Participatory Processes Strengthen Democracy in Post-conflict Divided Societies?

• In Event: Divided Times: Deliberative Democracy in Post Conflict & Polarised Societies

Abstract

Citizens assemblies are able to strengthen democratic processes where there is trust amongst citizens in a society. Can they strengthen democracy in places with societal divisions that experienced conflict? This paper aims to comparatively explore how citizens assemblies work in post conflict and divided societies, and whether they can expand power-sharing to address citizens’ concerns. Political power sharing is a common tool to establish governance after conflict in divided societies. However, it mainly brings together political elites representing key societal groups, and neglects mechanisms to engage citizens directly. At a time when citizens’ protests are less effective there is a need to investigate more structured forms of deliberative processes. Compared to other forms of deliberative democracy, citizens assemblies do not tend to reproduce structures of privilege and inequality between citizens. They have proven capable of overcoming divisions within populations, also in the United States. Research on democratic innovations in divided societies mostly focuses on case studies, neglecting comparative work. The paper employs a mixed-methods research design with quantitative data sourced from surveys in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and survey results from Lebanon and Northern Ireland. A within-case comparison of two assemblies in Bosnia that were held under different structural conditions allows for comparison along indicators of diversity and conflict. The quantitative data is enriched with qualitative interviews with organizers, stakeholders and citizens. Initial findings presented in this paper address whether levels of diversity and exposure to violence during past conflict affect individual participation. It aims to contribute to answering whether political processes that are based on random sortition can provide an alternative, citizen-oriented process to share power in divided societies and strengthen multiethnic democracy.

Author

• Damir Kapidzic, University of Sarajevo