Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka: Caught in the Peace Trap?

Book Details
• Author: Goodhand, Jonathan
• Brand: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Edition: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• Number Of Pages: 256
• Release Date: 11-11-2013
• EAN: 9780415749039
• Languages: English

About The Book
The period between 2001 and 2006 saw the rise and fall of an internationally supported effort to bring a protracted violent conflict in Sri Lanka to a peaceful resolution. A ceasefire agreement, signed in February 2002, was followed by six rounds of peace talks, but growing political violence, disagreements over core issues, and fragmentation of key constituencies led to an eventual breakdown.

After the failed peace process, a new government pursued a highly effective ‘war for peace,’ leading to the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. This book brings together a unique range of perspectives, based on extensive field research, written by both Sri Lankan and international experts.

The book explores the complexities of the peace process using the framework of ‘liberal peacebuilding’ and analyzes the interactions between international and domestic players during the war-peace-war period. Drawing lessons from Sri Lanka, it provides insights into broader debates on liberal peace and post-conflict peacebuilding, with relevance to cases such as Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. This book is a critical contribution to South Asian studies and peacebuilding theory.