Disarming Conflict by Ernie Regehr

Author:Ernie Regehr
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Zed Books
Published: 2015-03-02T16:00:00+00:00

Legitimacy

The legitimacy of those in charge of a governance system and its public institutions depends not only on how they are chosen, but also on them being accountable to and guided by public, rather than private, interest. Force in support of governmental authorities that are widely regarded as illegitimate is necessarily regarded as a hostile effort to give power to leaders that are not trusted. An International Peace Academy report makes the point that “where external donors [and one could add external military forces] provide resources to corrupt, predatory central governments in the name of strengthening their institutions (think of Zaire during the Cold War), then State-building only advances abusive authority and fuels resentment and armed resistance.”43 And the intervening forces also lose legitimacy when military operations lack full respect for international humanitarian law and fail to take all the necessary precautions to protect civilians in conflict. Legitimacy is not a one-time accomplishment or acquisition through an election. It requires daily renewal by acts that gradually build trust. Dissident military forces fighting for their particular brand or promise of leadership are similarly forced to build and nurture the loyalties of their constituencies. When loyalty and trust erode, they are unlikely to be restored by force. Restoring loyalty depends not only on a political process, but also on a governance process and style that wins the confidence of people.

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