Peacebuilding Processes Research Articles

Conceptualisations of peace, its benefits, and strategies related to political orientation among Colombians

Political orientation has been shown to affect the opinions of ordinary people when it comes to socio-political issues. In Colombia, 74% of citizens indicated that they did not identify with any political party; however, opinions against and in favour of peace and its processes are characterised by a dynamic of constant tension among citizens, similar to that among the country’s political parties: left, right, and centre. The purpose of the present study was to identify conceptualisations about peace, its benefits, and the strategies to achieve it after the peace agreement signed in 2016 between the government and the FARC guerrilla based on the political orientation reported by the participants. Textual data were analysed using KH-Coder software to identify co-occurrence networks of peace conceptualisations, benefits, and strategies. A total of 346 men and women participated in the study. Results show differences among the conceptualisations of peace and the peacebuilding process among supporters of each political orientation, including apolitical participants, although right-wing participants were the most differentiated. Results are discussed.

Truth Telling and Reconciliation in the Pacific: Solomon Islands' Experience

Truth-telling was necessary as part of Solomon Islands’ reconciliation and peace-building process following the violent conflict between 1998 and 2003. When Solomon Islands gained constitutional independence from Great Britain in 1978, the architects of independence did not anticipate that the country would be embroiled in a violent conflict 20 years later. This conflict left the national economy in ruins, the nation-state on the verge of disintegration with law and order in disarray and an Australian-led Pacific Islands Forum regional intervention force was deployed in 2003. The Solomon Islands government later established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to address the causes of the conflict and establish sustainable peace. From 2010 to 2012, the TRC facilitated a process of truth-telling that was seen as important to secure reconciliation and peace. The truth-telling process focused on the plight of the victims and perpetrators with limited focus on traumas that were generated due to factors such as governance, socio-economic issues, land alienation and displacement. This article will discuss transitional justice by paying attention to the role of the TRC and the effects that it produced. Given this context, the conversations around truth-telling should recognise the intersection between the colonially prescribed state and Indigenous expressions of sovereignty defined through socio-cultural relationships and protocols.

Perceptions at War: Exploring Public Attitude Formation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict

Abstract The post-2020 escalations in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, culminating in the Azerbaijani military offensive of September 2023 and the subsequent mass exodus of the Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, once again underscored the persistent deadlock in the peace process and the failure to achieve compromise. This article aims to analyze the genesis of maximalist attitudes within Armenian and Azerbaijani societies in the years preceding the 2020 war, as well as the factors contributing to the endurance of these attitudes in the years that followed. Drawing on the analysis of maximalist attitudes formation during the interwar period (1994–2020), the research delves into the obstacles encountered by peace activists and peacebuilders in their efforts to counter dominant nationalism, alongside other challenges and structural impediments in the peacebuilding process. Finally, the study investigates the determinants that shaped the post-war attitudes in Armenia and Azerbaijan preceding the pivotal events of September 2023.

Where is Serbia's stabilitocracy heading to? A Break from the past but without a future

Since 2012, the gradual establishment of a new type of political regime, stabilitocracy in the Balkan region and Serbia in particular has raised many questions. From Europeanization (failed attempts), active and instrumentalized memory activism, and progressivism, to the foreign policy shift compared to Yugoslavia and, broadly speaking, the contestability of the liberal peacebuilding processes at work in Serbia, this paper engages in a critical discussion about its constituents and emphasizes the limits of the current Serbian political pattern beyond dogmatism and partisan discourses, and by showing greater openness to non-Western ways of thinking.

Narratives and common traits of peace education and the ‘Teaching Students to be peacemakers’ programme: rethinking the role of cooperative learning in peace education

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to analyse the ‘Teaching Students to be Peacemakers’ programme, which is frequently cited in the Peace Education discourse, within the context of Peace Education. Based on a systematic literature review conducted using the PRISMA method, the study focuses on this programme that emerged as significant from the review results. It first examines how the programme reflects the fundamental concepts and peace approaches of the Peace Education discourse. The subsequent section compares the programme with various types of Peace Education and the broader discourse of cooperative learning. It investigates whether the shift in Peace Education literature towards postmodern, poststructuralist, and Critical Peace Education approaches can rely on the cooperative learning paradigm. Additionally, the study highlights how a simplistic methodological interpretation of cooperative learning may hinder its use in supporting these increasingly emphasised approaches and explores how a broader understanding of the cooperative learning discourse can aid in dismantling personal, cultural, and social violence structures, as well as in supporting positive peacebuilding processes.

