Bosnia's Paralysed Peace
Will be published approx. on 18. August 2016
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-84904-053-2 (ISBN)
Description
Two decades after the Dayton Peace Agreement came into force, Bosnia is not at war. However, the absence of war is not peace. Bosnia has failed to move on from conflict. Political processes are deadlocked. The country is in a state of political, social and economic paralysis. As the international community has downgraded its presence, conditions have deteriorated, irredentist agendas have resurfaced and the outlook is increasingly negative. War remains a risk because of myriad unresolved issues, zero-sum politics and incompatible positions among rival ethno-national elites.In the face of paralysis, international officials repeat the mantra that there is no alternative to Bosnia's European path and urge the country's leaders to see reason, to temper their rhetoric and to carry out internationally approved reforms -- to no avail. Despite international reluctance to recognise failure, the day will come when it is impossible to ignore the gravity of the situation. When that day arrives, the international community will have to address the shortcomings of the peace process. This, in turn, will involve opening up the Dayton settlement. Christopher Bennett presents a cautionary political history of Bosnia's disintegration, war and peace process. And he concludes by proposing a paradigm shift aimed at building ethno-national security and making the peace settlement self-sustaining.
Reviews / Votes
There is a real need for a balanced, well founded, deeply researched and comprehensive book which documents why Bosnia and Herzegovina's ascent towards a sustainable peace in the first ten years after Dayton, turned into a descent back into fracture, division and dysfunctionality in the second post-Dayton decade. This book fulfils that need, admirably and should be required reading for all those who know and love Bosnia - and necessary reading for all those interested in the process of building peace after conflict. It is not necessary to agree with every judgement or to support every analysis to recognise that this is an important, weighty and admirable work on the tragedy for Europe and the Balkans, that Bosnia is now, in 2016, not prospering in a sustainable peace, but mired in a paralysed one. * Paddy Ashdown, former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina * A desolate story of squandered peace-building opportunity, lucidly and meticulously told. Christopher Bennett makes a compelling case that renewed genocidal violence between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats is a real risk, and that the only hope for Bosnia is for international pressure to force changes to its political system that would reward cross-group support and cooperation rather than zero sum intransigence. His argument cries out to be heard. * Gareth Evans, President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group and former Foreign Minister of Australia; author of The Responsibility to Protect: Ending Mass Atrocity Crimes Once and for All * There have been surprisingly few accounts of the international community's engagement in Bosnia following the signing of the Dayton Agreement in 1995 written by individuals closely involved in that process. Christopher Bennett's book is a welcome, thoughtful, and trenchant contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the complex history of 'Dayton Bosnia' from a well-placed insider. * Bruce Hitchner, Director of the Peace & Justice Studies Program, Tufts University, and Chairman of the Dayton Peace Accords Project *More details
Edition
UK ed.
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84904-053-2 (9781849040532)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Christopher Bennett reported from Yugoslavia before and during its breakup. He later became Balkans Director for the International Crisis Group in Sarajevo. From 2006-2014 he worked for the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia as, among other things, Communications Director and Deputy High Representative. He has taught Yugoslav history at the University of London, and is currently Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Historical Heritage in Sarajevo and honorary professor at De Montfort University in Leicester. He is the author of Yugoslavia's Bloody Collapse (Hurst, 1995).
Content
DescriptionTwo decades after the Dayton Peace Agreement came into force, Bosnia is not at war. However, the absence of war is not peace. Bosnia has failed to move on from conflict. Political processes are deadlocked. The country is in a state of political, social and economic paralysis. As the international community has downgraded its presence, conditions have deteriorated, irredentist agendas have resurfaced and the outlook is increasingly negative. War remains a risk because of myriad unresolved issues, zero-sum politics and incompatible positions among rival ethno-national elites.In the face of paralysis, international officials repeat the mantra that there is no alternative to Bosnia's European path and urge the country's leaders to see reason, to temper their rhetoric and to carry out internationally approved reforms - to no avail. Despite international reluctance to recognise failure, the day will come when it is impossible to ignore the gravity of the situation. When that day arrives, the international community will have to address the shortcomings of the peace process. This, in turn, will involve opening up the Dayton settlement. Christopher Bennett presents a cautionary political history of Bosnia's disintegration, war and peace process. And he concludes by proposing a paradigm shift aimed at building ethno-national security and making the peace settlement self-sustaining.AuthorChristopher Bennett reported from Yugoslavia before and during its breakup. He later became Balkans Director for the International Crisis Group in Sarajevo. From 2006-2014 he worked for the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia as, among other things, Communications Director and Deputy High Representative. He has taught Yugoslav history at the University of London, and is currently Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Historical Heritage in Sarajevo and honorary professor at De Montfort University in Leicester. He is the author of Yugoslavia's Bloody Collapse (Hurst, 1995).Related TopicsIRpolitics Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsAbbreviationsGuide to pronunciationMapChapters1. IntroductionDeep-rooted conflictPeace-building challengeMeasuring success2. Bosnian QuestionBalancing actEthno-national identities and rivalriesBrotherhood and unity3. DisintegrationEnd of communismDemocratic dawnDescent into war4. War and PeaceSelf-determination, legitimacy and hostilitiesRecognition and recriminationPeace-brokering amid ethnic cleansingGetting to Dayton5. Elections at Any PricePeace or just a ceasefire?Contours of the settlementCivilian deploymentElections, pseudo-democracy and institutional paralysis6. Overriding 'Democracy' to Implement DaytonChanging coursePromoting 'moderates'Building multi-ethnicityJusticeInstitution-buildingEuro-Atlantic integration7. Rhetoric and realityAssessing the processLimits of liberal peace-buildingDark side of democracy8. Whither Bosnia?Diplomatic autopilotZero-sum politics and ever-rising tensionTransitioningReforms and responsibilityDeadlock, decay and debtProspects9. Changing the logic of Bosnian politicsRecognising failureSalience of ethno-national securityRevisiting the Bosnian Question10. ConclusionTreating symptomsPost-conflict to pre-conflictChanging incentivesBibliographical noteIndex