The state-building-reconciliation nexus: a critical observation of peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Monroy Santander, Louis Francis (2018). The state-building-reconciliation nexus: a critical observation of peacebuilding in Bosnia-Herzegovina. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis analyses peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina, looking at the relation between state-building and transitional justice. It relies on reconciliation, as a socially constructed term, to look at how international and civil society organizations in the country, as well as Bosnian citizens, perceive processes put in place after the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords. In doing so, it contributes to debates in literature discussing how to approach peacebuilding holistically, identifying spaces for connecting top-down and bottom-up processes, supporting the establishment of a sustainable peace. The thesis relies on a constructivist framework, seeking to understand the frameworks and mindsets shaping reconciliation as a working concept for international and civil society associations and as an experience for Bosnian citizens. Such constructions are identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. The data was gathered through ethnographic fieldwork aimed at interviewing representatives of international organizations involved in transitional justice and state-building, non-governmental organizations approaching working on reconciliation, and Bosnian citizens who have lived in the country after the war. I support the view that a holistic approach to peacebuilding requires connecting state institutions with the building of political communities on the ground to foster a legitimate and viable process of social reconstruction.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):