Radio Okapi online newspapers: Between media framing, conflict and peacebuilding

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) have incorporated a Public Information (PI) component to communicate with the public. This component has shifted from public outreach towards media reports on current events, including violent incidents. Few studies have assessed the contribution of the PI components of UN-led media. This article assesses the framing of Radio Okapi (RO) online newspaper articles to understand RO’s contribution to peacebuilding processes in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an ethnically highly polarized region where many sites are difficult to access. By analysing how RO reports on violent incidents in this region, the study identifies some shortfalls in RO’s PI role. Its framing of reporting can obscure the causes of conflict, for example, by equating ethnic communities with their armed actors and giving secondary importance to the direct victims of armed violence. Moreover, much RO reporting relies on uncorroborated and questionable sources of information, mostly provided by security services. Its framing is unlikely to contribute to sustainable peacebuilding processes and thus does not meet the PI aspirations of UNPKOs. This article suggests that journalists should be empowered with background skills and knowledge relevant to peace journalism, framing news reports in ways that help tackle the root causes and drivers of violent conflict.

The Role of Religion in Nation’s Peace Building Process

Religion plays a crucial role in the peace building process of a nation. It is often seen as a source of moral guidance, providing individuals with a sense of purpose and direction. In addition, religion can serve as a unifying force, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together for a common cause. Furthermore, religious leaders and institutions have the ability to influence political and social structures, making them valuable actors in the peace building process. They can use their platform to promote peace and reconciliation, and to address underlying causes of conflict. Moreover, religion can offer a sense of hope and comfort to those affected by conflict, providing them with the resilience and strength to move forward. It can also serve as a tool for healing and forgiveness, as many religious teachings prioritize forgiveness and reconciliation. However, religion can also be a source of division and conflict in some cases. Different interpretations and practices among different religious groups can lead to tensions and further exacerbate existing conflicts. In conclusion, the role of religion in the peace building process is complex and multifaceted. It has the potential to both promote and hinder peace, depending on how it is utilized. A thorough understanding of the religious landscape and careful consideration of its impact is necessary for effective peace building efforts in any nation.

Conflict and mediation in Sudan: The prospect of peace

ABSTRACT Omar Al-Bashir's thirty-year rule over Sudan ended in April 2019 with a military coup following a popular uprising. Subsequently, the army and civilian political forces agreed on an African Union-mediated transitional framework. However, the transitional process collapsed, leading to an all-out civil war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. One year later, the mediation efforts by different actors have not yielded the expected results. As the war continues, the displacement of people and the destruction of infrastructure is increasing. The paper discusses the reasons for the lack of progress in the ongoing mediation and points out critical aspects regarding the prospect of peace in Sudan. It argues that while the need for a ceasefire is essential, it is important to acknowledge that the current conflict is the culmination of the overall failure of nation-building. To avoid past mistakes and break the cycle of violent conflict in Sudan, the ongoing mediation efforts should be able to pave the way for a long-term peacebuilding process to address the root causes of the protracted conflict and redefine the fundamentals of Sudan as a nation-state.

Looking to the Past to Understand the Present: Legacies of Inequality, Status Changes, and Collective Memory in Burundi’s Post-War Schooling

How do efforts to reduce ethnic inequality in schooling interact with narratives of inequality and past grievances in schools after ethnicity-based conflict? In this paper, I analyse interviews with 114 youth in Burundi to explore the intersection of these narratives given a power-sharing agreement and changes in group status in post-war Burundi. I show that despite government efforts, narratives of exclusion and inequality in the past persist, and have become more complex. This study has implications for our understanding of the role of redressing education inequalities in short- and long-term peacebuilding processes.

Interviews on masculinities in post-conflict contexts as a process of three translations

ABSTRACT This paper disentangles the complexity of using interviews to explore masculinities in post-conflict contexts. Deploying a practice-theoretic ontology, we see interviews as sites of multiple translations, each tied to one of the three stages of the interview process: preparing, conducting, and interpreting interviews. First, when preparing interviews, the abstract concept of masculinities must be translated into concrete issues. Second, when conducting interviews, these issues must be translated into interview questions. Third, interpreting interviews necessitates translating respondents’ statements into practices. By disentangling this complex process, we provide strategies for successfully asking difficult, context-sensitive questions and reach an increased understanding of the asynchronous and unsteady ways in which masculinities change or persist during peacebuilding processes in politically and societally polarised contexts.

