Overview

The first comprehensive account of infrastructure building in United Nations peace operations. Roads, bridges, a renewable power plant, and an electricity grid- UN peacekeepers might be unusual infrastructure builders, but they're certainly not unambitious. Since the beginning of the UN's peacekeeping activities after the end of World War II, the Blue Helmets have cemented streets, constructed bridges, and dug wells in conflict zones. But how did the military arm of the world's primary diplomatic forum become involved in such activities in its quest for peace, and with what consequences? Peace Infrastructures analyzes the turn to ever-more-complex infrastructure projects, from early road building via urban community projects to the commissioning of entire renewable power plants, in the context of an evolving understanding of peace ""problems"" and solutions. Tracing the global travel of policies, technologies, and expertise, Silvia Danielak investigates how the shift toward risk management, legacy, and climate security was driven by, and materialized in, conflict zones, shaping the very idea of peace. The book critically engages with the UN's ambition to insert itself in the sustainable development of the countries it seeks to assist, arguing that we need to consider peace operations' spatial, urban, and material ways of engagement-especially in the face of mounting climate risks. Infrastructure is poised to take a more prominent position within peace operations, but a more nuanced understanding that recognizes its opportunities, as well as its potential for violence, is required.

Full Product Details

9780262553612

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Reviews

ENDORSEMENTS “At a historical moment when peace seems to be literally about building, Silvia Danielak has written a timely, highly original book that compels us to rethink how the physical infrastructures of UN peace operations relate to the spatial imaginaries of peace and—most importantly—possible, more sustainable futures.” —Alex de Waal, author of New Pandemics, Old Politics and Mass Starvation “Infrastructure is crucial but is often unnoticed. Silvia Danielak’s important new book reveals what the infrastructures built and used by United Nations peace operations can tell us about power, exclusion, and peace. Highly recommended.” —Roger Mac Ginty, author of Everyday Peace and International Peacebuilding and Local Resistance “Peace Infrastructures is a groundbreaking exploration of how UN peace operations employ infrastructural projects—roads, bridges, solar farms—as tools to foster sustainable peace in conflict-affected regions. Danielak masterfully examines the promises, risks, and long-term impacts of such interventions, revealing how they shape the socio-spatial and environmental landscapes of host communities. This thought-provoking book is essential reading for anyone interested in peace operations and sustainable development.” —Lise Howard, author of Power in Peacekeeping and UN Peacekeeping in Civil Wars

Author Information

Silvia Danielak is Assistant Professor at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. She is the recipient of the Peace Scholar Fellowship from the US Institute of Peace.

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