International actors, including key states like the US and organizations such as the UN, EU, African Union, and World Bank, and a range of NGOs, have long been confronted with the question of how to achieve an emancipatory form of peace.

Introduction Part 1: Theorizing the Social Formation of Peace Chapter I: Peace Formation, Local Dynamics and Transversal Networks Chapter II: Four Paths for Peace Formation Part 2: Reconstructing the Empirical Evidence Chapter III: Peace Formation in Practice Chapter IV: Cases Studies in Peace Formation I: Potential and Limitations Chapter V: Case Studies in Peace Formation II: Transforming the State and Addressing the Causal Factors of the Conflict Chapter VI: Infrastructures for Peace: Negative or Positive Hybrid Peace? Conclusion Appendix A Appendix A1 Notes Bibliography Index

"When studying matters of peace and security, most of the practitioner and academic community trains its eye on states and other international actors. Richmond, though, challenges us to approach these matters from the ground up, and consider whether and how local actors are the key for understanding the transformation of conflict-ridden societies that have learned to develop a culture, practices, and institutions of nonviolent dispute resolution. A necessary corrective to standard treatments of peace and security." - Michael Barnett, University Professor of International Relations and Political Science, George Washington University "Who and what is peace for? Richmond's latest powerful critique interrogates the failure of peace and peacebuilding to engage with peace movements or protect the rights of populations. His answers challenge the statist, institutionalist and neoliberal conceptions of peace, and hail the tenacious local processes in which the formation of peace, and governing legitimacy reside." - Michael Pugh, Emeritus Professor, University of Bradford, and Visiting Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen "Oliver P. Richmond's remarkable study draws on a wide range of interesting empirical cases. The result is a thought-provoking and theoretically sophisticated monograph that breaks new ground in asking how an international system built by local peace actors might look." - Tarja Väyrynen, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Tampere Peace Research Institute

"When studying matters of peace and security, most of the practitioner and academic community trains its eye on states and other international actors. Richmond, though, challenges us to approach these matters from the ground up, and consider whether and how local actors are the key for understanding the transformation of conflict-ridden societies that have learned to develop a culture, practices, and institutions of nonviolent dispute resolution. A necessary corrective to standard treatments of peace and security." - Michael Barnett, University Professor of International Relations and Political Science, George Washington University "Who and what is peace for? Richmond's latest powerful critique interrogates the failure of peace and peacebuilding to engage with peace movements or protect the rights of populations. His answers challenge the statist, institutionalist and neoliberal conceptions of peace, and hail the tenacious local processes in which the formation of peace, and governing legitimacy reside." - Michael Pugh, Emeritus Professor, University of Bradford, and Visiting Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen "Oliver P. Richmond's remarkable study draws on a wide range of interesting empirical cases. The result is a thought-provoking and theoretically sophisticated monograph that breaks new ground in asking how an international system built by local peace actors might look." - Tarja Väyrynen, Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Tampere Peace Research Institute

Selling point: Offers an innovative theoretical approach, engaging with both local and contextual forms of peacebuilding agency Selling point: Presents broad solutions for international relations and policy-makers Selling point: Is based on and draws from wide-ranging fieldwork Selling point: Introduces the concept of 'peace formation'

Oliver P. Richmond is Research Professor in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manchester. He is also International Professor, College of International Studies, Kyung Hee University, Korea and a Visiting Professor at the University of Tromso.

Selling point: Offers an innovative theoretical approach, engaging with both local and contextual forms of peacebuilding agency Selling point: Presents broad solutions for international relations and policy-makers Selling point: Is based on and draws from wide-ranging fieldwork Selling point: Introduces the concept of 'peace formation'