Increasing Interest in Infrastructures for Peace

Abstract

A global network has been established to enhance infrastructures for peace internationally in 2011. Most countries lack the capacities and structures to deal adequately with ongoing and potential violent conflict. These peace structures have a real impact: several times in the last two decades, they have proven to be effective tools for preventing or reducing violence, as in South Africa prior to the elections in 1994 and during recent elections in Ghana and Kenya. There is an increasing interest in infrastructures for peace, which is important because experts expect an increase in violent conflict.

The article describes some experiences of peace structures in South Africa, Ghana and Kenya; gives a definition of a peace infrastructure; a rationale for advancing it and the need for a multi-stakeholder dialogue on infrastructures for peace. It draws some conclusions and also proposes some research questions.