Promoting Democracy in Postconflict Societies Edited by Jeroen de Zeeuw and Krishna Kumar From the Foreword Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the worldwide rejection of single-party and military rule, democracy promotion has become a major component of bilateral and multilateral assistance. Consequently, democracy assistance by development/corporation agencies and international non-governmental organizations is one of the largest growth industries in the world today. While it best manifests itself through the large number of organizations taking part in electoral observation in troubled areas, democracy assistance involves a wide range of activities designed to nurture fragile democratic institutions in such diverse places as Afghanistan, East Timor, Liberia, Sudan and Iraq. This book deals with three keys areas of democracy development: postconflict elections and political party development, human rights assistance, and media assistance. These areas are critical not only for postconflict reconciliation in the short term, but also for sustainable peace and for capacity development of democratic institutions in the long term. The book provides a timely account of both progress and shortcomings in all three areas. With respect to electoral assistance and political party development, there is a risk of focusing too much on electoral organizations and mechanisms, to the detriment of addressing the fundamental issue of democracy as a system of a rule that maximizes popular consent and participation, the legitimacy and accountability of rulers, and the responsiveness of the latter to the expressed interests and needs of the public. ………. In the areas of human rights and media assistance, progress is being made in addressing the consequences of heinous crimes in postgenocide Rwanda and in postwar Cambodia and Sierra Leone. War crime tribunals, trough commissions, and the promotion of responsible journalism through competent and human rights-based media development are among the best results of international assistance in democracy promotion. On the other hand, shortcomings do exist, and these are most manifest in Guatemala, where political impunity and criminal violence are on the rise despite enormous international assistance for human rights promotion and protection. ……….