This paper analyzes how shifting identities enforce tactics for peacebuilding in the borderland. ... more This paper analyzes how shifting identities enforce tactics for peacebuilding in the borderland. The Ethiopia and Eritrea 1998-2000 border war harboured social implications for the Irob, a community straddled in the borderland. The cessation of hostilities that transpired after international interventions for political mediation mandated negotiations of everyday life in Irob, to survive the subsequent cold war. An internalized hatred toward the Eritrean army, who invaded and desecrated Irob, enforced a shift in their identity to fit the Ethiopian postwar political configurations. Additionally, historically porous borders were hampered, forcing the Irob to use indigenous knowledge to secure their livelihood. A continuous process of interpretation of the socioeconomic and political standing created a space where indigenous tools of peacebuilding ensured the survival of the community. However, the academic conceptualization of peace, as a stale destination antithetic to war, and borderlands as a conjunction of ideational and literal conflicts leave no space to analyze indigenous processes of peacebuilding. This research unpacks the dynamic role of peacebuilding in the border, critically analyzing the borderland community's negotiations of everyday life, managing violence and peace. It sheds light on local notions of peace and contributes to the debate of peacebuilding as a continuous process, intermingling with shifts of identity and selfhood. This study relied on secondary ethnographic accounts gathered through the archives of the Irob diaspora websites.
Williams College, where she majored in psychology and Africana studies. She is a former Fulbright... more Williams College, where she majored in psychology and Africana studies. She is a former Fulbright Research Fellow in Tanzania, where she conducted research on mental health stigma and its policy implications. Danielle has over ten years of experience facilitating foreign direct investment in East Africa. She founded and ran the strategy and management consulting firm, Africa Access, based in Nairobi. Prior to Africa Access, Danielle worked with Deloitte and supported the implementation of President Obama's Power Africa Initiative in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Liberia. She has led private sector projects in real estate, technology, tourism, health, and brand franchising. She is a dynamic leader, entrepreneurial minded, and passionate about building economic and social bridges between African diaspora communities and the African continent.
This paper analyzes how shifting identities enforce tactics for peacebuilding in the borderland. ... more This paper analyzes how shifting identities enforce tactics for peacebuilding in the borderland. The Ethiopia and Eritrea 1998-2000 border war harboured social implications for the Irob, a community straddled in the borderland. The cessation of hostilities that transpired after international interventions for political mediation mandated negotiations of everyday life in Irob, to survive the subsequent cold war. An internalized hatred toward the Eritrean army, who invaded and desecrated Irob, enforced a shift in their identity to fit the Ethiopian postwar political configurations. Additionally, historically porous borders were hampered, forcing the Irob to use indigenous knowledge to secure their livelihood. A continuous process of interpretation of the socioeconomic and political standing created a space where indigenous tools of peacebuilding ensured the survival of the community. However, the academic conceptualization of peace, as a stale destination antithetic to war, and borderlands as a conjunction of ideational and literal conflicts leave no space to analyze indigenous processes of peacebuilding. This research unpacks the dynamic role of peacebuilding in the border, critically analyzing the borderland community's negotiations of everyday life, managing violence and peace. It sheds light on local notions of peace and contributes to the debate of peacebuilding as a continuous process, intermingling with shifts of identity and selfhood. This study relied on secondary ethnographic accounts gathered through the archives of the Irob diaspora websites.
Williams College, where she majored in psychology and Africana studies. She is a former Fulbright... more Williams College, where she majored in psychology and Africana studies. She is a former Fulbright Research Fellow in Tanzania, where she conducted research on mental health stigma and its policy implications. Danielle has over ten years of experience facilitating foreign direct investment in East Africa. She founded and ran the strategy and management consulting firm, Africa Access, based in Nairobi. Prior to Africa Access, Danielle worked with Deloitte and supported the implementation of President Obama's Power Africa Initiative in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Liberia. She has led private sector projects in real estate, technology, tourism, health, and brand franchising. She is a dynamic leader, entrepreneurial minded, and passionate about building economic and social bridges between African diaspora communities and the African continent.
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