About Book

Peace Infrastructures and State-Building at the Margins by Balázs Áron Kovács critically examines the concept of 'infrastructures for peace,' initially proposed as a framework for conflict transformation. The book explores how this concept has been co-opted by institutional actors—such as international organizations and states—to further state-building goals aligned with liberal peace-building agendas. Through an analysis of the Philippine government's PAMANA program, Kovács investigates how peace infrastructures are utilized to extend state authority into marginalized areas, often serving elite interests and potentially undermining genuine conflict transformation efforts. Relevance with the Current Era: In the contemporary context, where peace-building initiatives are frequently intertwined with state-building efforts, this book offers a critical perspective on the potential instrumentalization of peace infrastructures. It highlights the risks of co-optation by state elites and the challenges of implementing genuine conflict transformation in marginalized regions. The analysis is particularly pertinent for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars engaged in designing and evaluating peace-building programs in post-conflict societies. Balázs Áron Kovács provides a nuanced critique of the intersection between peace infrastructures and state-building, challenging mainstream approaches to peace-building that prioritize state-centric models. His in-depth case study of the Philippines offers valuable insights into the complexities of implementing peace infrastructures in practice. The book is a significant contribution to critical peace and conflict studies, encouraging a reevaluation of how peace-building initiatives are conceptualized and operationalized.