Oslo and post-Oslo generations: failed peace processes and peacebuilding perspectives

Over the past two decades, the literature on peacebuilding has become increasingly fragmented. In response to the UN’s “Sustaining Peace” agenda, new theories have emerged to explain how practitioners adapt their practices. Recent analyses distinguish between approaches that “expand” and those that “narrow” peace. However, the factors that drive peacebuilders to revise their visions and strategies remain understudied. This paper examines how transformative political events, particularly failed peace processes, shape the perspectives of peace activists. Focusing on Israel and Palestine, we differentiate between the Oslo and post-Oslo generations. Drawing on more than 100 interviews with Israeli and Palestinian activists and an overview of current debates surrounding the Oslo Accords, we identify clear generational differences. Activists who experienced the Oslo process tend to narrow peace by prioritizing pragmatic efforts to sustain dialogue. In contrast, activists who know Oslo only retrospectively tend to expand peace by linking it to broader goals such as social justice and structural change.