The Development/Peacebuilding Nexus: A Typology and History of Changing Paradigms

In: Journal of peacebuilding & development: critical thinking and constructive action at the intersections of conflict, development and peace, Band 1, Heft 1, S. 5-24

Abstract

In the space of one decade, the nexus between development & peace has become a central focus of development thinking & practice. This article presents a typology & critical discussion of seven ways in which the development enterprise has conceived of its interactions with conflict & violence. These are: (1) Rhetorical repackaging: development by definition promotes peace; thus, no changes in development practice are required -- only more of it; (2) Military conditionality: donors withdraw aid to punish recipients for their excessive military expenditure or military aggression. In its more positive version, security sector reform assists recipients with reform of their military, police, & judicial systems in ways that improve governance & decrease violence; (3) The post-conflict agenda: in countries coming out of war, aid agencies invest in new fields such as justice & reconciliation, demobilization & reintegration, & democratic policing; (4) The "Do No Harm" approach: minimise the negative impact of all humanitarian & development assistance under conditions of conflict; (5) The conflict prevention agenda: agencies undertake a range of early & preferably coherent & coordinated actions to prevent conflict from turning violent; (6) The concept of human security: "freedom from fear" & "freedom from want" are inseparable sides of the same coin; &, (7) The "global system reform" movement: infuses concerns with development & conflict nexus in all North-South relations of trade, investment, & consumption. 47 References. Adapted from the source document.