THE STATE-BUILDING-RECONCILIATION NEXUS: A CRITICAL OBSERVATION OF PEACEBUILDING IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA By Louis Francis Monroy Santander A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY International Development Department School of Government and Society College of Social Sciences University of Birmingham December 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis analyses peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina, looking at the relation between state-building and transitional justice. It relies on reconciliation, as a socially constructed term, to look at how international and civil society organizations in the country, as well as Bosnian citizens, perceive processes put in place after the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords. In doing so, it contributes to debates in literature discussing how to approach peacebuilding holistically, identifying spaces for connecting top-down and bottom-up processes, supporting the establishment of a sustainable peace. The thesis relies on a constructivist framework, seeking to understand the frameworks and mindsets shaping reconciliation as a working concept for international and civil society associations and as an experience for Bosnian citizens. Such constructions are identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. The data was gathered through ethnographic fieldwork aimed at interviewing representatives of international organizations involved in transitional justice and state-building, non-governmental organizations approaching working on reconciliation, and Bosnian citizens who have lived in the country after the war. I support the view that a holistic approach to peacebuilding requires connecting state institutions with the building of political communities on the ground to foster a legitimate and viable process of social reconstruction. Dedicated to my father’s memory, Francisco José Monroy Arcila. If I never, ever get to find you, or know the truth about what happened, at least I know that you will always be present in this thesis. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This has been an unbelievable journey constantly supported by supervisors, Dr Nicolas Lemay-Hebert and Dr Laurence Cooley, whose input and constant feedback have been incredibly priceless. The IDD Department at the University of Birmingham, accepting me as their colleague, and part of their ESRC student quota. My mother, Hilda Santander, who has been there through ‘thick and thin’, in times of success and defeat. Without her energy, I would not have endured the challenges in this process. The rest of my family in Colombia, whom I miss greatly and always remember fondly. Ashton, who always brings a massive smile to my face. Tatjana Milovanović, whose love and support helped me sustain the toughest year of this process. Dr Christalla Yakinthou, someone I encountered as an expert and ended becoming one of the most supporting voices, an inspiration, and a great friend. Dr Joan McGregor, a mentor and role model who believes in my abilities far much better than I do. Dr Jelena Obradović-Wochnik and her incredible support. To the UoB friends made along the way: Samara and Vitor, Anselm, Rubens, Laura and the Colombians, Jeannette, Rob Skinner, Bruno and Malala, Francisco and Rosario. Danielle House, a great friend who has listened and understood many of my traumas. Susan and Ian, a great couple who not only gave me a home but also great conversations. My good friend James Burnett, always there for a laugh. Antonio and Lucia, my Portugal-London family. Ferdusi Khan, a great teacher, humanitarian traveler and friend. Jason M. Maier, whose wisdom is no longer with us, and whose name deserves to have a place in a great library. My lifelong friends of ‘Recodo Del Country’, people I can always count on. My many friends in Colombia, a list far too long to write in this section, who have always kept me in touch with my roots. To the great people I met in Bosnia-Herzegovina, who were open and kind enough to let me into their lives, to share experiences with them, work with them and learn from them. Mevludin Rahmanović, Vahidin Omanović and CIM’s staff in Bosnia-Herzegovina: thank you for making me part of the team. Velma Sarić, Leslie Woodward and the PCRC crew who gave me the opportunity to work, share and understand different forms of ‘reconciliation’. My friends Sarah Holmes, Seada Velić and Paul Martin whose company I have enjoyed greatly. The people of CEH, the friendliest teachers and learners in all of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Francisco and Dragana in Prijedor and their endless hospitality. To Gjrasa ‘Ceci’ and Alicija, we lived, we shared, and we suffered. Kenan and Leila, always up for coffee and great conversations. All who shared their ideas and understanding of Bosnia Herzegovina: Najra Krvavac, Maja Kapo, Randy and Amela Puljek-Shank, Tanja Milovanović, the hardworking peacebuilders of Brĉko, the people of the United World College Mostar, Valery Perry, Edvin Cudic, Marija Vuletić, and the good people of Bosnia- Herzegovina. Great musicians encountered along the way (my own personal philosophers): Pixies, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Mudhoney and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs: thank you, you helped me in times of confusion. To Bosnia-Herzegovina, a land whose suffering, resilience and beauty have made me just that little bit more human: “My hands are tied The billions shift from side to side And the wars go on with brainwashed pride For the love of God and our human rights And all these things are swept aside By bloody hands time can't deny And are washed away by your genocide And history hides the lies of our civil wars” (‘Civil War’. W. Axl Rose, Saul ‘Slash’ Hudson, Duff Rose Mckagan, 1991) CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1 State-building and reconciliation within peacebuilding…………………………..1 State-building and reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina: unintended consequences……………………………………………………………………...4 Framing the nexus: research questions and project rationale……………………..7 CHAPTER 1 – ASSEMBLYING THE NEXUS: STATE-BUILDING AND RECONCILIATION DEBATES…………………………………………………….......15 Introduction………………………………………………………………………15 Distinguishing peace and state-building………………………………………….15 From peacebuilding to the liberal peace………………………………....16 Boosting liberal peace: state fragility and institutionalization…………...18 Intrusive liberal peace: unintended consequences of institutionalization………………………………………………………..20 Distancing top-down from bottom-up……………………………………25 Beyond liberal peace: broad peace and state-building…………………..31 Reconciliation……………………………………………………………………33 Top-down and Bottom-up reconciliation: ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ choices…....33 From coexistence to reconciliation: local or national relationship-building?.................................................................................36 Thick relationship-building: grounded transformative dialogues………..38 Thin relationship-building: reconciliation as a political and social dialogue…………………………………………………………...40 Reconciliation as justice: victims and perpetrators...................................43 Thick justice: victim-centred reconciliation..............................................43 Thin justice: perpetrator-focused reconciliation........................................45 Truth telling: multiple localised truths or top-down national narrative?...48 Thick ‘truths’: dialogue at the local level..................................................48 Thin ‘truths’: top-down truth telling..........................................................49 Neither thick nor thin: disconnecting top-down and bottom-up in reconciliation.........................................................................................50 Connecting thick and thin reconciliation..................................................59 Connecting state-building and reconciliation: The nexus as a framework for critical analysis…………………………………………..64 CHAPTER 2 – METHODS ……………………………………………………..............70 Introduction...........................................................................................................70 Meaning as connecting avenue between thin and thick reconciliation..................70 Operationalizing the nexus: Bosnia-Herzegovina as case study...........................74 Data collection.......................................................................................................76 Data analysis..........................................................................................................79 Epistemology, positionality and research journey……………………………….82 CHAPTER 3 – STATE-BUILDING AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT..................................................................89 Introduction............................................................................................................89 State-building: From Dayton’s consociationalism to the EU member-state- building…………………......................................................................................89