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Peace Through Entrepreneurship: Investing in a Startup Culture for Security and Development
by Matthew Muspratt Steven R. KoltaiJoblessness is the root cause of the global unrest threatening American security. Fostering entrepreneurship is the remedy.The combined weight of American diplomacy and military power cannot end unrest and extremism in the Middle East and other troubled regions of the world, Steven Koltai argues. Koltai says an alternative approach would work: investing in entrepreneurship and reaping the benefits of the jobs created through entrepreneurial startups.From 9/11 and the Arab Spring to the self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate, instability and terror breed where young people cannot find jobs. Koltai marshals evidence to show that joblessness-not religious or cultural conflict-is the root cause of the unrest that vexes American foreign policy and threatens international security.Drawing on Koltai's stint as senior adviser for Entrepreneurship in Secretary Hillary Clinton's State Department, and his thirty-year career as a successful entrepreneur and business executive, Peace through Entrepreneurship argues for the significant elevation of entrepreneurship in the service of foreign policy; not rural microfinance or mercantile trading but the scalable stuff of Silicon Valley and Sam Walton, generating the vast majority of new jobs in economies large and small.Peace through Entrepreneurship offers a nonmilitary, long-term solution at a time of disillusionment with Washington's "big development" approach to unstable and underdeveloped parts of the world-and when the new normal is fear of terrorist attacks against Western targets, beheadings in Syria, and jihad. Extremism will not be resolved by a war on terror. The answer, Koltai shows, is stimulating entrepreneurial economic opportunities for the virtually limitless supply of desperate, unemployed young men and women leading lives of endless economic frustration.
Peace through Self-Determination: Success and Failure of Territorial Autonomy (Federalism and Internal Conflicts)
by Felix SchulteBringing together comparative politics, conflict research and social psychology, this book presents a novel theory to explain the consolidation outcomes of post-conflict autonomy arrangements. It builds on Social Identity Theory and identifies a successful process of ethnic recognition as the key prerequisite for peaceful interethnic cohabitation through territorial self-governance. As this process is highly context-dependent, the study identifies relevant structural and actor-centered factors and analyzes their occurrence in the consolidation periods of nineteen autonomy arrangements worldwide using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). The author concludes that elites accept autonomy reforms if they promise a high degree of self-determination and, at the same time, ethnic recognition is not hindered by horizontal inequalities. Bargaining efforts succeed within inclusive institutions involving non-nationalist parties and international organizations. Autonomy reforms fail if the degree of self-rule offered is too low and strong inequalities generate new grievances. Autocratic rule, nationalist parties, and a lack of international attention provide a breeding ground for further centrifugal activities. In-depth case studies on South Tyrol and the Chittagong Hill Tracts provide further evidence for the theoretical models.
A Peace To End All Peace: The Fall Of The Ottoman Empire And The Creation Of The Modern Middle East
by David FromkinPublished with a new afterword from the author--the classic, bestselling account of how the modern Middle East was created The Middle East has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. All of these conflicts--including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis, and the violent challenges posed by Iraq's competing sects--are rooted in the region's political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the Allies after the First World War. InA Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the Middle East. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time, showing how the choices narrowed and the Middle East began along a road that led to the conflicts and confusion that continue to this day. A new afterword from Fromkin, written for this edition of the book, includes his invaluable, updated assessment of this region of the world today, and on what this history has to teach us.
Peace Without Consensus: Power Sharing Politics in Northern Ireland
by Mary-Alice C. Clancy'Peace Without Consensus' demonstrates that the rise of Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was not 'inevitable'. Rather, it argues that critics who blame Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions for the electoral triumph of the political 'extremes' in 2003 have not fully considered how the US, British and Irish governments contributed to this outcome. Through interviews with key US, British and Irish officials this groundbreaking analysis, which represents the first examination of the Bush administration's vital role in the peace process, demonstrates that Washington and Dublin were considering a deal between the DUP and Sinn Féin as early as 2002. Profiled in the Guardian, the Observer, BBC Radio Four, the Irish Independent and in Henry McDonald's 'Gunsmoke and Mirrors', Mary-Alice C. Clancy's theoretically informed and empirically grounded book presents new and salient lessons for other regions embroiled in conflict and should be read by all those interested in Northern Ireland's peace process and US foreign policy.
