Peaceland: Conflict Resolution and the Everyday Politics of International Intervention

Public Lecture (bilingual)

Séverine Autesserre

(Associate Professor, Columbia University)

Thursday, February 4, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

Photo of Séverine Autesserre

"Peaceland" is a concept that refers to the community of international interveners in conflict situations – from NGO peace and development workers to military to diplomats to those working for international governmental organizations. Through her experience working in Peaceland, combined with a disciplined ethnographic study of the practices, habits, and narratives that characterize interveners, Séverine Autesserre will show how peacebuilding strategies are often counterproductive. There are extraordinary individuals who actively oppose entrenched patterns that negatively affect local populations. They become deeply aware of the complex realities facing those in the host society and try to bridge the gap between local and expatriate actors. Autesserre will discuss the pitfalls to effective conflict resolution and the policies and practices that could encourage the potential of peacebuilding.