Publication details
Bosnia and Herzegovina between Negative and Positive Peace: View from the Local Level
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Romanian Journal of Political Science |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Political sciences |
| Keywords | Bosnia and Herzegovina; grassroots peace-building; reconciliation; positive and negative peace |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The recent critical standpoint argues that the peace-building process in Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been successful since it has not achieved the state of broadly defined positive peace. According to this widespread opinion, the international peace-building policies have been formulated in terms of negative peace, and rather cemented the division of the country than supported its reintegration. The aim of this paper is to test this argument at the local level of analysis using the conceptual framework of continuum between narrow and wide understanding of peace. Based on interviews with direct actors of the examined processes, we carried out a comparative study within a representative sample of 11 Bosnian municipalities assessing the four alleged divisions that are used as arguments of the critical standpoint. Overall, we have diagnosed the recorded positive developments on the local level as a potentially promising channel for the international community to bypass the deadlocked state-level politics and give the peace-building process the sorely needed boost from below. |