Peace Without Money, War Without Americans: Can European Strategy Cope?
by Sven BiscopBritain and France were surprised at having to convince the US of the need to intervene in Libya in 2011. The French intervention in Mali in 2013 confirmed the picture; Washington will support European action, but only if and when Europe takes the initiative. Just as the focus of American strategy is shifting to Asia and the Pacific, vital interests in the European neighbourhood require resolute action. Autonomy is being forced upon Europe, but it is an autonomy constrained by a lack of means as, following the financial crisis, defence budgets across the EU member states are slashed. The ramifications of the Arab Spring and the crisis in Ukraine pose challenges of an enormous scale for the EU and its members. Peace Without Money, War Without Americans is the double challenge that European strategy-makers face. What can be expected from strategy at a European level? Can Europe cope?
Peacebuilding
by David ChandlerMoving beyond the binary argument between those who buy into the aims of creating liberal democratic states grounded in free markets and rule of law, and those who critique and oppose them, this timely and much-needed critical volume takes a fresh look at the liberal peace debate. In doing so, it examines the validity of this critique in contemporary peacebuilding and statebuilding practice through a multitude of case studies - from Afghanistan to Somalia, Sri Lanka to Kosovo. Going further, it investigates the underlying theoretical assumptions of liberal peacebuilding and statebuilding, as well as providing new theoretical propositions for understanding current interventions. Written by some of the most prominent scholars in the field, alongside several new scholars making cutting edge contributions, this is an essential contribution to a rapidly growing interdisciplinary area of study.
Peacebuilding: From Concept to Commission (Global Institutions)
by Robert JenkinsThe emergence of The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in 2005 was the culmination of a long and contentious process. In this work Rob Jenkins provides a concise introduction that traces the origins and evolution of peacebuilding as a concept, the creation and functioning of the PBC as an institution, and the complicated relationship between these two processes. Jenkins discusses how continued contestation over what exactly peacebuilding is, and how its objectives can most effectively be achieved, influenced the institutional design and de facto functioning of the PBC, its structure, mandate and origins. He then moves on to examine the peacebuilding architecture in action and analyses the role that the PBC has carved out for itself, reflecting on the future prospects for the organization. The theory and practice of peacebuilding has assumed increasing importance over the last decade, and this work is essential reading for all students of conflict resolution, peace studies and international relations.
Peacebuilding: Women in International Perspective (Routledge Advances in International Relations and Global Politics #Vol. 60)
by Elisabeth PorterThis book clarifies some key ideas and practices underlying peacebuilding; understood broadly as formal and informal peace processes that occur during pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict transformation. Applicable to all peacebuilders, Elisabeth Porter highlights positive examples of women’s peacebuilding in comparative international contexts. She critically interrogates accepted and entrenched dualisms that prevent meaningful reconciliation, while also examining the harm of othering and the importance of recognition, inclusion and tolerance. Drawing on feminist ethics, the book develops a politics of compassion that defends justice, equality and rights and the need to restore victims’ dignity. Complex issues of memory, truth, silence and redress are explored while new ideas on reconciliation and embracing difference emerge. Many ideas challenge orthodox understandings of peace. The arguments developed here demonstrate how peacebuilding can be understood more broadly than current United Nations and orthodox usages so that women’s activities in conflict and transitional societies can be valued as participating in building sustainable peace with justice. Theoretically integrating peace and conflict studies, international relations, political theory and feminist ethics, this book focuses on the lessons to be learned from best practices of peacebuilding situated around the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Peacebuilding will be of particular interest to peace practitioners and to students and researchers of peace and conflict studies, international relations and gender politics.
Peacebuilding and Ex-Combatants: Political Reintegration in Liberia (Studies in Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding)
by Johanna SöderströmThe book examines how ex-combatants in post-war and peacebuilding settings engage in politics, as seen in the case of Liberia. The political mobilization of former combatants after war is often perceived as a threat, ultimately undermining the security and stability of the state. This book questions this simplified view and argues that understanding the political voice of former combatants is imperative. Their post-war role is not black and white; they are not just bad or good citizens, but rather engage in multiple political roles: spoilers, victims, disengaged, beneficiaries, as well as motivated and active citizens. By looking at the political attitudes and values of former combatants, and their understanding of how politics functions, the book sheds new light on the political reintegration of ex-combatants. It argues that political reintegration needs to be given serious attention at the micro-level, but also needs to be scrutinized in two ways: first, through the level of political involvement, which reflects the extent and width of the ex-combatants’ voice. Second, in order to make sense of political reintegration, we also need to uncover what values and norms inform their political involvement. The content of their political voice is captured through a comparison with democratic ideals. Based on interviews with over 100 Liberian ex-combatants, the book highlights that their relationship with politics overall should be characterized as an expression of a 'politics of affection'. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, African politics, democratization, political sociology, conflict resolution and IR/Security Studies in general.
