ABSTRACT
This chapter applies the lessons learned by theories of deliberative democracy to various governance models used by local zones of peace during conflict and in post-conflict arenas. Those zones of peace (ZoPs) that use formal or informal governance models designed to achieve consensus decision-making will tend to have more longevity and success than those that do not. These models of governance achieve high levels of internal participation and, in doing so, increase the legitimacy of the peacebuilding process locally.
