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Traditional Structure and Local Governance for Development and State-Building. Georg Lutz Wolf Linder University of Berne, Institute of Political Science. Part 1: Internal Governance and Traditional Power Structures. Preliminary remarks. Problems with decentralisation
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Traditional Structure and Local Governance for Development and State-Building Georg Lutz Wolf Linder University of Berne, Institute of Political Science
Part 1: Internal Governance and Traditional Power Structures
Preliminary remarks • Problems with decentralisation • Lack of resources (donors and states) • Ignorance of existing social and political structures, western approach of state- building • What are traditional structures? • pre-colonial period, historical continuity • However: often unclear what is tradition, what is more modern • Every society changes, so do traditional structures
Varieties in traditional structures • Two main important dimension • Degree of integration: how geographically and culturally integrated are traditional societies. • Minority/Majority position: Are traditional communities in a minority (e.g. in America) or majority position (e.g. Africa) • Tradition and modernity simultaneously
Important governance dimensions • Legitimacy • Social Inclusion • Human Rights, Rule of Law • Accountability, Responsiveness and Transparency • Conflict resolution and state-building
Legitimacy • Legitimacy is what people accept as legitimate • Democracies: constitutions/rule of law, elections • Traditional authorities: historical, hereditary, divine/religious • Co-existence of different authorities at the same time
Social Inclusion • Problematic in some ways • Inheritance of title does not allow changes in leadership • Women often excluded • Right of communities exclusive: do not apply to other groups • However • Traditional authorities transformable • Local governance often not inclusive either
Human Rights, Rule of Law • Possible conflict between human right and right of self-determination • Codification of legal pluralism • Acceptance of (non-codified) customary law? • When applies? • To whom does it apply to? • Can people choose? • Complexity depends on degree of integration
Conflict resolution and state-building • Traditional authorities may be more legitimate • + Recognition of traditional authorities can stabilize country and settle conflict • - Recognition can lead to further ethnic division and social exclusion
Arguments for stronger inclusion • Non-western approach for state-building • Better inclusion of local population • Acceptance of policy implementation • Traditional authorities as advocates for conflict resolution • Better responsiveness and legitimacy
Question marks • What is traditional? • How to deal with migration? • How to deal with simultaneous co-existence of tradition and modernity? • How to deal with competing legal systems? • How to deal with competing moralities? • Pluralistic power structure: the essence
Part 3:Contribution of traditional power structures to local development
When to include traditional authorities I • No single model for everywhere • Need for careful examination of the social political and economic structures at the local level • State • Level of decentralisation • Functions, Resources of local government, performance • Traditional authorities • „Tradition of traditional authorities“ • Role, legitimacy,transparency, responsiveness of traditional authority, social inclusion
Changing structures, changing role • Any intervention and transformation changes the power structure of a society • Changing the role of traditional authorities changes their role within a local community as well