peacebuilding

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a long-term process of addressing the root causes of violent conflict and building the political, social, economic, and cultural conditions for sustainable peace, going beyond the cessation of hostilities to encompass governance reform, economic recovery, reconciliation, and the strengthening of civilian capacities for managing disputes without violence; peacebuilding was conceptualised in the UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's 1992 Agenda for Peace and has evolved through subsequent UN frameworks into a comprehensive approach linking security, development, and human rights as mutually reinforcing pillars; effective peacebuilding is understood to require local ownership — the meaningful leadership and participation of conflict-affected communities rather than externally imposed templates — and sensitivity to the political economy of conflict that may include elite interests in sustaining instability