Addressing one of the most pressing issues of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) that is still unresolved almost 30 years later, this book adopts a political, sociological, and anthropological approach to look at periods of transition from conflict to peace in Lebanon.

Taif : between a peace agreement and a political project -- Relatives of the disappeared, a communitas in liminality -- The relationship between the state/regime and the communitas -- The local external environment and the communitas -- The communitas and the global discourse of human rights and transitional justice -- The slide from global to local : mechanisms of liminality and unintended outcomes -- Conclusion: looking beyond the transitory state : Lebanon three decades into the post-conflict -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Index.