Good ones and bad ones: gendered distortions and aspirations in research with conflict-affected youth in Liberia

ABSTRACT Gendered discourses of motorcycle taxi drivers in Liberia construct cyclists as bad men, presumed to possess excessive masculinity: too much speed, aggression, and hustle. These discourses contrast with cyclists’ self-perceptions, where motorcycling is one of few pathways available to them to become good men through the economic and social possibilities of the sector. Moreover, they maintain that cycling positions them not just as labourers but as peacebuilders. Liberian motorcyclists therefore narrate a quest for societal recognition against a backdrop of misrecognition. We analyse these gendered distortions and aspirations to show how masculinity positions young men outside of peacebuilding processes. We explore our positionality as researchers alongside efforts to discuss, analyse, and operationalise masculinities in research encounters and peacebuilding work with conflict-affected youth. We argue that aspirations for gender inclusion and gender analysis are not simple or straightforward tasks but require frequent translation, collaborative problem-solving, and participatory action methodologies.

Affective recognition: examining the role of affect in education for peacebuilding in Cambodia and Kosovo

ABSTRACT In this article I develop the conceptualisation of affective recognition as a means of deepening understandings of education’s contribution to peacebuilding and social justice in conflict-affected contexts. Scholars have highlighted that one of the crises in peacebuilding education today is the failure to understand and harness the role of the transrational and the affective. I therefore bring together feminist theories of social justice and affective economies to analyse non-formal education programmes with young people in Cambodia and Kosovo and develop the concept of affective recognition. I contend that affective recognition demonstrates the central role of affect in enabling processes of peacebuilding and social justice through educational programmes.

The many conceptions of post-conflict reconciliation: learning from practitioners

ABSTRACT Reconciliation is a ubiquitous concept in peacebuilding, marred by a disconnect between philosophical perspectives and practical realities. The concept's broad range of meanings produce differing and potentially contradicting policy recommendations. Moreover, although reconciliation is embedded in intimate community relationships, grassroots reconciliation initiatives are often treated as dependent on national and international programmes loosing their conceptual agency. The paper explores the impact of different views of reconciliation, defined by two main characteristics: whether they are relational or reflexive and whether they set well-defined goals or take an open-ended approach. Consequently, five reconciliation types emerge: instrumental, dialogical, restorative, transformative, and experiential. Each reflects unique views of conflict and peace and different visions of what it takes to transform society. The typology contributes to a comparative study of peacebuilding processes and encourages paying greater attention to local politics and communitarian agency in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes.

Violence against women is a price paid by society as a whole: (Iraq after 2003 as an example)

In 2003, Iraq experienced a regime change. This change and the events that followed have increased the vulnerabilities faced by Iraqi women and girls during the conflict period and beyond. The lack of security for women in Iraq is considered one of the main factors hindering the achievement of gender equality, which hinders peace-building processes in society. In the first half of 2021 alone, about 15,000 women were exposed to domestic violence, whether by family members such as husbands, fathers and children, or by relatives. This number refers to cases that required security intervention, without considering the number of hidden cases inside homes. Violence against women is not limited to domestic violence, as women's groups and civil society activists who emerged as leaders after 2003 were constantly threatened. These threats come either directly through exposure to danger, or indirectly through attempts to undermine their efforts towards peaceful activism and advocacy for rights. This reflects the difficult situation that women face in Iraq, where achieving equality and building a peaceful society is considered a challenge that requires great efforts to overcome. These challenges are numerous and complex.” The economic and political conditions, wars, and terrorism that Iraqi society experienced after 2003 underscore the severity of this problem, requiring active efforts to change these social dynamics and improve the status of women.

Gender perspective in the making: The case of the Colombian peacebuilding process

AbstractThe peace negotiation process between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC‐EP) is considered one of the most comprehensive peace agreements and is internationally acclaimed for being the first in history to have a gender perspective as a guiding principle. However, several institutions mandated to monitor the gender perspective have identified signs of stagnation in this perspective. As the peace agreement enters the second half of its 15‐year implementation period, this article uses a conflict resolution framework to understand what might be preventing a successful and timely implementation of a gender perspective in Colombia. Findings emerging from recent research suggest that conceptual, technical, political, financial and security hurdles sustain a violent and discriminatory system for women, ultimately impacting the effectiveness of the peace agreement.

