Table Of ContentPeaceland
ConflictResolutionandtheEverydayPolitics
ofInternationalIntervention
This book suggests a new explanation for why international peace
interventions often fail to reach their full potential. Based on several
years of ethnographic research in conflict zones around the world, it
demonstrates that everyday elements – such as the expatriates’ social
habitsandusualapproachestounderstandingtheirareasofoperation–
strongly influence peacebuilding effectiveness. Individuals from all
over the world and all walks of life share numerous practices, habits,
and narratives when they serve as interveners in conflict zones. These
commonattitudesandactionsenableforeignpeacebuilderstofunction
inthefield,buttheyalsoresultinunintendedconsequencesthatthwart
international efforts. Certain expatriates follow alternative modes of
thinking and acting, often with notable results, but they remain in the
minority.Throughanin-depthanalysisoftheinterveners’everydaylife
and work, this book proposes innovative ways to better help host
populationsbuildasustainablepeace.
SéverineAutesserreisAssistantProfessorofPoliticalScience,specializing
in International Relations and African Studies, at Barnard College,
ColumbiaUniversity.Autesserre’sworkhasappearedinsuchpublications
asForeignAffairs,InternationalOrganization,AfricanAffairs,theNew
YorkTimes,theInternationalHeraldTribune,CritiqueInternationale,
the Review of African Political Economy, the African Studies Review,
theAfricanSecurityReview,andtheJournalofHumanitarianAffairs.
Herpreviousbook,TheTroublewiththeCongo:LocalViolenceandthe
Failure of International Peacebuilding (Cambridge University Press,
2010), won the 2012 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World
Orderandthe2011ChadwickAlgerPrizepresentedbytheInternational
StudiesAssociationtothebestbookoninternationalorganizationsand
multilateralism. Autesserre has won several prestigious fellowships for
her work, notably research grants from the Harry Frank Guggenheim
FoundationandtheUnitedStatesInstituteofPeace.
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AdvancePraiseforPeaceland
“In this groundbreaking inquest, Autesserre builds on her previous
work on the Congo to show the vital significance of ‘doing’ peace-
building from the ground up, with sustained attention to the local
dynamics of conflict. The number of case studies investigated, the
originality of her methodology, the breadth of supporting evidence,
and the range of arresting insights are among the principal merits of
thisoutstandingcontribution.Onecanonlyhopethatitwillbewidely
read by peacebuilders everywhere, but also by scholars, journalists,
and policy wonks in search of a new angle of vision for making
‘Peaceland’areality.”
–RenéLemarchand,EmeritusProfessor,UniversityofFlorida
“Essentialreadingforpractitioners,policymakers,anddonorsinvolved
in international interventions in conflict areas. Drawing on her world-
wide field experience, Professor Autesserre’s comprehensive research
offers new perspectives on how and why interveners should develop a
thorough understanding of the local history, culture, and customs of
populations in conflict zones. Much can be learned from her critical
insightsasweendeavortoassistthosepopulationsindanger.”
– Catherine Dumait-Harper, Former MSF Médecins Sans
Frontières/DoctorsWithoutBordersRepresentativetothe
UnitedNations
“In recent years peacebuilding has become something of a vogue in
international circles. So Séverine Autesserre’s book is a timely and
well-reasoned reminder for all would-be peacebuilders and the
organizations that stand behind them that they need to be prudent
andpatientinboththeirprescriptionsforpeaceandthewaytheygo
abouttryingtoachievethem.Goodintentionsarenotenough.”
–AlanDoss,SeniorPoliticalAdvisor,KofiAnnanFoundation
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ProblemsofInternationalPolitics
SeriesEditors:
keith darden, AmericanUniversity
ian shapiro, YaleUniversity
The series seeks manuscripts central to the understanding of international politics
thatareempiricallyrichandconceptuallyinnovative.Itisinterestedinworksthat
illuminate the evolving character of nation-states within the international system.
It sets out three broad areas for investigation: 1. identity, security, and conflict;
2.democracy;and3.justiceanddistribution.
