Constitution Making, Peacebuilding, and National Reconciliation
part of the Rule of Law
Featured
An event on June 8, 2010, explored the continuing evolution of constitution making and constitutionalism in Africa. Leading experts and scholars discussed recent developments in constitution making in several African nations to try to uncover lessons learned, where African constitutionalism is headed, and what we might expect in the future. Listen to a recording of the panel discussion.
Framing the State in Times of Transition: Case Studies in Constitution Making
USIP published an edited volume in 2010 containing 19 case studies of constitution making experiences over the past thirty years along with several analytical chapters. Most chapters in Framing the State in Times of Transition were written by individuals directly involved in the respective constitutional processes, providing an extraordinary depth of first-hand detail and reflection.
Program Experts
 |
Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law Center
|
The project on Constitution Making, Peacebuilding and National Reconciliation provides guidance to policymakers, negotiators, and practitioners involved in constitution making processes regarding tools and options at their disposal. USIP projects focus on the design of constitution making processes, enhancing the field of understanding of constitutional provisions and principles, and assisting national actors in constitutional drafting and implementation.
Current Activities
Constitutionmaking.org
Launched in 2009, this web-based resource provides essential input for practitioners involved in constitution making processes. The tools and intellectual resources if offers include a digital library of constitutions, comparative analysis of a variety of issues, and a blog dedicated to reporting and reflecting on constitutional developments worldwide. | Visit the site
Public Participation in Constitution Making
In countries coming out of conflict, the perceived legitimacy of a constitution, and how it was created, may be as essential to success as the outcome of any particular substantive issue. Therefore, public consultation accompanied by robust public information campaigns is a fundamental element of constitutional processes. In 2009, USIP partnered with International Interpeace and International IDEA to host a conference on these issues.
Rethinking Federalism and Power Sharing in Post-Conflict Divided Societies
Federalism has become a popular answer to the question of how to reconstruct post-conflict states, particularly those divided along ethnic, religious, or linguistic lines. Unfortunately, most federal models have been developed in and for advanced western democracies, making their application to non-western developing countries difficult. In addition, federalism and power sharing have too often been viewed in competition with each other, with little regard for possible synergies. USIP is partnering with the Forum of Federations to reexamine current thinking on institutional design in order to maximize the positive impact these processes and institutions can play in conflict resolution and post-conflict state building.
Country-Specific Engagements
The Constitution Making Project engages directly in ongoing constitution making processes, providing support and advice on issues of substance, process, and implementation. In the past, we have worked with government, international, and NGO/civil society organizations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, and DRC, among others. We currently work in Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. | Read more about our ongoing projects.
Projects
 |
USIP is working with state officials, political leaders and civil society members from Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states to design and conduct popular consultation - a CPA-mandated process whereby the two states will seek to renegotiate political, administrative, and constitutional arrangements with the central government. |
|