Missing the target for democracy and reconciliation represents the biggest possible loss for the peoples of the region, donors, politicians and investors alike: a loss of time the single most precious commodity for humans. The European Union must build on the already accumulated capital, by setting concrete priorities for NGOs and civil society, so as not to throw away all that has been achieved in the past 15 years. The alternative is a prolonged period of political instability, poverty and economic stagnation, which is much worse as a prospect for the future than a real past of violent conflict.