Peacebuilding and Friction: Global and Local Encounters in Post Conflict-Societies (Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution)
by Annika Björkdahl Kristine Höglund Gearoid Millar Jair van der Lijn Willemijn VerkorenThis book aims to understand the processes and outcomes that arise from frictional encounters in peacebuilding, when global and local forces meet. Building a sustainable peace after violent conflict is a process that entails competing ideas, political contestation and transformation of power relations. This volume develops the concept of ‘friction’ to better analyse the interplay between global ideas, actors, and practices, and their local counterparts. The chapters examine efforts undertaken to promote sustainable peace in a variety of locations, such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone. These case analyses provide a nuanced understanding not simply of local processes, or of the hybrid or mixed agencies, ideas, and processes that are generated, but of the complex interactions that unfold between all of these elements in the context of peacebuilding intervention. The analyses demonstrate how the ambivalent relationship between global and local actors leads to unintended and sometimes counterproductive results of peacebuilding interventions. The approach of this book, with its focus on friction as a conceptual tool, advances the peacebuilding research agenda and adds to two ongoing debates in the peacebuilding field; the debate on hybridity, and the debate on local agency and local ownership. In analysing frictional encounters this volume prepares the ground for a better understanding of the mixed impact peace initiatives have on post-conflict societies. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, security studies, and international relations in general.
Peacebuilding and International Administration: The Cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (Routledge Advances in International Relations and Global Politics)
by Niels van WilligenThis book provides a detailed historical and political analysis of the role and effectiveness of international administration in statebuilding. It analyses how the international administrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo have attempted to create sustainable political institutions and to what extent they have been successful in doing so. In the 1990s, large and ambitious international administrations were established to administer territories that had been left without an effective government in the wake of violent conflict. International administrations, to a greater extent than peacebuilding operations, exercise extensive authority and take over the governance of a country. Though they combine the state and nationbuilding programs of regular peacebuilding, with the political power normally reserved for sovereign states, there remains a question of how effective or successful international administrations are, and whether they lead to a sustainable peace. The author argues that despite years of international administration, the political institutions remain weak and rely heavily on international support, dominated by an ethnic nationalist ideology with little domestic support. Peacebuilding and International Administration will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations, security studies, conflict resolution and international organizations.
Peacebuilding and Local Ownership: Post-Conflict Consensus-Building (Studies in Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding)
by Timothy DonaisThis book explores the meaning of local ownership in peacebuilding and examines the ways in which it has been, and could be, operationalized in post-conflict environments. In the context of post-conflict peacebuilding, the idea of local ownership is based upon the premise that no peace process is sustainable in the absence of a meaningful degree of local involvement. Despite growing recognition of the importance of local ownership, however, relatively little attention has been paid to specifying what precisely the concept means or how it might be implemented. This volume contributes to the ongoing debate on the future of liberal peacebuilding through a critical investigation of the notion of local ownership, and challenges conventional assumptions about who the relevant locals are and what they are expected to own. Drawing on case studies from Bosnia, Afghanistan and Haiti, the text argues that local ownership can only be fostered through a long-term consensus-building process, which involves all levels of the conflict-affected society. This book will be of great interest to students of peacebuilding, peace and conflict studies, development studies, security studies and IR.
Peacebuilding and Natural Resource Governance After Armed Conflict: Sierra Leone and Liberia
by Michael D. BeeversThis book argues that a set of persuasive narratives about the links between natural resource, armed conflict and peacebuilding have strongly influenced the natural resource interventions pursued by international peacebuilders. The author shows how international peacebuilders active in Liberia and Sierra Leone pursued a collective strategy to transform “conflict resources” into “peace resources” vis-à-vis a policy agenda that promoted “securitization” and “marketization” of natural resources. However, the exclusive focus on securitization and marketization have been counterproductive for peacebuilding since these interventions render invisible issues connected to land ownership, environmental protection and sustainable livelihoods and mirror pre-war governing arrangements in which corruption, exclusion and exploitation took root. Natural resource governance and peacebuilding must go beyond narrow debates about securitization and marketization, and instead be a catalyst for trust–building and cooperation that has a local focus, and pursues an inclusive agenda that not only serves the cause of peace, but the cause of people.
