ABSTRACT

This is a literature-reviewing and conceptualizing article introducing a Special Issue that is addressing the broad field of ‘peacebuilding amidst violence’. We take as a point of departure that peacebuilding (as we know it) is widely failing to deliver on its promises. Moreover, the atypical nature and persistence of violence in post-war phases are further undermining the prospect of linear transition from war to peace as typically expected in peacebuilding ventures. We extend, however, our argument and claim that in spite of creative ‘turns’, the concept has exhausted its adaptive capacity, and both conceptually and empirically has few options left. We investigate the three possible, as we see it, remaining options, which all include paradigmatic changes, namely the closure of, the refusal of the failure of, and the re-enacting of, peacebuilding. Although the ‘re-enacting’ is the preferred way forward for the authors of this introductory article, it rather opens up for the ensuing articles presented in the issue than concludes of the desirability and feasibility of that path.

摘要

这是一篇文献综述和概念化文章，介绍了一个特刊，该专刊涉及“暴力中的和平建设”这一广泛领域。我们认为建设和平（正如我们所知）普遍未能兑现其承诺作为出发点。此外，战后阶段暴力的非典型性和持续性进一步破坏了建设和平事业中通常预期的从战争到和平的线性过渡的前景。然而，我们扩展我们的论点并声称，尽管有创造性的“转向”，但这个概念已经耗尽了它的适应能力，并且在概念上和经验上几乎没有选择余地。我们调查了我们所看到的三种可能的剩余选项，这些选项都包括范式变化，即建设和平的结束、拒绝失败和重新制定。