Elisabeth Porter
Routledge (2008)
www.routledgepaperbacksdirect.com/books/politics
About the book: This book clarifies some key ideas and practices underlying peacebuilding understood broadly as formal and informal peace processes that occur during pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict transformation. Applicable to all peacebuilders, Elisabeth Porter highlights positive examples of women’s peacebuilding in comparative international contexts. She critically interrogates accepted and entrenched dualisms that prevent meaningful reconciliation, while also examining the harm of othering and the importance of recognition, inclusion and tolerance. Drawing on feminist ethics, the book develops a politics of compassion that defends justice, equality and rights and the need to restore victims’ dignity. Complex issues of memory, truth, silence and redress are explored while new ideas on reconciliation and embracing difference emerge.
Many ideas challenge orthodox understandings of peace. The arguments developed here demonstrate how peacebuilding can be understood more broadly than current United Nations and orthodox usages so that women’s activities in conflict and transitional societies can be valued as participating in building sustainable peace with justice. Theoretically integrating peace and conflict studies, international relations, political theory and ethics, this book focuses on the lessons to be learned from best practices of peacebuilding situated around the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
About the author: Professor Elisabeth Porter is a Lecturer in Politics and International Studies in the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages at the University of South Australia. Prior to this she was Head of School of International Studies at the University of South Australia. She has been a Research Director at the International Conflict Research Centre (INCORE) in Northern Ireland, a Centre linked with the UN University. She has also taught at Flinders University of South Australia, University of Ulster and Southern Cross University. She has published widely on women and politics, dialogue across difference and feminist ethics. Her books include Peacebuilding: Women in International Perspective (2008, 2007), Feminist Perspectives on Ethics (1999), Building Good Families in a Changing World (1995) and Women and Moral Identities (1991). Her co-edited books include Activating Human Rights (2006), Researching Conflict in Africa (2005) and Mediation in the Asia-Pacific Region: Transforming Conflicts and Building Peace (2009).
Contact: Elisabeth.Porter@unisa.edu.au