Peacebuilding and NGOs: State-Civil Society Interactions (Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution)
by Ryerson ChristieAnalysing the relationship between civil society and the state, this book lays bare the assumptions informing peacebuilding practices and demonstrates through empirical research how such practices have led to new dynamics of conflict. The drive to establish a sustainable liberal peace largely escapes critical examination. When such attention is paid to peacebuilding practices, scholars tend to concentrate either on the military components of the mission or on the liberal economic reforms. This means that the roles of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the impact of attempting to nurture Northern forms of civil society is often overlooked. Focusing on the case of Cambodia, this book seeks to examine the assumptions underlying peacebuilding policies in order to highlight the reliance on a particular, linear reading of European / North American history. The author argues that such policies, in fostering a particular form of civil society, have affected patterns of conflict; dictating when and where politics can occur and who is empowered to participate in such practices. Drawing on interviews with NGO representatives and government representatives, this volume will assert that while the expansion of civil society may resolve some sources of conflict, its introduction has also created new dynamics of contestation. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, development studies, S.E. Asian politics, and IR in general.
Peacebuilding And Police Refor
by Tor Tanke HolmReforms of local police forces in conflict or post-conflict areas need to be dealt with in order to create a certain level of security for the local people. This volume presents the discussions of professionals in the field of peacekeeping, civilian police activities and police reform, both academics and practitionaers, on the issue of internationally assisted police reform in transitions from war to peace. Contributions include theoretical insights and informed case studies from El Salvador and Guatamala, the Balkans, West Bank and Gaza, and Mozambique and South Africa.
Peacebuilding and Police Reform
by Tor Tanke Holm Espen Barth EideThe contributions here discuss the issue of internationally assisted police reform in transitions from war to peace. They include theoretical insights and informed case studies and a discussion of the trend towards internationally provided executive authority policing.
Peacebuilding and Post-War Transitions: Assessing The Impact of External-Domestic Interactions (Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution)
by Lisa GrossThis book asks how, and under what conditions, external-domestic interactions impact on peacebuilding outcomes during transitions to peace and democracy. Why do so many peacebuilding interventions in post-war states result in stalled transitions despite heavy international support? This book suggests a new interaction-based explanation for this puzzle and proposes an ‘analytical framework of peacebuilding interactions’. Based on eight cases of peacebuilding interactions, it demonstrates that the limited rationality of the actors involved in external-domestic interactions influenced the post-war transition results in Kosovo. Drawing on interviews and focus groups, the insights build on the process tracing of peacebuilding reforms in the area of Local Governance and Police Reform, with a specific focus at the local level. Through an in-depth analysis of peacebuilding negotiations, this book shows how peacebuilders’ use of ad hoc interaction tactics – intended as heuristics to simplify decision-making in overly complex post-war environments – have the unintended effect of offering domestic actors additional leeway to prioritise their domestic agenda, often at the expense of achieving full democratisation. The resulting consequences of these actions mean that, even in highly resourced interventions, such as those implemented in Kosovo, stalled transitions become one of the most likely outcome of the peacebuilding process. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, war and conflict studies, European politics, security studies and IR in general.
Peacebuilding and Rule of Law in Africa: Just Peace? (Security and Governance)
by Chandra Lekha SriramThe promotion of the rule of law has become an increasingly important element of peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, particularly in Africa, where there have been numerous internal armed conflicts and missions over the last decade. This book explores the expanding international efforts to promote rule of law in countries emerging from violent conflict. With a focus on Africa, the authors critically examines the impact of these activities in relation to liberal peacebuilding, rule of law institutions, and the range of non-state providers of justice and security. They also assess the virtues and limitations of rule of law reform efforts, and policy alternatives. It brings together expert scholars and practioners from politics, law, anthropology and conflict studies, and features detailed case studies on Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Making an important contribution to debates about peacebuilding, and assisting specific efforts in reforming the rule of law after conflict, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations, law, African politics, post-conflict reconstruction, peace and conflict studies, as well as practitioners in the UN, development agencies and NGOs.
