Peacebuilding
Definition
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is about developing positive peace to reduce the chances of future conflict. It includes efforts at all stages, from stopping war to rebuilding society.
Ramsbotham’s Hourglass Model
- Visualises how conflict escalates and de-escalates.
- Top bulb: Conflict escalation → difference → contradiction → polarization → violence → war.
- Neck: Peak of conflict (decision point – escalate or resolve).
- Bottom bulb: De-escalation → ceasefire → agreement → normalization → reconciliation.
- Associated actions:
- Conflict transformation → addressing root causes, changing attitudes.
- Conflict settlement → short-term fixes (e.g., ceasefires).
- Conflict containment → limit violence.
Analogy
- Think of an hourglass as a conflict timeline.
- The sand at the top is tension building up (conflict escalation), the neck is the crisis point (war/peak violence), and the bottom is efforts to clean up the mess and prevent it from happening again (de-escalation and peacebuilding).
Theory of Knowledge
- To what extent does how we frame the stages of conflict influence our understanding of peace and violence?
Core Elements of Peacebuilding
1. De-escalation
- Involves peacemaking, peacekeeping, and DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration).
- Starts once immediate violence stops and supports long-term transformation.
Colombia Peace Deal (2016)
- The Colombian government signed a ceasefire and peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla group after decades of armed conflict.
- Included Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) of fighters, monitored by the UN.
- Marked a shift from active violence to structured peace talks and reconciliation.
2. Rebuilding Infrastructure / Reforming Institutions
- Reconstructs physical, social, economic, and political structures.
- Prevents recurrence by tackling root causes (e.g., inequality, injustice, weak institutions).
Rwanda Post-Genocide Reconstruction
- After the 1994 genocide, Rwanda focused on rebuilding schools, hospitals, and roads.
- Major reforms in justice, governance, and education, including the creation of Gacaca courts to address backlog of genocide cases.
- Helped restore state functions and reduce long-term conflict risk
3. Addressing Injustices
- Includes criminal tribunals and truth commissions.
- Goes beyond punishment to healing (e.g., truth-telling, reparations, forgiveness).
South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1995–2002)
- Investigated apartheid-era human rights abuses.
- Provided victims a platform to tell their stories; perpetrators could seek amnesty for full disclosure.
- Focused on truth-telling, healing, and national reconciliation over retributive justice.
