Benefits and Challenges of Institutionalizing Peacebuilding and Activism in a Post-Liberal World

Abstract

Peace and conflict studies is a normative field that seeks to reduce or eradicate violence. With multiple forms of violence plaguing human society, institutionalization of civil society has long been a tenet of liberal approaches to peace intended to enhance sustainability and policy impact of activism. Along with benefits, however, institutionalization brought with it a set of challenges, including cooptation by donors and competition among activists. The article builds on the analysis of 14 in-depth interviews, insights gathered from the “Rethinking Peace” workshop conducted in Mtsheka, Georgia in July 2022, and desk research on the risks and benefits of institutionalization of activism in the context of peacebuilding in the South Caucasus and the civil rights movement in the United States. Despite clear contextual differences and varying degrees of commitment to liberal and post-liberal approaches to peace, the article highlights striking similarities when it comes to benefits and challenges of institutionalization.