Conclusion condition of external successes and must be built into the strategic objectives of international actors. Attention must also be paid to the geographical dimension of sustainable peace. This means that peacebuilding efforts should not only focus on capital cities and urban centres, but include citizens living in remote areas. Civil society organizations play an important role in this regard, as they have the ability to reach out to communities in ways that governmental structures might not. The facilitation of people-to-people contacts allows members of different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic communities to get to know each other, thereby enabling them to develop an understanding for “the other”. By focusing on common interests, differences can be overcome and problems can be solved in a co-operative manner. Arts, sports, and environmental protection activities can be excellent areas for joint work in which even small investments can create large dividends. As shown by the OSCE’s experiences in South-Eastern Europe, any international support for local processes to build sustainable peace and democracy has to be implemented in a context-specific and conflict-sensitive manner. This requires solid knowledge of historical developments as well as an in-depth understanding of the current societal situation. Understanding the prevailing political, socio-cultural and socio-economic conditions will allow for interventions to be anchored in real needs. 107