peacebuilding

Peacebuilding is a field of practice and scholarship focusing on structural causes of conflict and the transition from war to sustainable peace. It takes place after active armed conflict or during fragile ceasefires and aims to prevent relapse by addressing political, security, economic, and social dimensions. It seeks to create legitimate institutions, respect for human rights, and inclusive governance.

Core activities include security sector reform, rule of law development (courts, police, proportional justice), transitional justice (truth commissions, reparations, accountability), governance and public administration (decentralization, elections, anti-corruption), economic reconstruction (infrastructure, employment, social protection), and social reconciliation (education, media freedom, dialogue, civil society capacity-building). It also covers DDR processes to demobilize combatants and reintegrate them into society.

Peacebuilding is undertaken by a range of actors—national governments, international organizations such as the UN, regional bodies, donor agencies, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and local communities. Coordinated approaches are essential to avoid fragmentation and to align security, development, and governance efforts. It is often iterative and long-term, with monitoring and adjustments based on evolving conditions.

The field embraces different theoretical approaches, notably liberal peace, which links peace to democratic governance and market-based development, and critical or locally driven perspectives that emphasize ownership by affected communities and context-specific solutions. Critics argue that externally driven models can overlook local needs or create dependency. Success is typically judged by reductions in violence, durable governance, human development gains, and the resilience of institutions to withstand shocks.