This book assesses the claim that peacebuilding is a moribund
international practice. Its contributors trace the origins of
peacebuilding, bring back to memory its moments of triumph, and reflect
on the reports of its decline. The story of peacebuilding parallels the
broader story of liberalism's rise and fall in world politics, including
the attempt to remedy an ailing patient by administering a magic
medicine - "the local turn". Its contributors further write about what
may come after peacebuilding as we still know it. They describe more
locally rooted attempts at building peace and how they operate in the
shadows of, and in an ambiguous relationship with, governmental and
international peacebuilders. The book finally suggests that reports of
the pending death of peacebuilding are probably premature. Peacebuilding
is a resilient international practice, apt to adjust itself to a
changing environment, and too important a source of legitimacy for those
that wield power.