Peacebuilding and Spatial Transformation: Peace, Space and Place (Studies in Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding)
by Annika Bjorkdahl Stefanie KapplerThis book investigates peacebuilding in post-conflict scenarios by analysing the link between peace, space and place. By focusing on the case studies of Cyprus, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland and South Africa, the book provides a spatial reading of agency in peacebuilding contexts. It conceptualises peacebuilding agency in post-conflict landscapes as situated between place (material locality) and space (the imaginary counterpart of place), analysing the ways in which peacebuilding agency can be read as a spatial practice. Investigating a number of post-conflict cases, this book outlines infrastructures of power and agency as they are manifested in spatial practice. It demonstrates how spatial agency can take the form of conflict and exclusion on the one hand, but also of transformation towards peace over time on the other hand. Against this background, the book argues that agency drives place-making and space-making processes. Therefore, transformative processes in post-conflict societies can be understood as materialising through the active use and transformation of space and place. This book will be of interest to students of peacebuilding, peace and conflict studies, human geography and IR in general.
Peacebuilding and Sustainable Human Development: The Pursuit of the Bangsamoro Right to Self-Determination (The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science #16)
by Ayesah Uy AbubakarThis book presents the protracted right to self-determination conflict between the Philippine state and the Bangsamoro group in Mindanao, Philippines. In the five decades of attempts to achieve peace, a key element is the Bangsamoros’ search for a kind of development that is compatible with their aspirations for freedom and their future. This book presents a study of the Bangsamoro communities and their social constructions of conflict, peace and development. It examines the viability of the sustainable human development framework for application in their challenging realities. The usefulness of the sustainable human development framework lies not only in its use of human development parameters like the Human Development Index. It also provides an approach towards development that synergizes with the sustainable peace framework – an imperative for Mindanao. At the centre of this approach is the Participatory Rural Appraisal and Participatory Learning and Action methodology for eliciting responses, stimulating discussion, documenting verbal and non-verbal ideas and carrying out small-scale projects to demonstrate community participation. The book concludes with two main points: that (a) both sustainable human development and peacebuilding are mutually reinforcing frameworks aimed at achieving the same human development goals, and (b) the pursuit of the right to self-determination is enhanced, as both frameworks are combined to provide a context for the attainment of peace in Mindanao.
Peacebuilding and the Arts (Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies)
by Jolyon Mitchell Giselle Vincett Theodora Hawksley Hal Culbertson"Ending violent conflict requires societies to take leaps of political imagination. Artistic communities are often uniquely placed to help promote new thinking by enabling people to see things differently. In place of conflict’s binary divisions, artists are often charged with exploring the ambiguities and possibilities of the excluded middle. Yet, their role in peacebuilding remains little explored. This excellent and agenda-setting volume provides a ground-breaking look at a range of artistic practices, and the ways in which they have attempted to support peacebuilding – a must-read for all practitioners and policy-makers, and indeed other peacemakers looking for inspiration."Professor Christine Bell, FBA, Professor of Constitutional Law, Assistant Principal (Global Justice), and co-director of the Global Justice Academy, The University of Edinburgh, UK"Peacebuilding and the Arts offers an impressive and impressively comprehensive engagement with the role that visual art, music, literature, film and theatre play in building peaceful and just societies. Without idealizing the role of the arts, the authors explore their potential and limits in a wide range of cases, from Korea, Cambodia, Colombia and Northern Ireland to Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa and Israel-Palestine."Roland Bleiker, Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland, Australia, and author of Aesthetics and World Politics and Visual Global Politics"Peacebuilding and the Arts is the first publication to focus critically and comprehensively on the relations between the creative arts and peacebuilding, expanding the conventional boundaries of peacebuilding and conflict transformation to include the artist, actor, poet, novelist, dramatist, musician, dancer and film director. The sections on the visual arts, music, literature, film and theatre, include case studies from very different cultures, contexts and settings but a central theme is that the creative arts can play a unique and crucial role in the building of peaceful and just societies, with the power to transform relationships, heal wounds, and nurture compassion and empathy. Peacebuilding and the Arts is a vital and unique resource which will stimulate critical discussion and further research, but it will also help to refine and reframe our understanding of peacebuilding. While it will undoubtedly become mandatory reading for students of peacebuilding and the arts, its original approach and dynamic exploratory style should attract a much wider interdisciplinary audience."Professor Anna King, Professor of Religious Studies and Social Anthropology and Director of Research, Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (WCRRP), University of Winchester, UKThis volume explores the relationship between peacebuilding and the arts. Through a series of original essays, authors consider some of the ways that different art forms (including film, theatre, music, literature, dance, and other forms of visual art) can contribute to the processes and practices of building peace. This book breaks new ground, by setting out fresh ways of analysing the relationship between peacebuilding and the arts. Divided into five sections on the Visual Arts, Music, Literature, Film and Theatre/Dance, over 20 authors offer conceptual overviews of each art form as well as new case studies from around the globe and critical reflections on how the arts can contribute to peacebuilding. As interest in the topic increases, no other book approaches this complex relationship in the way that Peacebuilding and the Arts does. By bringing together the insights of scholars and practitioners working at the intersection of the arts and peacebuilding, this book develops a series of unique, critical perspectives on the interaction of diverse art forms with a range of peacebuilding endeavours.
