The impact of orthodox terrorism discourses on the liberal peace: Internalisation, resistance, or hybridisation?

Oliver P. Richmond, Jason Franks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between orthodox terrorism discourses and liberal peacebuilding, particularly where states are being reconstituted after a conflict. Drawing upon fieldwork in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Kashmir, Nepal, and Northern Ireland, our findings suggest that conflicts in which orthodox terrorism theory is deployed to explain violence are those in which there is little interest (by all parties) in dealing with root causes or achieving mutual compromise. This is so even though the liberal peace is commonly a claimed aspiration for most parties, apart from the most radical of non-state actors or authoritarian of states. They effectively reify both terrorism and state securitisation. The aspired to internalisation of the liberal peace framework has instead been supplanted by the politics of state securitisation and violent resistance. Liberal peacebuilding has become a nominal exercise in constructing virtually liberal states in which the security and integrity of core groups are partially maintained by orthodox terrorism praxis. To counter these dynamics, critical positions need to engage with agendas beyond liberal or cosmopolitan frameworks.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)201-218
Number of pages18
JournalCritical Studies on Terrorism
Volume2
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2009

Keywords

  • Kashmir
  • Liberal peace
  • Middle East
  • Nepal
  • Northern Ireland
  • Orthodox terrorism theory
  • Sri Lanka

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