Role of United Nations Development Programme: 1967–1982

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 555-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARLOS SANTISO

Promoting democracy and strengthening good governance have become core components of post-conflict peace-building initiatives of the United Nations (UN). An often overlooked dimension of the analysis of UN peace support operations has been the crucial role played by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the critical juncture linking peacekeeping to sustainable development. UN peace operations in Central America over the last decade have pioneered the organisation's involvement in the uncharted territory of post-conflict peace building. UNDP's Central American experience was the first step in the organisation's evolution away from providing traditional development assistance, towards playing an active and openly political role in post-conflict democracy building and governance reform. This new role of the UNDP has had dramatic repercussions on its mandate, administrative structures, corporate policies and operational strategies. The current institutional renewal of UNDP has its roots in its endorsement of democratic governance as essential dimensions of its mandate to promote sustainable human development. This article assesses the significance, promises and dilemmas of the governance agenda for UNDP and analyses the scope, nature and institutionalisation of democracy and governance programmes within UNDP, using Central America as a case study. It argues that the future of UNDP democracy assistance will largely depend on how successful it is at resolving the inherent tensions between democracy promotion and national sovereignty, while retaining its multilateral approach to peace and democracy.


Author(s):  
Ghozali Rusyid Affandi

Sepuluh tahun bencana tsunami di Aceh telah berlalu, tentunya banyak bantuan dari dalam dan luar negeri untuk perbaikan infrastruktur yang rusak akibat diterjang tsunami yang telah menewaskan lebih dari 100.000 orang dan total kerusakan diperkirakan mencapai lebih dari 4 juta dolar AS (United Nations Development programme Indonesia, 2007). Namun dampak secara psikologis seperti trauma, depresi karena kehilangan keluarga serta cacat fisik yang dialami tidak begitu saja hilang dari penyintas. Agar seseorang penyintas tsunami Aceh dapat berfungsi kembali dalam kehidup-annya setelah malapetaka yang menimpanya, dibutuhkan kemampuannya untuk bertahan, bangkit, dan menyesuaikan dengan kondisi sulit yang disebut dengan resiliensi. Ada banyak faktor protektif yang digunakan untuk menstimulasi, meningkatkan serta mempertahankan resiliensi para penyintas. Bisa jadi satu faktor protektif dapat secara efektif meningkatkan resiliensi di budaya tertentu, tetapi kurang efektif di budaya yang lain sebab ada batasan-batan budaya (culture bound) yang mempengaruhi pemaknaan konsep psikologi. Budaya Aceh yang berkenaan dengan kemampuan resiliensi penyintas tsunami adalah nilai-nilai Islami serta penerimaan terhadap kehendak Tuhan, yang berkaitan erat de-ngan konsep spiritualitas. Hasil beberapa penelitian menyebutkan bahwa faktor protektif yang berupa spiritualitas dapat meningkatkan resilensi seseorang. Oleh sebab itu, guna mempertahankan serta meningkatkan resiliensi, maka faktor protektif spiritualitas berlandaskan nilai-nilai Islami yang sesuai dengan budaya masyarakat Aceh perlu diinternalisasikan melalui keluarga dan sekolah. Penginternali-sasian spiritualitas tidak hanya berkenaan dengan pelaksanaan ritual Ibadah, akan tetapi lebih pada penguatan nilai-nilai transendensi.Kata kunci: resiliensi, transendensi, keluarga, budaya


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Ryan

To prevent conflict and move away from fragility towards resilient societies, states increasingly adopt systematic efforts and institutionalised mechanisms to build the necessary capacities to manage conflict and promote peace. One such approach, ‘infrastructures for peace’, offers an inclusive and respectful response. This reflective essay describes the central features of infrastructures for peace and examines how they strengthen resilience within societies. It provides examples of such structures that are being supported by the United Nations Development Programme and its national partners, and examines how they have contributed to national governance and transformed conflict situations.


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