Life after Violence

'A unique and much-needed view from below. Peter Uvin gives a voice to Burundi's youth and offers refreshing and challenging new insights into conflict dynamics in the Great Lakes.' Filip Reyntjens, University of Antwerp 'Peter Uvin's book goes beyond the usual categorizations to reveal a much less romantic, more complex, more brutal and more hopeful image of society in Burundi. It presents a challenging local understanding of the different dimensions of the peacebuilding agenda, making it a thought-provoking must-read for anyone interested in the area' Beatrice Pouligny, Georgetown University 'Life After Violence is a hopeful book, one that makes a strong case for what would seem an elementary notion: If you want to launch a long-term effort to improve a society, you ought to know something about it' Washington Post

Peter Uvin is the Henry J. Leir Professor of International Humanitarian Studies and Academic Dean at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. In recent years, his research and practice has dealt with the intersection between development aid, human rights, and conflict, mostly in the African Great Lakes region. His previous books include Human Rights and Development (2004) and Aiding Violence: The Development Enterprise in Rwanda (1989) which received the African Studies Association's Herskowits award for the most outstanding book on Africa in 1998. He spends a large amount of his time working for various agencies in the Great Lakes region.

Foreword Introduction Part I: Background 1. A Brief Political History of Burundi 2. Methodology & Location Part II: The View from Below 3. Peace and War as Read in Burundi 4. 'If I Were in Charge Here': Burundians on Respect, Corruption and the State 5. Hard Work and Prostitution: The Capitalist Ethos in Crisis 6. 'I Want to Marry a Dynamic Girl': Changing Gender Expectations in Burundi 7. Justice, Silence and Social Capital 8. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index