Economic Liberalization and Political Violence: Utopia or Dystopia?

Essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand conflict and development in the 21st century.
James Putzel, Crisis States Research Centre, London School of Economics

Globalization is lauded by some as a tool for spreading peace and prosperity, and decried by others as a harbinger of conflict and war. This book challenges both views.

Narrowing the concept of globalization to the more manageable notion of “neoliberalism,” this book studies its effects on violent conflict and war-making. Using a variety of qualitative case studies from Latin America (Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, and Guatemala) and sub-Saharan Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, and Uganda), the contributors demonstrate that the shift to neoliberal policies has produced widely diverging outcomes in different contexts.

This book shows that neoliberalism can help to end violent conflict as well as bringing about new, criminal forms of violence. It is an invaluable resource for students of political economy, development studies, and international relations.

The editors

Francisco Gutiérrez is a researcher at the Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Gerd Schönwälder is the Director of Policy and Planning at IDRC, where he previously led the Peace, Conflict, and Development program.