Introduction: reframing narratives of peace-building and state-building in Africa

’Funmi Olonisakin; Alagaw Ababu Kifle; Alfred Muteru

doi:10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700

Introduction: reframing narratives of peace-building and state-building in Africa

’Funmi Olonisakin^*, Alagaw Ababu Kifle, Alfred Muteru

^*Corresponding author for this work

King's College London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper introduces the Special Issue that grew out of a research project at the African Leadership Centre, which was supported by the Canadian International Centre for Development Research (IDRC). Like the underpinning research, the papers in this volume engage with two aspects of the state-building and peace-building debate and foreground the theory of “conversation” as a useful lens through which to advance the pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa. First, we challenge the dominant approach that constructs liberal state-building as an essential condition for durable peace in societies emerging from armed conflict. Second, we examine the extent to which various forms of political settlements are able to deliver sustainable peace and as a result, more peaceful and viable states. The concept of “conversation” is the thread that connects the two elements of the research. The notion of conversation reverses the conventional view of the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building while re-centring a particular dimension of political settlement. We argue that peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring along the state-building continuum in the affected societies. This shifts the traditional approach of privileging the technical over the political, power over agency, and the international over the national and local. This paper introduces the articles in this volume, which include conceptual and empirical case-studies and it discusses implications for policy and practice.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	401-407
Number of pages	7
Journal	Conflict, Security and Development
Volume	21
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700
Publication status	Published - 2021

Keywords

Africa
Conversation
peace-building
political settlement
state-building

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700

Cite this

@article{f4f31e01d04a422a945847da27550f48,

title = "Introduction: reframing narratives of peace-building and state-building in Africa",

abstract = "This paper introduces the Special Issue that grew out of a research project at the African Leadership Centre, which was supported by the Canadian International Centre for Development Research (IDRC). Like the underpinning research, the papers in this volume engage with two aspects of the state-building and peace-building debate and foreground the theory of “conversation” as a useful lens through which to advance the pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa. First, we challenge the dominant approach that constructs liberal state-building as an essential condition for durable peace in societies emerging from armed conflict. Second, we examine the extent to which various forms of political settlements are able to deliver sustainable peace and as a result, more peaceful and viable states. The concept of “conversation” is the thread that connects the two elements of the research. The notion of conversation reverses the conventional view of the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building while re-centring a particular dimension of political settlement. We argue that peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring along the state-building continuum in the affected societies. This shifts the traditional approach of privileging the technical over the political, power over agency, and the international over the national and local. This paper introduces the articles in this volume, which include conceptual and empirical case-studies and it discusses implications for policy and practice.",

keywords = "Africa, Conversation, peace-building, political settlement, state-building",

author = "{\textquoteright}Funmi Olonisakin and Kifle, {Alagaw Ababu} and Alfred Muteru",

note = "Funding Information: This special issue addresses two crucial elements in the debate surrounding state-building and peace-building in Africa, which were at the core of a research project undertaken at the African Leadership Centre between 2013 and 2017 supported by a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. The first element relates to the underlying narrative that surrounds the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building in Africa. Current approaches to peace and state building rely on dominant narratives that construct state-building as a prerequisite to peace. Underpinning this is the assumption that a certain type of state would produce peace. As such, interventions in societies affected by armed conflict focus on the transfer of a model of state-building that is expected to lead to peace and stability. In this research project, we noted that peace in the form construed by current interventions is not an end in itself. Rather, peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring in the continuum of state-building in the affected societies. Many situations of armed conflict in post-independence and post-Cold War Africa are the result of state-building conversations taking place in the specific national contexts. Those conversations might require a distinctly different solution, process, or time frame from the models offered in response by interveners. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 King{\textquoteright}s College London.",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700",

language = "English",

volume = "21",

pages = "401--407",

journal = "Conflict, Security and Development",

issn = "1467-8802",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Introduction

T2 - reframing narratives of peace-building and state-building in Africa

AU - Olonisakin, ’Funmi

AU - Kifle, Alagaw Ababu

AU - Muteru, Alfred

N1 - Funding Information: This special issue addresses two crucial elements in the debate surrounding state-building and peace-building in Africa, which were at the core of a research project undertaken at the African Leadership Centre between 2013 and 2017 supported by a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. The first element relates to the underlying narrative that surrounds the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building in Africa. Current approaches to peace and state building rely on dominant narratives that construct state-building as a prerequisite to peace. Underpinning this is the assumption that a certain type of state would produce peace. As such, interventions in societies affected by armed conflict focus on the transfer of a model of state-building that is expected to lead to peace and stability. In this research project, we noted that peace in the form construed by current interventions is not an end in itself. Rather, peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring in the continuum of state-building in the affected societies. Many situations of armed conflict in post-independence and post-Cold War Africa are the result of state-building conversations taking place in the specific national contexts. Those conversations might require a distinctly different solution, process, or time frame from the models offered in response by interveners. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 King’s College London.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This paper introduces the Special Issue that grew out of a research project at the African Leadership Centre, which was supported by the Canadian International Centre for Development Research (IDRC). Like the underpinning research, the papers in this volume engage with two aspects of the state-building and peace-building debate and foreground the theory of “conversation” as a useful lens through which to advance the pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa. First, we challenge the dominant approach that constructs liberal state-building as an essential condition for durable peace in societies emerging from armed conflict. Second, we examine the extent to which various forms of political settlements are able to deliver sustainable peace and as a result, more peaceful and viable states. The concept of “conversation” is the thread that connects the two elements of the research. The notion of conversation reverses the conventional view of the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building while re-centring a particular dimension of political settlement. We argue that peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring along the state-building continuum in the affected societies. This shifts the traditional approach of privileging the technical over the political, power over agency, and the international over the national and local. This paper introduces the articles in this volume, which include conceptual and empirical case-studies and it discusses implications for policy and practice.

AB - This paper introduces the Special Issue that grew out of a research project at the African Leadership Centre, which was supported by the Canadian International Centre for Development Research (IDRC). Like the underpinning research, the papers in this volume engage with two aspects of the state-building and peace-building debate and foreground the theory of “conversation” as a useful lens through which to advance the pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa. First, we challenge the dominant approach that constructs liberal state-building as an essential condition for durable peace in societies emerging from armed conflict. Second, we examine the extent to which various forms of political settlements are able to deliver sustainable peace and as a result, more peaceful and viable states. The concept of “conversation” is the thread that connects the two elements of the research. The notion of conversation reverses the conventional view of the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building while re-centring a particular dimension of political settlement. We argue that peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring along the state-building continuum in the affected societies. This shifts the traditional approach of privileging the technical over the political, power over agency, and the international over the national and local. This paper introduces the articles in this volume, which include conceptual and empirical case-studies and it discusses implications for policy and practice.

KW - Africa

KW - Conversation

KW - peace-building

KW - political settlement

KW - state-building

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117085889&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700

DO - 10.1080/14678802.2021.1974700

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85117085889

SN - 1467-8802

VL - 21

SP - 401

EP - 407

JO - Conflict, Security and Development

JF - Conflict, Security and Development

IS - 4

ER -

Introduction: reframing narratives of peace-building and state-building in Africa

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this