RSSDialogue Series No 10 - Peace Infrastructures – Assessing Concept and Practice
In the Berghof Handbook Dialogue Series No.10, Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka, Oliver P. Richmond, Hannes Siebert and Borja Paladini Adell add on to the debate on peace infrastructures from different perspectives, aiming to lead the debate forward on the emerging practice and theory. The authors each give examples of peace infrastructures that they have been involved in as practitioners and/or academics, inviting for joint reflection on past experiences and possible practices for the future.
Drawing from examples from Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, Colombia, Lebanon and Cyprus, to name a few, the authors discuss whether and how peace should be given “an address”—and if so, how we best can support peace infrastructures while avoiding pitfalls.
The contributors enrich the debate on how we as practitioners and academics can proceed with thinking, conceptualizing and what to be aware of when engaging with the development of peace infrastructures.
| Author | Title / Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Barbara Unger, Stina Lundström, Katrin Planta and Beatrix Austin (eds.) |
Peace Infrastructures – Assessing Concept and Practice
This dialogue aims to leading the debate forward on the emerging practice and theory of “peace infrastructures”. The lead author and the respondents each give examples of peace infrastructures that they have been involved in as practitioners and/or academics, inviting for joint reflection on past experiences and possible practices for the future.
Drawing from examples from Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, Colombia, Lebanon and Cyprus, to name a few, the authors of this volume discusses whether and how peace should be given “an address”—and if so, how we best can support peace infrastructures while avoiding pitfalls.
|
2013 01 2013 |
Single articles in this dialogue include:
| Barbara Unger and Stina Lundström |
Introduction: On Framing, Setting up and Supporting Peace Infrastructures |
| Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka |
Giving Peace an Address? Reflections on the Potential and Challenges of Creating Peace Infrastructures
The article defines and narrows the emergent concept of "Peace Infrastructures" as networks of organisations established by conflict parties with the aim of building peace. Thus, it argues, infrastructures for peace have a great potential to contribute to peacebuilding, by strengthening the ownership and commitment of the stakeholders to the conflict.
Building on earlier ideas of John Paul Lederach, the emerging concept sets out criteria to distinguish infrastructures from other important actors such as peace constituencies or civil society networks. This article argues that peace infrastructures serve different objectives and function at various stages of a peace process. By linking them vertically and horizontally, they can cover all levels of peacebuilding and constitute relevant entry points for peacebuilding support.
Given their particular characteristics, peace infrastructures, however, face diverse challenges with a view to legitimacy and inclusiveness, and depend on their owners' political will and leadership. The article invites the reader to examine existing structures thoroughly in order to understand and enhance their contribution to peacebuilding in the future.
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| Oliver P. Richmond |
Missing Links: Peace Infrastructures and Peace Formation |
| Hannes Siebert |
National Peace and Dialogue Structures |
| Borja Paladini Adell |
From Peacebuilding and Human Development Coalitions to Peace Infrastructure in Colombia |
| Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka |
Circularity, Transversality and the Usefulness of New Concepts. Reflection on the Response Articles |