Anna Zohore

Autesserre does a wonderful job of highlighting the importance of boots on the ground in the aspect of getting a job done well. When it comes to conflict and especially resolving and creating long-lasting peace, understanding the local perspective and what peace and the ideal community for the local citizens look like is key and the best place to start. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach completely disregards the intent of peacebuilding and developing effective solutions. Countries need different tactics for their niche problems and a template will just not do it. Autesserre emphasizes how the bottom-up approach should be recognized as a real and useful method through her discussions in the different regions of Congo. The local voice matters, and incorporating those who are experiencing the conflict into developing solutions for them only enhances the longevity of maintaining peace. Peace Inc. would try to “construct Congo without the Congolese” but this is proven to fail and leave countries prone to conflict and violence all over again. When I think of this it makes me think of the conflict in Haiti and the groups labeled as gangs who are enacting violence, but they essentially have a specific idea and mandate for the well-being of their country. The state is acting in a way that they think is correct for the entire country. However, maybe if they spoke with the local citizens and found out the cause of this violence and what it would take to come to an agreement and move towards peace and understanding for the development of the nation, then there might be a solution. The government could also fear being overthrown and this is why they choose not to have such conversations. Autesserre dissects various conflicts and reflects on herself and her colleagues own experiences and success stories, giving the reader hope for the future of peacebuilding. Highly recommend this read.