proposed, given its ability to divide the power between sectarian groups and allocate stability within a political system. Through discourse analysis, this thesis explores how a consociational system is possible in Syria based on the negotiations of the OSES’ current constitutional committee. This thesis argues that consociationalism can, to some degree, provide Syria with a temporary state of stability, for which sustainable peace and de-sectarian measures can be implemented and adapted over time. This is also seen through the involvement of civil society, which, through their expertise, adequately can highlight and problematise key issues within the political process. Moreover, the element of federalism within consociationalism can provide the country with an opportunity to de-centralise the power. This will furthermore minimise the risk for dissatisfaction within the sectarian divided population. There have, however, been aspects where consociationalism does not seem plausible. This is, among other things, seen through the construction of the opposition, as they are perceived as one homogenous unit, and not as the plural collection of actors within the conflict. (Less)
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author
Holm, Kathrine Ellersgaard LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Exploring the political power-sharing system from Iraq and Lebanon based on the OSES’ Constitutional Committee’s negotiations
course
SIMV07 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Syrian civil war, sectarianism, consociationalism, power-sharing, federalism, civil society, identity formation, foreign intervention
language
English
id
9064240
date added to LUP
2021-09-14 15:26:17
date last changed
2021-09-14 15:26:17
@misc{9064240,
  abstract     = {{The sectarian civil war in Syria is one of the most entrenched civil wars in contemporary time and has proven hard to resolute, despite various attempts by international actors. A power-sharing system of consociationalism has often been proposed, given its ability to divide the power between sectarian groups and allocate stability within a political system. Through discourse analysis, this thesis explores how a consociational system is possible in Syria based on the negotiations of the OSES’ current constitutional committee. This thesis argues that consociationalism can, to some degree, provide Syria with a temporary state of stability, for which sustainable peace and de-sectarian measures can be implemented and adapted over time. This is also seen through the involvement of civil society, which, through their expertise, adequately can highlight and problematise key issues within the political process. Moreover, the element of federalism within consociationalism can provide the country with an opportunity to de-centralise the power. This will furthermore minimise the risk for dissatisfaction within the sectarian divided population. There have, however, been aspects where consociationalism does not seem plausible. This is, among other things, seen through the construction of the opposition, as they are perceived as one homogenous unit, and not as the plural collection of actors within the conflict.}},
  author       = {{Holm, Kathrine Ellersgaard}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Consociationalism as Peacebuilding in Syria}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}