Peacebuilding in Nepal - the Tentative Quest for Post-Liberal Peace

Abstract: The focal point of this thesis is the peacebuilding environment in Nepal following the end of the civil war in 2006. A fieldwork investigation was conducted focusing on the perceptions of inhabitants of Kathmandu on peace and peacebuilding issues using semi-structured interviews. By investigating these perceptions the study seeks to answer three main questions: -How can the contrasting perspectives on the peace process be understood? -Can life in post-conflict Nepal fruitfully be conceptualized as a ”no war, no peace”-society, and if so, what are the possible implications of this on the peace process? -How do people in contemporary Nepal envision sustainable peace? The thesis draws on theoretical frameworks which are critical of the liberal peace - mainly problematizing its tendency to neglect the local context and needs, and its reliance on top-down and technocratic measures. The conclusion of this thesis is that the contrasting perspectives on the peace process can be understood as a consequence of the disjuncture between everyday experiences of peacebuilding in Nepal and the top-down perspective of liberal peacebuilding actors. Furthermore, the study has found that Nepal can in material and political terms be aptly described as a "no war, no peace"-society, yet at the same time there appears to be socio-cultural factors which restrain a return to civil war. Finally, people in Nepal conceptualize sustainable peace in a manner which highlights everyday issues such as material improvements and social inclusion.