The Politics of Everyday Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland
Marijan, Branka. 2017. Peacebuilding 5, no. 1: 67-81.
This text offers an analysis of the status of peace in Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina 20 years following the signing of the Dayton Accords, the internationally-sponsored 1995 agreement that ended the Bosnian War and established the creation of an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite the clear differences between the history of peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland, both instances are clear examples of an “unfinished peace”, where community divisions and tension remain deeply entrenched at the local level once the enthusiasm that accompanies international peacebuilding agreements wears off. Thus, this article highlights that, while the role of external states and international organizations in constructing a lasting post-conflict peace may be crucial, the agency of local communities in determining the success of peacebuilding efforts oftentimes remains unaccounted for.