LINCHPIN FOR DEMOCRACY: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN IRAQ

INTRODUCTION

"Traditionally foreign policy has been the monopoly of very small groups of statesmen and diplomats, often conducting policies unknown to the citizens. This runs against the spirit of democracy. Democracy goes beyond elections. Democracy is participation. "

- Johan Gaining, Director, TRANSCEND, A Peace and Development Network

The United States has recently adopted an interventionist strategy to encourage democratization throughout the world, with particular emphasis on Islamic states. Both Afghanistan and Iraq are examples of how the United States has used offensive military force to initiate the transformation from autocratic to democratic states. For nations, such as Iraq, in transition from authoritarian systems or dictatorships to democracy, it is a daunting challenge to democratize peacefully. Attempting to institutionalize democratic principles in societies that lack strong institutions or history of popular participation in government can exacerbate conflict and political competition and rip a country apart, as demonstrated by the continuous upsurge of violence and waning US legitimacy in Iraq.

The ongoing mayhem in Iraq has halted reconstruction efforts, delayed the return to normalcy for local communities, intensified tensions between international occupying forces and Iraqis, and created a power vacuum of lawlessness and chaos. At the same time, Iraq's nascent civil society is slowly working to shift the atmosphere toward a democratic framework, as evidenced by the organization and mobilization of Iraqi citizens to create local community groups, nongovernmental organizations, newspapers, and political parties. Despite the current challenges, a motivated and educated Iraqi citizenry is beginning to enjoy political pluralism and diverse coalitions within Iraqi society have surfaced, even while extremists seek to impose their agendas on a deeply traumatized society. The shift to democracy will best occur if there is an increasing focus on the centrality of Iraqi civil society within that transition. Iraqi democracy will depend on a vigorous and homegrown civil society composed of nongovernmental organizations, religious groups, a scientific community, educational institutions, media, and a business sector working to transform the social and cultural environment of Iraq. The shift to democracy and the prevention of future violent conflict requires more than a short-term military strategy; it requires a long-term investment that includes all levels and sectors of society.

The aim of this research is to document and analyze the role of Iraq's emerging civil society in the reconstruction and democratization of Iraq. In this paper, I specifically examine the work of women leaders and organizations mobilized around the issue of political participation. As 55 percent of the population, Iraqi women have emerged as one of the most organized and vocal sectors of civil society. As only one example in the context of a larger civil society, Iraqi women demonstrate that an active citizenry is imperative to the process of democratization; they are the linchpins for creating democracy and preventing future conflict in Iraq.

This study is divided into four parts. The first focuses on several scholars' theories relating to civil society in Middle Eastern societies and the role of civil society in democratization and conflict prevention. The concepts discussed in the literature review shape the foundation of this study. Part two outlines the theoretical framework and defines civil society, democracy, and conflict prevention, explaining their relationship to each other. It addresses the importance of civil society to democratization, how democracy can create the necessary space to promote peace. The third section describes the methodological approach to this study. And finally, the majority of this report outlines the historical and contemporary work of women's organizations to demonstrate how they have contributed to transforming Iraqi political and social culture.

LITERATURE REVIEW

There is a vigorous debate concerning the relationship between civil society and democracy in the Middle East, but there is little cross-fertilization with concurrent discussions of the role of civil society in conflict prevention. Democracy does not necessarily equate to peace or prevention of conflict, but this paper will make the case that a democratization process that fully involves Iraqi civil society will increase the likelihood of a more stable, peaceful country. In typical foreign policy analyses, democracy and conflict prevention are separated into two distinct subjects; the former is mainly found in political science and Arab studies discourse, while the latter is a focus in the peace and conflict field. This paper draws on these two distinct, but intersecting, subject areas: the role of civil society in building democracy and promoting conflict prevention.

For significant historical and political reasons, namely due to decades of dictatorial rule, there is minimal literature about democracy and civil society in Iraq. As a result, I employ a regional focus on the role of civil society in the Middle East. Acknowledging the fact that each country within the Middle East is different and unique in history, political climate, economics, ethnicity, and culture, I use a regional approach, because the relatively large amount of literature regarding civil society in relation to dominant Islamic states provides a rich backdrop as the base of discussion and important context for Iraq.