Conclusion

Conclusion
Ultimately, citizens must be able to trust their governing institutions, and governing
institutions should provide the security and services that citizens need. When corruption
is rampant, there can be no trust, and security and services also suffer. Corruption tends
to be endemic and most detrimental in states that are transitioning from one form of
governance to another or fragile from violent conflict. And, trying to root it out too
abruptly may lead to more violence and instability. Then again, if corruption is allowed to
fester in those societies, strong and effective governance can be difficult to establish and
social and economic development will be hindered.
With respect to the impact of corruption on peacebuilding, practitioners wrestle with
making difficult choices on when and where to tolerate corruption. As countries in
transition struggle with stability, the ties among corruption, governance and peaceful
development have come into focus. Growing understanding of fragile states and these
ties have led to some new ideas and approaches in how outsiders can or should help.
These approaches span from helping to establish good governance to incorporating the
power of civic involvement into their work. However, application of these ideas and
approaches continue to be challenging in as many ways as there are complex conflicts
and fragile states.
Certainly, peacebuilders—foreign and domestic; individuals, organizations, and
governments—have very important roles to play in addressing corruption and
establishing good governance in order to prevent conflict and strengthen regional and
international security. We hope this study guide contributes to your deeper
understanding of issues presented here as well as encourages innovation and
involvement.