This book helps to better understand how the interaction between local and international peacebuilding actors influences the outcomes of their programs. Based on the case study of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it analyses the relationships between local and international peacebuilding actors over the long term and assesses ways to overcome the obstacles to more cooperative partnerships. Focusing on perceptions, the book nuances existing definitions of war, peacebuilding and peace and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of conflict contexts. Thereby, it contributes to the literature on peacebuilding effectiveness and makes concrete suggestions for translating these findings into practice.

Sara Hellmüller is a Senior Researcher at swisspeace, a peace research institute associated with the University of Basel, Switzerland, and a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Montreal, Canada.

Chapter 1: introduction.- Chapter 2: Analyzing the Interaction between Local and International Peacebuilding Actors.- Chapter 3: Perceiving the War.- Chapter 4: Perceiving Each Other.- Chapter 5: Perceiving Peace.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.