Call for papers - Roundtable: Local-level peacebuilding: between theory and practice
Sponsored by the BISA Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding and Human Rights (PKPBHR) Working Group and Coventry University, this roundtable seeks to bring together scholars developing and working on current or new theoretical and empirical research on local-level peacebuilding. Policymakers and practitioners (CSOs, INGOs) working in the field of peacebuilding are also invited to share their work in shaping and influencing policy and practice of peacebuilding. The one-day roundtable would discuss the progress, challenges, and the future directions of local-level peacebuilding in conflict affected contexts. Specifically, it would:
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highlight and take account of progress made in the theory and practice of local-level peacebuilding
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unpack the challenges and opportunities of international-local interface and engagements
- brainstorm on future research, policies and practice of local-level peacebuilding.
The roundtable comes at a pivotal time where the theory, modalities and practice of peacebuilding continue to be under enormous pressure, scrutiny, and criticism. The local turn/local-level peacebuilding is no exception. Conceptually, the debates and ambiguity around who, where and what constitutes the local continue to linger in scholarly discourse. Where discussed, the local is mainly associated with the state, which is seen as the ‘guarantor of peace’, leading to dominant focus and engagement with national governments and elites (Ljungkvist and Jarstad 2021). Moreover, local-level peacebuilding is criticised for its continuous ‘gender-blindness’ alienating women and other marginalised groups (youth, person with disability) in peace processes thereby entrenching the persisting imbalanced and hierarchical power relations (Rigual 2018). Another criticism is the binary presentation of the local and the international, with the former perceived to be the ‘good’ and the latter ‘bad’ (Paffenholz et al. 2023); resulting in the romanticisation of local actors and initiatives. The conceptual dilemma of the scholarship is further compounded by the emergence of other turns- ‘spatial turn’, ‘affective turn’, ‘hybrid turn’, ‘vernacular turn’, ‘relational turn’. Critics of peacebuilding therefore question the multiplicity of ‘turns’, their relevance and applicability to the field (Hunt 2023).
Practically, the effort to improve engagement with local actors remains at the periphery with the latter still neglected in much of peacebuilding interventions. Three reasons account for this. First is the indirect bias of international organisations towards formal, ad-hoc projects which tend to limit their engagements to mostly familiar and ‘liberal’ oriented institutions and organisations. Second, operational constraints inclusive of contractual requirements, and cost-cutting prevents support for small-scale initiatives of local actors (Peace Direct 2019). A critical related issue here is the emerging global decline in the funding of peacebuilding activities in preference to security and military interventions.
A case in point is the war in Ukraine, where 62% ($46.3 billion) of the $74billion United States funding is dedicated to military and security assistance as to compared to 1.6 million (2%) to humanitarian relief. The UN affirms this in its March 2024 press release noting a 22% decline in contributions to the peacebuilding fund in 2023. This poses major challenge for local peace initiatives because without global funding, it is difficult for funds to trickle down to communities and grassroots initiatives especially those in conflict affected societies.
This also raises the question- given this trend, what are the new and alternative sources of funding explored by local and international actors, towards peacebuilding? The third, relates to the limited documentation of best practices and success of local interventions and the related unrealistic and externally driven peace indicators which mainly recognise national and high-level peace processes over grassroots and community-led approaches (Peace Direct 2019). Thus, how peacebuilding is to be measured and what accounts for its success remains a contentious issue in the scholarship. Added to these are lingering questions around contemporary and emerging global threats inclusive of climate change, post-COVID repercussions and their interlinkages to peacebuilding theory and practice.
We welcome abstracts of up 250 words to present research that seeks to engage with the themes, issues and challenges outlined above. Presentations can be based on or drawn from original research, systematic or narrative reviews, practical reflections of projects, programmes and policies on local-level peacebuilding. The goal is to foster a vibrant dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers who study peacebuilding and those whose work examines and investigate emerging intersections and alternative forms of peace.
Proposed sessions for the roundtable include:
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Current and emerging theoretical and practical approaches to the local turn in peacebuilding
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Evidence from interventions: the challenges and opportunities of international-local interface and engagements
- Implications for the futures of local-level peacebuilding- Horizon scanning for future innovation and threat
There will be networking opportunities at the Roundtable with a buffet lunch, and tea/coffee.
Travel bursaries
The roundtable is to be held at CU’s Vauxhall Campus in London. Contributions from postdoctoral and early career researchers are particularly encouraged. We are able to offer £200 travel bursaries for five postgraduates who are members of BISA. Details on how to apply for these will be sent to those participants whose abstracts are accepted.
Abstracts (250 words max) should be submitted to the BISA Peacekeeping, Peacebuildingand Human Rights Working Group at pkpbg.group@bisa.ac.uk .
The deadline for submissions is Monday 3 March 2025. Accepted authors/abstracts will be informed by 14 March 2025.
The Roundtable will take place Wednesday 30 April 2025.
Roundtable fees
The event is free for members of BISA. Non-members will be required to pay £54. Virtual attendance for BISA members and non-members is free. While this is primarily a face-to-face conference, participants who are unable to travel will be able to present virtually. However, we look forward to being able to engage and network in person.
Roundtable organisers
Dr David Curran and Dr Nancy Annan, Centre for Peace and Security, Coventry University and Dr Samuel Jarvis, School of Humanities, York St John University .