Examining peacebuilding through the intersection of security, development and democracy, Castaneda explores how the European Union has employed civilian tools for supporting peacebuilding in conflict-affected countries by working at the same time with CSOs and government institutions.

"Cooperation with middle income countries may not be significant for the funding involved, but can make a large difference when working in conflict-affected areas where the linkages between citizen and the state and among citizens have been destroyed by years of violence - if they ever existed. Dorly Castañeda provides a deep insight in the complexity of the relations between governments, donors and civil society organizations for the definition of development programs which objective is building peace."

Jose Antonio Ocampo, Columbia University and Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Minister of Finance of Colombia

"Castañeda's book brings an outstanding food for thought to understand the EU as a softpower. Based on field work, it is an excellent analysis on how the EU contributes to peace in Colombia by working simultaneously with civil society organizations and the government in conflict. Castañeda's research is a compulsory reading for all scholars and students who have questions on the civilian approach of peacebuilding. It will also captivate Latin America's specialists who wants to understand the long and chaotic process that led the Colombian government and the FARC guerillas to peace." - Chirstian Lequesne, CERI Sciences Po, Paris, France

"In an increasingly interdependent world, Dorly Castañeda provides us with a very important and timely study on the contribution that an institution such as theEuropean Union has made promoting democracy, development and security, by encouraging peace building in countries affected by armed conflict. The European Union itself as a project was the result of a transition from war to peace and Dorly Castañeda's study emphasizes the uniqueness of Europe's impact and methodology. This book is an essential contribution to today's international security debate, that often emphasizes military and counter-terrorism measures. I hope it will inspire practitioners and policymakers to think more creatively in how to build peace and security in countries affected by violence." - Aldo Civico, Rutgers University, USA

"Is the European Union an actor in international relations? Dorly Castañeda brilliantly answers this question by demonstrating that the peacebuilding approach of the EU constitutes a unique and the most performing aspect of its international action. Dorly Castaneda's case study mostly revolves around the action of the EU in Colombia, which makes of this profound, stimulating and exciting reflection on European civilian action for peace a major contribution to Peace Studies. It is a piece of work students, academic and practitioners cannot do without." - Guillaume Devin, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris - Sciences Po, France

Autorentext
Dorly Castañeda is currently a Consultant on peacebuilding at the World Bank. She has been working on peacebuilding both as an expert and as a researcher, connecting action in the field with decision-making at the international level. Previously, she has been Visiting Researcher at Georgetown University and Columbia University.

Inhalt
Foreword; Jenny Pearce Introduction PART I: THE EUROPEAN UNION AS AN INTERNATIONAL PEACE ACTOR 1. European Development Aid Supporting Peace 2. The EU Decides to Support Peace in Colombia PART II: THE RECEPTION SIDE: ANTAGONIST EXPECTATIONS OF EU ACTIONS FOR PEACE 3. EU's Support for CSOs: Breaking Authoritarianisms 4. EU as the Perfect Ally for the War Against Terrorism PART III: EUROPEAN PEACEBUILDING AS A PROCESS 5. The European Union Learning Process on Peacebuilding in Colombia 6. Peacebuilding on the Ground: the European Approach Conclusions: the European Approach to Peacebuilding