Suchergebnisse

In recent years, the peacebuilding and development fields have witnessed an upsurge of interest in the concept and practice of hybridity (Boege et. al 2009; Hoglund and Orjuela 2012). This special issue seeks to provide a state-of-the-art account of the utility of the concept, with case studies illustrating how hybridity can be used as a lens through which to understand peacebuilding and development contexts.

Academic and political debates on peace and conflict dynamics increasingly acknowledge the relevance of the interaction between global and subnational or local dynamics but rather neglect the regional neighbourhood as an important intervening variable. The concept of "regional peace formations" either as an enabling or hindering factor for peacebuilding fills this gap. Empirical evidence from Latin America, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa shows the added value of the concept for explaining regional differences.
Peacebuilding is a complex undertaking shaped by a variety of factors such as the nature of conflicts, the actors involved, and local contexts. A regional perspective regarding patterns of conflict and violence shows high levels of variation between regions.
The concept of regional peace formations is an important tool to analyse the region-specific variation in actors and conflict dynamics. It allows us to identify either convergent or divergent contexts for peacebuilding.
Empirical evidence from Latin America, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa identifies relevant differences and the need to incorporate regional factors into peacebuilding strategies.
The regional level of peacebuilding offers the possibility for meaningful donor coordination and joint multilateral action. But a minimalistic approach seeking only the end of war or a certain degree of stabilisation is not enough. Initiatives need a clear focus on long-term peacebuilding, as a process of constructive conflict transformation. Regional economic and social networks are central to sustainable development, and to transforming structural conditions - leading either to the violent escalation of conflict or to the fostering of more peaceful societies.

In the decades following the Cold War, scholars of International Relations (IR) have struggled to come to grips with how the fundamental shifts in the international system affect the theoretical underpinnings of IR. The debates on peacebuilding have served as a fierce battleground between the dominant IR research programs—realism and liberalism—as to which provides both the best framework for understanding contemporary security challenges as well as policy prescriptions. I engage with the recent arguments made by David Chandler and Mark Sedra, two prominent critical scholars of IR, and argue that IR as a field would be best served to leave behind the "great debates" of the different research programs, and instead focus on middle-range problem-solving and analytically eclectic approaches. This essay further argues that the best way forward is for critical theorists to take a conciliatory approach with the contributions from the other research programs.

Claims to land and territory are often a cause of conflict, and land issues present some of the most contentious problems for post-conflict peacebuilding. Among the land-related problems that emerge during and after conflict are the exploitation of land-based resources in the absence of authority, the disintegration of property rights and institutions, the territorial effect of battlefield gains and losses, and population displacement. In the wake of violent conflict, reconstitution of a viable land-rights system is crucial: an effective post-conflict land policy can foster economic recover

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of illustrations -- Foreword -- What's old is new again -- PART I: Theoretical underpinnings -- 1. Business and peace: A need for new questions and systems perspectives -- The roots of the mobilization of business for peace -- A menu of roles for business in peace -- Businesses do, can or should impact socio-economic dynamics of conflict-prone places in peace-positive ways. -- Businesses do, can or should impact socio-political dynamics of conflict-prone places in peace-positive ways. -- Businesses do, can or should impact peacemaking dynamics in peacepositive ways. -- Assumptions rather than evidence about business and peace -- A profound disconnect from contemporary peacebuilding theory and practice -- The high risk of suboptimal outcomes and unintended consequences -- Also missing from the equation: the 'who' and the 'how' -- A richer set of perspectives and questions -- References -- 2. Business, peace, and human rights: A political responsibility perspective -- Introduction -- Business and human rights: overview -- Corporate human rights responsibility and the nature of the corporation -- Business and human rights: current themes and alternative perspectives -- A BHR perspective on business and peace -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 3. The messy business of peace amid the tyranny of the profit motive: Complexity and culture in post-conflict contexts -- Introduction -- Literature review -- Business for Peace -- War Economies -- Critical Peacebuilding -- Methodology -- Findings: expect the unexpected -- Undermining local political balances -- Amplifying existing economic grievances -- Generating new social conflicts -- Conclusion -- References -- PART II: Perspectives on the corporate side.

Peacebuilding in conflict-prone or post-conflict countries -- such as East Timor, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone -- aims to prevent the re-emergence or escalation of violent conflict and establish a durable peace. This volume explores and critiques the 'liberal' premise of contemporary peacebuilding: the promotion of democracy, market-based economic reforms and a range of other institutions associated with 'modern' states as a driving force for building peace. Whilst focusing mainly upon cases of major UN peacebuilding, it also considers the implications and record of liberal peacebuilding through a wider range of experiences. It goes beyond the narrow focus on democracy and market economics by interrogating a wider area of peacebuilding activities, including the (re)construction of state institutions.--Publisher's description.