Civil Society Engagement in the Sulu Archipelago: Mobilizing Vibrant Networks to Win the Peace

Abstract

How might the United States military think about and interact with civil society organizations to help win a sustainable peace? In this paper, I use retroductive reasoning, the Delphi method, and a modified Institutional Analysis and Development framework to explore this question. While some adversaries must be pursued and eliminated, the military must also connect with the populace through deliberate and direct engagement with civil society groups in order to secure the peace. I check this thesis with a plausibility test of two experimental interventions in the Southern Philippines and find that a simple probe reveals complex webs of vibrant networks able to mobilize masses of people capable of transforming the conflict landscape. This study identifies future research agendas, offers recommendations, and presents a "rules of thumb" guide for future planning.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 14, 2013
Accession Number
ADA589736

Entities

People

  • Arnel P. David

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Delphi Method
  • Failed States
  • Governments
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Political Science
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Reasoning
  • Social Media
  • Sociopolitics
  • Students
  • Teamwork
  • Terrorists
  • Thinking
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies