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Bridging Divides
Integrating Human Rights and Peacebuilding
Authors: Tabea Hanke & Thora Pindus
This report examines the state of the art concerning human rights and peacebuilding, establishing one of the bases for SHARINPEACE’s curriculum. Historically, human rights and peacebuilding have been regarded as separate spheres, with distinct theoretical underpinnings. However, as scholarship has advanced, these fields are now viewed as interdependent. Human rights provide a moral and legal foundation, advocating for accountability and justice, while peacebuilding seeks to rebuild and sustain peaceful societies, initially at a state level but increasingly incorporating local dynamics.
Human rights, traditionally codified through international conventions, aim to establish a universal framework for protecting individuals from state abuses. This legalistic approach has strengths, such as holding oppressive states accountable. Yet it also faces criticism for being overly Western-centric, which can undermine local human rights practices. The peacebuilding field, on the other hand, emerged with a focus on post-conflict recovery, emphasising reconciliation, institution-building, and social justice. Scholars advanced the concept of peacebuilding as a multi-dimensional strategy, from state-level interventions to grassroots efforts promoting social cohesion.
However, tensions between human rights and peacebuilding persist. Peacebuilding claimes to implement politically neutral strategies aimed at fostering stability, which may conflict with human rights’ inherently political nature. For instance, negotiations for peace may require compromise, sometimes seen as incompatible with a strict human rights approach. Conversely, failing to incorporate human rights can destabilise peace efforts by delegitimising agreements in the eyes of those who feel their rights are neglected. SHARINPEACE addresses these complexities by teaching students to navigate and reconcile these tensions.
Cite as: Hanke, Tabea and Thora Pindus 2025. Bridging Divides: Integrating Human Rights and Peacebuilding – Literature Review for Curriculum Development. SHARINPEACE Report #1.1
Disclaimer: The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein.
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Simulating Human Rights in Peacebuilding SHARINPEACE
Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships, 2021-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000031133