TitlesintheSeries:
S¸enerAktürk,RegimesofEthnicityandNationhoodinGermany,Russia,
andTurkey
SéverineAutesserre,Peaceland:ConflictResolutionandtheEverydayPolitics
ofInternationalIntervention
DonaldHorowitz,ConstitutionalChangeandDemocracyinIndonesia
AdriaLawrence,ImperialRuleandthePoliticsofNationalism:Anti-Colonial
ProtestintheFrenchEmpire
StevenLevitskyandLucanA.Way,CompetitiveAuthoritarianism:HybridRegimes
AftertheColdWar
TarekMasoud,CountingIslam:Religion,Class,andElectionsinEgypt
HarrisMylonas,ThePoliticsofNation-Building:MakingCo-Nationals,Refugees,
andMinorities
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Tothevictimsofviolenceandthosewhotrytohelpthem
Andamongthelatter,ofcourse,toPhilippe
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Peaceland
Conflict Resolution and the Everyday
Politics of International Intervention
SÉVERINE AUTESSERRE
BarnardCollege,ColumbiaUniversity
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32AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,NY10013-2473,USA
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learning,andresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107632042
©SéverineAutesserre2014
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2014
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
AcatalogrecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Autesserre,Séverine,1976–
Peaceland:conflictresolutionandtheeverydaypoliticsofinternational
intervention/SéverineAutesserre.
pages cm
ISBN978-1-107-05210-9(hardback)
1. Peace-building–Internationalcooperation. 2. Intercultural
communication. 3. Peacefulchange(Internationalrelations) I. Title.
JZ5538.A87 2014
327.1–dc23 2013044465
ISBN978-1-107-05210-9Hardback
ISBN978-1-107-63204-2Paperback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
URLsforexternalorthird-partyInternetWebsitesreferredtointhispublication
anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchWebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
Coverimage:AnIndianUNpeacekeeperstandsguardashundredsofdisplaced
civiliansseekshelterneartheUNbaseinKiwanja,ineasternDemocraticRepublic
ofCongo,January21,2006.Copyright©DavidLewis/Reuters/Corbis.
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Contents
FigureandTables pageix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
PeacelandandItsPuzzles 2
EverydayDimensionsofPeacebuildingEffectiveness 7
WhyReadThisBook? 15
Overview 17
1 StudyingtheEveryday 20
PeacebuildingandItsEffectiveness 20
AnEmpiricalShift:StudyingOn-the-GroundPeacebuilding 24
TheConcepts 29
TheExplanation 35
TheOtherExplanations 45
Conclusion 56
parti constructingknowledgeofthehostcountry 59
TheInhabitantsofPeaceland 60
Outsiders’andInsiders’RolesinPeacebuilding 64
2 ThePoliticsofKnowledge 68
ThematicExpertiseOverLocalKnowledge 70
SourcesoftheImbalance 75
IntendedandUnintendedEffects 79
Conclusion 95
3 LocalReactions 97
Knowledge,Arrogance,andResentment 99
LackofLocalOwnershipandAuthorship 102
Adaptation,Contestation,andResistance 107
Conclusion 112
vii
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viii Contents
4 FumblingintheDark 115
DataCollectionandAnalysis 116
MainConsequences 131
Conclusion 156
part ii constructing and maintaining boundaries 159
5 TheInterveners’Circle 161
TheCommunity 162
SeparationfromtheOther 174
UnintendedConsequences:IsolationandItsCosts 183
IdentifyingtheExceptions 188
Conclusion 192
6 AStructureofInequality 194
TheEthicsofCare 195
TheInterveners’Resources 205
Accountability 209
Conclusion 214
7 DailyWorkRoutines 216
SecurityRoutines 217
InterventionRituals 230
PreferredResults 239
Conclusion 245
Conclusion:TransformingPeaceland 247
TheArgument,inaNutshell 249
BeyondPeaceInterventions 251
OngoingChallengesandPotentialResponses 254
Conclusion 273
Appendix:AnEthnographicApproach 275
TheoryBuildinginCongo 276
ConsolidationandGeneralizationthroughFieldwork
inEightOtherConflictZones 278
FiveKindsofMaterial 282
DevelopingaTrustworthyAnalysis 284
Conclusion 287
Bibliography 289
Index 321
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Figure and Tables
Figure
1 MapofFieldworkSites page11
Tables
1 InternationalInterveners’DominantPractices,Habits,
andNarratives 30
2 MainNegativeImpactsoftheInternationalInterveners’
DominantPractices,Habits,andNarratives 36
3 GeographicOriginofStaffMembers,UnitedNations
OrganizationStabilizationMissionintheDemocratic
RepublicofCongo,May2011 61
ix
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