Suchergebnisse

A fundamental challenge plagues the global peacebuilding community. How can technocratic approaches to peacebuilding that are rooted in short-term, project-based execution of activities, further the longer-term transformative outcomes like altering young people's attitudes and beliefs about peace and violence? In response to this global challenge, in Peacebuilding Legacy, Sukanya Podder analyzes the long-term effects of peacebuilding programmes involving children and young people. Podder unpacks the concept of peacebuilding legacy through the lens of time, transformation, and intergenerational peace. Podder also develops unique qualitative cues for measuring legacy in terms of the institutional, normative, and organizational logics. If norms resonate strongly with the local context, they are likely to encourage strong retention and meaningful adoption over time. Successful institutionalization of project models through planned handover to successor national organizations, or government departments, holds the key to stronger local ownership. Organizational learning and reflection can support this process through a more strategic approach to programming, and through post-exit studies. Regarding attitude change, Podder found that, the media and peace education projects that targeted individuals' ingrained beliefs and values but overlooked the role of group social norms had only limited persuasive effects. To shift the values, practices, norms, and beliefs of the younger generation, the mindset of the older generation must also be targeted. Changes in the legal, political, economic, and other social institutions are critical for long-term and meaningful transformation. This requires adopting an ecological model of peace.

A fundamental challenge plagues the global peacebuilding community. How can technocratic approaches to peacebuilding that are rooted in short-term, project-based execution of activities, further the longer-term transformative outcomes like altering young people's attitudes and beliefs about peace and violence? In response to this global challenge, Sukanya Podder addresses an important gap relating to the long-term effects of peacebuilding programmes involving children and young people. Podder unpacks the concept of peacebuilding legacy through the lens of time, transformation, and intergenerational peace. Podder also develops unique qualitative cues for measuring legacy in terms of the institutional, normative, and organisational logics.

This paper analyses the multiple pathways through which legitimacy of armed groups is constructed in conflict-affected states. It adopts a political sociological approach to the study of armed group legitimacy. Such a strategy assists in identifying whether armed groups enjoy legitimacy in a given empirical context and avoids applying pre-determined normative criteria. The focus is on three types of relationships: civilian communities, the state or regime in power and external actors including regional and international sponsors, to discern which types of legitimacy matter for armed groups in different relationships.

Previous research on ex-combatant re-recruitment into armed violence has focused on the role of structures and facilitating conditions but has overlooked the question of individual agency and choices. The article fills this gap in the literature by presenting an original typology of ex-combatant agency drawing on Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory. Four types of agency, namely tactical, rational, reflective and moral are identified as corresponding with key characteristics of human agency, namely self-reactiveness, forethought, self-reflectiveness and intentionality. These interact with multiple enabling and inhibiting factors to shape ex-combatant decision-making. Premised on such a conceptualisation, at least six types of choices are observed through a process of conceptual scoping that allows structure and agency to be considered in tandem. A critical engagement with disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) as a security practice exposes the problems with core terminologies and the politics surrounding the militarisation and demilitarisation of children and youth. It advances a critical security studies agenda in the study of ex-combatant reintegration.