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In the Eye of the Peacebuilder: International and Local Perceptions of Peacebuilding Success and Failure in Kosovo and Timor-Leste

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Micro-evidence for Peacebuilding Theories and Policies

Part of the book series: Evidence-Based Approaches to Peace and Conflict Studies ((EBAPCS,volume 8))

Abstract

How do international and local actors gauge the success and failure of peacebuilding? This chapter seeks to answer this question by examining the similarities and differences in international and local perceptions of peacebuilding success and failure using the cases of United Nations peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Timor-Leste. The data are drawn from in-depth interviews with individuals who have been involved in various capacities across several peacebuilding components, specifically security, justice and reconciliation, socio-economic development, and governance. The analysis results in a descriptive typology of perceptions based on structural, procedural, effectual, and conceptual criteria of success and failure. This typology can be used in assessing peacebuilding outcomes using micro-evidence from the peacebuilding process. Perceptions play a role in prioritizing international peacebuilding tasks and identifying local needs and sources of discontent during the peacebuilding process. Understanding international and local perceptions of success/failure is valuable for informing and designing policies for international peacebuilding and local involvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8529, Japan

    Dahlia Simangan

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  1. Dahlia Simangan
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Correspondence to Dahlia Simangan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and Economics, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan

    Yuichi Kubota

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Simangan, D. (2022). In the Eye of the Peacebuilder: International and Local Perceptions of Peacebuilding Success and Failure in Kosovo and Timor-Leste. In: Kubota, Y. (eds) Micro-evidence for Peacebuilding Theories and Policies. Evidence-Based Approaches to Peace and Conflict Studies, vol 8. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4899-2_2

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