Recovering from violent conflict: regeneration and (re-)integration as elements of peacebuilding
In: Transforming ethnopolitical conflict. The Berghof handbook., S. 373-402
"Martina Fischer's article gives an overview of the problems of reconstruction, rehabilitation and (re)integration in war tom societies. In the context of post-war situations reconstruction turns out to be an ambiguous or even contradictory concept: it is considered as useful by some actors and others refuse the notion that society can and should be reconstructed. The author argues that (re)integration of refugees and displaced persons is one of the main challenges and precondition for conflict transformation. Support and intervention from external actors are all too often reduced to material reconstruction of houses and infrastructure whereas the need for rebuilding communities is forgotten. In order to move from reconstruction to constructive conflict transformation and peacebuilding, joint efforts are needed which combine development approaches, economic perspectives and empowerment of local actors for civil society issues, peace-education and social work. In order to make third party intervention effective, co-ordination of activities is needed. Positive and negative lessons can be drawn from the Balkans." (author's abstract).