The Dynamics of Herder-Farmer Conflicts in Plateau State, Nigeria, and Central Darfur State, Sudan

Abstract Drawing on their own field studies, the authors examine how state and local actors involved in resource management and peacebuilding activities are implicated in the conflict between farmers and herders in Plateau State, Nigeria, and Central Darfur State, Sudan. The authors show that state officials, traditional chiefs, and security agents intensified the conflict by perpetuating the inequitable distribution of resources needed for the survival of farmers and herders, while promoting a peacebuilding process that empowered some groups and disempowered others. The divisive role state and local actors played accentuated the socio-political grievances underlying the conflict and enervated the peacebuilding process.

Strengthening Interfaith Dialogue through Religious Moderation Discourse: An African Perspective

This paper aims to demonstrate how religions moderation can help strengthen inter-religious dialogue and peace-building processes in Africa. The African context of violent-extremism and radicalization is quite different from what is obtainable in other part of the world. The paper focuses more on the root causes, drivers and motivations of radicalization and violent extremism in Africa and thereby proffer sustainable solutions among which religious moderation is tangential to reducing the negative narratives propounded and used by perpetrators. This paper will provide a brief introduction to the terms interfaith dialogue, peace-building, religious moderation discourse, radicalization, violent extremism and terrorism: and will present various ways they have been defined in existing academic literature and policy document. It will further explain the nexus between interfaith dialogue and religious moderation, and provide practical ways of reducing violent extremism, radicalization and extremism in other to foster sustainable peace in Africa.

Rwanda's Peacebuilding Fragility: Voices from the Rwandan Diaspora in Kenya

This article examines the motivations that drive Rwandan diasporans in Kenya to oppose their country's peacebuilding efforts. As findings indicate, many Rwandan Hutu and Tutsi diasporans in Kenya oppose Rwanda's post-genocide peacebuilding process mainly due to the authoritarian governance of the current regime. This type of governance is characterized by silencing critics with violence, militarizing the peacebuilding process, and unequal socio-economic development, among others. Subsequently, there is little space for Rwandan diasporans in Kenya, and Rwandans in general, to participate in rebuilding their country towards a sustainable future.

Intricacies of French engagement in Sahel with peace prospects

The Sahel region faces an extreme human security crisis with complex security challenges rooted in historical, ethnic, and geopolitical ties. Decades of armed violence and unstable socio-political systems have led to deteriorating security conditions, with crisis hotspots diversifying across the region. The mobilization of destabilizing actors has necessitated external support, yet outcomes have proven inadequate. This research explores France's engagement in the region, transitioning with dynamic policy shifts towards a more “Sahelian solutions for Sahelian problems” oriented approach. However, externally led peacebuilding exercises have fallen short due to lack of coherence, worsening conditions in the region, leading to adverse effects like the emergence of a 'coup belt'. Thus, this study aims to identify sustainable peace alternatives by investigating key questions like: How has France's role in the Sahel transformed, particularly in response to policy shifts and troop withdrawals? Why does France remain a prominent security provider despite changes in its military posture? What are the limitations and outcomes of peacebuilding processes employed in the region by various actors? How effectively can peacebuilding discourses translate into tangible security improvements for the Sahelian people? Thus, this paper aims to demystify conflict dynamics in the region, analyzing France’s evolving role in the Sahel and evaluating collaborative efforts to address security threats and promote development, empowering local actors. Additionally, it explores peacebuilding theoretically to understand Sahel's ground realities. Through a review of past interventions, it highlights limitations in fostering positive peace, offering recommendations for coherent policies and collaboration in the Sahel. In this regard, the paper explores contemporary events through peace, security, and policy lenses.

Does war improve women’s political representation?

An expanding body of scholarly work posits that war, particularly intrastate war, disrupts established power arrangements and social institutions, providing avenues for women to enhance their political influence through reforms in political structures and participation in peace-building processes. Webster, Chen, and Beardsley (2019) systematically explore the nexus between war and women’s political empowerment, demonstrating associations between both interstate and intrastate conflicts and advancements in women’s political empowerment. Extending their analysis, this study investigates the influence of intrastate conflicts on women’s representation in legislative bodies. However, nuanced findings emerge from this analysis. There is no supporting evidence that the occurrence of warfare leads to an increase in women’s legislative representation. Ongoing internal conflicts exhibit a negative impact on the progression of women’s political representation. Conversely, the termination of civil wars, particularly without their prompt resumption, correlates with a higher likelihood of adopting gender quotas, thereby enhancing women’s legislative representation. Furthermore, the correlation between the termination of civil wars and women’s legislative representation appears specific to the context of sub-Saharan Africa. No conclusive evidence supports this relationship as a global phenomenon.