Biopolitical peacebuilding

Abstract

ABSTRACT The question of whether peacebuilding can be effective arises as liberal internationalist approaches appear unable to sustainably resolve state, inter-state, or ethno-national violence. Such failures have led to claims that peacebuilding, in its ‘post-conflict’ form, is now in a state of ‘crisis’. However, rather than abandoning it, viewed through the lens of post-structuralism, new biopolitical insights arise on how peacebuilding can begin to do what it was conceptualised for, to develop an associative and multi-sectoral peace framework that can sustainably reduce direct violence and structural violence and address a lack of basic human needs in a post-ceasefire environ. Developing this biopolitical insight on ‘post-conflict’ peacebuilding, through the rhizomatic realism of biopolitical labour, and subaltern agency, may then help innovate a positive peace formation that sustains transformative peacebuilding and delivers a quality of life outcome for ex-combatants, victims and survivors, which resolves endemic cycles of violence, peacefully.