differently from the majority, which can lead to violence and
instability. Therefore, it is imperative that nationalism is counterbalanced with inclusiveness to protect against marginalization. Nationalism or inclusivity fail to achieve good governance.
But, inclusive nationalism, in a sovereign state, balances the two
impulses of inclusion and exclusion, or rights and responsibilities, against each other. The ideal result is a sovereign nation
that is self-governing with a healthy sense of its identity, but that
embraces all segments of the population.
establishment of nation-building initiatives that promote stability and development.
Conclusion
As a country, we are frequently tasked with stabilization and
governance engagements after a war or conflict. The goal is
to establish a stable, self-governing, and developing country
because these are the conditions that provide a country with
the best opportunity for a long-term peace. Otherwise, there is
a high likelihood for hostilities to break out again in the near
INCA Process
future, as we have witnessed in Iraq. With inclusive nationalCurrently, there is no reliable method of collecting the informa- ism, all local and international stakeholders must work together
tion necessary to achieve inclusive nationalism. An effective tool to define a shared understanding of a national identity in order
is needed to help understand and gauge the diverse perspectives to establish a stable and self-governing country.
of the national and international stakeholders in a post-conflict
The INCA process does not guarantee success, and it does not
environment. Through facilitated dialogue the INCA process
prevent failure rather, it generates an enabling environment in
begins to develop a shared understanding of the situation,
which success becomes possible. A stable and self-governing
then establishes realistic goals for stability and nation-building
nation cannot be created solely by outside actors. Local actors
operations. The INCA process fills this gap by generating a
shared assessment of the country made by all local, regional, and understand the situation better than anyone else, and will
continue to live in the region long after the international stakeinternational stakeholders.
holders leave. Therefore, all local stakeholders must profoundly
participate in post-conflict stabilization efforts. The INCA proThe INCA stakeholders are derived from politically, socially,
cess assesses the key local stakeholders in order to understand
and culturally influential members of the soverign nation and
allied state and nongovernmental organizations. The stakehold- their positions on the state of the country, and does the same
with relevant international parties by assessing their perceptions
ers evaluate the country or situation based on their subjective
and interests in the country. The INCA process gives all leadperspectives. The INCA assessment focuses on twenty-three
ers valuable information for the planning and implementation
sectors of society, and asks respondents to rate them on a
phases of stabilization operations and governance initiatives,
development scale. The sectors range from international rela tions, the economy, and distribution of power to education and making the establishment of a stable and developing country
more likely.
religion. After analyzing the first round of results, the INCA
team returns to the stakeholders to discuss the answers of other
respondents, especially those with different viewpoints in a
non-attribution format. (This protocol, in combination with
others, makes it impossible and undesirable for participants to
game the assessment.) Each stakeholder re-assesses the country
or situation after considering the other perspectives. Over several rounds, stakeholders move toward a consensus of the current
state of the country.
Benefits of INCA
By contributing to the creation of the assessment, national and
international stakeholders share responsibility in defining the
national goals. INCA equips the leaders of stabilization, governance, and development initiatives with valuable information
that can then be leveraged to make educated and strategic decisions. The INCA process is a tool that helps local actors coordinate with regional and international stakeholders in the
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