Peacebuilding: Women in International Perspective

by Porter; Elisabeth

• ISBN13: 9780415397919
• ISBN10: 041539791X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-16
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book clarifies some key ideas and practices underlying peacebuilding; understood broadly as formal and informal peace processes that occur during pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict transformation. Applicable to all peacebuilders, Elisabeth Porter highlights positive examples of women?s peacebuilding in comparative international contexts. She critically interrogates accepted and entrenched dualisms that prevent meaningful reconciliation, while also examining the harm of othering and the importance of recognition, inclusion and tolerance. Drawing on feminist ethics, the book develops a politics of compassion that defends justice, equality and rights and the need to restore victims? dignity. Complex issues of memory, truth, silence and redress are explored while new ideas on reconciliation and embracing difference emerge. Many ideas challenge orthodox understandings of peace. The arguments developed here demonstrate how peacebuilding can be understood more broadly than current UnitedNations and orthodox usages so that women?s activities in conflict and transitional societies can be valued as participating in building sustainable peace with justice. Theoretically integrating peace and conflict studies, international relations, political theory and feminist ethics, this book focuses on the lessons to be learned from best practices of peacebuilding situated around the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Peacebuilding will be of particular interest to peace practitioners and to students and researchers of peace and conflict studies, international relations and gender politics.

Table of Contents

Women, war and peace	p. 3
Feminist ethics in international relations	p. 4
Overview	p. 7
Peacebuilding as process: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325	p. 11
Historical background to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000)	p. 11
Achievements of SCR 1325	p. 17
Peacebuilding as process: pre-conflict, conflict and post-accord	p. 21
Security in feeling included in peace processes	p. 34
Conclusion	p. 41
Overcoming the harm of polarization	p. 43
The harm of dualism	p. 43
Feminist ethics: justice and care	p. 56
Beyond irreconcilable options	p. 63
Valuing differences in inclusionary politics	p. 66
Recognition and inclusion	p. 68
Identity and recognition	p. 68
Beyond tolerance and coexistence to mutual respect	p. 78
Coalition-building	p. 83
Practices of inclusive recognition	p. 95
Justice and compassion	p. 100
A politics of compassion	p. 101
Justice and peace	p. 104
Justice, equality and rights	p. 107
Victims: restoring dignity	p. 119
Memory and truth	p. 127
Dealing with the past	p. 127
Truth and silence	p. 134
Truthful stories	p. 144
Redress	p. 148
Reconciliation and difference	p. 152
Understanding reconciliation	p. 152
Apology and forgiveness	p. 161
Practising reconciliation	p. 170
Embracing difference	p. 179
Conclusion: peace with justice and security	p. 184
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