Agents or Subverters of Peace? : Analyzing the role of internally displaced persons in peacebuilding processes

Sammanfattning: Scholars of peacebuilding have identified a link between peacebuilding and internal displacement, but internally displaced persons are yet to be regarded as impactful peacebuilders. This thesis explores the role of internally displaced persons in peacebuilding processes, particularly the bottom-up strategies IDPs employ in conflict settings that contribute to the achievement of a peaceful society and in the long run to sustainable peace. This research looks at the documented IDP everyday peacebuilding activities identified in Georgia and Azerbaijan, and thereafter a structured focused comparison of the two selected cases is undertaken. The theoretical underpinning of this study identifies internally displaced persons as part of the ‘local agency’ with the potential to positively contribute to peacebuilding. The empirical findings suggest that indeed IDPs in Azerbaijan and Georgia spearhead peacebuilding at the local level aside from being victims of conflict. However, the empirical assessment also highlights that the influence IDPs have on peacebuilding is limited by the challenges they face in displacement.