Peacebuilding and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
by Heather Devere Kelli Te Maihāroa John P. SynottThis book analyses efforts to advance the rights of Indigenous People within peace-building frameworks: Section I critically explores key issues concerning Indigenous Peoples' Rights (struggles for land, human, cultural, civil, legal and constitutional rights) in connection with key approaches in peace-building (such as nonviolence, non-violent strategic action, peace education, sustainability, gender equality, cultures of peace, and environmental protection). Section II examines indigenous leaders and movements using peace and non-violent strategies, while Section III presents case studies on the successes and failures of peace perspectives regarding contributions to/ developments in/ advancement of/ barriers to the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Lastly, Section IV investigates what advances have been achieved in Universal Indigenous Peoples' Rights in the 21st century within the context of sustainable peace.
Peacebuilding, Conflict and Community Development (Rethinking Community Development)
by John Eversley, Sinéad Gormally and Avila KilmurrayHow do local communities effectively build peace and reconciliation before, during and after open violence? This trailblazing book gives practical examples, from the Global North, the former Soviet bloc and Global South, on communities addressing conflict in divided and contested societies. The book draws on a range of critical perspectives and practitioner analyses. The diverse case studies demonstrate the considerable knowledge, skills, commitment, courage and relationships within local communities that a critical community development approach can support and encourage. Concluding with activists’ perspectives on working with the challenges of violence, the book offers insights for both an understanding of the root causes of conflict and for bottom-up peacebuilding.
Peacebuilding, Constitutionalism and the Global South: The Case for Cognitive Justice Plurinationalism (Routledge Research in Constitutional Law)
by Kajit J Bagu (John Paul)This book presents the case that liberal constitutionalism in the global South is a legacy of colonialism and is inappropriate as a means of securing effective peace in regions that have been subject to recurrent conflict. The work demonstrates the failure of liberal constitutionalism in guaranteeing peace in the postcolonial global South. It develops an alternative, more compelling constitutionalism for peacebuilding in conflicted regions. This is based on constitutionalism that recognises plurality as a major feature in the global South. Drawing on events in Nigeria, it develops a constitutional model, based on Cognitive Justice, which could deliver peace by addressing historic, conceptual, legal, institutional and structural issues that have created social inequality and injustice. The study also incorporates insights from the development of plurinational constitutions in South America. The book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, academics and policy-makers with an interest in constitutional legal theory, peacebuilding and postcolonial studies
Peacebuilding in Colombia: From the Lens of Community and Policy
by Joan C. Lopez Beth Fisher-YoshidaIn this book, Joan C. Lopez and Beth Fisher-Yoshida offer an alternative narrative of youth and peacebuilding, to the popular one about youth, violence, and peacemaking. Using testimonies of current and past youth community leaders in Colombia, Lopez and Fisher-Yoshida tell a story of hope, creativity, and unrelenting resilience. They bring attention to the ways peaceful responses to violent conflicts are formed in communities and how these have the potential to inform processes of peacebuilding in areas with similar social and historical characteristics. Focused on action-oriented initiatives, the book concludes by proposing ways in which social change can continue to happen and how we might be able to foster it. Lopez and Fisher-Yoshida specifically explore ways in which we can continue to support efforts and create new initiatives for other youth. Some of these ideas include doing more capacity building, fostering more networking and knowledge transfers, identifying ways of increasing social entrepreneurship, and building more effective youth leaders. Peacebuilding in Colombia fills an important gap in the literature on the characteristics of peacebuilding. It is a must read for academics, students and practitioners interested in the study and practice of peacebuilding in violent and post violent contexts.