From war to democracy: dilemmas of peacebuilding

Attempts to introduce democracy in the wake of civil war face a critical problem: how can war-torn societies move towards peace and democracy when competitive politics and hard-fought elections exacerbate social and political conflict? Through a study of six themes (peacekeeping, management of violence, power sharing, political party transformation, elections, civil society and international reactions to democratization crises) this volume considers the dilemmas that arise in pursuing peace after civil war through processes of democratization. The contributors' research highlights the complex relationship between democratization, which is competitive, and peacebuilding or efforts to achieve reconciliation. The book offers insights into more effective action in peacebuilding in light of the short-term negative effects that democratization can introduce. It is a thought-provoking work that seeks both to advance theory and to provide policy-relevant findings to facilitate more effective and durable transitions from war to democracy

Attempts to introduce democracy in the wake of civil war face a critical problem: how can war-torn societies move towards peace and democracy when competitive politics and hard-fought elections exacerbate social and political conflict? Through a study of six themes (peacekeeping, management of violence, power sharing, political party transformation, elections, civil society and international reactions to democratization crises) this volume considers the dilemmas that arise in pursuing peace after civil war through processes of democratization. The contributors' research highlights the complex relationship between democratization, which is competitive, and peacebuilding or efforts to achieve reconciliation. The book offers insights into more effective action in peacebuilding in light of the short-term negative effects that democratization can introduce. It is a thought-provoking work that seeks both to advance theory and to provide policy-relevant findings to facilitate more effective and durable transitions from war to democracy

Introduction / Anna K. Jarstad and Timothy D. Sisk -- Dilemmas of war-to-democracy transitions : theories and concepts / Anna K. Jarstad -- Peacekeeping and democratization / Virginia Page Fortna -- Violence in war-to-democracy transitions / Kristine Höglund -- Power sharing : former enemies in joint government / Anna K. Jarstad -- When rebels change their stripes : armed insurgents in post-war politics / Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs -- Post-war elections : uncertain turning points of transition / Benjamin Reilly -- Civil society in war-to-democracy transitions / Roberto Belloni -- International responses to crises of democratization in war-torn societies / Peter Wallensteen -- Peacebuilding as democratization : findings and recommendations / Timothy D. Sisk