Post-conflict peacebuilding: Who determines the peace?

Abstract

The central, primary challenge of re-building war-torn societies 'has to do with mending relations and with restoring dignity, trust and faith. More than the physical, institutional or systematic destruction that war brings, it is... the destruction of relationships... that has the potential to undermine the solutions to all other problems...' The past decade has seen increasing humanitarian intervention in conflict and post-conflict processes in the Asia-Pacific region. Australian personnel are currently involved in post-conflict operations in East Timor, Bougainvil1e and the Solomons. They have also been involved in Iraq and Afghanistan facilitating peacekeeping and peacemaking activities. Military and non-military personnel have provided logistical support and human rights training, have monitored elections and have overseen recovery processes. The dynamics of recovery and reconstruction are ever-changing and peace operations now incorporate a larger non-military element. This is in recognition that stable peace cannot be brought about by military intervention alone but is dependent on a complex range of humanitarian, socio-economic and socio-political processes.